Why did Herman Pavlovich name his pawnshop ‘Almaz’ (Diamond)?» Many thought the reason was because the pawnshop specialized in receiving jewelry. Herman didn’t feel the need to explain that it was quite different. The real reason was deeply personal and much more tragic.
Five years ago, Herman had a daughter. His only princess—Mashenka. He loved her more than life itself, as did his wife Vera. When Masha turned six, doctors discovered an incurable disease in her.
It all started when the girl began attending a tutor. Herman was against the idea from the start.
— She reads and counts perfectly well, why does she need this?
— Masha will be going to school soon, let her at least learn to be patient. Even if she doesn’t learn anything new, it’s still useful.
Herman, hesitating, relented.
— Fine, do as you think best. You probably see better.
Two weeks passed, and one day the tutor held Vera back after lessons.
— I apologize for interfering. But I’ve noticed that after lessons, Masha starts having headaches. The pain, of course, passes if she rests a bit, but it happens too often. I would show the child to a doctor. It might be nothing serious, but better to be safe.
Vera immediately made an appointment for Masha. At the hospital, the family spent over three hours while tests were conducted. Finally, the doctor said:
— Come back tomorrow when the results are ready.
The next day they returned. The doctor met them with a serious expression, and there wasn’t a hint of a smile.
— I have no good news for you. Your daughter has a brain tumor.
Vera turned pale, Herman froze in place.
Masha was fading right before their eyes. Her condition rapidly worsened. Herman sold his business to take her abroad for treatment. They traveled to many countries in search of help, but nothing worked.
When Masha could hardly walk, she turned to her father:
— Dad, you promised me a friend for my birthday. You and mom both promised. But now you won’t make it. I won’t be able to play with him.
Vera ran out of the room to hide her tears.
— Mashenka, don’t talk nonsense. Of course, we’ll celebrate your birthday. How could we not? But if you really want a puppy, we won’t wait.
In the morning, Masha was still sleeping soundly. The night was restless: everyone only managed to fall asleep towards morning. Vera cried quietly almost all night, Masha lay in bed after an injection, and Herman sat by the window, looking into the impenetrable darkness outside the glass, whispering:
— Why? Why her? Take me, you don’t care who you take…
When it began to dawn, Herman quietly entered the house. Under his coat, he carefully held something small and warm, which faintly stirred. He smiled, imagining how his daughter would be delighted, and carefully cracked open her room door. Approaching the bed, Herman gently pulled a snow-white puppy from under his coat.
The puppy clearly couldn’t wait to explore its new surroundings. It didn’t stay put and cautiously began to move across the blanket, sniffing and exploring the territory. Masha stirred in her sleep, and the puppy paused, as if listening. A moment later, the girl opened her eyes, and the puppy joyfully barked.
— Dad! — she cried out in a clear, joyful voice.
Her cry was so loud that Vera immediately ran into the room.
— What happened, Mashenka? — she asked anxiously, looking over her daughter.
But then her gaze fell on the puppy, which continued to explore Masha’s bed. Vera stopped as if petrified and turned to Herman. In her eyes, he saw tears.
— First breakfast, and then we’ll think of a name for this little rascal, — Herman hurried to say, trying to distract his wife.
That day, for the first time in a long time, Masha ate well. The whole family argued about what to name the puppy. The puppy behaved as if it was the main character of their conversation: it tried to climb from Masha’s knees onto the table, wagged its tail, and whimpered amusingly.
From that day on, Masha was inseparable from her new friend, whom she named Almaz. They were always together: they slept side by side, ate together. The puppy was her faithful companion. Doctors said the girl had only five months left, but Masha lived for eight.
Masha’s condition deteriorated sharply, and she could hardly get out of bed. One day Herman heard her quietly whisper.
— I’ll be gone soon, and you’ll forget about me… Let me leave you something to remember, so you always know I was with you.
She looked around the room as if searching for something suitable. Herman wanted to offer his help, but Masha suddenly raised her hand and looked at her ring. It was a small gold ring that Vera had given her a year ago.
Taking off the ring, Masha tried to hang it on Almaz’s collar. But her weak hands trembled, and she couldn’t bend the loop. The puppy, meanwhile, tried to lick her hand, sensing something was wrong.
— Dad, please help me, — she asked quietly.
Herman leaned over, carefully hooked the ring, and hung it on the collar.
Masha smiled and petted Almaz.
— Now you will always remember me, — she whispered.
Herman turned away to hide the tears welling up.
