With wobbling sounds the train was running through entire Russia: from the West to the East, through the borders of time zones. Saving freshness of the late summer stormed into opened windows of the couchette car.
On the lower berth-sofas there were sitting two men oppositely facing. Car attendant put on the drop-leaf table two glasses of tea in heavy metal holders. Ivan Ilyich, silver-haired man of sixty-three years old, had dinner with cakes. His neighbor Aleksey Dmitrievich snacked by opened-faced sandwiches taken out of the foil which was in his nice black brief case before. Two hours ago young couple travelled with them but they were called by one of numerous stops – «arriving, do you need tickets?»
- What do you think, Aleksey, who is going to be our next companions? – asked Ivan Ilyich making a sip of hot tea.
- You’d like to gamble? – Aleksey Dmitrievich smiled. He insisted Ivan Ilyich to call him just «Aleksey».
- I want to daydream, as for gambling and passion I left it in my wild past.
- So, let’s daydream! I think it will be young mummy with loud capricious child who will join us.
- Oh, you’ll draw down, Aleksey, oh, you’ll draw down. But I see calm young adults, students, and notable accurate; they will greet and then will put their noses to the books.
- Such guys still exist?
- I was like this, - pronounced Ivan Ilyich with shade of sadness in his voice. – Where everything left to? Plans, dreams…
- Now they are different, - Aleksey Dmitrievich said, - aren’t they? I mean dreams.
- Different, - neighbor nodded, - but anyway still so far and unapproachable.
- Can you tell more detailed?
Teaspoons were simultaneously tapping on the glasses.
- Why not? I can, Aleksey, I can. But please, don’t laugh at old man too much, ok?
- I will not, - Aleksey Dmitrievich promised being serious.
- I want to live on island, - Ivan Ilyich said, - I want to spend my retirement next to the water, on nature. Can you even imagine what places exist on Volga?!
Aleksey Dmitrievich looked at his companion with amazement.
I said something wrong? – Ival Ilyich asked.
- No-no. Just … it’s quit strange. I’m also thinking about it. To live on island, i.e., not quit only just to live, but I mean, to make business. I want to make a camp on Sarpinsky, do you know this island?
- Of course, I know. It’s also called Tsaritsyn, the biggest one on Volga. Beautiful places, lakes, air… - Ivan Ilyich inspired by his nose delightfully, like if he stood under the pines, on the bank of the river right now, and flecks of sunlight were playing in the water.
- Exactly! I’ve been cherishing this idea since long time ago, but they are better just dreams. I haven’t approached to technical part of this matter. It’s better to have there independence, comfort and all what is necessary: hot water, canalization, gas … But what we have on the island? Access is maximum only from the ferry-boat and the electricity is nothing to speak of.
- You are right, - nodded Ivan Ilyich, - but it’s solvable, everything is solvable, Aleksey! I studied this point from A to Z, I planned everything… Only the money doesn’t allow to make it come true.
- I don’t have any problems with money, - said Aleksey Dmitrievich thoughtfully. The tea has already cooled down but he looked like didn’t notice it.
– I need efficient project. Each point should have solution.
- This no problem. Old man will share his ideas with you, if it’s interesting to you, Aleksey!
- Of course!
ИIvan Ilyich bit a piece of cake and turned his head to the window. There was glooming spruce forest behind the glass where an edge of August sun was slumping over.
- We have so many wonderful places in Russia, - with such incomparable nature, - Ivan Ilyich began. – In Astrakhan, Kamchatka, in mountains and near the lakes. You can hide from civilization and live happily. Only the road is required, as for other things, that’ll come with time. Aleksey, you, for example, want to open recovery center on Volga. What do you have for the beginning? Ferry-boat cruises around, access is available, electricity which is enough only for summer camp is available, - that’s all what we have. How to deal with it?
- How? – repeated Aleksey Dmitrievich unconsciously
The building of the railway station approached and froze. The train stopped. In few minutes people bolted out along the car. Empty places next to Ivan Ilyich and Aleksey Dmitrievich were occupied by two girls. They greeted, presented themselves (Katia and Oksana) and asked to put their bags in the locker.
Ivan Ilyich looked at his companion smiling: like asking «they look like students, don’t they?»
Moved.
- So, Aleksey, - continued Ivan Ilyich. – In this case we should act wisely. Sp, to say up to date. Tourist camp on island? Ok. What will we need for it?
Vertical gas tank on the territory of mounted under the ground. To have our own gas, and on gas you can make a lot of things – heating, hot water, sauna and even decorative lighting.
But how to charge it? – Aleksey asked.
- One time per year gas carrier will come by ferry-boat to have a look. So, then, what we have? We have little electricity? It’s solvable! We can make it «on sun», we can install solar batteries.
- What about water?
- To drill a borehole.
- Canalization?
- Septics of biochemical treatment will make it out. And water will be drawn by pumps which will operate on turbine tower to save electricity. So, here you, Aleksey, have complete household full of comfort. On gas and on solar energy you can solve everything. And having such partner as «Terrikom» all these solutions will be realized fast and in a quality manner, all equipment is available in stock. My friends have already used the cervices of this company… of course, the orders were not so ambitious but everybody is happy.
- Excuse me, but what about television? – Katia jumped into the conversation.
