Asya stretched lazily under an old, weather-beaten blanket, flexing her stiff limbs, and opened her eyes with effort. She had no desire to face the reality waiting for her outside their temporary shelter.
Every morning began with the piercing cries of seagulls and crows circling above the huge municipal dump, scavenging for prey. Asya knew almost nothing about her past life.
Several years ago, barely alive after a beating, she was found here by a local homeless woman named Herring—a woman with a troubled past. The former convict took the girl under her protection and miraculously saved her from death. When Asya came to her senses, she discovered that she had completely lost her memory.
«You’re clearly not ordinary, and you’re in danger,» Herring had declared. «Better to wait it out here, in the shadows.» «Why do you think that?» Asya asked, accepting a piece of stale rye bread and some sausage from her rescuer’s hands. «Don’t worry, it’s not from the dump. I stole it in the store, though you can find decent stuff at the dump too,» Herring reassured her. «As for why I think so… Think about it yourself. I found you nearly dead, but you were dressed like a real lady. Now your clothes are only good for rags. That means you were a big inconvenience to someone.»
After this conversation, Asya took a new name, suggested by Herring: «Asya.» Thus, she became part of the community of homeless people living on the dump under the leadership of the stern Grumpy, whose nickname perfectly suited his character.
Tip-toeing so as not to wake the sleeping Herring, Asya ventured outside. Their dwelling, assembled from plywood boxes and covered with an old tarp, greeted her with a familiar, yet still unpleasant smell. Over the years, Asya had never gotten used to it.
She carefully adjusted her clothes, shook off the dust, and resolutely headed to the nearest residential area. About thirty minutes of brisk walking later, the city streets replaced the foul-smelling dump. Here, Asya felt more confident. She looked for information about various public events: free concerts, fairs, or festivals.
Not only because she could easily snatch a wallet from someone’s pocket—Grumpy had taught her that, and she proved to be a very capable student. But also because she imagined how she would organize these events herself, noticing flaws and marking successful solutions.
Wandering, Asya stumbled into a small kiosk at a square. Pretending to be a regular customer, she skillfully snatched an ice cream cone from someone else’s basket and, satisfied with herself, settled down on a bench. As she enjoyed her favorite treat, her gaze fell on a newspaper someone had left behind.
Making herself comfortable, Asya began to flip through the pages. Each piece of news could be useful. On the last page, an announcement in a frame caught her attention: «Autumn Gifts Fair.»
«This is definitely worth visiting!» Asya rejoiced and hurriedly returned to the dump to share the news with Herring.
«Herring, where are you hiding? Come out, I have something to show you!» she called.
From a pile of trash emerged her friend, holding a bag. Herring’s gaunt face expressed curiosity.
«What’s the joy? Why are you shining like a copper samovar? Come on, spill it!»
«First, dance for me!» Asya playfully suggested, jumping around her.
«Are you crazy? What dances? Stop fooling around and tell me!»
«No, Herring, dance!» Asya stubbornly repeated. «It would only be fair.»
«Alright, for you,» Herring grumbled and performed a few movements, resembling a herring on its way to spawn.
«Okay, now tell me!» she demanded, when the «performance» ended.
Asya triumphantly pulled out the newspaper and with a flourish, «Ta-da!» handed it to her friend.
«For this piece of paper, you made me rattle my bones?» Herring grumbled, scanning the announcement, and returned the newspaper. «How will this help us?»
«What do you mean? There will be plenty of people with money in their pockets—real, jingling coins and bills, not these plastic cards!» Asya countered. «But there will be security there…» Herring swore under her breath, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. «Pfft,» Asya snorted. «First time, is it? We’re masters of our craft,» she proudly thumped her chest, tilting her nose upward. Herring burst into laughter: «Friend, you could even convince the dead. Let’s go eat. I wasn’t idle while you were gone, either: went around the market, peeked into the store. Dig in!»
For Asya, Herring was not just a companion or a fellow sufferer. She became a mother to her, the one who once brought her back to life. In the past, Asya was someone else: her name was Violetta, and she was a surgeon.
But one day, the son of the local criminal authority Mednikov, who controlled everything in this city, died on the operating table. This man was one of those who always got his way at any cost. Despite all the doctor’s efforts, the young drug addict, involved in a horrific accident, was doomed. However, the parent demanded justice, threatening to destroy Violetta. And he succeeded: she was convicted, and her former life crumbled.
Now Violetta, whom no one called by that name except Herring, found herself at the very bottom of society, in a community of homeless people led by Grumpy.
«How do you say his surname?» Asya once asked, when Violetta shared her story. «Mednikov. Does it ring a bell?» «No,» Asya sighed. «Just hearing that name felt like my heart dropped like a stone.»
The day of the fair arrived. The girls pulled out their best outfits, which they had quietly collected from various stores, even put on makeup, and confidently stepped into the crowd.
