When the word home is spoken to me, I first of all represent its windows. In my opinion, windows for a house are like the eyes of a person. They say about a person: “The eyes are the mirror of the soul”. In my opinion, this can be attributed to homes. For me, the windows of the houses of his soul, or rather the soul of the apartment, and it is composed of the souls of its inhabitants. Therefore, I love the windows and with bated, even unhealthy curiosity or when I do not miss the opportunity to look into them. I am interested in the soul of the apartment.

Needless to say that one of my favorite activities is to go out to the balcony in the evening and look at the windows of houses on the opposite side of the street with interest.

The most interesting object is the house opposite. He appeared not long ago about two years ago. And since then, I almost every day watching his windows. Probably, people will say: "It is not good to look at ...". But those who don’t want to do so simply shut themselves off from the world, pulling back curtains or lowering blinds. The rest either have nothing to hide or don't give a damn about being watched.

Here take me. I do not like other people's views, and therefore heavy silky curtains drawn on the windows almost always hide the room from alien curious looks.

***

Today, having come home and not finding my neighbor there, I pulled a bottle of beer out of the fridge and went out to the loggia. On the one hand, it's a pity - so much space from the apartment was chopped off, on the other hand - where would I put my favorite chair?

The chair is something! So say hereditary anachronism. I got from my parents. Big, black, leather. Although the leather upholstery and cracked from old age, but it is still strong and looks solid. On the seat can accommodate two, such as me. Soft, comfortable armrests. You do not sit in it, but you sit - at least for an hour at least two hours, it’s impossible to sit out exactly. You can sleep ... In the room it takes up too much space, but in the loggia, and in good weather, but with the packaging of beer ... not an armchair, a dream!

As usual, with a swing fell into place. Springs squeaked familiarly, adjusting to my weight. I drank cold beer straight from the neck and habitually began to inspect "their possessions" perhaps more correctly than "glaciation." The heat, pestering everyone in the afternoon, had already begun to subside for a month, and I was glad to inhale the air that had cooled down after the unbearable heat.

To be honest, the regulars living with windows open to outsiders I knew by sight. Sometimes when I was in the mood, I even greeted them, however, in my mind. I didn’t care what their names were and how their last names sounded, but with very high certainty I could predict who, where, when and what to do.

Here is a window where everyone gathers very late, so they are just now having dinner. In another in the hall constantly flashed multicolored reflections. There constantly at this time watching TV until the night. In the next - I put the child to sleep. I see how flighty mom is saying something to a frowning karapuz. In another window ... I didn’t look any further, but looking at my watch, I stared at a certain window.

It was dark, but I knew that it was now pulled back by light tulle. Later, like a curtain in a tulle theater, it is pulled apart in order to cover the window again for the night with the now heavy brown curtain. Just like after the performance in the theater.

There was definitely someone in the apartment, and I even assumed who.

There she lived my beautiful such familiar stranger. Rises at six, drinks coffee in the kitchen. Then he washes for a long time and goes to work at eight in the morning. Usually returns around four in the evening, but sometimes much later, when the husband is absent. Apparently the one works on the railway schedule or the like. Her marriage does not prevent her from meeting with other men, and in her own home and precisely when the second half is missing.

I knew it - because I saw everything with my own eyes, and not just once.Sometimes several meetings in a row are the same man, but usually they are different. The script is always the same. They settle in the kitchen at the table, drink brandy and coffee, then she goes to bathe in the bath and returns to the translucent peignoir. Further action moves into the room. When I first saw this scene, the bed from my seat was not visible. One could only guess what was going on. Then, she moved to a prominent place for me, I was surprised to realize that I was “spotted”, but they did not hide, but did, so I became a spectator.

As if playing with me, the woman was pushing the curtains apart, undressing, teasing the boyfriend and me, and I watched with disguised annoyance as they tumble. After ten in the evening the gentleman was exorcised. She washed again and after that went naked. In cases where the gentleman was not she, sometimes lying in bed "playing" by herself ... And all this was done to show me. Going to bed, pushed the curtains, as if making it clear that the day was over. No, you do not think that this happened every day. Usually once, rarely twice a week.

But today everything went according to plan. Waiting was delayed. Although she was not a fan of accuracy, she always fit within half an hour. Having quickly glanced through the other windows, I suddenly heard the sound of a door opening into the apartment. Almost immediately, it closed. Familiar light steps showed that my neighbor appeared and went to her room. After a couple of minutes, quiet, stealing sounds came from behind him.

“Aha ... I'm just deaf,” flashed through my head, and at the same instant, an elegant but strong hand deftly pulled out of my hands an almost forgotten bottle of beer.

- Lord, how I want to drink! - It sounded in my ear.

“Everything is getting better every time,” I pretended to grumble, “and, by the way, there is more in the refrigerator,” I said without turning, “come on, girl, give me back my beer.”

“There’s more,” Lenochka moaned, “in order to get it, you have to go to the kitchen, open the fridge, and then go back.”

“You can drink it there,” I retorted, listening to what a friend was doing.

She gurgled relishly, leaning against the bottle. Then she bent down and, having kissed me on the cheek, said:

- Hello, Artem, and what are you, just brought one bottle?

“Yeah,” I did not take my eyes off that window.

- Again, your slut guard !? - and she gurgled, drinking the remnants of beer.

“...” I nodded my head. I did not want to talk about it. Everything has been said for a long time.

- Would you go to her or what? - Lena said thoughtfully, - she teases you, and you watch ...

“I don't mind,” I roared shortly.

- So I say - roar! - She complained reproachfully, - maybe let's go to my room and I will help you to forget about her there.

- May be a little later? - I automatically answered.

“Oh, men and men ...” she lamented, “they know it’s crazy that they are going crazy.” What did she show you, what you can't see here and now? - she sighed heavily and continued, - you are silent ...

Looking away for a moment from the contemplation of the dark window, I turned around and looked at Lena’s worried face. In addition to concern, there was anxiety, and bitterness lurked in her eyes.

“I see,” I drawled. - What? Was the prince again a mere mortal or even a goat? - I sighed heavily.

- Natural! - supporting my tone, she replied. - Imagine! He wanted to drag me to the hut to his friends. Grupovuha, you see, he loves ... - with a patter, as if spitting out the words from herself, the neighbor chattered, - well, I showed him! - Lena continued cheerfully, turning to the usual tone, - now she will not soon take part in her favorite business.

- Oh, Lenka! Squirt you sometime! - I said reproachfully. - You get like a chicken in a soup ...

“To be afraid of wolves, not to go to the forest,” she answered frivolously, and after sifting forward with a sweep, she flopped onto my knees. Springs protesting, creaked, but stood, adjusting to the new weight - It's nothing if I sit here. I'm tired, ”she complained,“ and you smack them, or something, they squeak.

- You go, - I jokingly shoved her with ...