A few weeks later, Masha was gone. Vera was inconsolable; she couldn’t recover for a long time. The puppy lay on the girl’s bed all this time, refused to eat, and hardly moved. But one day he disappeared. Vera and Herman searched the entire city, posted announcements, looked in every basement, but couldn’t find Almaz. They blamed themselves for not keeping an eye on him.
— Almaz was Masha’s friend. He was part of her, — Vera often repeated, quietly crying.
A year passed. Herman first opened a jewelry workshop and then a pawnshop. He named them «Almaz,» to preserve the memory of his daughter and her faithful friend.
One day a woman entered the workshop, whose behavior seemed strange. Lidochka, the receptionist who had been working for Herman for several months, approached him.
— Herman Pavlovich, a girl has come in, she’s crying a lot. We tried to calm her down, but we couldn’t. Maybe you could talk to her?
Herman immediately got up from his chair. If Lida couldn’t solve the problem, it must be really serious.
— Alright, let’s see what happened to you guys.
When he entered, he stopped abruptly, as if a cold wind had pierced him. At a small table sat a girl about eight years old. Next to her, squatting down, was Misha, the other receptionist, trying to calm her down.
— Don’t cry. Herman Pavlovich is coming now, he’ll definitely think of something, — he said, trying to cheer up the girl.
Herman approached closer.
— What happened? Why are you crying? How can we help you?
The girl burst into tears again. Herman realized that the conversation wouldn’t be easy. He sat down on a chair next to her.
— Well, let’s go in order. What’s your name?
— Masha…
— And my name is Herman Pavlovich. Tell me what happened.
— When I was very little, Persik came to me. He was so skinny, dirty… I decided that I would never abandon him. I stole food from home and brought it to him. Aunt scolded me for this, even beat me. But I still ran away to him. We spent nights in the basement, he kept me warm. We bathed together in the river, he always protected me from the boys.
— You have a wonderful friend.
— Yes, he’s the best. He’s very smart. I think he can even talk, he just doesn’t want to.
— And where is your Persik now?
— The boys poisoned him. Now he’s very sick… He needs to be taken to the vet urgently, but it’s expensive. Look… — she extended her hand, on which lay a small ring. — This was around his neck, probably from his previous owner. If you pay me for it, I can help him.
Herman looked at the familiar ring, and his heart clenched. Lida and Misha stood nearby, watching what was happening and not knowing what to say. Herman stood up, then sat down again, gently taking Masha’s hand.
— Masha, put this ring back on. Its little owner would be happy to know that it’s with someone who loves her dog. And now let’s go. We’ll find Persik and take him to the vet. He’ll definitely be helped.
— And the money?
— We’ll figure something out with the money. Lida, can you manage here without me?
— Of course, Herman Pavlovich. Everything will be fine.
They drove for about ten minutes.
— Show me where to go next.
— That abandoned house, see? — she pointed out the window.
— I see.
— We live in the basement. It’s warm, even though it’s old… Just the house is old, they might demolish it at any moment. But we have nowhere else to go.
They approached the house. Masha jumped out of the car and ran ahead, showing the way. Herman followed her. As they descended into the damp, poorly lit basement, he immediately noticed the dog.
It was an adult dog, severely emaciated, with dull, tousled fur. Herman approached it and knelt down. His eyes filled with tears, but he tried not to give in to emotions.
— Almaz… Almaz, my good boy.
The dog slightly opened his eyes, wagged his tail weakly, and softly licked his hand.
— Don’t be afraid, buddy. We’ll take you to the vet, and you’ll get better.
Almaz soon ended up on the back seat of the car, and Herman, gripping the steering wheel, sped to the veterinary clinic. Masha sat next to him, looking at him.
— Are you sure you’ll save him?
— We’ll save him together.
— Are you familiar with Persik?
— Yes, I know him. But I’ll tell you everything later. Right now, the main thing is to get him to the vet quickly.
When they arrived at the veterinary clinic, a young woman in a white coat came out onto the porch. She glanced at the dog, frowned:
— Why is he so dirty? He should have been washed first!
— Are you out of your mind? If it were a dog after an accident or a fight, would you also suggest washing it first? I’ll wash all of you here right now!
The woman was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a reaction, and fell silent. At that moment, an elderly man, the veterinarian, came out of the office. He quickly assessed the situation and immediately noticed the dog:
— What’s going on here? What’s with the dog?
Masha hurried to explain:
— He was poisoned. The boys put something in his food, and now he’s very ill.
