CHAPTER 1
Night fell on the city. Everything was plunged into darkness. The lights went out in the windows of private houses on the outskirts of the city. Silence spread everywhere. The gate did not creak, its hinges were liberally lubricated with machine oil. In the vague outline, one could make out a man who was dragging a huge travel bag behind him. The burden was not light. He clumsily tried to carry the bag in front of him, but the shovel in his hand got in the way. It was difficult for him. The shoulder could barely support the weight of the bag either. He quickly walked across the road. At first he walked through the grass, constantly bumping into low-growing bushes, because in the dark he would not have seen his outstretched hand. He knew the field well. Intuitively, he found a spot he thought was perfect and dropped the bag on the ground. Relieved of the heavy load, the man wiped the sweat from his forehead with his palm and tried to catch his breath. He looked up at the night sky and rejoiced in its darkness.
He took a shovel and started digging, it took a lot of work to dig a hole for that big bag. First you need to carefully remove the grass cover. Like this one. The cruel moon, however, looked out from behind the clouds. He was not happy; he felt more confident in the dark. Finally a bag was placed in the hole. He hastily covered it with earth and happily trampled it to compact the earth. I did not forget to cover everything with grass. There are hardly any passers-by here. But if someone happened to wander into this place, they wouldn’t notice anything unusual.
He was overcome by a previously unknown feeling of freedom. Freedom! He straightened so that all the vertebrae in his back cracked. He walked back at a leisurely pace. He did not forget to take a shovel with him. Here is the way. Then he became wary, has anyone seen him? He stopped, looked around carefully, and listened. The night bird slipped quietly past him. He was disturbed by the rustling and sounds of the night. Human beings? There was no one nearby. He stood motionless, shook the ground, felt a stick lying on the grass in the darkness, and used it to clear the shovel from the stuck earth. He crossed the road calmly and leisurely. Without the gate creaking, he entered the yard. He stuck the spade into the flower bed and entered the house. Here is the bed. Silence rang in my ears. He lay down, curled up. His strength left him. He fell asleep.
CHAPTER 2
Autumn. It’s worth nothing in late rainy autumn. Cold, slanting, exhausting showers cut through the nearly bare trees, hanging in great, heavy drops. You cannot order your heart. What difference does it make, what time is it outside? Vadim is in love. She is not like everyone else, in his opinion, she is extraordinary. She is thirty and slim. Thick brown hair just below her shoulders frames her round face. Green eyes, naughty, upturned nose covered with freckles that do not disappear even in the coldest winter. Nina is a carefree laugher, she somehow looks at life very simply and easily. And what? God has not taken away our health. Arms and legs are in place. Her family is not rich. Yes, and family, mom and Nina. Her parents divorced when Nina was four years old. where is father Gone, gone from their lives. Moved from place to place, now no trace to be found. After school, Nina got a job as a cleaner in a large grocery store, and now she is a saleswoman. They lived, did not lose heart, not richly, but friendly. Mother and daughter were like friends; and they will whisper and rejoice together, and weep if anything. Nina fell in love at the age of nineteen, the son Kolya remained, but Nina never became his wife. Well, that’s okay, life doesn’t end there. Grandma supported. He will grow up to be a helper and protector, to the delight of his mother and grandmother. Kol will soon be ten years old. Indeed, a good boy is growing up, lucky for both mom and grandma. It’s like they’ve won a lucky lottery ticket. He studies well, assistant. What else can I say?
CHAPTER 3
Every day, Vadim went to work and back by train. Forests, meadows, cozy settlements and big cities flashed behind the window. Vadim loved to look at the houses flashing outside the window. He represented their owners. Who lives there? A family or maybe someone languishing alone? Here is a neat two-story private house with a red iron roof. Around behind the fence is an orchard with a gazebo. A happy family probably lives here. As proof of his fantasies, Vadim, driving by, saw the family working in the garden or relaxing in the gazebo several times. So Vadim looked at each house, sighing quietly. No, he wasn’t tired of looking out the window. To tell the truth, if it had been possible, Vadim would not have got off the train at his station at all. He would rather drive and go to unknown countries or at least places than go home.
