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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Olenka, don\u2019t lag behind! \u2014 Grandma was carrying a grocery bag, constantly glancing back at her granddaughter. Meanwhile, the girl just kept turning her head, taking in everything around her.<\/p>\n
Grandma, will Mom be discharged soon? \u2014 Olya caught up with her and took her hand. Suddenly, her eyes fell on something shiny. \u2014 Oh, a wallet!<\/p>\n
Let it lie, \u2014 Grandma answered calmly. \u2014 Whether it\u2019s ours or not, the owner will be found.
\nGrandma, what if no one is found? Maybe we should take it?<\/p>\n
Why? What if someone lost it? And now they can\u2019t even buy bread, just like we recently?<\/p>\n
Grandma tugged her granddaughter along, but the little one resisted.<\/p>\n
What are you going to do\u2026 \u2014 Grandma stopped and looked around.<\/p>\n
The wallet lay on the roadside. It looked as if a driver had dropped it. She stepped closer, still holding Olya\u2019s hand. Setting her bag down on the ground, the woman picked up the find\u2014a men\u2019s leather wallet. Upon opening it, she froze: inside were money. A lot of money. Rubles and dollars.<\/p>\n
Wow, so much money! \u2014 Olya\u2019s eyes grew wide.<\/p>\n
She had never seen so much money. Neither had Grandma.<\/p>\n
Should we keep it? \u2014 asked the girl.<\/p>\n
Of course not! We must return it, \u2014 Grandma shook her head.<\/p>\n
She looked through all the compartments and found a driver\u2019s license and some business cards. When she glanced at the photo, she gasped, \u2018It can\u2019t be!\u2019<\/p>\n
Grandma, whose wallet is this?<\/p>\n
Olenka, I know whose it is. I\u2019ll take you home and return it.<\/p>\n
Can I come with you? Please! \u2014 Olya whimpered.<\/p>\n
No, you can\u2019t go there, \u2014 Grandma replied. \u2014 You\u2019ll draw at home while I dash off quickly. Agreed?<\/p>\n
At home, after feeding her granddaughter and getting her settled with some drawing, Grandma set off to the address on the business card\u2014an upscale restaurant famous in the city. The owner was Alexander, about forty years old.<\/p>\n
When Grandma reached the entrance, a security guard stopped her.<\/p>\n
Good day, \u2014 she addressed him. \u2014 How can I see your owner?<\/p>\n
Do you have an appointment? \u2014 he asked gruffly.<\/p>\n
No, but I think he\u2019ll be glad to see me, \u2014 the woman smiled.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s nothing I can do for you.<\/p>\n
The guard turned away, but Grandma spoke again:<\/p>\n
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\nWhat a pity. If you had called for the boss, he\u2019d have thanked you later.<\/p>\n
The security guard thought for a moment and decided to call the manager\u2014especially since he wasn\u2019t far, just inside in the hall.<\/p>\n
Stand here, \u2014 he said, closing the door.<\/p>\n
Two minutes later, the restaurant owner appeared.
