Ernest se sprijinea cu greu de un bolovan, iar respira\u021bia lui era t\u0103iat\u0103, sacadat\u0103. M-am apropiat de el c\u00e2t am putut, tremur\u00e2nd \u00eenc\u0103 de \u0219oc \u0219i frig. Nu mai p\u0103rea b\u0103rbatul calm \u0219i a\u0219ezat pe care \u00eel \u0219tiam de o via\u021b\u0103. Avea privirea unui om fug\u0103rit de propriile gre\u0219eli.<\/p>\n
\u0218i atunci am \u00een\u021beles c\u0103, oric\u00e2t de tare m\u0103 durea tr\u0103darea lui Iulian, ce urma s\u0103 aflu despre Ernest avea s\u0103 doar\u0103 \u0219i mai tare.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Trebuie s\u0103 cobor\u00e2m spre partea veche a p\u0103durii, a zis el. Dac\u0103 r\u0103m\u00e2nem pe potecile \u0219tiute, ne g\u0103sesc repede.<\/p>\n
Am dat din cap, de\u0219i nici nu \u0219tiam \u00een ce direc\u021bie era \u201epartea veche\u201d. Picioarele \u00eemi tremurau, dar m-am ridicat. Ernest mi-a prins bra\u021bul, iar \u00eempreun\u0103 am \u00eenceput s\u0103 ne t\u00e2r\u00e2m printre pietre \u0219i crengi, departe de potec\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u00cen aer plutea un miros de iarb\u0103 ud\u0103 \u0219i frunze putrezite. P\u0103durea avea o lini\u0219te ap\u0103s\u0103toare, ca \u0219i cum ne asculta.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ernest\u2026 ce ai f\u0103cut? am \u00eentrebat \u00een \u0219oapt\u0103, cu inima b\u0103t\u00e2ndu-mi \u00een urechi.<\/p>\n
A t\u0103cut c\u00e2teva secunde. Prea multe.<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00cen urm\u0103 cu vreo dou\u0103zeci de ani\u2026 \u00eenainte ca Iulian s\u0103 termine liceul\u2026 am ajutat pe cineva cu ni\u0219te bani. Era mult\u0103 presiune atunci, ni\u0219te oameni din ora\u0219 aveau probleme cu c\u0103m\u0103tarii. Am vrut s\u0103 ajut. Dar oamenii \u0103ia nu erau ce p\u0103reau. Iar eu\u2026 am semnat ceva ce n-ar fi trebuit. O h\u00e2rtie cu datorie pe numele meu. Dob\u00e2nd\u0103 uria\u0219\u0103.<\/p>\n
Am sim\u021bit cum mi se str\u00e2nge stomacul.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ernest\u2026 Doamne\u2026 \u0219i asta ne urm\u0103re\u0219te acum?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nu doar pe noi, a spus el. Pe Iulian l-au prins acum un an. La barul unde mergea el dup\u0103 munc\u0103. L-au amenin\u021bat. I-au zis c\u0103, dac\u0103 nu scap\u0103 de mine, datoria trece la el. C\u0103 o s\u0103-i ia casa, ma\u0219ina, tot. Ba chiar \u0219i banii pu\u0219i deoparte pentru copil. Au cerut peste 300.000 de lei\u2026 bani pe care nu-i avem.<\/p>\n
Am sim\u021bit c\u0103 mi se taie picioarele. Iulian\u2026 b\u0103iatul nostru\u2026 fusese str\u00e2ns cu u\u0219a. Amenin\u021bat. M\u00e2nat spre nebunie.<\/p>\n
Dar s\u0103 ajung\u0103 p\u00e2n\u0103 aici? S\u0103 ne \u00eemping\u0103 \u00een gol?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nu pot s\u0103 cred c\u0103 ar face asta, am \u0219optit.<\/p>\n
Ernest a oftat greu.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nu \u00eel scuz. Dar \u00eel \u00een\u021beleg. Oamenii \u0103ia\u2026 nu glumesc. \u0218tiu ce pot face. Au f\u0103cut-o \u0219i cu al\u021bii. Iulian s-a speriat. \u0218i Clara la fel. C\u00e2nd \u021bi-e fric\u0103 pentru copilul t\u0103u, uneori alegi gre\u0219it.<\/p>\n
Am ajuns l\u00e2ng\u0103 un trunchi dobor\u00e2t. Ne-am oprit s\u0103 ne tragem sufletul. \u00cen dep\u0103rtare, am auzit ceva. Pa\u0219i? O piatr\u0103 lovit\u0103? Ernest m-a privit brusc.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Gr\u0103be\u0219te-te.<\/p>\n
