Sveta watched with a slight envy as parents picked up their little ones to go home.
“— Misha, don’t cry; we’ll be back here tomorrow,” reassured one of the mothers.
“— Kolenka, your dad is waiting for us at home. Let’s go quickly,” urged another.
“— Katyusha, the sand isn’t going anywhere. We’ll play again tomorrow, and then we’ll bake some pies,” added a third.
Sveta avoided getting too close to the playground. For one thing, her age was nearly eight—or perhaps even already eight—and it seemed she was older than the other children. Secondly, once she had managed to join in the children’s games. Despite the fact that the little ones were younger, their play turned out to be fascinating. But as soon as the mothers noticed her, a real uproar began! Sveta was met with a barrage of insulting words, and she was simply kicked out.
“— Tramp! She probably has lice. Or even ringworm.”
Later, she sat hidden in the bushes, unable to hold back tears that lasted all day.
Once—though for Sveta it seemed like an eternity ago—she had a mother. They lived in a large settlement, and for the girl her mother was the kindest and most caring person. But her mother fell ill and never returned from the hospital. Sveta was taken in by Aunt Olya, her father’s sister, whom Sveta had never seen before.
Her mother didn’t care much for Aunt Olya, and in the girl’s mind she became associated with rare visits that always ended in quarrels. Under the influence of alcohol, the aunt became overly intrusive, which constantly irritated Sveta’s mother. The girl absolutely did not want to move to the city with her aunt, but one day the aunt warned that if she resisted, “they’d beat her up.” Sveta didn’t know what that meant, but soon she found out.
At Aunt Olya’s, Sveta didn’t live long. As soon as all the documents were processed and the benefits received, the aunt lost interest in Sveta. More than once the girl couldn’t even get into the apartment because the aunt would lock herself in and sleep.
Once, a neighbor noticed Sveta in the entrance and made a scene, waking Aunt Olya and threatening to call the police. After that, the aunt severely punished the girl and forbade her from going outside. But Sveta, seizing the opportunity when her aunt got drunk again, ran away.
How long she spent on the streets, she didn’t know—maybe a month, maybe two. She learned to beg for food only from those passers-by who seemed kind, for she was afraid that Aunt Olya might find her.
The girl missed her mother terribly. She cried so much at night that in the mornings it was hard to smile. When she was completely overcome, she quietly hummed a lullaby her mother used to sing before bed. The words weren’t entirely clear, but the feeling the song brought offered a small measure of peace.
Sveta’s mother often recalled how her own mother sang that very lullaby, and over the years Sveta had memorized it. The girl didn’t have a grandmother, but she had heard from her mother that she came from far away. Why that had turned out that way, her mother never explained—but it was the melody of her childhood.
When all the children had gone home, the playground emptied. Sveta swung a little longer on the swings, slid down the slide, and headed toward a nearby abandoned building. Homeless children just like her often gathered in its basement. They were of various ages and there for different reasons.
Many were runaways from orphanages, some were constantly caught and brought back. Some had run away because of family quarrels, only to return soon after. And then there were those who called themselves “travelers” and sought any opportunity to roam.
Having descended into the basement, Sveta immediately realized that something had changed. Their secret spot had been discovered, and now there were adults there. Without a second thought, she rushed upstairs, not knowing exactly where to run. More than once she had thought that perhaps an orphanage might be better for her, but the thought of returning to Aunt Olya never gave her peace.
She dashed to an old cemetery, where many children found refuge. Among the tombstones and monuments, it was easier to hide. Sveta concealed herself behind an elegant fence, under the thick branches of thuja trees.
The atmosphere here was surprisingly calm. It amazed her that she had never noticed the statues of angels decorating the graves before. Sveta began to study the photographs on the monuments. The people in the pictures seemed beautiful and enigmatic, and their names aroused her curiosity.
Bending down to read an inscription, she felt something hard underfoot. It turned out to be a phone.
Sveta looked around, but everything was enveloped in a dead silence, with only the faint sound of a distant train. Although she knew that taking someone else’s belongings was wrong, the phone looked too attractive.
Sitting under a tree, Sveta held the found phone in her hands and settled on a bench. She didn’t own such a thing, though she had sometimes seen other kids bring similar devices, showing her how to use them.
Brushing off the dust, she pressed an inconspicuous button. The screen lit up, and to her surprise, the phone was working. Bright images captivated her. She didn’t dial any numbers; she simply gazed at the screen in awe.
“Isn’t this like a dream? Everyone would love to have something like this,” thought Sveta, sighing softly.
She understood that the owner of the phone must be looking for it, and she didn’t want to be a thief. She swiped her finger across the screen to see what would happen.
Sveta wondered whether she should call someone to report the found phone. Maybe they’d even reward her? But making a call was scary and unsettling. Then she accidentally noticed a familiar name in the contacts list: “Mom.” Little Sveta smiled involuntarily. She had always believed that her mom couldn’t be mean or frightening. She tried to think as little as possible about those unpleasant ladies at the playground.
After a pause on the line, there was silence. Sveta almost hung up when suddenly, instead of the usual ringing, she heard a song. It was a lullaby, unaccompanied yet so familiar it sent shivers down her spine—the very one her mother had sung to her since early childhood.
A flood of tears overwhelmed her, robbing her of the ability to respond, when a gentle “Hello” came through the receiver. She could only sniffle quietly.
“— Sweetie, why are you crying?” came a kind female voice.