But here is his station. Vadim got up and went to the exit. He will soon be thirty-five years old. What does he have in life? Friends? There is no one. “It happens?” — thought Vadim. He walked along the railroad track. He did not take his umbrella with him. The pouring rain soon made his dark, slightly curly hair wet. Drops of cold rolled down the collar of his jacket, making Vadim shiver. It was an unusual street, it was built along the railway. Trains used to run endlessly along this railway line, but now trains run here infrequently and slowly. The closer Vadim came to his house, the more deserted and deserted his street became. Thus he reached the desert. The vacant land is overgrown with grass and bushes. The last house is Vadim’s house. The wooden fence has recently been painted green. Vadim painted it after work for several evenings, even though he was very tired — mom ordered it. Vadim opened the wooden gate. No, it didn’t squeak because the hinges were liberally lubricated with machine oil. Vadim lubricated them — mom ordered.
He wanted to slip unnoticed along the asphalt path, through a small tidy yard inside the house. The path had flower beds on both sides. The flowers on them always bloomed in all seasons, except winter, of course. And now, in the twilight of a late fall evening, yellow, burgundy, and blue oaks were blooming in the flowerbeds, the newest autumn flowers. Vadim planted them with his own hands to please his mother, she loves flowers very much. A sad mood always sets in when the first snow dusts their petals. But even here, the oaks do not give up immediately. They are fighting for their lives, hoping for a miracle. What to do if the winter is warm or there will be none at all. At such times Vadim is especially sad, he no longer expects anything good from life. Tomorrow everything will be like today, yesterday. Then he goes out into the yard, cuts down the oak trees, arranges this variety of colors in a big vase and takes it to his mother’s room. Let mom be happy, mom!…
The house was divided into two parts and had two entrances under one small shed. Mom and Vadim lived on the right side of the house, and on the left side of the house lived mom’s father, Vadim’s grandfather Dmitry Ivanovich. You could say that he did not live, but he lived his long life. Dmitry Ivanovich was quite old. He hadn’t gotten out of bed for a long time, and only in his dreams did he remember how healthy, cheerful and energetic he was rushing to his factory. He thought his friends were nearby and they were all busy, busy with jokes and laughter. Lyubasha’s wife is a busy worker, daughter Tanyushka… But as soon as he opened his eyes, reality returned — the white ceiling or the aged face of his daughter Tanya, or maybe the eternally tired face of Vadim — that’s all that Dmitry Ivanovich could see.. He sighed sadly and closed his eyes again. Dmitry Ivanovich needed constant care: he needed to be fed on time, shaved, cut his hair, given an injection, massaged so that he wouldn’t get bedridden. Good thing Vadim was a professional massage therapist. His strong, swollen hands were enough for everyone: both vacationers who rested and were treated in the sanatorium where Vadim worked as a masseur, and grandfather and mother, and the “lefties” whom Vadim received at home. An extra penny won’t hurt.
So, Vadim opened the door without turning on the light and slipped into the room. I really wanted to eat. He opened the fridge.
— Vadim, is that you? — came the mother’s voice.
— Yes.
— You are late for some reason.
“I’m as usual,” Vadim tried to justify himself.
— What did you buy for dinner?
— Yes, I somehow didn’t think, it was raining and I didn’t even have an umbrella.
— Well, what will we eat for dinner?
“I thought you could go to the store since today is your day off.”
— Did you give me money?
— Has the money I gave you already run out?
— I put them off for hard times.
— What are you saving money for?
— You, Vadim, are used to hiding behind my back. You don’t think about anything. I forgot how we wandered when your dad left us. Forgot!
“He didn’t leave us.” You just broke up. And by the way, because of his character.
“Because of my character,” my mother wailed. Yes, how you twist your tongue, I raised you alone, I didn’t sleep at night, everything was for you — my dear son. I didn’t get married because of you. I didn’t want another uncle to hit your head. You ruined my whole life.
— Yes, my father sent alimony, although he was kicked out of the police because you complained about him to the authorities. I missed him but you didn’t let me see him.
