Pavel blinked and opened the message. It was from the university. They wanted him to come for some talking. He sighed. Why wouldn't they just write him? Or perhaps talk virtually? They always required personal presence.
Pavel got to the campus quickly. According to the screen outside the building it was 11:49 a.m. 6/28/2021. Security system scanned his microchip and let Pavel into the building. Automatic voice said he had a temporary pass. The office he needed was on the fourth floor so the same voice suggested Pavel to take the elevator and he did so.
The sign on the office door said “The Head of the Admission Committee Maksim Viktorovich Danilov”. Pavel knocked and came in. The office was rather airy with big windows to let the light in. He could see a park near to the campus from there. The office looked tidy and minimalistic. There was a man of about 35 or 40 years old sitting at the table. He was wearing a suit. Probably pricey. Well, it looked too good to be cheap. His tie pin draw Pavel's attention. It also looked expensive.
“Good morning or I'd rather say afternoon, right?” said Maksim Viktorovich.
“Good afternoon.”
“Pavel... what is your patronymic?”
What!?
Is he just making fun of me?
That's what Pavel thought. Of course the head of the admission committee who had definitely waited for Pavel and obviously had all files with information about him just couldn't had no idea about his situation. So this man knows pretty well that Pavel is orphan. Because he applied for registration as an orphan to get scholarship the university provided for orphans.
His full name was Pavel Sergeyevich Petrov. And it had no connection with Pavel's family because the name was given to him in orphanage. Pavel didn't even know what was his father's name or surname. So he thought he hadn't a real patronymic because it should be given in accordance with his father's name. Perhaps his father's name really was Sergey and Pavel got lucky to have a correct patronymic (well, sort of lucky).
“Sergeyevich,” answered Pavel thinking that his patronymic actually was at his files too. So there was absolutely no sense to ask that. Aside from mocking.
“Pavel Sergeyevich,” continued Maksim Viktorovich happily smiling. “I am sorry to tell you that but you are not going to get our scholarship.”
“What? Why?”
Pavel hoped to get this scholarship so deeply. And he hadn't much possibilities aside from it.
“You are not an only person... in difficult situation.” answered Maksim Viktorovich. “The results of your interview leaves a lot to be desired.”
He paused then continued.
“There are a great amount of people who want this scholarship. And to be honest those people have much better results. And better possibilities also.”
Possibilities, yeah. Maksim Viktorovich probably meant money and nepotism. Pavel thought these were the main reasons he was refused.
“Listen, Pavel, you have to understand,” said Maksim Viktorovich. “You are a poor educated person. Even if your knowledge is... appropriate. Your interview revealed some problems connected with analytical skills. For specialty you want to get the ability to analyze different aspects of situation is of critical importance.”
Well, it could be true. Pavel had been growing up at orphanage. And no one actually could get a proper education there. Of course they had Internet which gave some possibilities for self-education. But everybody used it just to spent time in social media, or for video games and porn. The last two things were prohibited but they passed all blockings by and did that anyway.
So, Pavel probably spent too much time doing nothing useful or just having sense. But he still was entitled to get this scholarship as an orphan. The state should had guaranteed it. And this man clearly knew it.
The more Pavel was watching Maksim Viktorovich the more he doubted that the person who got his scholarship was any better than him. The thing wasn't in those analytical skills. It was a lie. Maksim Viktorovich probably just took a bribe or gave the scholarship to his relative or something like that. Pavel just knew this kind of people. They always looked so tidy and smart. Such persons often came to the orphanage to film some beautiful videos with happy kids. They were so kind to poor orphans while the camera was on. And they were shouting at everybody in the room while it was off. Now Pavel saw in Maksim Viktorovich all those features those people had.
There was no sense to discuss anything with such a person.
Being an orphan Pavel had been cheated on all the time. According to the law the state had to provide flats for living for all the orphans like him. But those flats were not so simple to get. As Pavel learned recently the most of flats meant for orphans went to civil servants' children. Or to some other relatives which didn't make any difference.
Well, for now Pavel knew all that pretty good. It was too late for him though. He vaguely remembered two women probably some officials who made him sign some papers. Which were for his own sake as they said. Then he knew that he signed rejection papers and refused the housing provided by the state. Those women probably were happy to fool him and get his flat. And Pavel was surprised when he got nothing. And some kind official interpreted him everything had happened. Those man also said that Pavel could challenge it but he needed a good lawyer.
But apart from the fact that Pavel hadn't a place for living he also hadn't money to hire a lawyer. And he also should thank for that some officials who stole his money. Well, it was said to him that some part of money Pavel had to get leaving his orphanage was taken to cover some of his additional living expenses. But he just knew that it was a pathetic excuse and someone actually had stolen his money. Of course Pavel couldn't prove it himself. And he hadn't anyone to help and protect him also. And he couldn't hire a lawyer because he hadn't the money which someone had stolen. It was just some kind of social black hole. A circle vicious with money.
Pavel didn't know how to prove that all himself. He just had never dealt with all that legal stuff. And now just the same thing was happening.
Pavel left the campus and moved along the sidewalk thinking hardly about his situation. It was a nice sunny day. The sun shined brightly and glinted in the windows of electro cars while they were fluently sliding by the road. Pavel turned around to glance at the University building. It was founded at 1936 by Graf Temnov and Felix Dzerzhinsky, famous politician at that time. They decided to call this educational institution Anna's University in honour of Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna. Pavel wanted to study history there so he was naturally interested in things like university foundation and its circumstances. But it seemed he was not going to study anything here. Perhaps he was not going to study anything anywhere.
Well, he still had an option. In a week the local college from the neighbor town starts to receive applications. So Pavel could get a place there. It was much worse than this university but it was still an education. And he still had a chance to receive it.
But there was a problem. Pavel hadn't much money. And he hadn't any place for living during this week. The college probably should provide some place for him at the dormitory. But he had to live somewhere before the Admission Committee of the college starts working. And Pavel couldn't stay any longer at the university's dormitory.
Pavel went to the local store and bought a box of chocolates. He was going to present these chocolates to a dormitory director. It was a nice old lady so she would probably feel sorry for him and let Pavel stay at the dormitory for an extra week when he tells her about his situation. If everything be as Pavel hopes that would get him some time to gather his thoughts and get ready for college entrance examinations. He should be prepared to everything this time.
Perhaps Pavel was a little absent-minded during his interview at the university. And he didn't prepare thoroughly enough. All that because of one thing Pavel had done before which was both important for him and really distractive. But he wanted to do it so badly that he couldn't wait. And Pavel regretted he had done this later.
Well, he probably shouldn't think about it now. At that moment Pavel should concentrate on his manners and speech to make a nice impression on the dormitory director.
Suddenly Pavel saw something weird. There was fog swirling ahead of him. Pavel thought that there were no fog just a second before. Besides those fog looked unusual. It was a grayish blue colour and there was just something about that colour and that fog in general that made Pavel stop immediately. He definitely didn't want to get closer to the fog.
Pavel felt a headache stabbing his temples. He didn't know why but at that time Pavel was absolutely sure that looking at the fog made him feel this headache.
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