Roma, having arrived in the city center for business, decided to first stop by the barbershop to get a nice haircut and styling, and also to trim his beard.
He enjoyed taking care of himself, understanding that a smelly, unkempt man resembling more of an ape would never attract a beautiful, smart woman.
But a polished young man, which he considered himself to be, certainly could. And he had recently managed to meet a promising student, who, although with great difficulty, was on her way to graduating with honors.
He himself had graduated a few years ago and became a surgeon. However, he hadn’t had the chance to work in his profession. Like his father, he preferred being in business.
«Ah, I should buy a new coat too; the old one has started to get pills,» he mused, wanting to impress Olga, his girlfriend.
Though they had known each other for only two months, they had quickly become deeply attached to each other. Olya was a simple girl, working in a hair salon to afford her studies. She wasn’t after him for his millionaire status or his money. She simply liked him a lot: for his pleasant character, and for the fact that he wasn’t lying on the couch with a beer like other guys but wanted to earn as much as possible.
«It’s incredibly beautiful here,» Roman spoke to Olga over the phone, «if you want, I’ll finish up my business, and we can come here for a walk tomorrow.»
«Great idea! I’d love to! Imagine, Roma, today a shaggy old man came in, our manager almost threw him out, called him a smelly bum. He, poor thing, burst into tears. Turns out he’s saving as much as he can because he’s raising two granddaughters alone. I felt so sorry for him. Well, I cut his hair for free.»
«Good for you! You did the right thing. Do you want to go with me to the orphanage next week? I go there once a year with my partners, we give the kids presents. It’s sort of our charity thing. My partners have money to burn anyway.»
«I’d love to!»
Roman didn’t know yet that Olga was an orphan and had spent her childhood and youth in an orphanage. She was ashamed to talk about it.
«Yes, yes, I’ll be there in about ten minutes,» the young man ended the call and slowly walked through the park towards the exit.
The city center park was built recently. Previously, there had been numerous trading platforms here. But with the advent of online stores, many of these trading platforms closed down.
And the city mayor decided to build a beautiful park on their site, with paths made of pretty tiles, a variety of trees, benches, and numerous swings. In the park, you could also look at a Christmas tree with lights — the New Year had just been celebrated, buy donuts, drink hot coffee.
Near the park was a skating rink, where he used to go with his father. The young man remembered his childhood and sighed. His father was already eighty. And he was so afraid of losing him. His father had already transferred several jewelry stores to his son. And the young man was actively involved in their promotion. Business was going well.
The strong January wind hitting his face reminded him that the frosts that had recently set in were no joke. Plus, the city streets had terrible ice, causing the number of injuries in trauma centers to rise. But in the park, there was no ice, only a blizzard, which made it hard to see anything around.
As the young man passed a snow-covered lilac bush, he stopped and admired the snowflakes lying on its branches. Under the sun’s rays, the snowflakes glittered with the colors of the rainbow. And his soul felt peaceful and good, unlike the chaos on the streets.
The young man quickened his pace, as he didn’t want to argue with Olga. She really didn’t like waiting, didn’t like latecomers. And he always wanted to make only a good impression on her. That’s why he had picked up expensive perfume for her in a cosmetics store.
«Her girlfriends will be jealous when they smell the scent of luxury on Oli! Dior, after all!» – The young man was delighted, like a child.
Suddenly, the young man’s attention was drawn to a snowdrift of a strangely peculiar shape. The young man started to look more closely, but due to the blizzard, it was hard to make out anything. He approached closer, and a chill ran down his spine.
«It’s a person!» – He saw boots and a piece of a jacket.
The young man realized that the body had been lying in the snowdrift for quite some time, and it had already been dusted with snow. He quickly dug it out; it was a woman. She reeked of booze, as well as the smell of an unwashed body.
«A homeless woman, perhaps?» – Roman couldn’t understand.
