— Olenka, don’t lag behind! — Grandma was carrying a grocery bag, constantly glancing back at her granddaughter. Meanwhile, the girl just kept turning her head, taking in everything around her.
«— Grandma, will Mom be discharged soon? — Olya caught up with her and took her hand. Suddenly, her eyes fell on something shiny. — Oh, a wallet!
«— Let it lie, — Grandma answered calmly. — Whether it’s ours or not, the owner will be found.
«— Grandma, what if no one is found? Maybe we should take it?
«— Why? What if someone lost it? And now they can’t even buy bread, just like we recently?
Grandma tugged her granddaughter along, but the little one resisted.
«— What are you going to do… — Grandma stopped and looked around.
The wallet lay on the roadside. It looked as if a driver had dropped it. She stepped closer, still holding Olya’s hand. Setting her bag down on the ground, the woman picked up the find—a men’s leather wallet. Upon opening it, she froze: inside were money. A lot of money. Rubles and dollars.
«— Wow, so much money! — Olya’s eyes grew wide.
She had never seen so much money. Neither had Grandma.
«— Should we keep it? — asked the girl.
«— Of course not! We must return it, — Grandma shook her head.
She looked through all the compartments and found a driver’s license and some business cards. When she glanced at the photo, she gasped, ‘It can’t be!’
«— Grandma, whose wallet is this?
«— Olenka, I know whose it is. I’ll take you home and return it.
«— Can I come with you? Please! — Olya whimpered.
«— No, you can’t go there, — Grandma replied. — You’ll draw at home while I dash off quickly. Agreed?
At home, after feeding her granddaughter and getting her settled with some drawing, Grandma set off to the address on the business card—an upscale restaurant famous in the city. The owner was Alexander, about forty years old.
When Grandma reached the entrance, a security guard stopped her.
«— Good day, — she addressed him. — How can I see your owner?
«— Do you have an appointment? — he asked gruffly.
«— No, but I think he’ll be glad to see me, — the woman smiled.
«— Then there’s nothing I can do for you.
The guard turned away, but Grandma spoke again:
«— What a pity. If you had called for the boss, he’d have thanked you later.
The security guard thought for a moment and decided to call the manager—especially since he wasn’t far, just inside in the hall.
«— Stand here, — he said, closing the door.
Two minutes later, the restaurant owner appeared.
«— I’m listening, — he said, examining the woman closely.
«— I found something that belongs to you, — Grandma said, producing the wallet from her bag.
The security guard stepped between them.
«— Oh, how formidable… and timid. This is your wallet, — Grandma soothed him as she extended the find.
«— Mine! — Alexander exclaimed, pushing the guard aside. — Where did you find it?
«— On the roadside, — she replied, naming the street. — I had to take a look, sorry about that. But I didn’t take a single penny, I promise!
«— There weren’t any pennies anyway, — the restaurant owner smiled. — What is there to forgive? If you hadn’t looked, I wouldn’t have found it. How shall I thank you? Come, let’s talk.
He led her into his office.
«— Please, have a seat; I’ll order some coffee.
Alexander was about to call a waiter, but Grandma stopped him.
«— Thank you, no need. This is your wallet. Anyone would have done the same.
«— Oh, come on! — Alexander laughed. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, with tanned skin, he exuded charisma. — Believe me, nine out of ten people would have taken the money and tossed the wallet. You don’t need the money, do you?
«— I do need money, — Grandma shrugged. — But not someone else’s. Other people’s money brings no happiness.
«— Would you like me to give you some money? — Alexander opened his wallet.
«— I need a fishing rod, not fish, — Grandma interjected. — Do you have a job? I’m willing to take anything.
Alexander pondered.
«— The cleaner quit. I haven’t found a replacement yet.
«— I’m willing! — Grandma beamed. — My name is Margarita Lvovna. This job is a better reward than any thanks you could give. You see, my daughter is in the hospital, and my granddaughter is with me. We’re completely short of money. Can I start tomorrow?
«— Fine, agreed.
«— I’ll come tomorrow, whenever is convenient. Tell me, haven’t we met before? — Alexander asked.
«— No, — Margarita Lvovna smiled and left.
That evening, at the hospital, Margarita told her daughter,
«— Anechka, I’ve got a job! Now things will be easier—we’ll get Olenka ready for school.
The daughter, her one eye smiling despite being bandaged and burned, listened. The doctors were doing everything possible, yet her recovery was slow. The sight of her granddaughter kept Ane from giving up.
One evening changed their lives. Ane and Olya were on their way to Grandma’s. Her house was dilapidated, lacking the help of strong, masculine hands. In the evening, Margarita Lvovna went to a neighbor’s for some hot milk for her granddaughter. Ane and Olya went to the bathhouse. Olya’s mother took her home, while she stayed behind to have a steam.
A terrible scream woke Olya. The bathhouse was on fire. Margarita Lvovna dashed toward her daughter, draping a wet sheet over her when she found her at the door. Anna noticed the fire too late. When she tried to leave, she stumbled. After rising, she rushed for the exit, but the ceiling had already collapsed.
