Family Business

The greatness of father pushes the young man to crime. If the child can`t surpass his father in good deeds, then will surpass in bad deeds. Be looser for your kids. Whole world doesn`t need your victories.

His father was an important person. Equal to his father, his grandfather and even great grandfather. He continued their, own business, raised a son.
Here is harsh chin in an oak frame. Black tiny eyes, highlited with metallic luster, looking down from above, killing on the spot.
There are male line portraits on the wall in father`s cabinet. Grandfathers, great-grandfathers, cousins… Through the centuries his kin have grew from poor farmer`s family into a strong, extensive family. And now, because of Demyan, his genus is going to shrink.
There were different variations of faces: brown-haired, hot brunettes, in wigs and without, fat and skinny persons. But in their eyes was one common thing. They were looking at the horizon, as if bright future awaited them. They, who died a long ago, who was famous and important, and not even them, but their portraits, which a breathless, brainless and lifeless copies, even they have the right to look ahead. In to the bright future!
Silly irony: a piece of paperboard has a future, and you – don`t.
But what prevents Demyan`s portrait be painted? From the portrait he can look on the horizon as if his eyes are directed on a bright future. And, through the ages, some other Demyan, while he will be looking on this portrait, he will be suffering from only one question: «Why am I so miserable, and why they so great?»

Hm? But it is a good idea! People are just powder, so no one will remember you. But if you have a portrait… Maybe, this man had fear of mice and color of blood, but if any reviewer will look on the portrait, he would write an expressive article, so people could say next: «That was a great man!».
You are worseless, but if you pay some money, you will increase the cost to yourself. Frame worse much more, than painter. Better than your portrait - your writer. He can write and publish in a such way, that descendants will remember you in a long time.

It is fantastic, how everything can turn upside down in a moment. People are fools. If they said A, they will say B, observing the logical chain. Why are they doing this?

Everything is easier, than it seems. Much easier. The more witnesses see your wisdom, the more you have. The more witnesses know a person as a good man with good deeds, than better this person will be. How can you get more witnesses? Make an announcement. A loud one. That loud that at least a hundred would know.

And when this hundred people will know Mr. N. as a good person, one hundred and first person will not dare to say something bad about this good soul. Even if he knows that Mr. N is a scoundrel and drunkard because Mr. N. lives in this house and begging for money every morning to sober up. After the statements of hundred believers, one hundred and first person can not argue with opinion of majority. Of course not! He even begins to doubt in the facts that lying before him. He will not believe his own eyes. Strength of numbers.

Than why? Why do we need this principles and chains, that concepts such as «We must take responsibility for our actions»? Who needs it? Grateful descendants, for whom you did not save money for education and health, because you were honest and straightforward? They will be first who will spit on your gray head.

Such a fool you were, daddy.

This all was Demyan`s thoughts, while he was standing in the exquisite father`s cabinet. The faces in the portraits were so condemning. They all were so notable and known. With honor, they carried their is surname through the centuries. Even great grandaunt was able to distinguish herself.

Only Demyan, poor silly boy, who had graduated from one of the best schools and a prestigious university with the highest score, learned horse riding and playing the flute, who knows ten languages, including sign language and bird language, who has impeccable taste, only he ruins family business now.

Nobody was raised up in the way he was. Many of his ancestors, even his father, could not write! Father even could not read. They knew nothing about physics, chemistry. They even could not know anything, because their whole life is a struggle for the bright future, with wild unholy creatures that are ten, twenty times stronger. There was no time for reading, for high principles and morals, for soft undertones of Raphael`s paintings or Bach`s counterpoint.

For what? Why his ancestors gave him so much? All of them? Why did they lived for future generations, saved up money for this house - a rich and luxurious one, where poor Demyan lives, - for an excellent education that only he has?

He did not justify. Did not confirm their hope, trusts. All his deeds are nothing. His efforts are worthless.

He just can`t!

-But it is not my fault! – cried plaintively Demyan, looking on portraits of ancestors. – It is not my fault! There are no more vampires! No more! We have a science, biology, psychology, even fools, but no vampires! What should I do? What?!

Demyan fell down to the knees, covering his face with hands. Zirconium cufflink painfully clicked on the cheek. A scarlet trickle ran down the chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand. He raised his hand to his face, looked at the red spot, sniffed and licked. The blood was good, because he ate well. There was a smell of iron, there was no lack of hemoglobin. Not like the poor, who ate only chicken with macaroni.

He froze for a whie. The answer on his question, which he had been looking for a long time, which was so difficult to understand, struck him like a bolt from the blue.

All the vampires, hunted by Demyan`s ancestors, thanks to whom great-grandads made a name and fame, disappeared only because people stopped eating healthy food. Food from the supermarket do not saturate the stomach. It only gives rest to brain. Fool man thinks: if he has something in his stomach, he can live another day. This means that there is no hunger. But you can`t fool a vampire! He feels that blood has become empty. No vitamins, taste. It is hard to imagine how different was the taste of the blood of farmer, who grew up on a vegetables and milk, and nobleman`s blood, who grew up on a meat and biscuits. And now? Even sweetness of blood is not real, only refined sugar! Fear, and only creature`s fear of death could give a blood that subtle, delicious tinge of a sweetness. And what about our times? The blood is so sweet that you want to drink a tea.

Van Helsing`s kin, ideal man of which Demyan must be, have a glory of a vampire hunters, who didn’t spare their stomach in hunting in extermination. Predecessors went from village to village in search of gold for killing some ghoul.

In first time this profession was wild, but time and gossips helped one of the Demyan`s grand-dads to start this business. But there were some troubles. A number of towns, universities and schools has grown fast. Scholars could prove Pythagorean theorem, understand structure of DNA and prove, that man cannot be transformed into a bat. All of this were leading to vampire`s reduction. In concluding: less vampires – less work – less money Van Helsings.

In one dark night it had to happen. All rare species are going to die in one time. And Demyan catch this time. Time, when a famous glory of his genus aspires to the end. That was painfully to realize it.

Of course Demyan was happy about people too, because there were no more vampires. But the genus requires to find a least one vampire and with pomposity destroy it in front of the whole world.

But alas! There were no more vampires! Europe is swarming with atheists, anti-globalists, fetishists and philatelists, but no one ghoul! There was study in school, medicine in hospital, work on works. No one corner without medicine, study and civilization! No one, where people could believe in witches and healing each other with herbs…

Demyan thought about order of article, where he is a hero, who killed a vampire. But now all media requires a proof of his deed. There was no place for belief.

What should Demyan do? Existing with thought, that he did not justify father`s hopes, dropped in the mud all honor and dignity of his family, or… Could he find an untouched place on our planet? Or… Then… Why not? What worth one, two people life in front of all human genus survive? Only now all is good and healthy. But then? Dark age will come with new ghouls. And then? Who will fight with all of them, if Van Helsing genus will stop on Demyan? They, him, you? Can`t we sacrifice that one tiny, poor, bad soul? Drunkard or wanton? Or… maybe a corrupt one? Could it be a redemption for all his sins?

Demyan has no right to be cowardice or shy, when survival of the human race is at stake. Only a pair of worthless life and that’s all… Isn`t it?

For the first time Demyan is looking on these portraits with proud! There was no fear of their looks. He knew what he need to do!

And he has begun to write some sentences for daily chronicles…

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.01.2023

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