Night watches
The summer evening was close to the end. The sun had gone down below the horizon. Only a bright pink strip illuminated the surroundings.
On the porch of a wooden house wearing a battered t-shirt and shorts Rooster went out unsteadily and sat on the stairs. With bowed head he sat for a long time. Then he wistfully looked up at the already dark sky, on which the stars shone like beads.
From behind the tree crown a joyful moon rolled out, but then rolled back. It’s place was taken immediately by a crescent where leaning comfortably on his back Old Rooster sat. As usual he was lighting his cigar. He bit off the tip and threw it down into the depth. The next day, the depth was indignant – all news channels of the world reported that the chip of an unmanaged satellite fell in Milan, breaking through the roof of a workshop. But our hero will never know about this...
-Hey! –shouted Old Rooster. – Why have you called me?
The Young Rooster started to look around. Nobody was around.
-Hey! I'm calling you!
Young Rooster looked up and saw the crescent and on it - his old friend. His eyes were wide with amazement. He remained silent.
-Well, you will keep your mouth shut? Why have you called me? You think I have nothing to do?
-No ... no...I can't believe...
-All right, you’ll believe, later. Tell!
-What can I say... I have sorrow...
-What happened?
-Hen is gone.
-Where?
-Not where but from whom! From me. In the barn.
-Rejoice!
-I can't. I feel bad without her. I want her back but nothing helps.
-You can get a girlfriend. She will see and will be back immediately.
- No, she will not come. She left because of me… with all of my girlfriends I went too far...
- I see...
-And moreover Chick got out of hand...
-And what does he want?
-Mother left, so he asked if I leave also who will get everything. That is, he asked me if I wrote a will in his favour.
Here Old Rooster became surprised.
-I wonder about our youth! Brazen.
- And therefore for the purpose of prevention I strapped Chick.
-And what? Helped?
- Do you hear the music rumbling in the house? He avenges me.
-It is clear. Yes... Hen should be returned.
Young Rooster sighed.
-Okay, give me a week. After a week wait for your beloved at home.
-So you...
-Go to bed. Tomorrow is another day. Take counsel with your pillow. I spent a lot of time for you. Now audience is over.
Old Rooster rose to his feet, waved his wings and disappeared. Crescent swelled back to the size of the moon.
Invariably there was only the roar of the music coming from the house. Chick continued to avenge.
One week has passed. It was getting dark. Rooster was sitting in the kitchen, holding his head, and was in a bad temper. In front of him a bottle of vodka and a glass. An hour ago he beat Chick for his desire to get a tattoo. Chick stated that he will appeal to the human rights commission, and now sat quietly in his room scribbling out his complaint. Failed versions of the complaint littered throughout the room in the form of balls of crumpled paper. "At least he is busy with something. It’s ok”, thought Rooster.
Glancing through the window, he saw a lonely figure near the gate. A figure shifted on her feet, and was not going to go away. "Who is there so late?" thought Young Rooster and unwillingly went out onto the porch.
Hen stood behind the fence. With bowed head, she dug at the sand with her leg. Her suitcase sat nearby. Instantly turning his t-shirt inside out and tucking it into his pants, Rooster stood on the porch with crossed wings, leaning against the jamb.
Hen noticed her husband but stood motionless and silent. Rooster waited a bit and asked -
-Why are you here?
Silence.
-Clean clothes is over? You came to do laundry?
Hen jerked and suddenly burst into tears. Rooster began to worry. He walked down the porch and approached the fence.
-What happened?
Hen nodded, pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose loudly, continuing to cry.
-Ok, no sense to wet your plants. Come in the house and we will talk.
Rooster opened the gate. Hen slipped into the yard and, quickly passing through the yard, entered the house.
Both birds were sitting in the kitchen. Rooster – at the table with an untouched bottle of vodka, Hen – in a corner, grouped on a stool.
-Well, tell me.
When the tears and puffing were stopped, Hen began.
-When I left you, for several days I was sitting and thinking, why we did it...
"God," thought the Rooster, “She thought! Wow! Only with what? If your brain is a chicken one?"
-... One evening I heard someone singing and playing a guitar. Moreover, crooning away in a nasty voice, and for so long...
-What was he singing?
-Serenades of love. I went out to see, and it was our neighbor, Old Rooster! Well, the one that....
-Are you crazy? How can he sing if he has died?
Hen again broke down in tears. Rooster opened the bottle of vodka, poured a little in a glass and with a pickled cucumber, gave it to Hen.
-Drink.
Hen sipped, then coughed, but felt more energetic.
- I know you don't believe me. And no one will believe if I tell. They will say "She is a fool!"
-And they will be right, - muttered Rooster.
-What? - asked Hen.
-Go ahead.
- I asked him to not come anymore and to not yell his songs under the window. But he said that he will come to me every night, because now I'm a single woman and he likes me. I replied that I am married. And he answers: "If you were married, you would not be sitting here alone". And it happened so all week, every day. And yesterday he said that he will come tomorrow with the intention of making me an offer of hand and heart. And added that he is still about-go-go and we still have a chance to have new chicks. But I love you. I was so scared that I came back. Will you accept me back? Forgive me!
-Ok, my beloved bird. Set to home work - dust has been waiting for you, and the stove is not heated. And me…I will bring your suitcase from the yard.
Rooster got up and reluctantly moved to the door on the porch. Hen quickly darted into the bathroom to change clothes.
It was dark and cool outside. Rooster raised his head and looked with appreciation at the starry sky. There rolling from horn to horn crescent giggled and the moon smiled.