\nI\u2019m listening, \u2014 he said, examining the woman closely.<\/p>\n
I found something that belongs to you, \u2014 Grandma said, producing the wallet from her bag.<\/p>\n
The security guard stepped between them.<\/p>\n
Oh, how formidable\u2026 and timid. This is your wallet, \u2014 Grandma soothed him as she extended the find.<\/p>\n
Mine! \u2014 Alexander exclaimed, pushing the guard aside. \u2014 Where did you find it?<\/p>\n
On the roadside, \u2014 she replied, naming the street. \u2014 I had to take a look, sorry about that. But I didn\u2019t take a single penny, I promise!<\/p>\n
There weren\u2019t any pennies anyway, \u2014 the restaurant owner smiled. \u2014 What is there to forgive? If you hadn\u2019t looked, I wouldn\u2019t have found it. How shall I thank you? Come, let\u2019s talk.<\/p>\n
He led her into his office.<\/p>\n
Please, have a seat; I\u2019ll order some coffee.<\/p>\n
Alexander was about to call a waiter, but Grandma stopped him.<\/p>\n
Thank you, no need. This is your wallet. Anyone would have done the same.<\/p>\n
Oh, come on! \u2014 Alexander laughed. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, with tanned skin, he exuded charisma. \u2014 Believe me, nine out of ten people would have taken the money and tossed the wallet. You don\u2019t need the money, do you?<\/p>\n
I do need money, \u2014 Grandma shrugged. \u2014 But not someone else\u2019s. Other people\u2019s money brings no happiness.<\/p>\n
Would you like me to give you some money? \u2014 Alexander opened his wallet.<\/p>\n
I need a fishing rod, not fish, \u2014 Grandma interjected. \u2014 Do you have a job? I\u2019m willing to take anything.<\/p>\n
Alexander pondered.<\/p>\n
The cleaner quit. I haven\u2019t found a replacement yet.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m willing! \u2014 Grandma beamed. \u2014 My name is Margarita Lvovna. This job is a better reward than any thanks you could give. You see, my daughter is in the hospital, and my granddaughter is with me. We\u2019re completely short of money. Can I start tomorrow?<\/p>\n
Fine, agreed.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll come tomorrow, whenever is convenient. Tell me, haven\u2019t we met before? \u2014 Alexander asked.<\/p>\n
No, \u2014 Margarita Lvovna smiled and left.<\/p>\n
That evening, at the hospital, Margarita told her daughter,<\/p>\n
Anechka, I\u2019ve got a job! Now things will be easier\u2014we\u2019ll get Olenka ready for school.<\/p>\n
The daughter, her one eye smiling despite being bandaged and burned, listened. The doctors were doing everything possible, yet her recovery was slow. The sight of her granddaughter kept Ane from giving up.<\/p>\n
One evening changed their lives. Ane and Olya were on their way to Grandma\u2019s. Her house was dilapidated, lacking the help of strong, masculine hands. In the evening, Margarita Lvovna went to a neighbor\u2019s for some hot milk for her granddaughter. Ane and Olya went to the bathhouse. Olya\u2019s mother took her home, while she stayed behind to have a steam.<\/p>\n
A terrible scream woke Olya. The bathhouse was on fire. Margarita Lvovna dashed toward her daughter, draping a wet sheet over her when she found her at the door. Anna noticed the fire too late. When she tried to leave, she stumbled. After rising, she rushed for the exit, but the ceiling had already collapsed.<\/p>\n
Tormenting treatment, surgeries, recovery\u2014the bathhouse was reduced to ashes. They had to sell the apartment to pay for Anna\u2019s treatment; Grandma\u2019s pension just wasn\u2019t enough. And by September, Olya was already starting first grade. Alexander\u2019s offer came at just the right time.<\/p>\n
Margarita Lvovna worked diligently, and soon the restaurant sparkled under her care. She was such a kind woman that the entire staff soon grew fond of her. Though she never spoke about her daughter, everyone knew about the granddaughter and often brought small gifts. It was awkward to refuse, yet equally awkward to accept.<\/p>\n
Grandma, who sent the pastry? Vitalik or Liza? \u2014 the granddaughter wondered.<\/p>\n
In the evenings, Grandma would recount stories about her colleagues: about the silent Lisa and about Vitalik, who worked wonders with drinks. During the day, Olya stayed with the neighbor, where Grandma fetched milk, and by evening she returned to their old house\u2014a shack no one would dare call a home.<\/p>\n
The neighbors also pitched in: they brought a stove, a heater, dishes, and groceries\u2014a small but important support for the family.<\/p>\n
At work, Margarita Lvovna was cherished for her kindness. No one suspected the pain hidden behind her warm smile. Only Alexander knew about her sick daughter and the granddaughter who often stayed alone at home.<\/p>\n
Alexander had neither a wife nor children. He dreamed of a family, yet the one he longed for had vanished. He searched everywhere for her, but she had seemingly dissolved into thin air. \u201cAnd maybe it\u2019s for the best,\u201d he sometimes thought. Her parents had been adamantly opposed to their relationship.<\/p>\n