As he examined her and checked her pulse, he felt no disgust. The young man had once interned in a morgue, so he knew how to detach himself from such things. Besides, who knows what had happened to the person.
The woman was elderly, but she was so neglected that at first, he thought she had passed away. But when the putrid smell from the old woman’s mouth reached him, he exhaled.
«She’s alive…»
And then the young man called an ambulance.
«Can I have some water?» – The homeless woman rasped.
«Drink, I have a little left,» – he handed her a juice bottle he had been carrying all this time.
She silently took a sip of the juice.
«I could use some gloves right now,» – thought Roman, realizing that from a neglected old lady, you could catch anything, any skin disease, for example.
The woman lost consciousness again. And he had to shake her long and confidently.
«Ma’am, can you hear me? What happened to you? The ambulance is coming. Everything will be alright,» – the young man reassured the old woman, showing necessary care.
Roman’s phone was bursting with calls. His new girlfriend was worried. He still didn’t know how he would explain himself to her. But he really hoped that the girl would understand and not be offended, as his reason for being late was respectable.
The young man had to take off his expensive, albeit worn-out, coat.
He felt the heat from it, and Roman covered the woman with it. She was wearing only one autumn jacket.
He understood that after this, the coat would have to be thrown away, but human life for him, as a medic, was above such trifles. And he was never vain. He easily gave away the last, even when he himself was broke in his youth. Now he had achieved a lot.
The young man understood that the hospital would require documents from the woman. He checked her pockets. In one of them, in a grimy wrapper, was a passport with traces of spilled drink. He briefly examined the document.
«Borisenkova Alla Petrovna… What? Borisenkova?» – The young man was surprised. – «My girlfriend has the same last name. Probably just a coincidence. Year of birth, ah, she’s only fifty-five? She looks all of seventy, well, you can’t neglect yourself like that,» – thought the young man, who always believed that everything in a person should be beautiful: both the soul and the appearance.
The name and age of the woman did not match her appearance at all. Her hair had not been cut for a long time and was all gray. There was no simple home manicure on her hands, and under her nails was a layer of dirt.
Alla, it seemed, had reconsidered perishing right in the park and, to Roman’s joy, opened her eyes again. Her eyes were pale green and so cloudy that the young man realized her vision was probably poor. But these were all consequences not of age but of alcohol.
«Who are you?» – She rasped again.
«Don’t talk, you have little strength. I was just passing by, decided to help. I’m a doctor by education.»
Finally, the ambulance arrived.
«Hello! Did you call us to a homeless woman? Does she have any documents?» – The doctor asked first thing instead of providing help to the person.
«Yes, I examined her. She barely came to herself.»
«Mikhalyich, get out, we need to load the homeless woman,» – the doctor grimaced disgustedly, – «such one will want to live, not die. They are tenacious.»
«Will you examine her?»
«Hey, what’s your name? Do you hear me?» – The doctor didn’t even feel her pulse, immediately started shaking the woman.
A paramedic arrived, and together they loaded her into the ambulance and drove away. And Roman was left without his outer clothing. Now he was afraid of frostbite. Fortunately, his car was nearby. He quickly got into it and rushed to his girlfriend.
«What is that delicious smell in your house? You’re my little housewife!» – The young man exclaimed admiringly, whom until that moment girls had fed with food they ordered online from cafes.
Roman affectionately hugged his girlfriend, understanding that he could eat a horse, so hungry he was.
«I’m making pancakes with apples, our whole family loves them, with condensed milk. You’ll like it, Roma,» – Olya smiled so warmly that all the young man’s concerns about that woman were swept away.
Of course, he immediately told her about what had happened.
«And I immediately understood that something was wrong! You even came in without your coat! Drink this hot tea, or you’ll catch a cold. Well, you’re my hero! After the holidays, maybe, just a person.»
«No, Olya, she’s a homeless woman, it’s immediately clear. Usually, after parties, people aren’t so unkempt, on the contrary.»
