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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Lida, explain to me, what have I done to you? \u2014 the dispatcher inquired, glancing gloomily at the driver.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Stop making up things that aren\u2019t there, \u2014 Lida snapped.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What is there to make up? You\u2019re well aware of this client. Is there no one else to serve him? You keep sending me. He\u2019ll go crazy with all his importance. He\u2019ll keep the car for two hours and pay barely a pittance\u2026<\/p>\n
Lida turned to her.<\/p>\n
\u2014 If you\u2019re not happy with our way of working, switch to another taxi service. Just choose one where there are more men, or you won\u2019t have any room to stretch your legs.<\/p>\n
Vera was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ah, so that\u2019s it! You got jealous of your Sergey? My God, who is there to be jealous of!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Get moving, the client is waiting, \u2014 Lida glared at the screen of the old computer.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Lida, you\u2019re wrong. You know he didn\u2019t harass me, he was just giving me a ride home.<\/p>\n
Lida abruptly spun around to face her.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I know! But others drop you off in ten minutes, and you and Sergey took a whole half hour.<\/p>\n
\u2014 It was a flat tire, you know that well.<\/p>\n
\u2014 That\u2019s what I\u2019m saying: the route is the same, no one got a tire punctured. Probably because you weren\u2019t rummaging through the bushes. Your ride, take it.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019m not going.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Not going? When the bosses find out \u2014 you\u2019ll be looking for a new job.<\/p>\n
Vera even ground her teeth. She simply couldn\u2019t afford to be without income right now. She had joined the taxi service because her husband had died a year ago. He had died with another woman. Right before they decided to divorce, and the loan they had taken for the car and repairs hung over Vera.<\/p>\n
At first, she hadn\u2019t given it much thought, but then, when the bank people showed up at her home, she grabbed her head. Now she was working two days on, two days off at her main job and two days on, two days off here. Although the taxi made more money. And a few days ago, Vera had submitted her resignation from her main job to work only here.<\/p>\n
If she got fired, it would be very dismal. If she lost her job here as well, she wouldn\u2019t be able to work anywhere. \u201cWell, Lida, you bitch! You dragged your husband into the taxi and now you\u2019re jealous of every skirt. You give him the best orders, and everyone keeps quiet. Nobody wants to quarrel with Lida. The woman is vindictive, nothing is ever right for her. Any misstep \u2014 and you\u2019ll be on minimum wage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vera got into the car. There was nothing to do but drive. How she hated that conceited, turkey-like passenger! All alone, yet so full of importance. Dust on the car, not driving softly enough, and then calling the service and discussing the entire ride in detail. And the trip was so short: just a quick stop here and there. But he was some acquaintance of the boss. That\u2019s why everyone tolerated him.<\/p>\n
Vera left the base. If the first order was like this, the whole shift would be the same. It had been proven more than once. Their base was located a bit out of civilization\u2014a couple of big hangars in an industrial zone. There was a car service and a car wash\u2014basically, everything needed. And it didn\u2019t bother anyone.<\/p>\n
She merged onto the road and suddenly slammed on the brakes.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh! \u2014 Vera jumped out of the car.<\/p>\n
A large dog lay on the road. A beautiful one, seemingly a collie, although Vera wasn\u2019t very knowledgeable about breeds.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What are you doing here, sweetie? \u2014 Vera sat down next to it.<\/p>\n
The dog looked at her with sadness and fear. And then she realized\u2014a car had hit the dog. Vera carefully felt him. It seemed his bones were intact. The impact must have hit his body.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So, what now? \u2014 She thought for a second, then decisively stood up and picked up the dog.<\/p>\n
The dog was quite heavy, but she managed. The dog whimpered quietly. After laying him on the back seat, Vera rushed to the veterinary clinic where her friend worked.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alyona, dear, I\u2019m bringing you a dog, \u2014 Vera said, steering with one hand while holding the phone to her ear with the other.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What dog?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alyo, I found one on the road. It needs to be examined. I\u2019ll leave the dog with you and come back in about an hour. I have an important order.<\/p>\n
\u2014 This is all fine, of course, but\u2026 Vera, you know\u2014no one does anything for free here, and I\u2019m not the boss.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alyo, of course, I understand, I\u2019ll pay.<\/p>\n
Her client was already waiting.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Behave yourself, \u2014 Vera patted the dog. \u2014 I\u2019ll be back soon.<\/p>\n
The dog seemed to understand her and even licked her hand.<\/p>\n
When Vera arrived at the address, another car from their fleet was already there. The passenger glared at her angrily.<\/p>\n
