З життя
Брати Колька і Котька з протилежного будинку навпроти наших вікон
Жили у сусідньому будинку, навпроти наших вікон, Микола і Котик. Два брати. Особливої дружби з ними я не мав, але під час дворикових ігор ми часто билися дерев’яними шаблями. Кінці шабель ми мазали в дьогті, щоб одразу побачити, хто кого першим зачепив. Коли перемагав я, Микола і Котик йшли додому вимазані дьогтем, і не встигали увійти в квартиру, як лунав голос їхньої мами:
— Знову билися з цим з першого під’їзду!
“З першого під’їзду” — це був я.
…Взимку сорок першого року я рідко бачив Миколу і Котика.
У місті згасло світло. Трамваї замерзли у снігу. Настали найжорстокіші дні облоги.
Одного разу, виглядаючи з вікна, я побачив Миколу і Котика. Вони тягли порожні санчата через двір до воріт.
“Куди це вони, навряд чи ж кататися?” — подумав я.
Через пару днів я знову помітив їх з порожніми санками, і ще через кілька днів…
Якось вони трапилися мені назустріч, коли виходили з подвір’я.
— Куди йдете? — запитав я.
— Справи, — ухильно відповіли брати.
Я провів їх поглядом. Вони йшли тротуаром до мосту, обидва маленькі, із кумедно стирчащими вухами шапок, у різнокольорових рукавицях. Напевно, мама зв’язала їм рукавиці ще до війни — з білими ялинками та хрестиками. Хлопчики трималися за мотузку, і здалеку рукавиці здавалися яскравими та дивовижними. Через хвилину я забув про братів — своїх клопотів вистачало.
Проте невдовзі я випадково довідався, куди вони їздять.
Мати їх працювала на Подолі, за кілька кілометрів від дому, й щодня по дві години неквапливо долала цей шлях. Повертаючись з роботи, вона сідала старшати на диван, витягнувши ноги, щоб відновитися. Микола і Котик роззували її та приносили тазик з гарячою водою. А потім вирішили їздити на Поділ, щоб зустрічати маму на санчатах.
Мати вперше побачила їх на проспекті Перемоги, коли вони стояли поруч, змерзлі, з брівами в інеї, притупуючи, вдивляючись у муть проспекту. Вона розсердилася: “Куди ви?! Навіщо?!” Але Микола, він був старшим, подивився на маму і строго сказав:
— Сідай.
Мати здивувалася, заплакала, обійняла синів, але вони вислизнули з її обіймів, і молодший — Котик —сказав теж владно:
— Сідай, мамо.
Мати сіла, але коли вони доїхали додому, відчула, що втомилася більше, ніж якби йшла пішки. Під час всього шляху вона нервувала, намагалася встати, турбувалася, чи не важко хлопчикам. Наступного дня вони знову чекали її на проспекті. В той раз мати накричала на них, сказала, що вони дуріють, але Микола взяв її за плечі та посадив на санчата. Коли вони приїхали додому, мати здивувалася, що вперше після важкого робочого дня ноги її не болять, і знову сльози набігли на очі, але вона нікому їх не показала.
Мати казала синам, що у неї зайнятість, що прийде пізно і їй не треба зустрічати. Але сини все одно чекали на звичному місці, і мати червоніла, бо обманювала їх, — у неї не було зайнятості. Вона жаліла їх і вирішила йти іншим шляхом — через міст Злуки. Два рази Микола і Котик повернулися додому самі. На третій раз мати побачила на мосту Злуки лише Миколу із санчатами. Вона злякалася і крикнула здалеку:
— А де Котик?
— Він чекає з іншими санчатами біля мосту.
Вони возили матір цілу зиму. Коли починався обстріл, бігли в укриття, а санки стояли в арці. Обстріл закінчувався, і мати їхала далі. Брати під’їжджали до будинку, і сусіди дивилися на них з повагою, а двірничка навіть почала кликати старшого не Миколкою, а Миколою.
Вони пережили всю облогу і голод, і мені завжди здавалося, що інакше й бути не могло, бо вони троє дуже любили одне одного.