«I made pancakes with apples for you, and also mashed potatoes and fried chicken. Everything just as you like,» – Olya smiled warmly.
Roman was so hungry that he could eat a horse. So, he happily devoured the homemade pancakes with condensed milk.
«You’re such a good housewife! So much delicious food you’ve prepared. No one, except my mom, fed me homemade food before you.» – The millionaire admired his girlfriend.
He, although he loved eating in the best restaurants, valued homemade food more, simply because no one had cared about him like that before. Everyone needed his money. Everyone, except Olya.
Of course, Olya had already managed to get angry due to Roman’s prolonged absence, but she immediately forgot her anger as soon as the young man told her why it had happened.
«And I’m on my way to graduating with honors, just one more year to study. I only need to retake one subject. I’ve never really gotten along with math. Once I retake it, I’ll have my degree this year,» – the girl bragged.
«You’re so smart! You haven’t had a single retake or any failed exams in four years of study,» – the rich man sincerely praised Olya.
«I try.»
«Have you visited the orphanage? Had any free time? Since you wanted to find your biological mother at one time.»
Indeed, for Olga, this topic was so painful that she didn’t like to talk about it extra. Roman didn’t understand why the girl wanted to find her relative, since she had abandoned her to the mercy of fate, leaving her with completely strangers.
After such a life in the orphanage, Olga still went to a therapist for many years to somehow restore her mental balance.
It seemed to her in childhood that her mother was just busy and would soon come to take her home. But that never happened.
Although Olga had many friends in the orphanage, it was still morally very difficult to be there, as the caretakers treated the children quite roughly, from them you couldn’t expect any affection, warm words, or hugs, which were so needed by the orphans. The caretakers, like some kind of robots, just performed their functions.
«Yes, I visited recently. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the address of my biological mother. They only know her name and surname: Borisenkova Elvira Petrovna. I don’t know, maybe she’s already on the other side.»
«That’s all so sad.»
«You know, they even laughed that my mom’s name is Elvira. Supposedly, it’s necessary for parents to name their daughter Elvira. Everyone is closer to the names Masha, Tanya.»
Roman, when he heard what Olga’s mom’s name was, was stunned.
«Borisenkova?» – The young man clarified. – «Does she have a sister?»
«How could I know such things?» – The girl answered in distressed feelings.
«It’s just that the homeless woman I told you about is also a Borisenkova, but only Alla Petrovna. While I was waiting for the ambulance, I managed to look at her passport. Strange coincidence, maybe just a coincidence? How about we go to the hospital tonight. What if they really are relatives?»
The young man realized that he had accidentally found Olga’s close kin. He knew how important this was for his girlfriend, because being an orphan and not having close people is very hard. It seems that you are completely alone in the whole white world. And no support. Throughout life, Olga overcame all difficulties on her own. She was never helped by anyone.
«Well, okay,» – the girl hesitated.
«But you need to understand one thing: she, how to put it,» – Roman didn’t finish the thought.
«Yes, I understand, after the holidays there was a person, now she’s gone, apparently.»
«No, after the holidays normal people don’t have greasy hair or dirt under their nails. She’s unkempt, a homeless woman, in a word. Are you ready to talk to her?»
«Yes, I don’t care what kind of kin it will be. I’ll accept my aunt in any case.»
Alla Petrovna in the hospital had already revived, washed, though she still reeked of alcohol and cigarettes, which she had snatched from the women lying in the same room with her. But the patina of neglect and misfortune still remained on her.
This was noticeable even by the fact that the woman started arguing with the hospital staff. They didn’t want to discharge her without a medical release, as the woman’s health condition was still unstable.
«Hello Alla Petrovna!» – Roman looked at the disheveled elderly woman with a puffy alcohol-swollen face and didn’t understand how she could be a relative of such a beautiful girl as Olga.
