Tanya lovingly looked around her kitchen—tiny but so cozy and bright.
The woman remembered how, not long ago, she cried, clinging to the sleeve of her dearly loved husband when she found out that he had a teenage son from another woman, and that her husband had been periodically meeting with the boy’s mother.
She also learned that this other woman was married and had been deceiving her own husband all her life.
Tanya could have kept quiet, not revealed what she knew, and they could have continued living together.
But after yet another family scandal, when she was knocked back by Pashka’s fist, hitting the doorframe and unable to hold back tears of pain and offense, she screamed:
«Why are you tormenting me?! Do you think I don’t know you have a son?! That you’ve been sleeping with that woman for years?!» Everything completely fell apart then.
Pavel loomed over her, his massive two-meter frame of muscle, and… Tanya closed her eyes, expecting another hit or perhaps excuses from him.
But instead, the man laughed. His laughter was not spiteful, but light and cheerful.
«Yes, you are right, chicken. There is a son and a woman who bore him to me—after all, you couldn’t.»
«So why? Why won’t you leave them? Why do you torment me, create scandals out of nothing, raise your hand against me?»
«Why? It’s simple—she’s married and there’s nowhere for us to go—she lives in her husband’s apartment before marriage, and I… I’m here with you. Maybe you’ll leave me the apartment? Leave yourself? Let a real family reunite?» Pavel was no longer smiling.
The sinister icy cold that flashed in his eyes made Tanya’s heart constrict in fear.
But she didn’t want to leave her husband, regardless of everything.
Was it fatal love for him, mere habit, or the reluctance to radically change her life and start from scratch? Tanya didn’t know.
«Why did I, a fool, tell him about the son?» she chastised herself and tried to smooth over the conversation as if it had never happened at all.
And when Pavel, smirking brazenly, left in the evenings without even making excuses, Tanya tried to stop him—clinging to his sleeve and crying: «Pashenka, don’t go.»
But one day the spell broke—a scandal occurred again, the husband loomed over her like a huge slab again, again swung his fists, and Tanya saw that he barely held himself back from hitting her.
This argument, not the worst of all, became the last straw.
The woman filed for divorce and for the division of property, which ended with the sale of their small apartment and the division of the proceeds equally.
Taking a small loan, Tanya bought this tiny one-bedroom apartment on the third floor of an old panel building.
Having moved into the new apartment, the woman felt as if she had returned to her childhood—even the Soviet-era swings and sandbox in the courtyard were preserved.
Even grandmothers sat on the bench as in the good old days.
Of course, those Soviet grandmothers had long been in the cemetery, but here was a new generation.
But the essence of their sitting was the same—to gossip about the tenants of their building.
They did not overlook the new resident—Tanya.
«That one… the one who bought the apartment on the third floor from Zoyka…» Ivanovna started the topic. «They say her husband chased her away with a dirty broom, calling her a slob and a drunkard…»
«Oh, tsk-tsk… She might breed cockroaches in our building… There was no trouble, and here she comes… hello, Tanichka… Come sit with us…»
But Tanya just greeted them, smiled softly, and walked by. To avoid sin.
She had disliked these old-women-gossips since childhood—she knew their venomous tongues.
How good it was, returning from work, to run past them and find herself in her cozy little apartment!
But this time Tanya stayed late at work—the grandmothers were no longer on the bench—it was the end of November, and it was dark.
The woman leisurely entered the building, lamenting that the door lacked an intercom and climbing the dark, cold staircase was spooky.
She almost screamed in surprise when she saw a man sitting between the second and third floors, leaning against a radiator.
The man, around fifty, didn’t look like a homeless person or a drunk.
He was dressed in a decent jacket, and it was strange that he was sitting on the floor.
Tanya quickly slipped by and, just in case, greeted him.
As she opened her apartment door, she looked back—she felt that the man would leap up, jump the steps in two bounds, push her into the apartment, and…
She didn’t want to think further. With trembling hands, she opened the door and only calmed down after locking it behind her.
«Phew… How nice it is at home. Warm, cozy…» basking under the hot shower with fragrant foam, she had already forgotten about the ‘scary’ hallway sitter.
And in the morning, when she went to work, there was no one on the staircase landing.
But in the evening, the same man was sitting in the same place, and now Tanya was not frightened, but even stopped.
«You… it must be cold sitting here… What happened? Why don’t you go home? Do you have a home?» she asked, and was surprised when the man looked at her.
His gaze was intelligent but confused. What struck the woman was his childishly pure smile.
«I don’t know if I have a home… That’s the thing… But don’t be afraid. I won’t be here long. I’ll figure something out and leave…» the man’s voice lacked confidence.
And on his face was written confusion, puzzlement, and even fear.
«Ah, you know what? Come to my place, we’ll have dinner and you can tell me everything… Drink some hot tea…» Tanya already wanted to bite her tongue, frightened by her wild act, but it was too late and so she added. «Actually, my brother should be coming soon to fix the tank…it’s leaking…»
Tanya had no brother, but she felt that the invented visit of an adult man to her apartment might somehow protect her from the guest’s bad thoughts.