— Yes, you didn’t need him.
— Nonsense! He still lives alone. It was you who ruined our whole life.
— Me?! Ungrateful! — mother cried.
Grandpa groaned from behind the wall. Vadim went to him. Vadim loved his grandfather. He remembered how his grandfather took care of him when Vadim came to visit on vacation. I bought toys, goodies, went fishing with him, gave money to my daughter to support her grandson. This is also the education of men. Mom considered all men unworthy of her. Yes, and men avoided her. There was no man ready to win her heart. Vadim gave grandfather an injection, a massage, carefully adjusted the pillows. I took out yesterday’s soup that he had prepared from the fridge, heated it up and went to feed my grandfather. The phone rang and an elderly client came in for a massage complaining of back pain. The soup was left at the bottom of the plate, the grandfather refused to finish it, Vadim finished quickly, put the plate in the sink and ran towards the customer.
Vadim came out to meet the old man, smiling kindly. He led her along the paved path past the beautiful autumn oaks. Entering the corridor, Vadim kindly offered to take off his outer clothes. As he walked the lady through the hall, he smiled and said to his mother, “We have a visitor!” “I’m glad to see you,” said my mother, and retreated offendedly into the next room. Vadim and the client entered a clean room equipped as a massage room. The lady was satisfied with the massage, praised Vadim’s hands, left the pre-agreed amount and left. But there was another customer at the gate, Vadim smiled kindly at him, he led him along an asphalt path, past mom’s favorite oaks. And then there was another customer. And then there was another customer. Vadim put the money he earned in the evening into his mother’s box. He knew she wasn’t sleeping and he knew exactly how many clients he got, which means how much money he made. After some thought, he took a small amount of money for the trip and lunch. Turning off the light, he slipped under the covers and closed his eyes. The mother came over, straightened the blanket and said that she had always loved her little boy. Vadim fell asleep. I go back to work tomorrow and my grandfather still has all the procedures to go through.
CHAPTER 4
Mom loved Vadim very much, she could not part with him for a long time. Even at night she should have heard her son’s breathing. After all, he was a very sick boy as a child.
— Vadim, grandpa is moaning about something!
The grandfather was thirsty, the grandson gave him something to drink.
— Vadim, it’s too quiet at grandfather’s.
Vadim went across the yard to the other side of the house again to straighten Dmitri Ivanovich’s pillows. It is morning.
Day replaced night, and night replaced day. So they intertwined in Vadim’s uninteresting life. He has been tired for a long time. But… Spring was already raging with all its passion. Flowers bloomed not only in nature, but also in people’s hearts. This is truly a season of love. But Vadim didn’t care. He was not a heroic lover. He made no impression on women. Why women, even girls at school, did not want to be friends with him, as if they felt something disgusting about him. Vadim, when he shaved and looked in the mirror, was surprised. Normal looking, well, maybe a narrow face. These glasses with black frames and thick lenses make Vadim look like a “nerd”. He is modestly dressed and has no car. But he is slim, lean and muscular. There are men who don’t look better than her, but girls love them.
— What is happening to me? — Vadim asked himself more than once.
The sanatorium, where Vadim worked as a massage therapist, was located in a picturesque location on the slope of a small hill. It is surrounded by deciduous forests on all sides. The air was filled with freshness and coolness, intense heat did not come here in summer, and winter lovingly visited this place briefly and cruelly. Just below the administrative and medical buildings was a picturesque lake. Cozy benches were hidden around the lake, here and there under the shade of trees under tall willows. Vacationers loved them. Here you can have a quiet conversation, read your favorite book, rummage through your smartphone or play chess. Eh, good!
Vadim tired and leisurely walked along the asphalted path along a shady alley, past the lake, not noticing this beauty, he had long been used to it. Passing the guards, he waved goodbye, walked out of the sanatorium gate and headed for the train station. When the train arrived, he went inside and, sitting by the window, did his usual thing of trying to spy on someone else’s life by looking at other people’s houses. After all, he himself was not interesting to the world, and therefore the world was not interesting to him. He felt like he was becoming invisible at times. At the stations, people got off the train, others got on. There were not many people. But Vadim never turned away from the window to look at the people. About what? And again another station… And again people…
Someone slumped on the seat in front of Vadim. He didn’t even turn his head. Not interested.