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A Grandson’s Request: An Uplifting Story “Gran, I need to ask you something—it’s really important. I need a lot of money.” He arrived in the evening—nervous, restless. Normally, Daniel popped round to see Lilian twice a week, happy to fetch her groceries or pop out the bins. Once, he even fixed her old sofa. Always calm, always confident—never like this. Lilian always worried—it was a strange world out there. “Daniel, love, can I ask—why do you need the money? And how much is ‘a lot’?” Her voice was steady, but her heart thumped. Daniel was her eldest grandson—a good lad, kind at heart. He’d finished school a year ago, working part-time while studying. His parents hadn’t voiced any concerns, but why would he need so much cash? “I can’t say yet, Gran, but I promise I’ll pay you back—just not all at once…” “You know I’m only on my pension,” said Lilian, torn, “How much exactly?” “One thousand pounds.” “Why not ask your parents?” Lilian asked absently, already guessing his answer. Daniel’s dad—her son-in-law—was strict, expected children to solve their own problems and not stick their noses where they didn’t belong. “They wouldn’t help,” Daniel replied, confirming her thoughts with a sigh. Had he got mixed up in something serious? Would giving him the money only make it worse? But what if not giving it made things even harder? She studied him with concern. “Gran, it’s nothing bad, I swear. I’ll pay you back in three months—promise! Don’t you trust me?” She probably should lend it, even if he never returned it. There ought to be someone in his life who has his back; someone he can trust—so he never loses faith in people. She did have that money set aside for emergencies. Perhaps this was the one. After all, Daniel had come to her. Funerals could wait—life was for the living. It’s family—family you must trust. They say if you lend money, be prepared to lose it. The young can be unpredictable… but Daniel had never let her down. “All right, I’ll lend you the money for three months, as you said. But wouldn’t it be better for your parents to know?” “Gran, you know I love you, and I always keep my promises. If you can’t help I’ll try to get a loan—after all, I do work.” The next day, Lilian went to the bank, withdrew the money and handed it to Daniel. He beamed, gave her a grateful hug, and dashed off: “Thank you, Gran, you’re the best. I’ll pay you back—I promise!” Lilian returned home, brewed herself a cup of tea, and pondered. So many times in her life she’d desperately needed help. Every time, someone came through. But now, these days, everyone looked out for themselves. Times were tough. A week later, Daniel popped in again, cheerful. “Gran, here’s the first bit back—I got an advance at work. Oh, and can I bring a friend round tomorrow?” “Of course, love. I’ll bake your favourite—poppyseed cake.” She smiled, relieved—whatever it was, she’d soon know. Daniel came that evening. Not alone. A slender young woman stood by his side. “Gran, this is Lisa. Lisa, meet my lovely Gran, Lilian.” Lisa blushed, “Hello, thank you so much, Mrs Taylor!” “Come in, both of you,” Lilian relaxed—they seemed good together. They sat and chatted over tea and cake. “Gran, I couldn’t tell you before. Lisa’s mum became suddenly very ill; there was no one else to help and Lisa was so worried—she made me promise not to explain why I needed the money. But it’s over now—her mum’s had the operation. The doctors say she’ll recover.” Daniel looked at Lisa, squeezing her hand. “Thank you—you’re so kind. I can’t thank you enough,” Lisa said, turning away to hide her tears. “I told you, everything’s all right, don’t cry,” Daniel smiled, “Come on, Gran, we’d better be off—getting late.” “Take care, dears, goodnight—may everything work out for you.” As they left, Lilian crossed herself (old habits die hard). Her grandson had grown up—a solid young man. She was glad she trusted him. It wasn’t really about the money; it brought them closer. Two months on, Daniel repaid her in full. “Just think, Gran. The doctor said if we hadn’t acted so quickly, it could have ended much worse. I didn’t know how I could help Lisa. I realise now—there’s always someone willing to step up when things are hard. And I’ll always look after you, Gran—you’re the best in the world!” Lilian ruffled his hair, as she had when he was little. “All right, off you go—and bring Lisa round soon!” “Of course,” Daniel grinned, hugging her. As she closed the door, Lilian remembered what her own gran used to say: “You must always look after your own. It’s the English way—never turn your back on family. Remember that!”
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