07/10/2024
From the masterpieces of Russian literature ( ..)
"How awful it is to be weak in this world."
A few days ago I invited my children's nanny (Yulia Vasilievna) to my office to pay her bill
🔸I said to her: Sit down, Yulia... Let's settle your salary account ... You probably need money, but you're so shy that you won't ask for it yourself... Well... We agreed that I'd pay you (thirty rubles) a month
🔹She said: Forty
🔸I said: No... Thirty... That's on record with me... I always paid the nannies (thirty rubles)...
🔹Well
🔸You worked for us for two months
🔹She said: Two months and five days
🔸I said: Two months exactly... That's on record with me... So you deserve (sixty rubles)...
Let's deduct nine Sundays from it... You didn't teach (Kolya) on Sundays, you just went out with them... Then three holidays.
🔹Yulia’s face flushed and her fingers fiddled with the hem of her dress, but she didn't say a word.
🔸I continued and said...
- We'll deduct three holidays, so the total is (twelve rubles). Kolya was sick for four days and you didn't study. You taught only Varya. And for three days your teeth ached, so my wife allowed you not to teach after lunch. So twelve plus seven.. nineteen.. we'll deduct, the remainder is.. (forty-one rubles).. Correct?
🔹Yulia Vasilievna's left eye turned red and filled with tears, her chin trembled.. She coughed nervously and blew her nose, but... she didn't say a word.
🔸I said: Just before the New Year you broke a cup and a saucer.. we'll deduct (two rubles).. The cup is more expensive than that, it's an inheritance, but may God forgive you!! We have to make up for it.. Because of your negligence Kolya climbed the tree and tore his jacket.. We deduct ten.. Also because of your negligence the maid stole a shoe from Varya.. It is your duty to look after everything, you receive a salary.. So we also deduct five.. And on January 10 you took from me (ten rubles)
🔹Yulia Vasilievna whispered: I didn't take it
🔸I said: But I have it recorded
🔹She said: Well, let it be
🔸I continued: From forty-one we deduct twenty-seven.. The rest is fourteen
🔹Her two eyes filled with tears.. And beads of sweat appeared on her long, beautiful nose.. Oh, poor girl
🔹She said in a trembling voice: I took once.. I took from your wife (three rubles) .. I didn't take anything else
🔸I said: Really!.. Look, I didn't record it!! We subtract three from the fourteen.. The rest is eleven.. Here is your money, my dear!! Three.. Three.. Three.. One, one.. Here you go.
And I handed her (eleven rubles)..
🔹She took it and put it in her pocket with trembling fingers.. And whispered: Thank you.
🔸I stood up and started to walk back and forth in the room and anger took hold of me.
🔸I asked her: Thank you for what?
🔹She said: For the money.
🔸I said: Oh devil, but I robbed you.. I robbed you! I stole from you!.. So why do you say thank you?
🔹She said: In other places they didn't give me anything.
🔸I said: They didn't give you anything?!
Isn't that strange!?
I was joking with you.. I taught you a hard lesson..
I'll give you your money.. (all eighty rubles)..
Here it is in the envelope, I prepared it for you!!
But can you be so helpless?
Why don't you protest?
Why are you silent?
Is it possible in this world that you are not sharp-fanged?
Is it possible that you are so foolish?
🔹She smiled helplessly and I read on her face: "It is possible."
🔸I asked her forgiveness for this harsh lesson and, to her great surprise, handed her the whole (eighty rubles). She thanked me shyly and left.
🔸I looked after her and thought:
"How awful it is to be weak in this world."