— Hello!
— Are you talking to me? — Vadim did not understand and even looked around.
— Yes.
A girl was sitting in front of Vadim.
— My name is Nina, what is yours?
“Vadim,” he replied with astonishment.
— And I work here, you know, there is a large grocery store in the central square. So I’m a salesman there. They pay — enough. There are too many people. The team is fine, the girls are sociable. In short, there is someone to talk to.
— Where do you come from?
“Also from work,” Vadim answered quietly, still in disbelief that he could talk so easily.
— Where do you work? — Nina continued to ask.
— In a sanatorium, as a massage therapist.
— In class! — Nina widened her eyes full of admiration — it means that you treat people. Great!
Nina even clapped her hands with happiness.
“I see your arms are strong.” You are so cool!
Vadim looked around again just in case, there was no one around. All these words are addressed to him?! Is he cool?! Are those amazing eyes looking at him?! Vadim desperately thought about what to talk to her about, what topic would be interesting to her? He wanted to tell her about the books he read when he was alone. About the movies he watched alone. He had no one to discuss them with. Nina kept talking and talking. She probably managed to talk about something interesting, but he didn’t hear it.
“Let’s exchange phone numbers,” Nina said, otherwise it’s my stop.
— Definitely!
The young people exchanged phone numbers.
— And here I am leaving, you call, don’t get lost! — the girl said cheerfully and ran to the exit. Before the train had left, Nina managed to wave to Vadim. Then she briskly walked down the platform.
Spring came into Vadim’s heart, he wanted to shout, sing, run, jump, somersault. He barely refrained from it. But love and hope shone in his eyes. Drunk with happiness, he got off at his station. Everything around was incredibly beautiful: houses, fences, trees, grass, flowers, sky, passers-by.
CHAPTER 5
Here is Vadim’s house. He stopped in front of the gate to catch his breath and calm down. He wanted to slip into the house unnoticed to be alone for a while and recuperate. But his mother, hearing his footsteps, was waiting for him in the hallway.
— You came earlier than usual today.
— It happened.
Vadim did not want to argue with his mother every night.
— You bought groceries.
— Now I will quickly cook some semolina and we will have dinner. Soon Vadim was feeding his grandfather with freshly cooked porridge, and his mother praised the porridge, eating porridge and a sandwich with butter. And then, as usual, Vadim washed his grandfather, moving him to the bathroom. He performed the necessary injection, massage, carefully adjusted the pillows and covered her with a blanket. After eating cold semolina porridge, I washed the dishes. Today, Vadim quickly finished his household chores. Then the mobile phone rang, customers came for massage. Vadim’s hands obediently performed the usual movements, customers told him something. He listened to them, of course, but his thoughts were far away. Vadim thought about Nina, he wanted to immediately drop everything and call her. He led each customer to the gate with a sweet smile. Every time he was at the gate, he put his hand in the pocket where the phone lay, caressed it. But Vadim felt his mother’s gaze from the window on his back. He looked around, hoping she was already asleep and not watching him through the window. But the mother was worried about her son, and her gaze always followed him. Vadim never dared to call Nina. How will he explain to his mother who Nina is? He returned to the house.
— You forgot to put money in our box. And by the way, did the salary come to the card? It’s time to pay your utility bills.
“No, I didn’t come,” Vadim allowed himself to lie. And money, well, we have a doctor’s anniversary at work. He invited me, it is inconvenient to refuse. See, the real person. Vadim lied again.
Mom was extremely unhappy. But, contrary to her custom, she didn’t shout at him, just muttered something under her breath and went to watch her favorite series. Vadim even pulled his head into his shoulders, waiting for revenge. But now he breathed a sigh of relief. Shower. To dream. Mom carefully straightened the fallen blanket and sighed. She loved her boy so much. She also enjoyed listening to her sleeping son’s breathing.
