З життя
Як 91-річний старець врятував цуценя і сам знайшов порятунок
Ярмо долі не завжди можна обійти: одинокий 91-річний дідусь врятував цуценя, сам того не знаючи, що незабаром той врятує його.
Після втрати дружини та сина 91-річний Микола перестав вірити у дива. Його життя в маленькому селі поблизу Житомира стало низкою сіротовки днів, де кожен крок нагадував про біль у старих кістках. Усе змінилося лише тоді, коли він знайшов покинуте цуценя у порваній коробці на узбіччі. А через два роки, коли цей пес зник, пошуки привели Миколу до дива, про яке він навіть не мріяв.
Осінній вітер гнав жовте листя пустинною стежкою до старої церкви. Микола повільно ішов, спираючись на потерту палицю, і кожен його крок був випробуванням. У свої 91 рік він рухався обережно, а кожен вдих нагадував, як довго він живе — і як самотньо. Після смерті дружини Ганни і сина Петра, загиблих у страшній аварії багато років тому, його світ зруйнувався, залишивши лише пустку.
Туман стелився над землею, окутуючи все навколо примарним серпанком, коли слабкий звук змусив його зупинитися. Жалібний писк, ледь чутний, долинав із мокрої картонної коробки, кинутої на узбіччі. Сустави, знесилені артритом, нищили, коли він, стогнучи, нахилився подивитися. Усередині тремтіло маленьке цуценя — чорно-білий клубок з великими очима, наповненими благанням. На кришці коробки висіла записка: «Подбайте про нього!»
Серце Миколи, окам’яніле від горя та самотності, здригнулося. Він прошепотів, дивлячись у ці очі:
— Видно, Бог усе-таки про мене не забув…
Тремтячими руками він підняв маленького, загорнув у старий піджак і рушив додому. Церква зачекає — цей крихітний ангел потребував його більше.
Цуценя він назвав Левком — так Ганна хотіла назвати їхню другу дитину, яку доля їм не подарувала. У добрих очах пса було щось від її м’якості, і ім’я лягло на душу, як рідне.
— Сподіваюсь, ти мене полюбиш, малий, — сказав Микола, а цуценя у відповідь виляло крихітним хвостиком.
З першого дня Левко вірвався в життя Миколи, наповнивши його радістю і дзвінким гавкотом. Він виріс у великого пса з білою зіркою на грудях. Вранці приносив Миколі капці, а вдень сидів поруч, поки той пив чай, ніби відчуваючи, що дідусю потрібна його теплота. Два роки вони були нерозлучні. Левко став для Миколи сенсом вставати зранку, виходити на вулицю, усміхатися світу. Їхні вечірні прогулянки селом стали звичною картиною: згорблений дідусь і його вірний пес, що спокійно йдуть в сутінках.
А потім настав той жахливий жовтневий четвер. Левко цілий день був на взводі — його вуха тремтіли, він то й діло вив, притискаючись до вікна. Того дня в селі було галасливо: неподалік, біля занедбаного саду, зібралася зграя бродячих собак. Пізніше Микола дізнався, що їх привабила течка однієї з собак. Левко метушився біля дверей, скиглив, наче щось його кликало.
— Заспокойся, друже, — лагідно сказав дідусь, взявши повідок. — Після обіду погуляємо.
Але тривога Левка тільки наростала. Коли Микола випустив його на огороджене подвір’я, як робив завжди, пес рвонувся у дальній куток, застиг, щось прислухаючись до далекого гавкоту. Старий пішов у дім готувати їжу, але через п’ятнадцять хвилин, покликавши Левка, не почув відповіді. Калитка була привідкритою, у поштовій скриньці лежали листи, а пса не було. Може, листоноша забув зачинити? Паніка стисла груди Миколи. Він хрипко кликав Левка, обходив подвір’я, але той зник.
Години перетворилися на дні. Микола майже не їв, не спав, сидів на ганку, стискаючи нашийник Левка. Ночі стали нестерпними — тиша, до якої він звикнув, тепер розривала душу, а тікання старого годинника било по нервах. Коли сусід Іван прибіг із новиною про збитого пса на шосе, ноги дідуся підкосилися. Серце розлетілося на осколки. Дізнавшись, що це не Левко, він зітхнув із полегшенням, але тут же відчув провину. Він поховав того пса, шепочучи молитву, — не міг залишити його без прощання.
Два тижні надія згасала. Біль у суглобах терзала сильніше — чи то від пошуків, чи то від повернення самотності. І раптом тишу розірвав дзвінок телефону.