\u2014 You\u2019ll pay for making me late! I was supposed to have an important meeting!<\/p>\n
Vera sighed hopelessly.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019m sorry.<\/p>\n
She understood perfectly\u2014her \u201csorry\u201d was now worthless. She hadn\u2019t even reached the clinic when Lida called, and with barely concealed glee she said:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Vera, you\u2019re fired. I\u2019m not surprised. When a person thinks only about other people\u2019s husbands, they don\u2019t need to work. Good luck.<\/p>\n
Vera threw the phone onto the seat.<\/p>\n
The dog had a bandaged paw and a suture.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, nothing serious. The bones are intact, though the bruise is very severe. In a couple of places the skin is damaged. In a few days it should get better. The main thing is, keep giving him fluids. He probably won\u2019t eat. Vera, whose dog is this?<\/p>\n
\u2014 I have no idea. I found him on the road.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Strange. The dog is very well-groomed. You know, there are just pet dogs, and then there are those that are taken care of professionally. You can tell by the claws, the fur, even the teeth. They even had his teeth cleaned.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Do people clean dogs\u2019 teeth?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Of course. Well, not for all dogs and not always.<\/p>\n
The dog was standing on his own feet.<\/p>\n
\u2014 For now, we\u2019ve injected a painkiller so you won\u2019t have to carry him by hand. It\u2019ll last a couple of hours. Otherwise, in two or three days, he should feel better.<\/p>\n
Vera opened the car door.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So, handsome, shall we go?<\/p>\n
The dog carefully climbed in, lay down on the seat, and rested his muzzle on his paws. Vera smiled. Sometimes, dogs can be so clever.<\/p>\n
They settled the bill. The doctor, upon learning that she had found the dog on the road and had no connection to it, halved the price. So, Vera got off lightly.<\/p>\n
She lived in a private house. And now that was very convenient. No need to climb several flights of stairs, and the dog could be walked. Vera parked the car, closed the gate, and opened the door.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So, handsome, can you manage on your own?<\/p>\n
The dog very cautiously got out of the car and immediately lay down on the grass. After resting a bit, he got up and headed to the house, where Vera opened the door and waited for him.<\/p>\n
\nFor two days, she stayed cooped up at home. It was upsetting and a bit frightening for the future. She needed to look for a job, but she didn\u2019t want to leave the dog alone. It was clear he wasn\u2019t feeling very well. By the evening of the second day, he had eaten a little. Vera almost burst into tears.<\/p>\n
\u2014 My handsome, my handsome! That\u2019s great! So, we\u2019re slowly on the road to recovery.<\/p>\n
They began to go out into the yard. The dog settled in the shade and watched closely as Vera fussed over the flowers.<\/p>\n
\u2014 You\u2019ll stay home alone. Behave yourself, I\u2019ll be away for a short time. I\u2019m going to run to the store, or we\u2019ll soon have no food left.<\/p>\n
The dog lazily wagged his tail and calmly lowered his head onto his paws. Vera smiled.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ah, if only some people were as sensible as you. What can you do?<\/p>\n
She gave the dog a kiss on the nose, clearly leaving him bewildered, and went out the door. At the store, she quickly filled her cart with everything necessary. She smiled. Yes, it was just a dog, not a person, but it was still nice to know that someone was waiting for you at home.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Hello, Verochka!<\/p>\n
She turned around. Standing next to her was Sergey. The very husband of Lida.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Hi, Sergey. How are you?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Why aren\u2019t you at work?<\/p>\n
\u2014 In what sense? I was fired.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Hold on. The boss later came and revoked that order. He said he had problems\u2014his daughter\u2019s dog had gone missing, and he was inseparable from her. You know his daughter is disabled and they manage without a mother. So he got carried away. Lida was told to call you, and that man, who is an acquaintance of his, advised him to use another service.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Wait, Sergey, what dog?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Don\u2019t you know?<\/p>\n
\u2014 No, how should I know?<\/p>\n
\u2014 I see. And about work, Lida didn\u2019t call me, nor will she.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Why? \u2014 Sergey looked at her in surprise.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Because, in her opinion, all I think about is dragging you to bed.<\/p>\n
Sergey looked stunned. Then he frowned.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Okay, and I never believed it when the guys told me\u2026 Vera, come back. I\u2019ll sort everything out.<\/p>\n
Sergey turned and headed for the exit. Vera first regretted telling him everything, and then decided\u2014if Lida is going to throw a wrench in the works, then let another woman-driver take over.<\/p>\n
And as she walked home, she thought about the dog, about the boss, about his daughter. She had only seen the taxi owner once. He rarely appeared at the base. He had long since moved on to another major business. Yet he still kept the taxi because that\u2019s how he started out. Vera had heard bits and pieces about his sick daughter, but only superficially. And now she\u2019d learned about the dog. What if? What if this was the very dog that had gone missing?<\/p>\n