Morning. All homework is completed. Vadim came out of the gate. He moved away from the house and ran, he thought he had grown wings and flew over the ground. My heart was ready to burst out of my chest. Here is the station, there is still time until his train arrives. Vadim sat down on a cozy bench, in front of which a flower bed spread like a multi-colored carpet. It was like he was seeing her for the first time. For a long time he could not catch his breath, his heart was beating frantically at the thought that now he could call the best girl in the world — Nina. What will he say? Maybe she already forgot about him? No, he won’t call. But the hand itself reached for the phone. Thereby…
“Hello,” said Vadim.
— Hello! Hello! Why didn’t you call yesterday? I’m already getting worried! Tomorrow is Saturday, I have a day off. And you?
— I also.
“Then I’ll meet you at my stop at eleven.” Agreed?
— Yes.
— Hello. Goodbye.
CHAPTER 6
What happened to Vadim. Could it be that simple? He couldn’t believe he was going on a real date…
— How come you have to leave on Saturday? — mom was surprised. Who will take care of grandpa? And things have piled up at home. If only I could paint the gazebo, it’s time to loosen up the flower beds. No, I really want you to explain to me where you are going on your day off.
“Mom, I told you it was our doctor’s anniversary,” Vadim lied. He invited me, it was embarrassing to refuse.
— You become completely irresponsible. You have to take care of me and grandpa.
— Mom, I do it every day. Can I afford to rest a little?
— These anniversaries of yours will not bring anything good.
Mom burst into tears. Vadim, of course, expected that their conversation would end exactly like this. Often any conversation between son and mother ended with mother’s reproaches and tears. But this time, too, Vadim found the strength to come up, hug his mother’s shoulders, whisper to her that he loves her and that he will have time to do all the housework in the morning, getting up early.
In the morning, however, Vadim managed to escape from the house. The station. Electric train. Phone call.
— Hello! Hello! hello where are you Otherwise, we are waiting for you.
— I’m already on the train. I’m going.
— Goodbye.
Vadim became deaf and blind from happiness. She is waiting for him. But I think she said they were waiting. But what is she waiting for him with? I’m dizzy. He became agitated and his head was completely spinning. This is her stop. Vadim stood up with difficulty, his legs gave out. He walked, clinging to the seats and walls of the lobby. The doors of the train opened and Vadim literally fell out of the carriage.
— Hello, Nina, who was waiting for him on the platform, ran up to him. Why are you so pale and tired?
— Yes, my head was spinning.
Vadim could not tell her how much he wanted to meet her and how he was afraid of this meeting.
Without giving him a break, Nina said:
— Meet me, this is my son Kolya. He will soon be ten years old. He is almost a grown man. In addition, he is very independent. Would you mind if the three of us took a walk?
“Of course, I don’t mind,” Vadim managed to squeeze out.
What a twist. Vadim did not know how to behave. He didn’t have time to organize his thoughts. But it was good. Vadim found himself in an unusual situation. Good thing Nina was around. Kolya gave a friendly hand to Vadim and smiled.
— Let’s get to know each other!
“Yes,” said Vadim.
“Then let’s go, Kolya and I will show you our city.” You’ve probably never been here.
— Yes, I just passed by and looked at it through the train window.
They descended the stairs in the underground passage and came out into the station square. We entered a cozy park with paths and benches.
“And here is our favorite ice cream,” said Kolya, “we like ice cream with ice cream.” Who are you?
— I also love popsicles.
Vadim thought that he hardly remembered the taste of ice cream. He wondered why he had forgotten about the existence of ice cream. While he was thinking, Nina bought three ice creams.
“Here’s our favorite bench,” Nina said.
The three of them sat down on the bench and happily started enjoying the ice cream. Vadim was eating ice cream, looking at Nina and Kolya, and he felt good. Now he seemed to be reborn and began to feel life. When the ice cream was finished, Kolya said:
— Let’s go ride the carousel.
“Yes,” said Vadim.
