Barbershop Otto Page 5

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  There was only one work assignment scheduled for Friday morning and there was only one class that Vasya was thinking to skip. He got up late, went through the motions of cable installation at another building, went back home to eat his lunch alone and decided to pay another visit to Special Security before it got too late. It was a weird outfit.

  The same old bus took to the same last stop buried in snow. Vasya was the only one to get off. All other passengers got on at the previous stop and apparently preferred to ride an extra leg rather than wait in the cold. The bus didn’t wait at the terminus, it simply left. Vasya looked around feeling a little lost and started walking towards the dark office buildings through the crusty snow. Some light were lit, but he couldn’t tell if there was anyone at Special Security.

  He walked up the crudely made ferroconcrete stair and tried the main door. It wasn’t locked, but inside, he had trouble finding the Special Security office, all doors seemed nearly identical and he couldn’t recall if there was any sign on it last time. “Oh yeah, the door was open then”, he remembered.

  “Looking for someone?” somebody called from the other end of the hallway. Vasya turned his head and saw a short bespectacled woman in a blue technician’s jacket. “A janitor”, thought Vasya. “Yeah, Special Security, where are they?” asked Vasya using the authoritative yet vaguely respectful tone he reserved for janitors and security guards. “Gone for the day. Come back on Monday,” said the janitor walking closer, “what’s your business with them?” “Why do they always need to know?” wondered Vasya yet again but said, “Applied for a job a while ago, still heard nothing. Just curious if they’re still hiring”. He started walking to the exit. “They’re always hiring”, said the janitor addressing his back, “high turnover”. She said “I actually have to lock it up by now” and followed Vasya to the door.

  They were in the staircase, walking down, when the front door opened letting in the stream of freezing air quickly turning into the steam. Two men came in these clouds, the Director whom Vasya met before and an older man, taller and leaner. “Hello again”, said Director, “still inquiring?” “Hi”, said Vasya and at the same moment felt a piercing pain in the right buttock. He wanted to say “What the f…” and fainted in middle of the f-word. He would have fallen over and probably broken some of his bones hadn’t the janitor and the two men grabbed his mighty body.