— Микола Іванович, це дільничний Сергій, — голос здригається від хвилювання. — Я не на службі, гуляв у лісі за старим млином. Чую гавкіт із закинутого колодязя. Здається, це ваш пес. Приїжджайте!
Дідусь, дрижачи, схопив палицю, побіг до Івана, благаючи відвезти його. Біля колодязя їх чекав Сергій з мотузками та ліхтарями.
— Він там, — сказав він. — Бачив білу зірку на грудях, коли посвічив.
— Левко! — крикнув Микола, голос зривався. — Синку, ти чуєш мене? Озовися!
Із глибини почувся знайомий гавкіт. Через годину приїхали рятувальники. Один спустився вниз, і незабаром натовп ахнув від радості. Левка дістали — брудного, виснаженого, але живого. Як тільки його відпустили, він кинувся до Миколи, збиваючи його з ніг.
— Синку мій, — плакав той, вчепившись у шерсть. — Наслідив ти мене до смерті…
Люди навколо аплодували, хтось витер сльози. Старенька з сусіднього будинку прошепотіла:
— Два тижні він ходив, кликав пса, поки голос не сів. Ось вона, справжня любов…
Сергій допоміг дідусю піднятися.
— Поїхали додому, — сказав він.
Наступного вечора дім Миколи гудів від голосів. Він приготував свій знаменитий борщ, а Левко ходив між гостями, але завжди повертався до ніг господаря. Пізніше дідусь сів у крісло, пес заснув поруч. Вітер за вікном тихо шепотів.
— Ганна завжди казала, що родина знайде одне одного, які б шляхи не обрала доля, — пробурмотів Микола.
Левко вві сні виляяв хвостиком, погоджуючись. Тієї ночі вони спали спокійно, знаючи, що тепер разом назавжди.
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Bitterness at the Bottom of My Soul “The children’s home has been waiting for you for ages! Get out of our family!” I screamed with a trembling voice. The target of my wild indignation was my cousin, Dima. God, how I loved him as a child! Blond hair, bright blue eyes, cheerful nature — that was Dima. …Relatives often gathered around the festive table. Of all my cousins, I singled out Dima. He could spin tales with his tongue like a lace maker and he drew brilliantly. Sometimes he would churn out five or six sketches an evening. I would stare, entranced by their beauty, quietly gathering his drawings and hiding them in my desk. I carefully treasured my cousin’s artwork. Dima was two years older than me. When he turned 14, his mother died—gone so suddenly, she just didn’t wake up… The question arose—what would happen to Dima? Naturally, they first turned to his father, but finding him was no easy feat. He and Dima’s mother were long divorced, and the new family “couldn’t be disturbed.” The rest of the relatives just shrugged: “We have our own families, our own problems.” Turns out, during the day, family is there, but come nightfall, not a soul to be found. So, with two kids of their own, my parents became Dima’s guardians—after all, Dima’s late mother was my dad’s younger sister. At first, I was happy that Dima would be living with us. But then… On his very first day in our home, Dima’s behavior set me on edge. To comfort her orphaned nephew, my mum asked, “Is there anything you’d like, Dima? Don’t be shy, just say.” And Dima immediately replied, “A model train set.” Now, this wasn’t a cheap toy. I was shocked—your mum just died, the most important person in your life, and all you want is a train set? How could you even think of that? But my parents immediately bought him his dream. Then it was, “Buy me a tape player, jeans, a designer jacket…” This was the eighties, mind you, and not only was this stuff pricey, but it was impossible to get. My parents made sacrifices for the orphan, even at our own expense. My brother and I understood and didn’t complain. …When Dima turned sixteen, he discovered girls. And he wasn’t afraid to show his affection. Worse yet, he started making advances toward me—his own cousin. But as a sporty girl, I skillfully dodged his unwelcome attention. We’d even come to blows. I would cry and cry. I never told my parents—they didn’t need the heartache. Kids don’t talk about such things. After I fended him off, Dima wasted no time turning to my friends, who actually competed for his attention. …But Dima was also a shameless thief. I remember my piggy bank: saving on school lunches to buy presents for my parents, only to find it empty one day! Dima denied everything—didn’t bat an eye, didn’t blush, just outright lied. It broke my heart. How could he steal while living under our roof? He was wrecking our family from within, but Dima really didn’t understand why I was upset. He truly believed everyone owed him. I began to hate him. That’s when I finally screamed at him: “Get out of our family!” I lashed him with my words—said things that can never be taken back… My mum barely managed to calm me. From that day on, Dima ceased to exist for me. I ignored him completely. Later, I learned the other relatives knew what a “character” Dima was—they lived nearby and seen it all. Our family lived across town. Even Dima’s former teachers warned my parents: “You’re making a big mistake. Dima will ruin your other children too.” …At a new school, he met Katy—she loved Dima all her life. She married him straight out of school. They had a daughter, and Katy put up with his lies and cheating without protest. As they say: single life is hardship, married life is double. Dima joined the Army, stationed in Scotland. There, he started another family—he somehow managed it during leave. When his service ended, he stayed in Scotland. He had a son there. Katy, not hesitating, went after him and, by hook or by crook, brought him back home. My parents never received a word of thanks from cousin Dima—not that they expected it. Now, fifty years on, Dmitri is an active member of the local Anglican church. He and Katy have five grandchildren. On the surface, all seems well, but the bitterness of life with Dima remains… No amount of sugar could ever sweeten it.
