Andrey often dreamed of flying.

He would stand on the ground, spread his arms, and take off. Other people longed to dream of flying, but he had the same dream again and again. He worked as an engineer at a small company, had a wife and two children, and a small house—too small, really. His sons were seventeen and fourteen and shared one room. At one point, he had thought about expanding the house, but he never had the money or the time. His car was a twenty-year-old red Volvo—the family called it “The Beast.” It still ran and needed a few repairs. He wondered where he would find the money when the Beast finally died.

He wondered why he kept dreaming of flying. Wasn’t that the kind of dream successful people had? And how was he successful? He had no money, nothing impressive to show for himself.

On Friday, on a pleasant summer evening, he came home from work. His wife, Maria, wasn’t home yet, and the children hadn’t returned from school. He left his backpack in the living room, went out of the house, and headed to his neighbor’s place. He rang the doorbell. Ruzha—his neighbor’s wife—opened the door.

“Hi. Is Pavel home?” Andrey greeted her.

“Hi. Not yet. What do you need him for?”

“Nothing special. To have a drink. Tell him to stop by when he gets back. You should come too. Maria was talking about you yesterday. We've been missing you.”

“We’ll stop by. I’ll cook something and bring it.”

Andrey left. He didn’t feel like staying home alone. He went to the house of the neighbor on the other side. Martin opened the door.

“How are you, neighbor?” Martin said joyfully.

“Fine. Tired from work. Feel like having a beer?”

“Oh! If you’re offering. Hand it over!”

“I was hoping you had some.”

“Look at you—offering beer without having any. Come in, let’s see what’s in the fridge. Don’t look at the mess. The kids did it.”

Martin was younger and had small children. “I didn’t feel like cleaning," he explained, "They’ll mess it up again anyway.”

There was one bottle of Heineken in the fridge.

“What is this garbage, Martin? How can you drink that?”

“Maria bought it. We’ve been married five years, and she still doesn’t know I don’t drink that swill.”

“She doesn’t drink herself, right?”

“No.”

“That’s why.”

“Well, I’ve clearly drunk three bottles already. Let’s split this one.”

He poured half the bottle into a glass and handed it to Andrey.

“For the guest—in a glass! I’m fine straight from the bottle.”

“So, how are you?”

“How should I be?” Martin said. “I’m not complaining. It’s tough at the hospital. You know they made me head of the department. Turns out it’s a bigger bite than I can chew. I’m trying—a lot of responsibility. You still wrestling with that project? The other day, you said it was hard.”

“Not just that one. They dumped more work on my head. I can’t even go to the bathroom.”

“Haha. Just go in your pants. At least they’ll know you’re desperate.”

They both laughed.

“The beer’s gone. That was fast,” Andrey said sadly. “Let’s go to Ivan’s. He always has beer.”

“Is he home?”

“It won’t hurt to try.”

They crossed the street. The door opened—it was Ivan’s wife, Ani.

“How are you boys?”

“How are we? Thirsty! Where’s your husband?”

“In the backyard. He’s been building a wooden deck this week, every day after work.”

“Ah, that’s why I haven’t seen him.”

“Go take a look. He’ll be happy to see you. His pride hasn’t let him ask for help yet—but he needs it.”

They went around the house to the backyard. Ivan sat thoughtfully with a carpenter’s level—one end in his hand, the other between his teeth.

“How’s it going, colleague? Is the project moving?” Andrey asked with a smile.

“It’s moving. Just a small obstacle.”

“What’s the problem?” Martin asked.

“Actually—a big one. Unsolvable.”

Ivan reached for the beer bottle next to him and startled.

“Oh, what a host I am. Want a beer?”

“We do!” the newcomers shouted in unison.

“Just not Heineken. I need to cleanse my palate. This friend here tried to poison me,” Andrey joked.

“I’ve become a fan of Czech beer,” Ivan said. “Wait. I’ll bring some. Let’s see if you like it.”

While Ivan was inside, Andrey and Martin looked around. A pile of boards lay in the yard, and the deck had barely been started.

“This craftsman’s craftsmanship isn’t going well,” Martin said quietly. “He hasn’t gotten anywhere.”

Ivan returned with two bottles of Czech beer.

“Well look at that,” Andrey said after a sip. “Neighbor, you know what to drink.”

“It’s more expensive, but at least you know what you’re drinking.”

“What’s the problem with the deck?” Martin asked.

“I can’t level it. The ground underneath is uneven, so the deck is uneven. I add supports under the frame to level it, but the more I build, the more supports I need. I don’t see how I’ll finish it. I just sit here after work and think—and think—but nothing comes.”

“Let me take a look,” Martin said. He was known among the neighbors as a handyman.