Am \u00eenceput s\u0103 cobor\u00e2m printr-un loc abrupt, \u021bin\u00e2ndu-ne de crengi. Inima \u00eemi b\u0103tea \u00een piept ca un ciocan. G\u00e2ndurile mi se loveau unele de altele. Tr\u0103dare. Fric\u0103. Vin\u0103. Totul se amesteca.<\/p>\n
La un moment dat, am auzit glasuri. Glasurile lor.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sunt mai jos! a strigat Iulian.<\/p>\n
M-am lipit de Ernest, iar el m-a tras dup\u0103 un tufi\u0219 gros. Sim\u021beam mirosul lui de transpira\u021bie \u0219i s\u00e2nge. O clip\u0103, am crezut c\u0103 totul se terminase.<\/p>\n
Dar atunci, Ernest a f\u0103cut ceva nea\u0219teptat. A scos din buzunar un plic mototolit, ud de la c\u0103z\u0103tur\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Dac\u0103 ni se \u00eent\u00e2mpl\u0103 ceva, s\u0103 \u0219tii adev\u0103rul, a zis. Aici sunt dovezile. Actul semnat, dovada dob\u00e2nzii, numele lor. Tot. Am str\u00e2ns fiecare leu, fiecare h\u00e2rtie. Dac\u0103 ajunge la poli\u021bie, se termin\u0103. \u00cei opresc. Poate \u0219i b\u0103iatul scap\u0103.<\/p>\n
L-am privit lung, cu lacrimile \u0219iroindu-mi pe fa\u021b\u0103. Pentru prima dat\u0103 \u00een via\u021b\u0103, am v\u0103zut \u00een el nu doar un so\u021b, ci un om care \u00ee\u0219i acceptase gre\u0219elile \u0219i era gata s\u0103 pl\u0103teasc\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ernest\u2026 trebuie s\u0103 ie\u0219im de aici. Nu pentru noi. Pentru Iulian. S\u0103-l salv\u0103m de nebunia asta.<\/p>\n
El a dat din cap.<\/p>\n
\u0218i am fugit.<\/p>\n
Nu \u0219tiu de unde am avut puterea, dar am cobor\u00e2t muntele mai repede dec\u00e2t o f\u0103cusem vreodat\u0103. F\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 ne oprim, f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 privim \u00een urm\u0103. Pa\u0219ii lor r\u0103sunau c\u00e2nd mai aproape, c\u00e2nd mai departe, \u00eens\u0103 dorin\u021ba de a-mi salva familia era mai puternic\u0103 dec\u00e2t frica.<\/p>\n
C\u00e2nd am ajuns aproape de drum, am v\u0103zut o ma\u0219in\u0103 a jandarmeriei. Am ridicat m\u00e2inile \u0219i am strigat din toate puterile. Ernest s-a pr\u0103bu\u0219it \u00een genunchi, iar eu l-am prins de umeri, tremur\u00e2nd.<\/p>\n
\u2014 V\u0103 rog\u2026 ajuta\u021bi-ne!<\/p>\n
Jandarmii au alergat spre noi.<\/p>\n
\u0218i, pentru prima dat\u0103 de c\u00e2nd \u00eencepuse co\u0219marul, am sim\u021bit c\u0103 avem o \u0219ans\u0103 real\u0103. O \u0219ans\u0103 s\u0103 oprim toat\u0103 nebunia. S\u0103 ne salv\u0103m familia. \u0218i, poate, s\u0103 ne salv\u0103m \u0219i sufletele.<\/p>\n
Pentru c\u0103, uneori, chiar \u0219i dup\u0103 ce ai c\u0103zut \u00een gol, exist\u0103 drum \u00eenapoi spre lumin\u0103.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ernest se sprijinea cu greu de un bolovan, iar respira\u021bia lui era t\u0103iat\u0103, sacadat\u0103. M-am apropiat de el c\u00e2t am putut, tremur\u00e2nd \u00eenc\u0103 de \u0219oc \u0219i frig. Nu mai p\u0103rea b\u0103rbatul calm \u0219i a\u0219ezat pe care \u00eel \u0219tiam de o via\u021b\u0103. Avea privirea unui om fug\u0103rit de propriile gre\u0219eli. \u0218i atunci am \u00een\u021beles c\u0103, oric\u00e2t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12284,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-povesti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12283"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12285,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12283\/revisions\/12285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}