Остров Харона. The Island of Charon. Премия им. А. де Сент-Экзюпери / A. de Saint-Exupery Award (Билингва: Rus / Eng)

– Девочка… – прошептала я в отчаянье.

– Она вернётся, – Янис осторожно прикоснулся к моей руке и повёл меня прочь.

1.2. The Girl who was looking for her mother

I turned around and noticed, as if from nowhere, a dark-haired small girl of about five in a translucent pink dress appeared on the shore. She looked out to the Ocean, but no one was near her.

«MA-MA-aaaa!!!» her heart-rending scream rang out.

I looked at Yanis. His face seemed to get darkened, but he didn’t even move.

I jumped up from the table and ran to the Girl.

«Hey!» I hugged her by the shoulders. «What’s happened?»

The Girl sobbed, repeating just one word «Mom!», but paying no attention to me.

«What’s about your mom?» I asked. «Where is she? In the Ocean? What’s your name?»

The Girl either did not understand, or did not hear me, she continued to sob. And the Ocean was still quiet and completely empty. Not a soul. Neither in it, nor on the shore.

I returned to the Yanis’ cafe, but he had disappeared, apparently, he had left for shrimps.

The Ocean had already flooded part of the shore, and I rushed to the stairs by swimming. I climbed up the rock, ran to the reception of the strawy hotel and rang the bell, but no one showed up.

«Hey!» I screamed. «Is anybody here? Help! There’s a small girl on the shore! She’s lost her mother!»

But an ominous silence was rising in answer.

I ran back to the stairs.

«Poor Girl! And what if she became food for fishes in this Pacific – from all points of view – Ocean after her mother?! God forbid!»

However, when I got out of water to a piece of the not yet flooded shore, the Girl was nowhere to be seen…

Shocked, I stood on the shore and looked into the Ocean. It continued to swallow the Island silently, when the voice came suddenly from right behind me.

«Shrimps?»

«The Girl…» I whispered in despair.

«She’ll be back!»

Yanis gently touched my hand and led me away.

***

Горы седеют от горя —

Ведьмы сбывалось проклятье,

Скалы сидели у моря,

Фею держали за платье.

Замок – воздушный, но в саже,

Фея вздыхает – не плачет:

«Мама, напомни той страже:

Долго за феей не скачет!»

Ветер шептался с золою,

Вечер тянулся к балладам,

Солнце прощалось с землёю,

Время дышало на ладан.