«Ninka, are you at it again? They’ll put you in solitary!» her friend threw a reproachful look at the girl.
«So what? At least I’ll get to play some football, and if they lock me up for a week, so be it—better than being around those matrons,» Nina shrugged and smiled slyly.
Looking around, she slightly moved a broken board on the fence aside and, without wasting time, slipped outside. She had known the boys from the neighboring yards for a long time—ever since she had stepped into a fight they started with the children from her orphanage. Although the orphanage kids were in the wrong, Nina still stood up for her own. In the end, everyone scattered, and she was left alone with the boys and a broken nose.
«Why didn’t you run away with the others?» one of the boys asked.
«That would be too much honor,» Nina replied nonchalantly, wiping blood from her face.
The boys exchanged looks, clearly surprised by her response.
«Why aren’t you crying? Do you even like football?» another one asked.
«Maybe,» she responded. «I’ve never played, so I don’t know.»
«Well, if you want, come to the vacant lot in the evening, we’ll teach you,» they offered. «We’re short on players, and you’d definitely fit in.»
That was the beginning of her football life.
After just a few practices, she became one of the best in the team. She was always called to play with the boys, although this often cost her lateness and punishments at the orphanage. From time to time, they locked her in solitary—or, as the children called it, the «cell.»
Especially vigilant about her «behavior» was Nelly Vasilyevna—a stern and spiteful matron whom the children behind her back nicknamed the harpy. Everyone wondered how she was even allowed to work with children, as it seemed she hated them more than anything in the world. She only left alone those who were quiet and submissive, but those who dared to object or resist, she openly despised and persecuted.
Nina was a real irritant for her—defiant, brave, and with her own opinions. The matron was infuriated by this. But Nina, in turn, enjoyed creating unpleasant moments for her.
«Alright, guys… um… and girl, let’s go!» the older boy shouted, and they all rushed toward the new site.
«Hey, where are you going? The vacant lot is on the other side!» she called out to them.
«We don’t play there anymore,» the boys explained. «They started construction there, but we found a cool place not far from here.»
Without hesitation, Nina followed them. She knew if the boys said the place was great, it was indeed.
Once, Nina had a family, but she retained no memories of her parents. She was taken to the orphanage when she was three years old. Her father left her mother, who couldn’t handle the betrayal and ended her life by jumping from a balcony. That’s all the matrons knew. No other relatives were found, and her father, starting a new life with another woman, disowned his daughter.
For a long time, Nina was withdrawn, hardly communicated with anyone, as if she lived in her own world. The matrons even thought about sending her to an asylum for children with mental disorders. But one day she seemed to wake up, gradually starting to interact with those around her.
The place the boys led her to was indeed wonderful. A sandy playground surrounded by beautiful new houses. Nina knew that rich people lived in such houses, but it was quiet around—apparently, the homes were not yet inhabited.
«It’s a great place,» she said admiringly.
«No kidding! There’s plenty of room to play!» the boys agreed.
«Aren’t you afraid of being on someone else’s property?» she asked, nodding at the high fences around.
«What are you talking about! The fences here are sturdy, and we set up gates so that no one hits towards the houses,» they explained to her.
Nina nodded. Everything sounded quite logical.
Valery stepped away from the window, through which the noise of children preparing for a soccer game was coming. He forcefully closed the window and drew the curtains to drown out their voices. Not because he didn’t like children—on the contrary, he once loved their ringing laughter. But for three years now, any child’s laughter caused him pain. Exactly three years ago, by a tragic accident, he lost his wife and son.
For many months, Valery had been searching for a secluded house, away from the hustle and bustle, where he could find peace. And finally, he found such a place. But now he was troubled by the thought that this tranquility might not last long. Fortunately, construction was expected to start in the area in a couple of weeks, and the children would stop playing there.
He sat down in front of his easel. He had been trying to finish a portrait of his son for a year now, but he just couldn’t. It seemed that the painting was about to come to life, but each time something was not right, as if some detail was missing. Valery, once a successful and sought-after artist, was known for his work. He even had his own school for talented children. But after the tragedy, he hardly ever appeared there—it was too painful to see the children his son could have been teaching.
He picked up a brush, but was suddenly distracted by a loud sound of breaking glass—it had shattered on the terrace. Valery grimaced but did not turn around, focusing on his painting. What happened outside his inner world no longer interested him.
Meanwhile, the boys playing with Nina exchanged glances.
«Wow! What a hit! I wonder if there’s anyone in the house?» one of them asked.
«We should go and apologize,» Nina sighed.
«Are you crazy? We need to run! They’ll call the police!» another exclaimed, clearly frightened.
But Nina stubbornly shook her head.
«No, it’s not right. We need to at least ask for forgiveness.»
The boys backed away.
«We’re not going, sorry. Our moms will kill us!»
«Well, don’t go then. I broke the glass, so I’ll answer for it,» Nina replied stubbornly.
The gate was unlocked, and she quietly entered the yard. Everything around looked so well-maintained and perfect that it even seemed strange to her. It appeared that someone had put things in order, but nobody lived there, enjoying the beauty.
Cautiously approaching the house, Nina noticed the broken glass of the veranda. It had almost completely shattered. Sighing, she decided to go forward and approached the unlocked door. The girl entered inside, holding her breath.
Valery, unaware of her presence, continued working on his painting, absorbed in gloomy thoughts. Only when Nina called out to him did he startle and turn to her.
«Hello,» she said timidly.
«Hello,» he replied, surprised by the stranger.
