George’s journey through time. Meeting the First Humans

So, without coming up with anything, he went to bed. And at night Marie woke him up:

«Darling,» she said, «glittering in the dark with moist eyes full of love, «I wanted to tell you in the evening, but you were so tired and so preoccupied that I was afraid to disturb you, but now I woke up and realized that I wouldn’t sleep if I didn’t tell you.» «We’re going to have a baby, honey,» she said and sighed happily.

— What? — George muttered sleepily.

«Baby, honey,» Marie repeated tenderly.

— Child? — George asked, still recovering from sleep.

«Yes, honey,» Marie answered, «I visited the doctor today, and he said that we will have a child.»

«A child,» George repeated, «A child!» — he shouted. — Child! We’re having a baby!

«Hush, darling, you’ll wake up the neighbors,» Marie whispered tenderly and sympathetically.

George and Marie did not sleep until morning. Forgetting about the dream, they discussed who it would be a boy or a girl, what stroller to buy him or what kind of undershirts, how they would bathe him with words, everything, all those cute little things associated with this solemn event.

George came to work sleepy, but excited.

— Why are you shining like a copper nickel, George? — one of the group’s employees asked him.

«Yes, Marie and I will have a child,» he said. And unable to contain his joy, he smiled widely and openly.

And although he tried in every possible way to force himself to work and even sat down at the oscilloscope screen, all his thoughts, against his will, boiled down to Marie’s pregnancy and the birth of a child. In the end, with his cheerful, high spirits, the future young father infected the entire bureau, and everyone, having quit their jobs, began vying with each other to advise him on how to bathe the future baby, how to wrap him. And even the usually dry and strict head of the bureau, Mr. Cook, somehow became kinder and softened:

«Under no circumstances should you feed your baby artificial formula,» he said, «this will be of little benefit.» It’s better to let his mother feed him with her milk. My Elsa didn’t have much milk, but she breastfed my two twins exclusively. And look what they have become! — he said proudly and showed a photograph of two tall, red-cheeked boys.

And so the days of George and Mary passed in labor and care, sanctified by the light of love.

She continued to sing and was expecting a child. George was working on his electric motor project.

And overnight everything collapsed.

Chapter 2

MARIE’S ILLNESS AND GEORGE RECEIVES AN OFFER

Once after one of his concerts, Margot, his lovely, restless Margot, looked tired.

This time she didn’t tell him anything. She did not share her lively impressions of the past evening, but only quietly and thoughtfully laid her head on his shoulder.

— What’s wrong with you, honey? — George asked sympathetically.

«I don’t know,» she answered quietly, «I don’t know, darling, let’s better look at the stars.»

At home, George immediately called a doctor. He arrived half an hour later, examined the thoughtful, saddened Margot for a long time and finally said with a sigh:

Acute pneumonia, and an extremely severe form, in addition, as I understand, your wife is pregnant. And the disease threatens both her and the child. I advise you to send her to the hospital without delay, otherwise complications are possible. «Well, well, don’t despair, young man, when you notice George’s pale face,» he said.

— Good nutrition, fresh fruit, plus treatment — and your lovely wife will be back on her feet in two weeks.

Then, having written out the prescription, he said goodbye and left.

After quickly calling the nearest hospital, George learned that his wife’s stay there for two weeks would cost him approximately $30,000.

«Nothing special,» George thought with despair, walking around the room in excitement, «treatment in a good hospital costs a lot of money, but where can an ordinary engineer get it?»

Excitedly, he dialed his parents’ phone number.

«Mr. Tim is listening,» his father said evenly and clearly.

— Dad, Margot is dying! — George shouted in excitement, — she has acute pneumonia. I beg you, for the love of all that is holy, help!

Something rang in the receiver, and George heard his mother’s quiet voice:

— Son, your father is sick, he has troubles at his company. I’ll come now.

Twenty minutes later she stood pale and calm on the threshold of George’s home, raindrops running down her face or were they tears?

Without undressing, she walked into the kitchen.

— Son, over the thirty years of living with your father, I have saved something, I don’t need this money now, but you will need it. Everything will be fine, you give them to me. No, my father and I are not poor people,» with these words she handed George 10,000 dollars.

— Ten thousand dollars, that’s great, mom! — George said with shining eyes, — but the doctor said that $30,000 was needed for hospital treatment.

«Son,» the mother said softly, «I gave you everything I had.» Your father could have given much more, but you know his attitude towards you. However, I will talk to him, but I won’t promise you anything yet. Don’t worry about fruits and nutrition, I will go to Marie every day. Poor Marie,» with these words, she threw a shawl over her shoulders and left without saying goodbye.

