July 24, 1993
Saturday
I arrived at the office by eleven and found no one there except Genka the «receptionist,» or, as Zhorik called him, the «gatekeeper.» We chatted about nothing in particular. Or rather, Gena did the chatting.
The class valedictorian, an erudite, simply the smartest student in our year, was going on about promising technologies. I made agreeable noises. Being idle on a Saturday, Gennady was busy with self-education: browsing foreign scientific and technical journals.
Waiting for Zhorik, I listened to stories from the lives of American scientists and struggled to fit into my head the news that doing science could turn a profit. A multi-million-dollar one!
Zhorik was running late. I listened to Genka’s account of some student outfit that started from nothing and made a million and a half dollars in three years off medical testing.
— Well, that’s America for you, — I shrugged.
— Ours will be cooler! — Zhorik burst into the office. — Let’s drink to our guys’ prospects!
I declined, arguing that the day had barely started. Gena also noted that he didn’t drink on the job. Zhorik snorted and disappeared into his office.
The workday officially began at 12:13. I filed that time away in my memory and followed Zhorik into his office for instructions:
— The currency-exchange decree came out. Draw up an order that the fund accepts Soviet rubles in exchange for shares, no restrictions.
I went off to my own desk, spread out the applications for accounts, agreement forms, deposit slips, and other paperwork we’d dreamed up over the week. Fell into thought about how to wedge new phrases into the old verbiage: «pursuant to the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation,» «Soviet rubles,» and «no restrictions.»
I worked myself into the ground.
Went out to the kitchen a couple of times, grabbed a quick bite, went back to the routine, tedious and tiresome. Zhorik popped in five or seven times, looked over the results, cheered me on, and dashed off again.
At exactly seven in the evening Zhorik burst into the office, tossed a stack of cash on the desk, and gave the order:
— Quit working! Grab your pay and get ready. We’re heading out to celebrate the end of our first successful week!
— We celebrated yesterday, — I reminded him, stuffing a hundred thousand, my third paycheck of the month, into my pockets. Not bad!
— That was the staff celebrating, but you and me, we were bonding with the team. Now it’s our turn to drink and have fun. We’re heading to the Terem, Lyubka and Nadka promised to swing by.
I perked up, warmed by the memory of the wonderful Nadya, who’d spent an evening with me. Just as long as I don’t get plastered again!
