In the butcher shop, a pleasant aroma of spices and fresh meat filled the air, which Natalya was most proud of. She always chose the best so that customers would return. It was a busy December day, and people bustled about—some buying meat for dinner, others arguing about prices.
As Natalya arranged fresh cuts on display, she noticed a little girl standing at the door, looking inside with a lost expression. The girl appeared modest: her scarf was twisted several times, and her old jacket seemed too thin for such a winter. She clutched a small bag tightly in her hands.
Natalya paused for a second, then smiled:
«Girl, come in! Why are you standing at the door? It’s cold.»
The girl hesitantly crossed the threshold. The queue in the shop stirred impatiently, someone grunted:
«Letting children in, too. She’ll be in the way.»
Natalya glanced at the grumbling man:
«It’s okay, you can wait a bit.»
The girl approached closer and, shyly, reached towards the counter.
«Auntie, may I ask you something?» she whispered barely audibly.
Natalya crouched down to be on her level:
«Of course, dear. What happened?»
The girl lowered her head slightly, but then gathered her courage and spoke:
«I have a neighbor. An old grandma. She feeds her cats, but she hardly eats herself. Maybe you have something for the cats? So she can buy herself some food.»
The shop fell silent. People stopped sifting through goods and looking at prices, just listening. Some shook their heads, others sighed sympathetically.
«How does she not eat?» Natalya frowned.
«I’ve seen it. She has kefir and a piece of bread in her fridge. But she feeds the cats every day,» the girl fidgeted with the edge of her jacket. «They’re like family to her.»
Natalya bit her lip. It sounded both strange and painful.
«Okay,» she softly replied. «Wait a minute.»
The girl nodded and stepped aside. Natalya took a bag and quickly started packing trimmings and bones into it. Then she took out a piece of good beef and added it on top.
«Here, this is for the cats,» she handed the bag to the girl.
The girl froze, looking at the bag:
«Really? Thank you, auntie!»
«And tomorrow I’ll visit your grandma myself. I want to talk to her,» added Natalya.
The girl smiled broadly, then quietly said:
«She will be glad. Thank you.»
As the girl left, the shop buzzed again. One of the regular customers, an elderly man, shook his head:
«Children’s souls… How does she even care about that neighbor?»
As Natalya cleared the remaining goods, she thought:
«Not all adults would do what this little girl did. Need to help.»
The next morning, without delaying, Natalya went to the address the girl had given her. A small house stood slightly apart from the others, with a crooked fence and peeling paint on the windows. A ginger cat greeted her at the gate—apparently the local boss. He lazily lifted his head, assessed Natalya, decided she was no threat, and curled back up on the porch step.
Natalya knocked on the door.
«Who’s there?» a weak voice came from inside.
«It’s me, Natalya. From the butcher shop,» she called loudly, feeling a strange mix of sadness and warmth as the hoarse voice inside awakened.
The door creaked quietly, and a thin elderly woman in an old woolen shawl appeared on the threshold. Her face was worn but friendly.
«Oh, hello,» she said, slightly flustered, adjusting her shawl.
«Sorry, I didn’t order anything.»
«I’m not here for an order. I came to see you. May I come in?» Natalya smiled, trying not to embarrass the hostess.
The old lady hesitated, then stepped aside. Natalya entered the home. It was clean but modest. Simple furniture, a slightly sagged sofa, a table with a worn tablecloth. On the window sill, a cup with tea leaves and an open book. On the floor, as if on command, the cats gathered: the ginger from the porch, a gray one, and a tiny striped kitten.
«Here are my little tails,» the old lady said, looking at the cats with a gentle smile. «But why did you come?»
Natalya sat down on a chair, looking around the room.
«The girl next door told me how you feed your furry friends but barely drink tea yourself,» she said directly. «Is that true?»
The old lady blushed, clutching the corner of her shawl.
«Well… I don’t need much. But they… they need someone, and that’s me,» she murmured, looking down.
«But you need someone, too,» Natalya said quietly but firmly. «You also need to eat properly. You can’t live on cats alone.»
The old lady shrugged.
«What can I do… My pension is small. And I feel sorry for the cats. They’re all from the yard, all hungry. How can I abandon them?»
Natalya nodded, her heart aching from such simple, touching devotion.
«Let’s do this. I’ll leave you meat trimmings. For free. For the cats. And you spend your pension on yourself. At least a little. Agreed?» she proposed, looking straight into the hostess’s eyes.
The old lady was silent for a long time, then quietly replied:
«I don’t even know what to say…»
«Say ‘agreed,'» Natalya smiled, winking. «And that’s that.»
«Agreed,» the grandmother murmured, hiding her eyes, which glistened with tears.
«There we go,» Natalya stood up. «I’ll bring you the first package tomorrow. And no arguing,» she warned, seeing the old lady about to object.
At the threshold, the grandmother suddenly paused.
«Natalya, why are you doing this? After all… I’m nobody to you,» she asked, nervously fidgeting with the corner of her shawl.
«I just can. And, you know, you’re not exactly nobody to me now,» Natalya smiled, waved her hand, and left, feeling a strange but pleasant warmth spreading inside her.
Since they agreed, the grandmother’s life began to change. Natalya left her a small package of trimmings every week. It wasn’t a lot of money, but knowing she was helping warmed her soul. The grandmother always came for her «gift» on time—on the exact day, like clockwork. She always brought gratitude, and sometimes something of her own: a jar of jam, fresh eggs, or just a sincere smile.