Only they didn’t ride the merry-go-round, but ran. Kolya took his mother and Vadim by the hands. Vadim shuddered, but suddenly felt oneness with them. Vadim has not felt so well for a long time. They bought tickets for two cars. Kolya and Vadim got into the red car, and Nina got into the green one. They ran in a circle, bumping into each other. They were happy and laughing. Then they went for a ride on the Ferris wheel. When they reached the top, the whole city opened up to them. Vadim felt that wings had grown behind him. He wanted to fly. Maybe become a white angel. At that moment he wanted to love the whole world.
The cozy town is surrounded by greenery. There were so many interesting houses around, but Vadim did not want to unravel the fates of their inhabitants. Today he was interested in his life. Then they went to the cinema. Sitting in cozy red velvet chairs, they ate popcorn and drank soda. So the evening slipped by unnoticed.
— Well, it’s time for me to go home.
“But it’s still pretty bright,” Nina said.
“But my mother and grandfather are waiting for me.” I look after him. Everything must be done according to the schedule: feeding, injections, massage.
“Yes, of course, go,” Nina said. We’ll walk you through.
“You come tomorrow,” Kolya suggested. Let’s go for a walk.
Vadim shuddered at the thought of having to explain himself to his mother. But still he said:
— Well, if you invite…
Nina and Kolya clapped their hands.
— Of course, come! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the same time.
The ticket has been purchased. The train arrived. Vadim wanted so much to stay with them a little longer, but it is impossible. Vadim sighed. The train doors opened. Unexpectedly, Nina and Kolya kissed Vadim on both cheeks. Vadim gasped with happiness. He jumped into the train and shouted:
— Until tomorrow!
On the way, Vadim stopped at a store for groceries. Here is a familiar gate. He wanted to slip into his grandfather’s side unnoticed again. Mom was waiting for him in the yard.
— Vadim, you are drunk.
— No.
“I thought you were going to get drunk.”
— Mom, I’m sober.
— What did you do there?
— I’m talking.
— With what? Were there women there?
— Only wives of employees.
Mom continued her interrogation. Meanwhile, Vadim fried the potatoes, cut the herring and cut the salad. I spread everything on three plates. Mom sat down to dinner, Vadim went to feed his grandfather. Having finished his business, Vadim started dinner alone. Mom was watching her favorite series. As the kettle bubbled happily, Vadim slowly boiled the tea. He slowly poured the tea and took a small sip. Now he was alone with himself. Nina and Kolya were far from him now, as if they were in another life. And it is impossible for these lives to intersect. Vadim shuddered at the thought. Why is this not possible? Memories of that happy day came flooding back to him.
CHAPTER 7
Vadim wanted to crawl under the blanket. That’s what he did. Curled up, asleep, he remembered his father for some reason. Vadim loved his father very much. He liked his father’s police uniform. My father loved service. Also, my father had a black and heavy pistol. My father, secretly from everyone, let Vadim hold it in his hands. The son was proud of his father. A strong and stable man put Vadim on his shoulders, and then Vadim became the biggest and bravest guy in the world. After family scandals and his mother’s complaints against his father, he was fired from the police. The father somehow weakened, aged, bent. The family broke up, Vadim stayed with his mother. It wasn’t his choice, it just happened. They moved to another city away from their father. Mom did not want Vadim to communicate with this “scoundrel”. Oh, and he had a drink with his mother. My mother did not have a serious profession, after marriage she did not work a single day. Now I had to work in a store as a cleaner. With this little money, it was necessary to rent a house. We could only afford a dorm room. Vadim dreamed of sweets more than he ate them. Vadim also felt deprived and scared at school. He missed his father very much. But his father did not visit him, he only sent him the necessary alimony. Vadim studied well.
When Vadim decided to enter medical school, his grandfather helped with money. After that, they lived with their grandmother in one of the now separated republics. Well, debt is worth paying. Grandmother died, grandfather was left alone. Vadim moved her to this house with great difficulty and for a long time tried to get citizenship and a pension.