- And Internet? – Oksana asked.
- Satellite! – Aleksey Dmitrievich anticipated Ivan Ilyich. – Satellite Internet and television!
- Exactly, - silver-haired passenger smiled. – And don’t forget to install uninterruptible power supply unit.
- Exactly, - silver-haired passenger smiled. – And don’t forget to install uninterruptible power supply unit.
- And what, what ... - Aleksey Dmitrievich said quietly sizing up what he’s just heard, thinking it over. – Everything is in harmony, to the point. You say «Terrikom»?... Where have you been before with your dream?
- You dream about recreation camp, - reminded Ivan Ilych, - as for me, I would like to build small house, to start a new life but as you can see that might happen that everything is clear in your mind but in real you don’t have it, you miss it. You cannot make it.
- Anyway, that’s about the same…. We dream about nature, about island! Me, with a turn for affairs, you – just for everyday life. But why don’t we joint our dreams? You will be an administrator or anyone you want! My funds, your supervision. As I already told you I found a place on Sarpinsly, previously that was summer camp with summer houses and then everything crashed. We’ll construct and start-up… you will live and work, it’s not your time yet to retire! So, what do you think about this proposal?
Now that was Ivan Ilych who fell to thinking. The train was running along the rail road bridge; the beams were flashing, the water was glinting at the bottom.
- Independent gas, septics, - he started specifying like if he started making pilot statement, - electricity on “sun”, water from the borehole, UPS, turbine tower, satellite dish…
- And our confidence! – Aleksey Dmitrievich gave a summary. – Our dream! As is usual happens: where one person is weak handed, several people can realize everything.
- That’s right, - nodded Ivan Ilyich.
- You draw us to your dream, - Oksana shyly said. – You will never believe, we’ve just graduated agriculture university, we started thinking and making plans. We and Katyka, we were thinking to organize some kind of business: vegetable, fruits…
- But why not? – Aleksey Dmitrievish seriously said. – Vegetables, fruits, chickens, pigs. Your own farmstead is always nice to have; and customers will be happy – everybody is tired of the city, of its traffic, food, skyscrapers. Wow, I feel this train is not a simple one…
- But which one? – Katia asked.
- Life-changing, - Ivan Ilyich smiled.
- Exactly!
The train stopped. Another station. Next step to the final destination. Two side seats across the pass were empty.
- Do you know who is missing to be full of happiness? – Aleksey Dmitrievich asked. – An expert in all these modern systems. That his company could provide with complete engineering support.
Ivan Ilyich was looking out the window. There he saw tall man in jean jacket and a cap walking along the platform. On his back there was colored patch with the sign: «GASIFICATION: SIMPLE, FAST, SAFE», and another on below: «TERRIKOM: MODERN ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS».
Ivan Ilyich wasn’t surprised too much: he started waiting for new companion.
The first group arrived in June of the following year. Motor boat «Moscow» brought guests – pioneers from River boat station. Ivan Ilych personally welcomed them on the quay; he was in light linen suit, clean-shaven, shining; he was there to accompany to small leisure base hidden in the forest. To accept and accommodate on the island, to hide from hustle and bustle of the city, from crowding, traffic and dust.
There was difficult to find better place for summer camp – picturesque island, close to Volga, pine forest, small lakes, fresh air. Here you could (and should!) – relax, take a tan, swim, do sport and enjoy the nature.
Guests were accommodated in houses and in rooms, comfortable in winter and in summer, with air heating on base of gas convectors, with hot water on gas, with satellite television and Internet. On the territory there was also dining hall, sauna, poolhall, outdoor playset, pavilions. Close at hand there was shore front with volleyball, finishing, swimming accessories for rent – just choose what you need.
Little bit farther there were small houses for staff; Katia and Oksana lived in one of them, they were farming enjoining soft climate and remembering those life-changing meeting in the train with Ivan Ilyich and Aleksey Dmitrievich.
Whatever you may say but it worked like a dream. Without any flash but with comfort and sensibly.
Vertical gas tanks from «Antonio Merloni» supplied constructions with independent gas. «Uponor» septics collected and biologically treated waste water compensating an absence of central canalization. Wind power helped to raise water from the borehole – reliable wind pumps saved electricity. Solar batteries «ressed out» electrical power from sun light, personally proving efficiency of such kid of systems.
- Future belongs to inexhaustible Solar energy, - said smiling Aleksey Dmitrievih, the owner of new camp who couldn’t miss arrival of the first guests. – Tokelau, for example, waterlocked state where they completely switched to solar power to use; they confined in solar panels, solar inverters and accumulators.
- They can if they want, - nodded Ivan Ilyich. – The main thing is to wish seriously, isn’t it?
- Can’t argue with that.
Meanwhile Volga free sweeping beauty Volga was flowing down from Valdai Hills, running by cities with a million-plus population and run into Caspian Sea. The waters of the river washed Sarpinsky island which overgrown in a long period by farms, villages, legends and legendary stories. People said that treasures of Stepan Razin were still resting somewhere under the ground.
But real treasure, as usual, was found out in people. In their ambitions and mutual help. The dreams of our characters came true. They came true thanks to their desire and to modern engineering solutions.
They succeed.
Together.