She arrived home, prepared dinner, cooked some chicken porridge for the dog, and in the evening took out her phone. The boss\u2019s number was in the app, but looking at the time, she decided not to call, and instead sent an SMS. She composed the message for a long time, introducing herself, and attaching a photo of the dog. At midnight, she sent the message and immediately fell asleep. Perhaps she was overtired from all the nerves.<\/p>\n
In the morning she woke up and checked her phone\u2014no delivery. Well, maybe the number had changed or was simply out of range. In the evening, the phone buzzed. Vera was just pondering how to get back to work without overlapping with Lida\u2019s shift. She grabbed the phone, and there were only two words: \u201cYour address.\u201d<\/p>\n
The message was from the same number she had texted. So it was about their dog. Vera looked at the dog. She had grown so accustomed to him, but saw that he was sad, missing his owners. She sighed and quickly sent her address. In the morning, she resolutely decided that today she would get back to work. She needed to find out everything exactly. Maybe it was truly time to get out and just ignore Lida. Fewer sightings of her, and that\u2019s that.<\/p>\n
Cars stopped at the gate. One she recognized immediately. Sergey drove it. When her own car had broken down, she had worked using his vehicle. But she didn\u2019t see the second one. It was luxurious, large. The dog became alert, stood on his paws. He anxiously looked from Vera to the gate. Vera went to open the gate, her heart pounding. She already understood that the owner had arrived, and Sergey, apparently, was there as an escort.<\/p>\n
A man stood before her. She looked at him in confusion. For some reason, she thought the owner would be about sixty years old, yet this man appeared around forty. Behind him stood Sergey and a tearful Lida. And in front of the man, in a wheelchair, sat a girl of about twelve.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Hello.<\/p>\n
A whirlwind swept past Vera.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Handsome! Daddy! That\u2019s my Handsome!<\/p>\n
The dog jumped around the little mistress. He barked, trying to lick her face as quickly as possible. She laughed merrily, hugging and kissing him. A smile appeared on the man\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Thank you. I thought we had completely lost him.<\/p>\n
Vera snapped back to reality.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, please come in, come in. I\u2019ll put the kettle on.<\/p>\n
Everyone entered the yard.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sergey with Lida\u2026 Vera, wait. Lida wants to say something to you, and then we\u2019ll go. Today we\u2019re working.<\/p>\n
Lida, hesitating, said:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Vera, sorry. You were called back to work, but I deliberately didn\u2019t tell you. Come on, I won\u2019t bother you.<\/p>\n
Vera smiled.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, Lida, who brings up the past\u2026<\/p>\n
Lida smiled awkwardly and nodded. They left. And Vera went to serve tea to the guests. They sat at a table outdoors, watching as the girl and Handsome interacted. Vera recounted how she found the dog and drove him to the clinic.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019ll reimburse all the expenses.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019m not saying that. You know, it\u2019s interesting\u2014I used to call him my Handsome, too.<\/p>\n
When it was time to leave, the girl looked at her father.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Dad, can you leave us here until the evening? The grass is so beautiful here. Otherwise, we\u2019ll just sit in the apartment again waiting for you to come home from work.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Vik, what are you saying? Vera has her own matters to attend to.<\/p>\n
Vera cut him off.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Leave it. Vika, look over there, how pale she is. Let her play outside. We\u2019ll eat and rest. Don\u2019t worry.<\/p>\n
Gleb Yegorovich was at a loss. He didn\u2019t understand how to react. A pleasant yet unfamiliar woman, the pleading eyes of Handsome and his daughter.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, I really don\u2019t know\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, dad\u2026<\/p>\n
Handsome barked too, and Vera and Gleb laughed.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alright. But promise me, if they start misbehaving, call me immediately and I\u2019ll get them.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I promise, \u2014 Vera winked at Vika, which did not escape Gleb\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n
He snorted, \u201cAs soon as you all manage to conspire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vika and Handsome began to visit her frequently. And Gleb too. At first, he would just pick up his daughter and the dog, then stay for tea, and later invite Vera to a country resort\u2014without Vika and Handsome.<\/p>\n
Vera returned to work only after six months. However, not as a taxi driver but as the owner. Gleb was happy to hand over the fleet to his wife. Lida wanted to quit, but after a talk with Vera she stayed. After all, she was experienced, and when Vera had a baby, she would need a good assistant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lida, explain to me, what have I done to you? \u2014 the dispatcher inquired, glancing gloomily at the driver. \u2014 Stop making up things that aren\u2019t there,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n