З життя
«Ти не товар: як батько прагнув визначити долю доньки, та любов все вирішила»
— Донечко, вийди за Олега Шевченка — житимеш як у царстві небесному. В нього ферма, машина, хата. Нащо тобі цей бідолаха Тарас? — зірвано кинув Василь Коваль своїй доньці в обличчя. Він стояв у кухні грів руки над плитою, а в середині в нього клекотів гнів — не на доньку, а на її впертість.
Василь все життя працював механізатором у сільському господарстві біля Черкас. Був хазяїном до глибини душі: власна хата, чотири городи, гуси, качки, свині, техніка, новий паркан із профнастилу. Дружина Ганна — тиха, добра, працьовита. Старший син Ігор давно одружився, а молодша донька, Оксана, щойно закінчила медколедж. Гарна, рум’яна, з ясними очима, і серце батька стискалося — не дай Боже, віддасться не тому.
У Василя був друг — Петро Шевченко. Дружба їх тривала більше двадцяти років: і пили разом, і сіяли, і на риболовлю їздили. Петро мав ферму, торгував м’ясом та яйцями на базарі, і був у нього один-єдиний син — Олег. Заможний, правда, з характером, але Василеві здавалося, що кращої пари не знайти.
— Зрозумій, Оксанко, — знову заговорив він, — Олег — це шанс. Хочеш жити, не рахуючи кожну копійку? Ось тобі шлях. А твій Тарас… Що в нього є? Сирота, жив у тітки у Золотоноші. Ні землі, ні даху, ні гроша за душею.
Оксана мовчки слухала, стиснула губи, а потім твердо сказала:
— За Олега я не піду. Я люблю Тараса. І крапка.
Слова її були ніби батіг. Василь побілів із люті, але стримався. Наступного дня він зустрівся з Петром, випили, закусили, посміялися. І домовилися: наступних вихідних будуть сватати. Василь повернувся додому і, ледь переступивши поріг, гукнув дружині:
— Завтра ріжемо свиню! Я Оксанку “пропив” — буде тепер Шевченковою нареченою!
Ганна зблідла.
— Ти що, з глузду з’їхав?! Це що, ярмарок? Вона людина, а не худоба! Невже ти работорговець?
Оксана все почула. Тієї ж ночі вона зібрала речі в невеликий рюкзак, написала мамі листа — пробач, люблю, не можу інакше — і через вікно втекла до Тараса. За тиждень вони розписалися без весілля, без сукні, зняли кімнату у комуналці на околиці міста.
Рік Василь не розмовляв із донькою. Ганна їздила до неї потай — привозила їжу, обнімала онука, якого Оксана народила через вісім місяців. Потім померла тітка Тараса, і молода сім’я успадкувала стареньку хату. Він почав будувати нову — цеглину за цеглиною, все своїми руками.
Одного дня Василь прийшов до них сам, постояв біля воріт, подивився на будівництво і спитав:
— Ну що, зяте, руку до фундаменту прикласти — не завадить?
З того дня вони помирилися.
За шість років у Оксани й Тараса був двоповерховий будинок, садиба, техніка та двоє синів. Усі сусіди заздрили. А Олег Шевченко двічі розлучився і все ще жив з батьками. Без роботи, без мети, з пляшкою в руці.
— Це наші сини, — тепер казала Ганна сусідкам. — І Тарас, і Ігор — обидва наші.
А Василь дивився на онуків і думав, як добре, що серце доньки того дня не зрадило себе.
*Щастя не в багатстві, а в тому, щоб іти за власним серцем.*
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