Nativity scene

A True Story

 — "Interesting. What do young women do in their free time?" — a colleague at work once asked me.

 — "Different things. They have plenty of their own interests. It also depends on their imagination. It's not for nothing they say that only a keyhole or a bedroom camera knows the truth about their personal affairs."

 — "And have you had any personal slip-ups in that regard?" — persisted the colleague, apparently an overly sexually preoccupied fellow.

 — "Me? Hmm... Yes, of course I have. Who among us didn't mess up in our youth? It's not for nothing they say: 'Young and green.'"

 — "Maybe you could share some life experience on that topic?" — another one of the curious approached, who for some reason was also particularly interested in this subject. I scratched the back of my head, looked at their curious faces eagerly awaiting interesting revelations from me, and decided to tell them, for science, a little story that happened to me at the dawn of my

youth.

I began my lieutenant service in one of the remote garrisons in the Far East. I remember, the unit commander summoned me and said:

 — "And you, Lieutenant, are incredibly lucky. I am appointing you as the patrol leader for patrolling the garrison in the evening. Get your briefing from the duty officer."

I should tell you that at that time, a major naval exercise had been announced in the fleet. I, like any disciplined officer, gave a brisk "Yes, sir!", put my palm to my cap's visor, asked permission to leave, and upon receiving it, headed to the duty officer. He gave me three red armbands with the white inscription "patrol" and said:

 — "Lieutenant. An exercise is underway. There should be no military personnel on the streets of the settlement. Everyone should be in their units. Detain all suspicious individuals, especially those without documents, and escort them to the commandant's office. And one more thing. A blackout regime has been established in the garrison. This applies to everyone. If light is visible from the window of any apartment, call and warn the residents about violating the blackout. Is that clear?!"

 — "Yes, sir!" — I saluted and distributed the armbands to the sailors assigned to my patrol.

After dinner, we left the unit and headed towards the settlement. We walk the streets, only the snow creaks under our heels. Not a soul on the streets. Dogs bark here and there, and the windows of houses stare at us like dark embrasures. We walked and walked, and suddenly in one of the windows on the first floor of the end house, a bright light flashed and music in the style of twist was heard.

 — "Are the laws not written for them?!" — one of the patrolmen exclaimed indignantly.

Seeing a clear violation of the blackout rules, we turned towards the house. To avoid going to the main entrance, where the light bulbs usually weren't on, this sailor suggested lifting him up to the window level to knock on the glass and have the residents fix the violation. The sailors, with my permission, did just that. They lifted the guy up, he glanced in the window and was speechless.

 — "Well, what's there?" — I ask him.

 — "Mamma mia! There's such...!"

We lowered him to the ground, and he just waves his hands and, like a fish thrown ashore, gasps for air.

 — "Alright! Lift me up!" — I ordered.

The sailors lifted me up, I glanced in the window and was stunned. In a large room, under the bright light of a chandelier, to the loud sounds of twist, young, completely naked women were writhing in dance. Some faces seemed familiar to me. And not a single man...

They lowered me to the ground, and while I was feverishly thinking, they lifted the next one. When everyone had seen this wonder, we began to confer.

 — "What are they doing?" — asked the first watcher, posing a question unclear to anyone.

 — "Who the hell knows. Probably going crazy from boredom," — said another.

Then the lively music died down, and blues was heard. I finally made a decisive decision.

 — "Let's go. We need to warn them..."

 — "About what?" — the sailors didn't understand.

 — "Not to violate the blackout rules..."

We entered the main entrance, quickly found the right door, and I rang the bell. The music immediately stopped, the lock clicked, and in the doorway appeared a portly woman, about forty, in a colorful Japanese kimono.

 — "Are you the owner of the apartment?" — I asked.

 — "I am. What's the matter?" — she asked haughtily, putting her hands on her hips.

 — "An exercise is underway. A blackout regime has been introduced in the garrison. And in general..."

 — "Is that all?" — the angry lady advanced on me with her ample bosom.

 — "That's all..."

 — "We'll turn off the light, but the rest is none of your business, young men!" — she snapped angrily and slammed the door in my face.

Saluting the closed door, we retreated.

 — "Comrade Lieutenant. Are we just going to leave it at that?"

 — "What do you suggest?"

 — "We need to stir up this hornet's nest. This is a real den of vice!" — the sailors were indignant.

 — "Stop! We don't have the authority for that. I will, of course, report it to the appropriate people, but you — keep quiet. Hold your tongues tighter. That lady, apparently, is a high-flying bird. You can't just take her with bare hands, and you could get a heap of trouble. I don't think any of you, before your discharge, would want to extend your service for another year as a witness..."

We continued our patrol through the streets of the settlement. In the ill-fated window, they masked the light and turned down the music, but the wild dances, apparently, continued. But I was bursting with curiosity to find out what was happening in that apartment, and the next day I excused myself from duty, saying my wife was feeling unwell, and went to the settlement hoping to uncover the secret of this mysterious apartment. As soon as it got dark, I was already standing at the familiar door. This time, no light poured from the window, and no music was heard behind the door. Timidly, I pressed the doorbell button. My heart was pounding wildly and seemed about to leap out of my chest. The Japanese kimono opened the door again. A lit cigarette dangled from the corner of its mouth.

 — "Something wrong again?!" — the lady looked mockingly at my shamefully lowered eyes.

 — "No. I... I..."

 — "Ahhh. Come in. I see you have sexual problems. Right, young man?.."

 — "I need..."

 — "I understand everything. Come in."

I entered the hallway, took off my hat, overcoat, and boots. The lady seemed to devour me with a greedy gaze. I glanced into her bottomless blue eyes and lowered my head.

 — "Well, what's the matter, my dear?!"

 — "What?"

 — "Undress..."

 — "How?"

 — "Completely..."

Trembling like an aspen leaf in the wind, I took off my tunic, undershirt, and trousers.

 — "And this too," — she pulled the elastic of my underpants and, letting go, snapped it against my stomach.

 — "What about these?" — I pointed to my socks.

 — "Those you can keep on..."

After critically examining my naked, slender figure, pulling back my penis and feeling my testicles, the lady smiled and, opening the door slightly, said loudly:

"Lucy! A client for you."

A rustle was heard in the room, the door opened, and in its doorway, with a mask of horror on her face, completely naked in fashionable high-heeled shoes, stood my wife...

Eduard Zaitsev.