«I wanted to apologize. It was me who broke the glass on your terrace… But I don’t have parents, so there’s no one to pay for it,» Nina said with a heavy sigh.
Valery put down his brush and looked at the girl with interest.
«How so? Where do you live if you have no parents? On the street?»
«No, of course not. I live in an orphanage. I sometimes run away to play football. It’s so boring there in the summer!» Nina smiled. «Of course, they scold me later, but only one matron, Nelly Vasilyevna. She gets very angry and often puts me in solitary.»
Valery involuntarily smiled. The girl’s adult reasoning, her calmness, and straightforwardness touched him.
«But you weren’t alone, were you? Where are the others?»
«They got scared of their moms and ran away. I broke the glass, they had nothing to do with it,» Nina calmly replied.
Valery couldn’t help but smile.
«So, they left you behind and ran away?» he asked with interest, looking at Nina.
She just shrugged.
«Can I look at the painting?» the girl unexpectedly asked, pointing at the easel.
Valery’s heart fluttered, but he nodded.
«Of course, take a look,» he replied quietly.
Nina approached the canvas, studied it carefully, and then said:
«It’s a very sad painting, looking at it makes you want to cry.»
Valery looked at her curiously:
«What’s your name?»
«Nina.»
«And tell me, what do you think is wrong with this painting?»
The girl shrugged:
«It seems fine, just that the painting is sad, but the boy is smiling. It’s not usual for someone to smile when everything around is so gloomy.»
Valery suddenly sat down on the couch:
«How simple it turned out to be… And I wouldn’t have guessed it myself.»
He turned to Nina:
«Are you hungry?»
«Of course, I want to eat! Don’t you know that children from the orphanage are always hungry?»
Valery chuckled:
«No, I didn’t know that. I thought you were well-fed. Let’s go to the kitchen, see what we have.»
Nina raised her eyebrows in surprise:
«Ours?»
«Yes, there’s a woman who comes to me, cooks, and cleans. I pay her for that.» He waved his hand toward the broken glass. «Don’t worry, I’ll call the craftsmen tomorrow, they’ll come up with something better. I didn’t like it anyway.»
While Valery was setting the table, Nina sat on a small sofa, watching him. He himself couldn’t understand how it happened that he invited this girl into his home, but something inside him suggested that it was the right decision.
While they were eating (or rather, Nina was mostly eating), Valery asked her about life in the orphanage. What he heard shocked him to the core. He had long been donating money to an orphanage, but he wasn’t sure if Nina lived in the one he supported. He needed to check with a friend who managed his affairs.
After dinner, Nina stood up:
«Thank you for the meal, but I must go. The harpy is on duty today, and I’ve surely earned a week in solitary.»
Valery immediately rose:
«Let me walk you out to avoid any trouble.»
«No, that would only make things worse. She doesn’t like it when someone stands up for us.»
«But if you want, always come to me. I’ll tell Olga Sergeyevna that you can come, even if I’m not at home.» He paused for a moment and added, «The boy in the painting—it’s my son. He’s no longer here, and I’m very lonely.»
Nina nodded:
«I figured it was your son. He looks a lot like you. Alright, I’ll definitely come by when I can.»
After the girl left, Valery walked around the house for a long time, trying to organize his thoughts. Then he approached the painting, looked at the dark colors, and began to change them to brighter, more cheerful ones.
The next day, when housekeeper Olga Sergeyevna arrived, she asked in surprise:
«Did you stay up all night?»
Valery smiled at her and showed her the painting:
«Look, Olga Sergeyevna. I think I’ve finally managed to finish it.»
He told her about Nina:
«Imagine, she’s so little, but she wasn’t afraid to enter the house and apologize for the glass. And then she immediately pointed out what was wrong with the painting. I must visit her in the orphanage… No, even better, I’ll call my manager and find out everything.»
Valery didn’t delay. After contacting his friend, he learned that the orphanage he had been donating to was indeed the one where Nina lived. What he heard shocked him—the children there were treated worse than he could have imagined.
The next day, Valery was in the director’s office. The director, visibly nervous, tried to understand the reason for the unexpected visit from a sponsor, especially without prior notice.
«Do you have a girl named Nina, about seven or eight years old?»
The director looked at him frightened:
«Why do you need her?»
Valery sternly replied:
«I have some plans regarding her. Can we meet her?»
«Uh… she’s sick.»
Valery tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently.
«She’s in solitary, right?» The director jumped from his seat, then sank back down, sighing heavily:
«How did you get this information?»
«Let’s not put on a show. Take me to Nina, and I won’t make a fuss, check financial reports, or dig further.»
Minutes later, Valery was led to a small, almost empty room. A narrow window with bars cast a dim light on a bed where a girl lay with a visible bruise on her face and a split eyebrow. Valery looked at her, then turned to the director with cold anger.
While the investigation was underway, Nina lived with Valery. He told no one how much effort and money it took to bring the matter to light. The educators and director were brought to trial, but Valery knew that sooner or later, Nina might return to the same hell.
Olga Sergeyevna, the housekeeper, watched Valery anxiously, and one day at breakfast, she asked:
«And what now? Will you really send her back?»
«What can I do?» he asked in despair.
«What do you mean? Adopt her. Make it so that she has a family, that she can be happy. You can do that.»
Valery was struck by her words. He slowly looked up at Olga and whispered:
«What a fool I was!»
Nina never returned to the orphanage. After some time, she asked Valery if she could call him dad.
Valery’s son’s portrait hung in the living room. In it, the boy was smiling.
