Eighteen years have passed a week ago, but the bitterness of a hangover has remained. The stomach fluttered from satiety goodies. Vodka did not have that pleasant aroma of morning freshness. Her smell seemed the most disgusting of all known. Even the smell of Shipr, who was squirting papahen, preparing to go to work, caused me to gag.

Having lit up the whitefish, I pulled my ass into the autumn whirlwind. Outside, the first snowball lay in an even layer. Glittering with their harmful sparks lashed at my eyes. The head throbbed in pain, cigarette smoke, falling into the lungs, strengthened it. Having thrown an under-smoked bull-calf into an urn that fell in my way, the unfortunate entered the shop at the bus stop. Directly in front of my eyes was a huge glass triangular vessel with a bloody liquid. No, it was not blood, and I am not a vampire. It was tomato juice. He took a trifle worth ten kopecks from his pocket, the suffering one filled the blazing flames of hellfire with cool ambrosia, sprinkling it with a pinch of salt, provided with a teaspoon with a glass filled with water for rinsing it. There were no aids in those blessed times. Residents were not afraid to drink highly carbonated water from vending machines on the street, using only one glass at all, rinsing it with cold water before drinking. On disposable dishes never heard. The word sex was absent in the lexicon, but it was and was called differently.

I divided women into two categories. The first is those with whom one had to get acquainted, walk along the street, give them flowers, sweets, recite poems, sighing languidly under the moon. And seeing to the house, to the hut, to dream of a farewell kiss. And if he got it, run home, skipping, beaming with happiness.

The other one were those with whom you could sleep without any candy-bouquet periods. They did not think this was shameful. And if the dude liked them, they invited him to their home with pleasure or came to visit. It was sex without commitment. And they were not always protected, which did not lead to vein diseases. Yes, and germs with viruses then were not as malicious and vicious, as now. Influenza was not avian yet, and food was rarely poisoned. Vodka, too, and wine - easily. The wine was fine and with ugly labels. But in cigarettes and cigarettes was real tobacco, and not cut paper, as it is now, soaked horseradish-knows-what.

The girls wore rings not of real gold, but of colored aluminum with a pebble of colored glass. How do I know? And on my right hand, starting from the little finger, there were three girlish rings and two on the left. If they were gold or, at the worst, silver, no one would give me to reproach them as a guarantee of our meeting. No, I was not a robber. And who will take away the cheap rings from the lovely creatures? I loved meeting on the street, in the park, in the cinema, in the tram or bus. Quickly finding a topic for conversation. As soon as I started, my tongue was grinding without stopping.

I didn't even have to lie. So many funny stories happened in my life that they could be told for three years and three months. If this was a talker contest, I think it would not take the last place. I was even born funny - eight months. But now I was eighteen years old. The abyss of these months is left behind. He lived quite a lot, and although he did not look down on this world and did not yet feel himself master in it, he felt himself old enough to drink, smoke, love and even go into the army to protect his land from foreign invaders.

Getting acquainted with a pleasant girl in all respects, I admired her kolechikom and asked to give a look. The beauty of my youthful dreams wandered and slipped my delicate hand under my nose.But it did not take a few seconds, as she still took off the dear to her heart thing. Now she got caught. I put a ring on my little finger and promised to return it, if she comes on a date tomorrow. So I left them no choice. Of course, there were those who did not want to leave in any way the pledge of their soul and heart, looped in a piece of brilliant metal. But I did not insist - I returned to them an adorable object, costing two to three trips on a tram. There were less than a third. The majority understood that this was a game, and joyfully parted with her bling for a while. Now nothing could stop them from coming on a date. After all, they wanted to get their pretty thing back, and I had an absolute guarantee that it would come. My memory was good, I remembered very well whose ring belongs to which maiden. Of course, being on a date, I took them off my fingers, leaving only the one and only, belonging only to her ...

The door to the boutiques opened, launching a bit of frosty, autumn air and a lovely creature about my age, maybe a little older. A beautiful creature, walking up to the counter, twisted her nose and curled her lips. Realizing that if you bring a lit match to my mouth, there will be an explosion from alcohol vapors, and the smell of fume is not ambrosia for Elves and Thumbelina who escaped from the country. The girl was petite, of low age and simply charming. She didn’t bother with tomato juice, but requested a three-liter jar.

“My apology, princess,” I began the conversation, “I had a birthday the other day.” I am now an adult boy. I can drink, smoke and get acquainted without hiding in the corners.

Glancing at my little ring, the lady of my heart smiled:

- Congratulations! And why the rings? Are you a gypsy?

“No,” I admitted, “I like to meet beautiful creatures.”

For some reason I did not want to lie to this girl. He told her the whole truth. She laughed and gave me a heavy bag, because I said that Thumbelina like her should not carry weights. For these purposes we need men like me.

- The man?! - Light laughed, holding the door of the store, - here is my man - this is a man!

Then she wondered if I was offended, and in order to somehow make up for his guilt, she suddenly took my arm. I think it cost her nothing, but I was pleased. However, I was not offended. Slender physique, short in stature, never distinguished by good physique.

Having looked at her hand and having spotted not a simple but a gold ring, I asked an unceremonious question:

- Are you married?

- Soon ten years will be, but why did you ask? You're just helping me carry a heavy bag, ”Svetlana asked.

“You look too young, Svetik-seven-color,” admitted the blundered MCH in my face, “I thought you were just over eighteen.

- Yurochka, are you serious? Or just a compliment trying to talk to me ?! The woman laughed.

“Seriously and a compliment,” the young man answered to an adult woman.

- So you tried to make acquaintance with me using a ring, how do you do it with your peers? !!

“That's right, noticed,” I smiled, “but now I'm not trying.” You have a gold ring, and not this jewelry for three pennies per kilogram.

“And if I take it off now and give it to you, will you come to see me?”

- I will definitely come, but only to return it.

- Am I too old for you?

“That's not the point,” the lover hero replied, “I was older too.” The thing is different. Are you married. And this is against my rules.

- What are you ... Right. Well, here we are. Thank! - said Light in front of her house.

- For what? - I smiled, - not hard for me.

- For a walk and for everything ...

Sveta gently stroked my cheek, took the bag and disappeared into the stairwell.

***

- Well, you moron! - Valera said after listening to my story - she directly semaphore you what she wants, but you could not ...

“The freak himself,” I answered, “she’s married, and I’m not contacting married women.”

- Why is it so? Afraid that an angry spouse hangs on you if he finds out?

- I am not afraid, because I will not know. It's not mine, ...