З життя
Сім’я переїхала з міста до віддаленого села.
В однієї родини з міста виникла думка поїхати до віддаленого українського села. Чоловік із жінкою вирушили в дорогу, забравши із собою стареньку матір. Вона була дуже старенькою, крихітною бабусею. Колись, багато років тому, вона жила в цьому батьківському будинку біля озера. Але коли стала слабкою, донька забрала її до міста. Бабуся їла вже зовсім мало, ноги погано тримали, все забувала. І ось донька з чоловіком вирішили, що їй залишилося недовго жити. Самі вони вже були пенсіонерами і вирішили, що буде краще поховати матір на рідній землі, поруч із близькими. Їй вже майже 90 років, вона ледь дихає. Вони були готові потерпіти сільські незручності, адже це ненадовго – так планували чоловік і жінка. Також вони вважали, що це позбавить їх турбот з похороном.
Дорога до села була важка, проте бабуся все стійко витримала. Жителів там було небагато, найближчий магазин за 3 км, і вибір товарів там невеликий. Так і почали жити. Чоловік ловив рибу, жінка зробила грядки, збирала ягоди та гриби в лісі, трави для чаю. Підновили стару баньку й човен.
Спочатку бабуся сиділа біля віконця, одягала окуляри і дивилася на траву у дворі, на озеро, на жовті латаття. Згодом, знайшовши старі валянки та взявши палицю, почала виходити на ґанок. Їй у гості став захажувати кіт, який лягав на коліна. Так вони могли сидіти разом довго: бабуся гладила кота маленькою рукою, а він тихенько лежав на її худеньких ніжках. Сонце гріло їх, пташки літали, метелики порхали, на озері качки крякали, а навколо – тиша…
З часом бабуся почала по подвір’ю ходити: валянки великі, на голові хусточка, окуляри на носі, сама маленька, на палицю спирається і дрібними кроками рухається. Одного разу дісталася до озера, а там качки просять частування. Донька на валянки галоші натягнула, щоб не намокли, і бабуся щодня почала ходити до озера з шматочками хліба, годувати качок з каченятами. Вони прямо з руки крихти їли, а бабуся усміхалася, щаслива. Іноді донька катала її в човні по озеру, давала вудку потримати. Бабуся зловить одну-дві рибинки і пригощає кота.
Так пройшло літо, прийшла осінь та зима, а бабуся й далі, тепло одягнена, виходила у двір і навіть ганок від снігу мітлою підмітала. З лопатою їй було не впоратися, а з мітлою виходило. І з котом по засніженому подвір’ю потихеньку гуляла. Їсти стала краще, апетит з’явився, чай любила з звіробоєм, брусницю з толокном, кашу пшоняну. І баню любила, коли гаряче. Донька її намилює, а бабуся рум’яніє від тепла, молодшає – справжня красуня! І так рік за роком…
Діти виявилися неправі у своїх підрахунках. Бабуся в селі ще шість років прожила. Всі ці шість років, доброзичливо усміхаючись світу навколо, потихеньку, у великих валянках, дрібними кроками ходила по подвір’ю, спираючись на палицю. А куди поспішати? До потойбічного світу завжди встигнеш, від цього нікуди не подінешся.
Краще радіти життю: дивитися на озеро, на траву, годувати з руки качок, гладити кота, випити кухоль чаю з малиновим варенням. Насолоджуватися життям і не думати про погане. І творити добро…
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