“So you made a frame underneath and put the boards on top, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then just put all the boards on. They’ll establish the plane. No need for supports. The frame will find its own support points. The deck will be flat. It may not be perfectly level overall, but that doesn’t matter. Even if it slopes a little, you won’t notice—and rainwater will drain better.”

Ivan thought for a moment.

“Damn. I’m so lost. I overthink everything, and the solution is staring me in the face.”

“Do you have a driver?” Martin asked.

“Yes.”

“Good. Remove the supports you’ve added. I’ll bring two drivers, and Andrey and I will help.”

Half an hour later, all the boards were screwed in. The three men stood in front of the finished deck.

“Ani, Ani, come see this!” Martin called. She stepped out and gasped.

“What a beautiful deck you’ve made. Bravo, boys.”

“It’s the beer,” Andrey laughed. “With beer like this, decks like this get built. “I’m heading home—my better half will wonder where I am. Come over later for dinner. It’s Friday night; we can stay up late.”

“I’ll cook something,” Ani said. “Tell Maria we’ll bring something too.”

“My wife and I will bring something as well,” Martin said. “Ivan, you bring the beer—it’s essential.”

“Okay. How many people will we be?”

“I’ll invite a few neighbors—whoever comes. And the kids, of course.”

“Deal. Tell everyone to bring something to eat.”

“Alright. I’ll just make a few calls,” Andrey said.

“Forget the calls,” Martin said. “Ivan and I will visit them right now.”

At home, Andrey found Maria.

“They kept me late at work,” she said. “Reports, meetings with bosses—what a circus. Every Friday. And for what? As if reports make anyone work better.”

“Oh, it’s hard with bosses,” Andrey said. “They’ve dumped so much work on me I can’t breathe. That huge project I can’t finish, plus a few little ones that just annoy me when I see them on my computer.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll manage. Isn’t there anyone who can help you?”

“I haven’t asked.”

“Ask. Someone will help. Ask Angel or Boris. Don’t be proud.”

For a moment, Andrey thought of Ivan and the deck.

“You’re right. I’ll ask for help.”

“That’s it. We’re not alone in this world. We have to help each other.”

“And how. You should see the deck we built at Ivan’s. He thought about it for a week, Martin solved it in five minutes, and we built it in half an hour. I invited some people over,” he added.

“Who’s coming?”

“The neighbors. With the kids. Everyone will bring food.”

“Alright. The house will be messy again, but we’ll clean tomorrow.”

“We'll have fun and talk all night. We’ll dance!”

Night fell over the neighborhood. Families began to arrive, one by one, each carrying food. They filled the kitchen table with pots and dishes. People sat on the couch, on kitchen chairs, even on the floor. The adults talked; the children played outside or gathered under the big oak tree.

“Ivan,” Andrey said after checking on the kids, “I found Mira and my Tony having a very intimate conversation.”

“How intimate?”

“They were making out.”

“Well, what can you do? You can’t stop youth. I’ve noticed Tony’s had his eye on Mira for a while.”

“That kind of thing can lead to other things.”

“Have you talked to Tony about the birds and the bees?”

“I think he knows. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

“I’ll talk to Mira. Who knows—we might become in-laws.”

“Well then, I’ll be drinking Czech beer for life.”

“And building wooden decks.”

Later, the adults turned up the old stereo. The children exchanged amused glances—they’ve gone crazy—then joined in. Everyone danced with everyone. The house shook, the floor creaked—but held. It had endured such punishment before.

Eventually the party faded. People sat quietly, talking about important things—the kind you talk about when you feel cozy and safe, among friends. Then it was time to leave. They hugged and kissed as if they wouldn’t see each other again tomorrow.

The living room and kitchen were a mess. Andrey and Maria stood at the door, waving as their neighbors disappeared into their homes. Alone again, they sat on the couch.

“I can’t make much money,” Andrey said. “This is what we have—the house. And The Beast, as long as it lasts. I can’t give you more.”

“I don’t want more,” Maria said. “We’ll find money for a new car. Ivan will help us maintain it—since he’ll be our in-law.” She laughed. “We have more than we need.”

“If it’s enough for you, it’s enough for me.”

She kissed him and went upstairs. Andrey stood for a moment in the cool night air.

"Am I living the right life? What could it have been? I could have been richer, had a bigger house, a new car. I could have. But this is what I have. Maybe it’s very little. Or maybe it’s what someone dreams of. But what is that that I ought to have, that I don't?"

He couldn’t think of anything. In a few minutes, he went to bed and fell asleep quickly.

He started dreaming.

He was in a field—an ordinary, simple grass field. Then he started to run. He gained speed and lifted off. He saw the ground beneath him, then the clouds. He felt free and happy.

He flew until morning.