«Thirty thousand dollars, thirty thousand dollars,» George thought feverishly in his head, «just some 30,000 dollars, and Margot’s life is saved. Well, they’ll give me a thousand dollars for the watch, after all, it’s a real Rolex, and I’m good with the old ones. You can get three thousand dollars for your own Ford, which is not yet old. Where can I get another $16,000?»

«Hello, Mike,» he shouted into the phone, dialing the number of his bosom friend from the university, «help me out, old man.» My old lady is a little sick here,» with these words, he looked at Margot, who was breathing heavily in her sleep, and, suppressing a sudden lump that came to his throat, he continued, «Could you please lend me some unfortunate 16,000 bucks for a couple of months.»

«With pleasure, old man,» rumbled at the other end of the phone. But as luck would have it, I was about to buy a new car, if only you had called me two weeks earlier.

George called one, two, three, but, as usually happens in such cases, no one had any money. One bought a car, another started renovating a house, the third got into debt himself…

«Well, nothing,» thought George, «I already have 14,000 dollars, I need to get another 16,000 and try to get Margot into the hospital.»

The whole next day was spent in intense troubles. Having run around all the resellers, George sold his expensive watch and car, and after desperate negotiations with the hospital administration, he still managed to find Marie for a week.

He returned home late in the evening and, tired, without even having dinner, fell into bed.

The whole next day was spent in an intense search for money.

The whole second one too.

The whole third one too.

So five days passed, the sixth was ending.

A fine cold rain was falling outside the window. The gloomy autumn day was dying out. The cigarette in George’s hands was burning out.

In two days, he will have to pay the remaining $16,000 for Marie’s treatment, otherwise she will simply be thrown out of the hospital. And he was unable to help her in any way.

«So what if she’s from a poor family,» George thought bitterly, walking around the room, «so what if she doesn’t meet her father’s ideas about what a wife should be like for the son of Sir Peter Tim, the venerable, gray-haired head of the family, one of the co-owners of the reputable electrical company Peter Tim and Co.»

George was in despair.

All hopes for a quick recovery for Marie were dashed.

Suddenly the cruelty that usually came to him in the ring and helped him win came to him. His eyes became hard and dry. «I will go to any lengths to help you, Margot,» he whispered, «and I will achieve this if I were not George Tim.»

The cold, evening silence of the twilight was broken by the sharp ringing of the telephone.

— Hello, George! — rumbled in the receiver, — this is Mike. Listen, old man, I can’t help you with money right now, but there’s an adventurous project here, and if you’re not afraid of risk, you can make a lot of money.

«I’m not afraid of anything, Mike,» George answered with dry eyes.

«Then listen, George,» said Mike, «I know a crazy millionaire here, he’s just crazy about archeology, every summer he goes on expeditions and spends a lot of money looking for some ancient bone or fragment of some ancient stone.» I told him about your problem, and he is ready to talk to you. Write down the address George. But before you approach him, call him and say that you are from me. Well, goodbye old man.

The receiver slammed into place and short beeps were heard.

«Mr. Charles Smith,» George read what he had written and dialed the phone number.

«I’m listening,» they responded at the other end of the phone.

«Mr. Charles Smith,» George began to say, his voice breaking with excitement, «I’m from Mike Rozovsky.»

«I understand,» they said at the other end of the phone. -Are you ready to wait?

«No more than three hours,» George answered.

— Okay. Then give us the address, a car will pick you up in two hours.

Exactly two hours later, the bell rang in George’s empty apartment.

«Mr. George,» said the neat messenger, «I’m from Mr. Charles Smith, the car is waiting for you.»

Having quickly dressed, George went out.

The fine, boring autumn rain still continued to drizzle, the whole sky was of some indefinite gray color, the houses, passers-by, and trees were gray and monochromatic.

In front of George’s driveway stood a huge armored Cadillac with tinted windows. The car gently moved off and, after a long drive, drove up to a huge castle made of dark red granite. He seemed to be floating in this gray rainy fog. «Hey,» George whistled, «this gentleman really doesn’t have a lot of money.»

— Mr. George Tim? — said the short, tightly built gentleman. — I’m Charles Smith. «I offer you a deal,» he said immediately and sharply, «you travel through time, yes, yes, don’t look at me like that and bring me one thing, and I will pay you a million dollars.» I must tell you right away that this journey is dangerous, the risk is very high,“ he said after a short pause, „so think about it.