New Breath

– Your father is a crook, and your mother would never pay any attention to him… He has disgraced his name! I know that you were in Berlin with that witch-beggar woman and her granddaughter. Hehe, how good that I convinced my old friend Tinkle to open a branch in the next street… Heh, heh, heh, heh … – Sebastian smiled nastily.

Augustus gasped in the total astonishment, and it seemed to him that everything around have disappeared except this evil face distorted by grimace.

– Frau Tomaco is the kindest person I know. And my father is a hundred times better than you, stupid, petty, jealous… – Sebastian grabbed August by his shirt and began to shake.

– Dad! – Philip exclaimed, watching them terrified. Sebastian snorted doubtfully at his side and, rousing himself, let August go.

– Both of you should go to your rooms! – Sebastian commanded, pulling a handkerchief and dabbing his brow.

August quickly ran upstairs, slammed the door, and collapsed his face into the pillow. He did not notice the moment when Grietta came in and began to stroke his hair. The boy loved the old maid, who was with him from the Berlin times. She was a part of his family reminding that not all is lost…

– Herr August, do not worry. Herr Sebastian doesn’t feel okay, as he and your mother were swearing on the phone this morning…

– What? – the boy startled. – did they have a quarrel? What do you know about it, Grietta, tell me!

– I do not know the details, from what I heard, he does not want to let you go somewhere. And your mother has apparently said that she is tired of living with Herr Sebastian and she does not like this house, it does not give the expanse for her imagination, and she’s a creative person…

– GRIETTA! – they’ve heard a roar from downstairs.

– Well, I am not lucky again, – she felt alarmed. – Ralph has got a punishment already, but he is respectful here anyways, and now I’m on the waiting list. Try to sleep, Herr August. Things will look better in the morning.

However, it was difficult for the boy to fall asleep in that day. Everything mixed up in his head. Tinkle, mom, red ugly face of the stepfather, his dear Marie, Grietta, Philip…

Exactly! Philip has to be saved! It is not too late! August even jumped up and began to sort out options frantically. Then he opened the door, but could not get out: Ralph, a haughty butler of Van Der Hoffen family was standing at the door.

– Herr Sebastian told me to stand at your door, – he said. – He thought you might want to go out.

– Ralph, look, this is very important, in this very moment, – the boy fervently whispered. – It’s a matter of life and death, – he concluded.

– I’m not allowed to do so, – the butler firmly replied.

“Well, he is not so straightforward, – the boy thought of his stepfather. – Intimidation, cunning, cruelty… Perhaps that is why he became so powerful”.

Then they’ve heard the Griette’s sobs.

– What is it? – the boy exclaimed. – You’ve heard it, haven’t you?! – August tried to break down, but the mighty hand of Ralph stopped him.

Like a grimed statue Sebastian appeared on the stairs. His grin frantically ran across his face to the right, then the left ear.

– Ralph, shut him inside.

Butler eagerly shoved the boy into the room. The key cranked double.

– What did you do with Griette? – August moaned helplessly, kicking the door a couple of times.

– Griette? And who is she? Ralph, do you know? She no longer works here, – almost sang his stepfather. August heard how his steps remote, and a giggle calms down in a distance…

***

August has already laid down, putting his hands under his head when he heard the quiet creak. Just above his bed, something rustled, and then a folded piece of paper fell on his head.

Fumbling the switch of the table lamp, August got up and unfolded the note.

“Sorry about that, I did not know that all this would happen… Dad does not want to let you go to the camp. If you want to run – around 2 a.m. open the balcony door and climb over my room. Philip”.

August looked up: there was something like a dormer, which are still preserved in such ancient houses, like this one.

Upon hearing the shuffling, August turned off the lamp and hid sleeping. Ralph probably saw the light streaming through the crack. A few minutes later all was quiet again.

August could not sleep glancing at the watch. About two hours later he got up and went to the closet. Having pulled sneakers and hoodie, August took a suitcase; he was glad that he almost didn’t take out any stuff out of it. Having opened the balcony door, the boy looked on Sebastian’s office. Everything seemed to be quiet. Then he pulled out a suitcase and crept to the edge. Between his balcony and that led into the hall, there was a distance of about half a meter. Being in a good sporting shape, August could overcome it easily, but the case was an excessive load. The door creaked on the neighboring balcony and brother showed with a sign that it’s fine.

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Примечания

1

German artist, master of paintings and engravings of historical and religious subjects.