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Bittersweet Happiness – “What’s wrong with that young lady? She’s a good girl. Modest, neat, a hardworking student. She loves you,” Helen Edwards chastised her son. “Mum, I’ll handle it…” Denis clearly ended the pointless conversation. Helen left the room. “He’ll handle it… How many girls has he turned away… Nearly forty, and soon no one will do. Nothing’s ever right for him…” she thought with a heavy sigh. “Son, dinner’s ready,” Helen called from the kitchen. Denis responded instantly, tucking into his mother’s homemade stew. “Thank you, Mum. Delicious, as always.” “You should be saying that to your wife, not me,” Helen couldn’t let it go. “Mum…” Denis drank his compote and prepared to leave. “Wait, son. Do you know, I once visited a fortune-teller? She took one look at me and said: ‘Your son will have happiness, but it will be bittersweet.’” “Oh, Mum, don’t believe such things,” Denis grinned. …Through the years, different women—some loved, some not—came and went in Denis’s life. …Inna was smart, cultured, shockingly wise for her age. She often gave sound advice to the nine-years-older Denis. At first he liked this, but then he began to see Inna more as a mentor than anything else. Everything felt colourless. They split up. Polly had an eight-year-old son. Try as he might, Denis couldn’t get through to the boy, though he loved Polly. She was beautiful, but too headstrong. Whenever they quarrelled, he’d try to patch things up with gifts. The arguments felt senseless. Something was always missing—maybe peace and stability. Vera was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. Denis almost married her. She was decent, pure, balanced—he felt like he had to “wear kid gloves” just to speak to her. He even moved into her flat. He was ready to start a family. But… He came home unexpectedly from a work trip to find Vera in bed with her old school friend. Classic… After that, Denis moved back in with his mum. Enough romance, he decided. “I’ll be a bachelor—a solid family of one,” he joked to his mum. Helen would shrug and sigh: “Will you ever find your one, son?” But fate had its own plan. Suddenly, unexpectedly. Denis was travelling for work, claimed his usual bottom bunk in the train carriage. A woman entered: “Excuse me, would you mind swapping? Can I have your lower bunk? Please.” “No trouble,” Denis replied. He looked her over—nothing remarkable. Yet his heart skipped. “Maybe she’s the one…” He clambered onto the top bunk and dozed off… “Glad you’re awake! Come, have some tea,” the stranger cooed. Denis climbed down and they started talking. “Larissa,” she introduced herself. “Denis. Nice to meet you, Larissa.” They talked throughout the evening. Denis felt instantly at ease. He didn’t try to impress her; everything just flowed, as if he’d known her forever. They exchanged numbers, just in case… A couple of weeks later, he couldn’t resist calling her. One thing led to another… Dates, kisses, promises… Denis couldn’t imagine his life without Larissa. At forty years old! He’d always let previous girlfriends go easily—but not this one… He wanted to lose himself entirely in her life. Larissa surrounded Denis with love, care, and understanding. Three months in, he offered his heart and hand. “Denis, I’m seven years older than you. I have three children. We live in a council flat,” Larissa admitted. She never lied. “I know, Lara. I’ve met your kids—you’ll all move in with me. It’s sorted. I love every inch of you. You’re my last and only,” said Denis, kissing her tenderly. “All right, Denis, let’s give it a try,” murmured a shy Larissa. “No, not try, Lara. We’ll be together. For good,” Denis squeezed her hand. “Do you hear me? Forever.” When Helen learned his plans, all she could say was: “You’ve really outdone yourself this time… The plainest girl of them all…” …Nine months later, their daughter was born—a child with Down’s syndrome. Denis felt both joy and worry for Larissa. Would she cope? Having a child with special needs is never easy. …Today, Denis and Larissa’s daughter is eight. The whole family adores her. Denis worships Larissa. Bittersweet, but happiness…
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