So that you’ll know, my childhood dream was to walk a tightrope, like some children dream of becoming sea captains, astronauts or ice cream vendors. This dream was born twenty years ago when the circus came to our neighborhood and our entire family sat in the box next to the manege because somebody had given my grandpa passes. Lights went off, just a searchlight and a man in fiery clothes who started dancing on an invisible wire, and on the very next day the boys in the yard stretched the clothesline between the sour cherry tree and the fence and started twisting on it, but didn’t let go off the tree branches. Let me walk the rope too, and they said – piss off, you’re no good! In the evening, when they all went to their homes, I climbed the fence and not letting go off the sour cherry tree, I made one step on the rope, then a second step, then I grazed my knee in the gravel, then the other knee, the third time my forehead oozed blood, and I whimpered in bed with my head in bandages, that this was my dream, the rest become astronauts and vendors for all I care, and when my head got better, I started getting poor grades. When my parents scolded me for not studying, I told them that I want to walk the tightrope, and they looked startled at each other, only my granddad snapped – rise in life and do whatever you want. Then my dream subsided and I started to carry out my granddad’s instructions with all my might. I got lucky, from the attic offices I rose to the third floor and on the very first day when I saw how close the opposite building was, my chest grew warm. I ordered for my necessary equipment to be brought to me and I personally watched them tighten the rope, assemble the starting platform under the window and place the ornamental sour cherry branches along the railing. I am quite good at it already, in the morning I come to work and run several times to the opposite wall and back to keep in shape, and the serious stuff I do during my lunch break, when people gather for a smoke and throw envious glances up in my direction. I am perfecting the dance with a sword on my forehead and next week will be my official debut before an audience. I am happy, it’s stupid not to be happy when you’ve attained your childhood dream, so I’ll reveal a secret to you – pretty soon I’ll take down the rope and… first step from the starting platform, then a second step, and no holding to the ornamental branches, then I reach the opposite window, then back, and then again. This will serve them right, those rascals from the yard, this will show them how good am I, walking on air between the two walls like a fiery man. I just have to rise from the third to the second floor, where the largest offices are, three crystal chandeliers each, like my granddad taught me.