Who are you and who is she? A poor girl and a businessman! Can you imagine the rumors that would start?<\/p>\n
If I ever find out that you were involved in her disappearance, then I\u2019ll no longer have any parents, \u2014 he snapped back.<\/p>\n
They assured him that she had simply run away, realizing she would get nothing. Time passed, yet he couldn\u2019t forget her. He had other relationships, but his heart held only her image.<\/p>\n
Deciding to support Margarita, Alexander resolved to bring her groceries after a corporate event. Knowing her pride, he understood that she wouldn\u2019t accept money, but she wouldn\u2019t refuse food.<\/p>\n
Especially since everything is fresh, \u2014 he mused as he approached her home.<\/p>\n
When he saw charred logs sticking out of the ground, his car nearly stopped on its own. Can people really live in such conditions? He took the bag and headed toward the small house. Knocking, he almost got hit in the forehead by the door.<\/p>\n
Oh, I thought it was Grandma! \u2014 blurted the girl. \u2014 She went to the neighbor\u2019s for milk. We don\u2019t have a refrigerator, so our groceries are kept at the neighbor\u2019s. She has a cow, Zorka. There\u2026 Grandma will be here soon.<\/p>\n
Alexander followed the girl, bending slightly to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling. When they entered the room, he finally straightened up. The girl continued chattering, and he listened in silence, amazed at her openness.<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t afraid of him at all. Her black curly hair fluttered as she laughed. Her tanned skin reminded him of a gypsy\u2019s\u2014and even his own. With each passing second, he noticed more and more similarities.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your name? \u2014 he asked.<\/p>\n
Olya, \u2014 she smiled. \u2014 And what are you doing here?<\/p>\n
Olenka, go to the other room! \u2014 Margarita Lvovna suddenly appeared. Olya pouted, but obeyed.<\/p>\n
Did something happen? \u2014 the woman asked tiredly.<\/p>\n
But she looks just like me! \u2014 exclaimed Alexander.<\/p>\n
So what? Her mother was a waitress, not some celebrity, \u2014 Grandma smirked.<\/p>\n
What are you talking about? \u2014 the guest couldn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t in your status to marry a waitress, so why all the questions now?<\/p>\n
I was looking for her! I visited every restaurant and caf\u00e9, \u2014 Alexander admitted.<\/p>\n
And she worked at a greasy spoon just to avoid meeting you. She heard your conversation with your mother: \u2018Sashenka, my son, don\u2019t be foolish. There will be other women. But it\u2019s not right for the owner to marry a pauper.\u2019 Is that so?<\/p>\n
Yes\u2026<\/p>\n
And what did you say?<\/p>\n
I said, \u2018Alright, Mom.\u2019<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s why she decided to leave.<\/p>\n
Alexander grabbed his head.<\/p>\n
If only she had listened to the end, she would have heard what I said! I declared that I don\u2019t care about their opinions, that I love her and want to marry her. And that she would be the mother of my daughter. And if they don\u2019t like it\u2014that\u2019s their problem!<\/p>\n
By that time she was already crying at my home.<\/p>\n
Alexander punched the wall.<\/p>\n
So she\u2019s been living with you all this time?<\/p>\n
Only at first. Then she moved into my apartment, which I inherited from my husband. That\u2019s where Ane and Olya lived.<\/p>\n
So, Olenka is my daughter? \u2014 he asked.<\/p>\n
Yes, \u2014 Margarita nodded.<\/p>\n
And can I see Anyuta?<\/p>\n
She\u2019s in the burn unit. I\u2019m afraid they won\u2019t let you in. And she probably wouldn\u2019t want you to see her like that, \u2014 the woman shook her head.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll argue about whether they let me in. And as for whether she wants it\u2026 that\u2019s for me to decide now, \u2014 Alexander said firmly.<\/p>\n
He punched the wall once more.<\/p>\n
May I spend some time with my daughter?<\/p>\n
Margarita allowed it. Alexander and Olya chatted for a long time, as if they had known each other all their lives. Later that evening, Alexander sat by Ane\u2019s bed. He held her hand and spoke about the future\u2014how they would go to first grade, how they\u2019d bring her home from the hospital, how they\u2019d set up a children\u2019s room. He said that Margarita no longer needed to work because it was now his duty to care for them.<\/p>\n
Ane looked at him, her bandages already soaked with tears\u2014but these were tears of joy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Olenka, don\u2019t lag behind! \u2014 Grandma was carrying a grocery bag, constantly glancing back at her granddaughter. Meanwhile, the girl just kept turning her head, taking in… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n