Neither Roman nor Olga felt disgust toward Alla Petrovna. They perfectly understood that she needed help, she couldn’t cope with her life on her own, therefore she slid into alcoholism.
«Oh, wow! I haven’t been called by my name and patronymic for many years. You, cutie, a policeman? You’re very neat. Came to pin crimes on me again? It won’t work. I have connections now,» – the woman bluffed.
«No, I’m not a policeman. I saved you from frostbite yesterday. Do you remember me?» – The young man clarified. – «I wanted to ask you a few questions.»
The alcoholic immediately frowned. She wasn’t used to such behavior. Usually, people didn’t even address her by name and only did what they could to drive her away. And here a handsome young man was politely addressing her. Why not answer the questions.
«Are you by chance acquainted with Borisenkova Elvira Petrovna? Just so happens that’s my girlfriend’s mom’s name. She left her in an orphanage many years ago. And Olya wants to find her.»
«Olya? So, you’re my niece! Look at what a beauty and smart girl grew up. Right, Elvira is my sister. True, I don’t want to know her, just like my mother. She left the child to the mercy of fate? That’s very much like her. She’s even capable of worse. They practically dragged me by the arms and legs to have an abortion by one old woman. And I was never able to have children again. Out of grief, I got into alcohol. It’s all on the conscience of your granny and your mother now.»
«What a horror!»
«And I see, you didn’t turn out like our kind. It’s only in our family that it’s customary to betray close people. But you, on the contrary, want to reunite the family. But do you need such people? And then: look at you, how well-groomed you are. Everything is written on your face. Both mind and beauty. You probably won’t want to know me, most likely.»
«Why not? I understand that you just didn’t go down the right life path. It happens to many.» – The girl cried. – «Understand, I just really want to find my relatives. In my life, until I met Roma, my boyfriend, I had no support. Only two girlfriends in the orphanage. And that’s all. I’ve been lonely all my life, practically. I had neither a home nor relatives. Only then did the state give me an apartment, and I also received an education.»
«We’re a different breed. No one has an education. Only cruelty towards close people. Do you need that?»
«But you’re not like that!»
«Not like that! What of it? Who would want to know a homeless woman? Your sister was always held up as an example to me. Look, they said, that’s how you should arrange your life. And she walked around important when one guy asked her to marry him. And then he swindled her for money, and she left you. Got scared of life. And I left home after they dragged me by the arms and legs to have an abortion. I thought it would be easy for me. But my new beau pinned a theft on me, which he himself committed. I never committed any crimes. But I ended up behind bars.»
«Terrible. But we will help you recover. There are so many good clinics now.»
«Do you think I can be helped?»
«Of course!» – The girl leaned over and hugged her aunt. Both cried from the grief they had experienced in life, and also from the fact that they had found each other.
«I’m so happy. I thought you’d avoid kin like the plague for three kilometers. But you turned out so humane!»
«And is my grandmother alive? Where does she live now? Will you give me the address?»
«Write,» – and Olga’s newly found aunt dictated the address to her.
They said goodbye and went straight to the grandmother’s house.
«Granddaughter?» – An elderly gray-haired woman opened the door. – «I didn’t know that your mother put you in an orphanage. I just wanted the best, forced her to give birth. After we made Alla have an abortion, my conscience tormented me. Better to have rumors spread around the village. So I insisted that you be born. And look how she treated you, my little one,» – the grandmother’s tears poured down like hail.
«Grandma, is my mom alive?»
«No, what are you! She started to indulge in vodka unrestrainedly. Now it’s clear that her conscience tormented her all these years. And then her liver couldn’t take it. She’s no longer among the living.»
The girl burst into tears, Grandma Tonya hugged and comforted her.
Olga and Roman didn’t abandon the family, helped the grandmother with money as much as they could, and also cured Aunt Alla of alcoholism. And she changed her alcoholic values to family ones. She started visiting the young people, carefully followed both the household and her appearance. Now she had a purpose in life.