Tormenting treatment, surgeries, recovery—the bathhouse was reduced to ashes. They had to sell the apartment to pay for Anna’s treatment; Grandma’s pension just wasn’t enough. And by September, Olya was already starting first grade. Alexander’s offer came at just the right time.
Margarita Lvovna worked diligently, and soon the restaurant sparkled under her care. She was such a kind woman that the entire staff soon grew fond of her. Though she never spoke about her daughter, everyone knew about the granddaughter and often brought small gifts. It was awkward to refuse, yet equally awkward to accept.
«— Grandma, who sent the pastry? Vitalik or Liza? — the granddaughter wondered.
In the evenings, Grandma would recount stories about her colleagues: about the silent Lisa and about Vitalik, who worked wonders with drinks. During the day, Olya stayed with the neighbor, where Grandma fetched milk, and by evening she returned to their old house—a shack no one would dare call a home.
The neighbors also pitched in: they brought a stove, a heater, dishes, and groceries—a small but important support for the family.
At work, Margarita Lvovna was cherished for her kindness. No one suspected the pain hidden behind her warm smile. Only Alexander knew about her sick daughter and the granddaughter who often stayed alone at home.
Alexander had neither a wife nor children. He dreamed of a family, yet the one he longed for had vanished. He searched everywhere for her, but she had seemingly dissolved into thin air. “And maybe it’s for the best,” he sometimes thought. Her parents had been adamantly opposed to their relationship.
«— Who are you and who is she? A poor girl and a businessman! Can you imagine the rumors that would start?
«— If I ever find out that you were involved in her disappearance, then I’ll no longer have any parents, — he snapped back.
They assured him that she had simply run away, realizing she would get nothing. Time passed, yet he couldn’t forget her. He had other relationships, but his heart held only her image.
Deciding to support Margarita, Alexander resolved to bring her groceries after a corporate event. Knowing her pride, he understood that she wouldn’t accept money, but she wouldn’t refuse food.
«— Especially since everything is fresh, — he mused as he approached her home.
When he saw charred logs sticking out of the ground, his car nearly stopped on its own. Can people really live in such conditions? He took the bag and headed toward the small house. Knocking, he almost got hit in the forehead by the door.
«— Oh, I thought it was Grandma! — blurted the girl. — She went to the neighbor’s for milk. We don’t have a refrigerator, so our groceries are kept at the neighbor’s. She has a cow, Zorka. There… Grandma will be here soon.
Alexander followed the girl, bending slightly to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling. When they entered the room, he finally straightened up. The girl continued chattering, and he listened in silence, amazed at her openness.
She wasn’t afraid of him at all. Her black curly hair fluttered as she laughed. Her tanned skin reminded him of a gypsy’s—and even his own. With each passing second, he noticed more and more similarities.
«— What’s your name? — he asked.
«— Olya, — she smiled. — And what are you doing here?
«— Olenka, go to the other room! — Margarita Lvovna suddenly appeared. Olya pouted, but obeyed.
«— Did something happen? — the woman asked tiredly.
«— But she looks just like me! — exclaimed Alexander.
«— So what? Her mother was a waitress, not some celebrity, — Grandma smirked.
«— What are you talking about? — the guest couldn’t understand.
«— It wasn’t in your status to marry a waitress, so why all the questions now?
«— I was looking for her! I visited every restaurant and café, — Alexander admitted.
«— And she worked at a greasy spoon just to avoid meeting you. She heard your conversation with your mother: ‘Sashenka, my son, don’t be foolish. There will be other women. But it’s not right for the owner to marry a pauper.’ Is that so?
«— Yes…
«— And what did you say?
«— I said, ‘Alright, Mom.’
«— And that’s why she decided to leave.
Alexander grabbed his head.
«— If only she had listened to the end, she would have heard what I said! I declared that I don’t care about their opinions, that I love her and want to marry her. And that she would be the mother of my daughter. And if they don’t like it—that’s their problem!
«— By that time she was already crying at my home.
Alexander punched the wall.
«— So she’s been living with you all this time?
«— Only at first. Then she moved into my apartment, which I inherited from my husband. That’s where Ane and Olya lived.
«— So, Olenka is my daughter? — he asked.
«— Yes, — Margarita nodded.
«— And can I see Anyuta?
«— She’s in the burn unit. I’m afraid they won’t let you in. And she probably wouldn’t want you to see her like that, — the woman shook her head.
«— We’ll argue about whether they let me in. And as for whether she wants it… that’s for me to decide now, — Alexander said firmly.
He punched the wall once more.
«— May I spend some time with my daughter?
Margarita allowed it. Alexander and Olya chatted for a long time, as if they had known each other all their lives. Later that evening, Alexander sat by Ane’s bed. He held her hand and spoke about the future—how they would go to first grade, how they’d bring her home from the hospital, how they’d set up a children’s room. He said that Margarita no longer needed to work because it was now his duty to care for them.
Ane looked at him, her bandages already soaked with tears—but these were tears of joy.