To this house! Where did this house come from? When Vadim graduated from medical school and became an excellent massage therapist, he realized that it was no longer possible to live like this. He decided to take out a mortgage to buy a house. He thought that moving from a rented dorm room to their own house would make them happy. Vadim recalled how he was looking for a suitable house for their family. For a long time he could not find his home. Mom did not believe in this idea. She teased him. And he continued to believe that his home would be found. And finally he was lucky. Most importantly, the house is divided into two parts. With two isolated inputs. Mom will live on one side, Vadim on the other. How happy he was when the first rain came, Vadim looked at the rain from his window for the first time. Raindrops drummed on the roof of his own house. Vadim even had his own sparrows, because they lived under the roof of his house. They flew in to drink water from a puddle in his yard. Vadim happily fed them with crumbs and millet. He loved sparrows and with them the whole world. Vadim flew on wings. He was not afraid of the upcoming repairs. He lived with high hopes. He will bring his beloved girl there. Getting married. And then, lo and behold, the children will appear.
Vadim always dreamed of a friendly, happy family where love and harmony would reign. People experience happy and sad events together. The family will gather around a friendly table, they will be able to share their thoughts while smelling the apple pie. In the end, it happened. But not in his house.
CHAPTER 8
In the small kitchen, all family members could barely fit around the round table. Well, nothing in tight conditions, but no fault. The aroma of your favorite apple pie that mom had just taken out of the oven mingled with the smell of freshly made borscht. Homemade meatballs are steaming on the plate. Oh, those Sunday lunch smells! A real Sunday lunch!
Vadim was sitting at the table. That is, the table is round. But Vadim believed that his place was the most important. Nina sat down next to him, she chirped merrily. She did it perfectly, so every now and then everyone started laughing. Kolya burst out laughing, mom smiled. Vadim told funny jokes. Then everyone entered the room. We watched our favorite cartoons by connecting through the Internet. Vadim had not seen these “cartoons” yet, but they were his favorites because his loved ones liked them: Nina, Kolya and Nina’s mom. Everyone was happy. Then everyone went to the kitchen to eat ice cream. It was very tasty ice cream. Then we watched funny comedies. And so this strange, for some reason happy Sunday passed. He broke this day out of his monotonous fate.
Vadim thought with horror that he could have missed such a happy day if he had not come forward with a rich client who needed a massage at his home.
Even in the morning, when Vadim took the train to meet Nina, he called her and said that he was already on his way and would be there soon. He was afraid to hear that she was not waiting for him. But no, Nina was waiting for him. She only specified in which carriage Vadim was riding. As soon as the train door opened at the desired stop, Vadim fell into the arms of Nina and Kolya. Their joy was transferred to Vadim. They turned into mischievous teenagers.
— Shall we walk around town and eat ice cream again today? — asked Vadim.
— No, today we have another program for you. We will show you where and how we live, Kolya laughed.
“We invite you to visit,” Nina said.
— It’s simple, can I visit you? Vadim was surprised. And he almost asked about the repair. Do they have repairs? Is it polite to bring strangers into your home? The echo of my mother’s voice seemed to come from somewhere far away.
Well, no, Vadim didn’t say anything like that out loud. He was just confused.
“What’s wrong, don’t be shy, let’s go.” Nina grabbed her hand, and Kolya grabbed her other hand. Vadim had no choice but to happily walk with them down the street. Here is an ordinary gray five-story building, entrance, first floor, right. Here is our door. Door bell.
— Why are we calling? Is there anyone there?
— Yes, mom is at home today. Can you smell the delicious aromas?
Thinking that his mother was at home, Vadim pulled his head into his shoulders and froze. But then the door opened. A beautiful woman stood on the threshold. He noticed a clear resemblance to Nina. Mom smiled and said:
— My dears, I have been waiting for a long time. Come in.
She hugged Nina first, then Kolya. Vadim made a huge effort, he was able to cross the threshold.
— Vadim, I’m glad to see you! From Nina’s words, she was talking about you. Come in. Everyone washes their hands and sits down at the table. Vadim, make yourself at home.
— She is wonderful to me. You will see. I don’t know what I would do without her, Nina whispered in Vadim’s ear.