The fair buzzed with voices, noise, and movement. People crowded the rows, haggled, complained about prices, but still bought. Bills changed hands. Asya and Herring exchanged glances: the moment was perfect.
Suddenly Asya noticed a man at the honey stall. For some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. From his back pocket protruded a plump wallet.
«Probably that’s what caught my attention,» she thought, smiling, and deftly snatched the wallet. Weaving through people, she quickly found Herring, who was «keeping watch.» Both, pretending to have a lively conversation, headed for the exit. Once outside the park, they quickened their pace, heading towards the dump.
Only back in their shack did they allow themselves to relax. Opening the wallet, they froze. Inside were large bills, but a photograph in a clear window caught their attention. The picture showed three people: a man, a woman, and a child.
«That’s you! And that suit… the very one I found you in three years ago,» Herring whispered when she could speak. «So, I have a family?» Asya murmured in surprise, feeling her heart pound. «Looks like it. But how did you end up here? Maybe your husband sent you here?» Herring squinted. «No, it’s not him!» Asya waved her hands. «Did you remember something?» «No, I just know it. Herring, don’t tell anyone, especially not Grumpy. I must find this person,» Asya whispered pleadingly, clasping her hands in front of her.
Their conversation was interrupted by Grumpy, who suddenly appeared in the shack: «What are you talking about? And why can’t I know?» He extended a hairy hand towards the wallet. «Everything must go into the common fund. Those are the rules. Or have you forgotten?»
Asya clenched the wallet behind her back: «I won’t give it.» «Oh you…» Grumpy raised his hand to strike.
Herring grabbed his arm to protect her friend, and Violetta, unable to speak, signaled for her to run. Asya grabbed the wallet and dashed off like never before.
It was getting dark when she burst onto the street. Traders were beginning to pack up their stalls. The man whose wallet she had stolen was nowhere to be seen. Drained and disappointed, Asya sat down on the steps of a store and cried bitterly. Black mascara trails ran down her cheeks, but she couldn’t stop.
«That’s why that man seemed so familiar. It wasn’t his wallet that interested me, but something else,» Asya thought, trying to cope with the surge of tears.
She didn’t notice when a child appeared next to her. For a few seconds, he watched her with a sympathetic look, then gently patted her head and loudly called: «Dad, look! The lady from the photo in your wallet is crying. Let’s treat her to something!»
Asya swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to wipe away the tears. Before her stood the very child, holding the hand of the man whose wallet she had stolen just hours earlier. His face slowly contorted with surprise.
His eyes flashed with various emotions: astonishment, joy, the pain of lost time, love, and relief. He suddenly scooped up Asya, light as a feather, held her close, and spoke rapidly: «Galina, where have you been? I’ve searched everywhere. Everyone said to let it be, but I couldn’t believe it.»
«Me? I’ve been living on the dump. And just today I stole your wallet. I don’t remember anything. I was found there several years ago by vagrants. They saved me,» she whispered, still not believing what was happening.
«My God, what have they done to you? My dear, precious… I can’t believe my eyes,» said Kirill, not letting her go.
The child, watching this scene with eyes wide with amazement, finally understood what was happening. «Mommy! Mommy’s found!» he shouted at the top of his lungs and rushed to embrace Galina-Asya.
Passersby turned in surprise at this trio, standing at the entrance to the store, tightly embracing and crying tears of joy.
«Hey, why are we so sentimental?» Kirill suddenly said. «Let’s go home.»
It turned out, a spacious mansion awaited them. As soon as they arrived, Kirill immediately called a doctor. After the examination, he announced that Galina would need treatment to recover her memory. However, now that she was back in a familiar environment, her memory would surely return. And he was right.
Galina gradually remembered everything: her little son Mark, her beloved husband Kirill, her successful business organizing parties and weddings. But most importantly, she remembered the one who wanted to destroy her. It was Mednikov. At first, he tried to take her business, and when she didn’t give in, he ordered her to be killed and dumped on the dump.
«I remember everything! We must report this to the police!» she said to her husband. Kirill just shrugged: «Alas, there’s no one to report to. He got so furious, pressuring his competitors, that they solved the problem themselves. When they recently demolished a building, his body was found in the hardened cement.»
«May his own deeds curse him,» Galina whispered softly. «Kirill, I have an important request. I should have done this a long time ago, but somehow it slipped my mind. Forgive me.»
After some time, the entire homeless community, including the stern Grumpy, froze in amazement when a shiny black foreign car pulled up to Herring’s shack. Out stepped the elegant Galina accompanied by the confident Kirill and loudly called: «Violetta, come out! I’m here for you!»
Herring peeked out from her refuge, trying to dodge and refuse, but Kirill and Galina didn’t allow her to stay. They literally shoved her into the car and drove her away.
«Now consider yourself my older sister,» Galina solemnly announced.
Now they live together in a huge house: Galina with Kirill, son Mark, and of course, Herring, who became an integral part of their family.