— Bring him here, quickly! — the veterinarian commanded, pointing to the table.
Herman carefully placed Almaz on the table and, looking the doctor in the eyes, firmly said:
— You must save him. Any money, any medicine. Whatever it takes, I’ll pay.
— I understand. Wait in the corridor.
Herman stepped out into the corridor, where he heard the doctor giving instructions to the assistant. At that moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and answered:
— Herman, where are you? I went to work, and Lida says you went to save some dog. What’s happening? — Vera’s worried voice rang out.
— We found Almaz. He’s in serious condition, but I took him to the clinic on Lenin. Come over.
Vera said nothing, but Herman knew she would be there soon. He returned to the bench and sat next to Masha.
— Tell me, did Persik have an owner? — the girl asked quietly.
— Yes. Her name was also Masha. She was a little younger than you. She was almost seven.
— And why isn’t he with her?
— Masha died. Almaz missed her a lot, and then he ran away. We searched for him for a long time, but couldn’t find him. Masha hung this ring on his collar. She knew she was going to die soon and wanted her dog to have something to remember her by.
— Why did she die?
— She was very sick. The doctors couldn’t cure her.
— And will you take Almaz back to your place? Does that mean I won’t be able to see him anymore?
At that moment, Vera’s voice was heard, who had already approached them:
— Of course, you can. You can come to us whenever you want. Play with him, walk with him.
The girl turned and looked attentively at the woman.
— Are you… are you Masha’s mom? — she asked uncertainly.
Vera nodded, struggling to hold back tears.
Several hours later, the doctor came out of the office and said that they could take Almaz home.
— Give only light food. Today — only drinking, — he sternly warned, looking at Herman and Masha.
The next day, Masha came to them. She played with Almaz, walked with him, and Herman and Vera bought her new clothes, shoes, and even beautiful bows.
But the next day, Masha didn’t come. Almaz began to pace around the yard, walked in circles, anxiously whimpered, and watched the door intently, waiting for her return. Herman Pavlovich couldn’t find peace. He was sure something had happened to Masha, but no one knew where to look for her. Almaz was their only hope.
— I have a bad feeling, — Vera said quietly, anxiously looking at Herman.
— We can’t even imagine where she might be. But maybe Almaz knows where we need to go.
Herman opened the gate, and the dog, without hesitation, dashed forward but soon stopped and looked back at them.
— Follow him quickly! — They hurried into the car.
Almaz confidently ran down the street, as if he felt where to go. His path led them to an old three-story house that looked abandoned. Herman stopped the car by the curb, and Vera opened the door to let the dog out. Almaz immediately rushed into the entrance, sniffing the air, and climbed to the second floor. There, he stopped at one of the doors and barked loudly, indicating they had come to the right place.
Herman didn’t hesitate. He immediately pressed the doorbell. The door opened almost instantly, and Almaz rushed inside, nearly knocking over an elderly woman. She looked unkempt, and her gaze was full of irritation and malice.
— Get out of here! — she yelled, swinging at Almaz.
But the dog skillfully dodged and ran further, heading for the room.
Herman and Vera hurried after the dog. The apartment was in terrible condition. Trash was strewn everywhere, and there was a heavy smell of dust and dampness. Almaz reached a closed door and started scratching with his paws. Herman pushed it, and the door swung open.
On an old sagging bed lay Masha. Her face and hands were covered in bruises, her gaze was fading, she was barely breathing.
— Is this… is this Masha? — Vera whispered, afraid to approach closer.
— What’s it to you? This scoundrel brought stolen clothes into my house, and I’ll teach her not to take others’ things, you can be sure!
Herman grabbed his head, trying to contain his rage. Then he turned to the woman, and his voice sounded threatening:
— I will make sure you go to jail!
Without wasting time, he carefully picked up Masha in his arms. Almaz walked alongside, not taking his eyes off his mistress. Together, they hurried to the car.
When doctors examined Masha, it became clear that she would not return to that house. Vera, connecting all her acquaintances and their acquaintances, managed to ensure that the aunt was deprived of guardianship over the girl.
Soon Masha moved to Herman and Vera’s place. They surrounded her with warmth and care, which she had never known before.
— You are now our daughter, and we will never leave you.
Masha couldn’t believe her luck. For the first time in her life, she felt truly loved, simply, unconditionally, and that she was welcome. This feeling was new to her, but so real. Almaz lay at her feet, looking at her with devoted eyes, as if confirming: now everything would be alright for her.