«Here, Natalya, homemade raspberry jam. I made it myself, my grandchildren helped pick the berries last year,» she said once, handing over a jar.
«Oh, grandma, why? I have everything!» Natalya smiled but still took the treat.
«It’s not in return, Natasha. It’s from the heart,» the old lady replied, adjusting her shawl.
The cats also noticeably perked up. The ginger cat, who used to lazily doze on the porch, now, satiated and content, loudly purred when the grandmother set down a bowl of food. Their fur shone, and they no longer looked thin.
«Look at this handsome fellow!» Natalya, dropping by the grandmother’s, winked toward the cat. «I see you feed him well.»
«It’s you who feed him,» the grandmother laughed. «I just serve it.»
Natalya noticed how the grandmother’s face looked better. The wrinkles remained, but a blush appeared. The old lady no longer seemed so tired and sad as the first time.
«I made a meat soup,» the grandmother once boasted, looking into the shop.
«That’s wonderful,» Natalya approved. «Always do that now.»
Gradually, the grandmother began to visit not just for trimmings. She stayed to chat. Natalya caught herself thinking that she enjoyed these conversations herself.
«Do you have children?» the grandmother asked once.
«No, grandma, it didn’t work out,» Natalya replied, pondering whether to continue. «But, you know, I always dreamed of a big family. Maybe it will still happen.»
The grandmother smiled, stroking her woolen shawl.
«Everything will be alright for you, Natasha. You’re a kind person. It will all come back to you.»
By New Year’s, Natalya decided to make the grandmother a small gift. Instead of the usual trimmings, she brought her a whole piece of good meat.
«This is for you. For the festive table,» she said, handing over the package.
«Natasha, what are you doing! I can’t take this,» the grandmother protested, shaking her head.
«Grandma, don’t upset me. It’s a gift, understand?»
The grandmother hesitated for a long time, but seeing Natalya’s determination, she took the package.
«What a kind person you are,» she said quietly, wiping her eyes with the corner of her shawl.
These little things made both of them happier. Natalya was pleased to see the grandmother more cheerful. And the grandmother… the grandmother felt again that someone cared about her.
Sometimes small changes in someone’s life can create a big boomerang effect of goodness, returning with warm words and joy that fills the heart.
It was early morning when the grandmother, in her usual woolen shawl, entered the butcher shop. She had a bundle wrapped in clean white fabric in her hands. Natalya was behind the counter, arranging fresh cuts of meat, and immediately noticed her.
«Grandma Valya, why are you so early?» Natalya looked at her in surprise.
«I brought you something. I want to say thank you,» she replied, placing the bundle on the counter. It smelled of fresh baking.
«Oh, grandma, you shouldn’t have!» Natalya waved her hands, but the old lady smiled and nodded, as if unwilling to hear objections.
«It’s from the heart. The pie is still warm, try it. And here’s jam, raspberry. Maybe your children will be delighted.»
Natalya smiled, looking at the grandmother. She always marveled at how much warmth could exist in such a fragile person. Accepting the treat, she placed it on the table next to her.
«Thank you, grandma. But, you know, you’ve already repaid me. With your smiles and by taking care of yourself.»
Grandma Valya was embarrassed, adjusting the corner of her shawl.
«You’ve done so much good for me, I can’t not thank you.»
«Well, then we agree. The pie is for your care of yourself. Deal?» Natalya squinted mischievously.
«Deal,» the grandmother nodded, laughing. Her laughter was quiet, but so genuine that Natalya involuntarily smiled in response.
From that moment, their meetings became regular. Grandma Valya increasingly visited not just for meat, but simply to talk. Natalya, noticing that the old lady looked refreshed, realized that their interaction was beneficial not only to herself but also to the grandmother.
«Natasha, imagine, I made borscht the other day, so tasty! The cats almost knocked over the pot, thinking it was for them,» the grandmother laughed, telling her story.
«What do you expect, grandma? You got them hooked on meat! Now they’re after the soup,» joked Natalya.
Their conversations filled her day with warmth. And it seemed that even other customers, standing in line, began to smile, listening to them.
In late December, Natalya decided to prepare a surprise. She not only prepared the usual package of trimmings for the grandmother but also added a piece of pork, a couple of chicken drumsticks, and a packet of flour.
When the grandmother saw this, she was flustered.
«Natasha, what are you doing? There’s so much here… Why?»
«It’s almost New Year, grandma. You have to meet it with treats,» Natalya replied, handing over the package.
«You… I…,» the grandmother even teared up. «Now it’s not just New Year for me, it’s a whole feast. Thank you, dear.»
As the grandmother left, Natalya watched her for a long time, feeling her heart filled with warmth. She remembered how it all started with one little girl asking for food for cats. And now, this help had turned into friendship.
One day, Natalya brought the grandmother a new surprise: a photo album and a pack of colored paper.
«What’s this?» the grandmother was surprised.
«I wanted to suggest you try crafts. I saw how it engages children in kindergarten. And I think you can do it just as well,» said Natalya.
«Why?» the old lady wondered, holding the album close to her chest.
«For joy. For yourself, and to show the neighbors that a person lives not by soup alone,» Natalya winked.
Grandma Valya agreed with a smile. A week later, she brought her first crafts to the shop: bright cards decorated with paper flowers. Natalya admired them with amazement.
«Grandma, you’re a master!» she exclaimed. «Maybe you should start a club?»
«Oh, stop it,» the grandmother shyly waved her hand. «I just wanted to thank you for everything.»
Natalya, looking at the grandmother, felt that even such small things could change lives. And perhaps, not just one.
