Chapter One
The column is traveling from the Belgorod region to Donbass. Tankers are sitting in the T-80: commander Lieutenant Alexander Levakov (call sign "Laska"), gunner-operator Corporal Alexei Neustroeva (call sign "Lech") and driver senior Lieutenant Rasim Baksikov (call sign "Monolith") and see a boy standing on the side of the road, meeting Russian soldiers on the way to the position and He salutes them.
GUNNER-CALL SIGN "LECH"
Look, the kid is standing on the side of the road and saluting.
COMMANDER-CALL SIGN "LASKA"
Yes, this is a first-grader Alyosha. For several weeks now, he has been welcoming Russian military personnel heading to the area of the special operation.
GUNNER-CALL SIGN "LECH"
And where does this information come from?
COMMANDER-CALL SIGN "LASKA"
They said something at headquarters. Everyone knows him.
MECHANIC- CALL SIGN "MONOLITH"
The commander. Let's stop. Shall we give him a tankman's helmet or something? It's spring in the spring, and the weather is wet.
COMMANDER-CALL SIGN "LASKA"
Not a question. We will also conduct campaigning. Could he be a tanker in the future?
MECHANIC- CALL SIGN "MONOLITH"
I think he's going to be a general in the army.
The tank stops on the side of the road, and the tankers get out of it. The column is passing by. The tankers approach the boy. The gunner with the call sign "Lech" holds a package in his hands.
COMMANDER-CALL SIGN "LASKA"
What's your name, kid?
ALYOSHA
Alyosha.
MECHANIC- CALL SIGN "MONOLITH"
(addressing the gunner)
What's your name, Lech?
The gunner, smiling, gently ruffles the top of the boy's head with his palm, and the boy smiles.
The GUNNER'S CALL SIGN is "LECH"
Teska, which means.
Alexei's mother approaches.
ALEXEY'S MOTHER
Hello, guys.
IS COMMANDER LASKA
your CALL SIGN?
ALEXEY'S MOTHER
Yes, my son. I went to first grade. After school, as soon as he sees traffic on the highway, he runs out.
GUNNER-CALL SIGN "LECH"
And your baby is doing great. And why without a hat? Spring, after all. It may catch cold.
ALYOSHA
I am a soldier.
ALEXEY'S MOTHER
No matter how I asked, she doesn't dress me. She says she's not a soldier.
GUNNER-CALL SIGN "LECH"
Don't you want to be a tanker, Teska?
ALYOSHA
(happily)
Want.
The gunner takes a tank helmet out of the bag and puts it on Alyosha's head. Alyosha is even more excited. The tanker hands the package with the contents to the mother.
