З життя
«Ти не товар: як батько намагався змінити долю доньки, але кохання все вирішило»
— Донечко, вийди за Артема Левченка — житимеш, як у кріслі. В нього ферма, машина, хата. Нащо тобі той бідолах Олесь? — з докором кинув Віктор Яценко доньці. Він стояв у кухні, грів долоні над газом, а в середині клекотів гнів — не на дитину, а на її впертість.
Віктор усі життя працював механізатором у сільгосппідприємстві біля Миргорода. Був господарем до кісточок: власна хата, три городи, гуси, качки, свині, техніка, новий паркан з профнастилу. Дружина Марія — тиха, лагідна, роботяща. Старший син Тарас давно одружився, а молодша донька, Соломія, щойно закінчила медколедж. Вродлива, рум’яна, з ясними очима, і серце батька боліло — не дай Боже, віддасться не тому.
У Віктора був друг — Микола Левченко. Дружили більше двадцяти років, разом і пили, і сіяли, і на риболовлю їздили. Микола тримав ферму, торгував м’ясом і яйцями на базарі, а син у нього був один-єдиний — Артем. Заможний, правда, з характером, але Вікторові здавалося — кращої пари не знайти.
— Розумій, Соломіє, — знову почав він, — Артем — це шанс. Хочеш жити, не рахуючи гривень? Ось тобі дорога. А твій Олесь… Він що? Сирота, жив у тітки в Лубнах. Ні землі, ні хати, ні копійки.
Соломія мовчки слухала, стиснула губи, а потім рішуче сказала:
— Я за Артема не піду. Я люблю Олеся. І крапка.
Слова її були, як батіг. Віктор поблід від люті, але стримався. Наступного дня він зустрівся з Миколою, випили, закусили, посміялися. І домовилися: на вихідних будуть сватати. Віктор повернувся додому і, ледь переступивши поріг, гукнув дружині:
— Завтра ріжемо свиню! Я Соломію «пропив» — тепер буде Артемовою нареченою!
Марія зблідла.
— Ти що, з глузду з’їхав?! Це ярмарок, чи що? Вона людина, а не худоба! Ти що, у неволі живеш?
Соломія все чула. Тієї ж ночі зібрала речі в невеликий рюкзак, написала мамі листа — пробач, кохаю, інакше не можу — і через вікно втекла до Олеся. Через тиждень вони розписались без весілля, без сукні, зняли кімнату в комуналці на околиці міста.
Рік Віктор не розмовляв із донькою. Марія їздила до неї потай — привозила їжу, пестила онука, якого Соломія народила через вісім місяців. Потім померла тітка Олеся, і молодята успадкували стареньку хатинку. Він почав будувати нову — цеглина за цеглиною, усе своїми руками.
Одного разу Віктор сам прийшов до них, постояв біля воріт, глянув на будівництво і спитав:
— Ну що, зятеку, руку до фундаменту прикласти — не завадить?
З того дня вони помирилися.
Через шість років у Соломії й Олеся був двоповерховий будинок, сарай, техніка та двоє синів. Усі сусіди заздрили. А Артем Левченко двічі розлучався і все ще жив із батьками. Без роботи, без мети, з пляшкою в руці.
— Це наш син, — тепер казала Марія сусідкам. — І Олесь, і Тарас — обоє наші.
А Віктор дивився на онуків і думав, як добре, що серце доньки того дня себе не зрадило.
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