“— I… I found your phone,” Sveta managed to whisper.
“— My phone? This is Vanya’s phone—my son’s. Where are you right now, dear?”
“— At the cemetery,” the girl whispered.
“— At the cemetery? It’s getting dark. We’ll be there soon, so stay there; I’ll talk to you so you won’t be afraid,” reassured the woman.
Little Sveta cried even harder, unable to hold back her emotions.
“— Why are you crying? Can you hear me? Are you scared there? Then talk to me; I’m on my way,” the caring voice said.
“— No… it’s just the song… that lullaby… Mommy used to sing it to me…” Sveta replied, struggling to control her tears.
“— Which song was that?” suddenly interjected a male voice on the other end.
Sveta replied sheepishly, “— The one that was just playing…”
After a long pause, the woman spoke again tenderly, “— What was your mom’s name, dear?”
Sveta sobbed and answered, “— She’s no longer with us; she went to heaven…”
A faint whisper and a slight whistle were heard, the line went dead, and after a short while the male voice spoke again, “— We’re almost there; don’t worry. Are you still there?”
“— Yes…” Sveta confirmed.
“— What do you see around you?” he asked next.
“— There are monuments with angels and portraits of people,” she answered.
“I see. And are there thuja trees growing nearby?” the man clarified.
“— Yes, there are,” the girl confirmed.
Answering the questions distracted Sveta from her sorrow. However, soon she heard voices drawing closer. When she looked up, standing before her were a man and a woman. The woman, who resembled a grandmother—even though she looked different—was like those she had seen with grandchildren at the playground. She was very pale, but that did not frighten Sveta. A little flustered, she covered her face with her hands and cried out. Then someone embraced her.
“— Don’t be afraid, everything’s alright, little one. Are you lost here?” a gentle voice asked.
Sveta removed her hands from her face and said softly, “— No, it’s just that I don’t have a home. The place where I used to sleep is now occupied. And you look so much like my mom…”
The man, supporting his companion, gently sat her on a bench and gave her some medicine. Then he sat in front of Sveta and looked intently into her eyes.
Soon he addressed her, “— Would you like to come with us? Could anyone object, like perhaps your dad?”
“— No, I’ve never met my dad. And my mom…” Sveta hesitated, not knowing what to say.
“— It’s all fine, don’t worry,” the man reassured her, addressing the woman. “Let’s take her, mom?”
“— Of course, Vanya, of course,” the woman confirmed. “Sweetie, my name is Karina Sergeyevna. Will you come with us?”
Sveta simply nodded. Perhaps they would feed her there. It was all better than sitting in an empty cemetery. Then Vanya picked her up in his arms, and they headed toward a car.
Sveta didn’t understand why she was being carried when she could have walked by herself. But the embrace was comforting, and soon she even dozed off. She woke up in the car to the sound of soft voices:
“— Vanya, what should we do next?” a female voice asked.
“— Mom, don’t blame yourself; it all happened as it was meant to be…”
“— I’m at a loss. My heart is heavy because of everything that’s happened. If only we could find that person… Let’s leave it, Vanechka. Nothing can change now. The main thing is to ensure the girl’s happiness. She reminds me so much of Veronika.”
“— I think the same, Mom. That means we must do everything to make her happy,” the man confirmed.
As soon as the car stopped, Sveta asked, “— Did you know my dad? I’ve never seen him. Mom said he disappeared. Maybe we should search for him?”
The man nodded confidently, “— I promise that I will definitely find him.”
The woman gently placed her hand on his shoulder, “— We have a lot to do right now, Vanya. Let’s put aside these conversations for now.”
When Sveta got out of the car, she looked around in wonder at the large house before her.
“— Is this your home? There must be many people living here, right?”
“— No, it’s just my mom and me and a few assistants. Come on in,” the man invited her.
At the doorstep, an elderly, stout woman greeted her, “— Oh, child, you are just like her!” she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
Sveta realized that everyone here had known her mom.
In the evening, when she was already lying in a clean bed, Karina approached her.
“— Svetocha, we were in such a hurry that we didn’t get to know each other better. It seems that I am your grandmother.”
Sveta sat up on the bed and asked, “— The real grandmother?”
“— Yes, I am your mom’s mother. And Vanya is your uncle,” Karina said, watching tears roll down the girl’s cheeks. “I’ll tell you everything. It might be hard to understand, but please try to listen. Many years ago, when my daughter Veronika—your mom—was very young, she met a young man from another country. They fell in love and ran away together.”
Little Sveta quietly asked, “— Because you wouldn’t let them be together?”
“— We were against her chosen one, because he dreamed of a beautiful life and didn’t want to work. We warned Veronika that he was a bad person, but she loved him and didn’t listen. She was hurt and cut ties with us. We later found out that many years later she returned to this city, that she was seen here. But then she disappeared. That means she is no longer alive… I felt in my heart that my daughter was gone. But as for you, Svetocha, I didn’t know about you—otherwise, I would have searched for you.”
Karina recalled how shortly after her daughter’s escape, her husband—Veronika’s father—fell ill and quickly passed away. They were left with Vanya alone.
She looked tenderly at the sleeping Sveta, who was dozing with a smile on her face, straightened the blanket, and said, “— I’m sorry, my little one. I should have looked for you sooner. I promise I will do everything possible to make you happy.”
Karina kissed her granddaughter tenderly and, closing the door behind her, recalled that long-forgotten feeling of peace she had not experienced since her daughter was gone.