«I’m, of course, grateful to you. I won’t lie—I’m very hungry. But… it’s inconvenient…» the man hesitated.
«It’s inconvenient to put on pants over your head,» Tanya laughed, relieved.
«Well, yes… and to sleep on the ceiling…» a broad smile made the man look much younger.
«Maybe he’s about my age,» thought Tatiana, who suddenly realized that she was not scared at all—after all, he was definitely not a marginal—marginals don’t talk like that.
«There’s the bathroom, wash your hands, and then… can you peel potatoes?»
Half an hour later, Tanya and the man were sitting at the table, enjoying simple food—boiled potatoes drizzled with vegetable oil and fatty herring.
Then they drank tea, and Tanya felt as if she had known this not-tall, just slightly taller than her, and unremarkable man for a long time. He seemed somehow related to her.
«I don’t know what my name is,» he answered her first question. «I found myself in the hospital.»
«How and why I ended up there, I don’t remember, I only know what the investigators and hospital staff told me.»
«They found me barely alive on some street, a boy returning late from training called the police and an ambulance.»
That’s all I know.
Well, I escaped from the hospital two days ago when I found out they wanted to commit me to a ‘psych ward’.
Maybe they should have…
At least there would have been a roof over my head and food.
But I went for a walk in the hospital park, found a hole in the fence, and here I am…
Wandering around the city for the second day…
Hoping to find my home or at least some ‘beacon’ and remember everything.
«Wow… What a story… Let me think of a name for you, we need some way to address you, for example, Oleg… And you will definitely remember your real name! Just watch! And, most likely, you have a family… Maybe they are looking for you…»
«No one is looking for me. The police would definitely know. And those guys, from the investigative committee, on the contrary, pressured me, forced me to remember. But don’t worry. I’ll walk around for another three days, and then I’ll return to the hospital—let them commit me to this… to the ‘psych ward.’ — he sadly concluded. «Well, alright, thank you for dinner and for your compassion. I’ll go.»
Tanya’s heart clenched at the thought of the man sitting all night in a draft, leaning against a radiator.
«Well.. can’t just leave him to stay overnight.» —she tried to reassure herself and suddenly thought—she took a stepladder and pulled out a warm jacket—a down jacket—from the loft. «Oleg, here, take this… it’ll be cozier for you out there in the cold… And in the morning, you can bring it back.»
The man looked strangely at Tanya, seemed like he wanted to say something, but remained silent, just uncertainly took the jacket, thanked her, and went out into the cold hallway.
The next day the woman bought some meat and already invited «Oleg» to dinner without any fear.
«Well? Didn’t find a ‘beacon’?»
«Alas… It’s silent… I only remembered my parents and my childhood… My dad was small, skinny, I suppose I take after him… We lived in our own house and I had a little sister..Only I don’t remember where that house is!»
«See! You just don’t remember yet! But gradually you will definitely remember everything! Don’t rush to give up, Oleg. In the ‘psych ward,’ they’ll quickly turn you into a vegetable.»
«I understand that. But… I need somewhere to live. Today an old lady yelled that she would call the police, saying what if I’m a bandit or a t.e.r.r.o.r.i.s.t—might steal jars of cucumbers from her cellar or better yet blow up her house. And she’ll call,» the man bitterly smiled.
«Ah… You know what… If you want, then…» Tanya hesitated, realizing it was foolish! Foolish! Reckless! to do this, but still said. «I have a mattress in the basement… It can be spread out there at night.. just remove the table from the alcove… After all, you’ll soon remember everything. Let’s find a hypnotist—maybe he can help.»
«But I… I feel uncomfortable. I haven’t…» «Oleg» blushed awkwardly.
«Not bathed? Ha-ha-. So what’s the problem—there’s the bathroom, here’s a towel, and here’s my tracksuit… We’re about the same height and almost the same build…,» Tanya skeptically looked at the man’s face. «And probably need to shave the beard, too. Here are some disposable razors.»
«Thank you, Tanyush. You’re my guardian angel. You have a heart of gold.»
«Nothing special. I have an ordinary heart. Just…just somehow I felt terribly sorry for you. You know, as if you’re my own…brother.»
«Wow! Only let’s not brother, okay?» «Oleg» looked seriously at the woman and she shyly looked away.
And when he came out clean-shaven, she was stunned by his transformation.
Firstly, Oleg was definitely no older than her, maybe even younger.
And secondly—such a face could only belong to… a doctor… a scientist… a musician…a writer…
The man flatly refused to lay the mattress in the same room with Tanya.
«I’ll sleep in the hallway—at least I’ll be of some use, well… like a guard.»
Oleg turned out to have golden hands—he fixed all the leaking and dripping faucets in the apartment, secured the loose electrical sockets, adjusted the windows from which merciless drafts blew.
And when, at the request of a neighbor, he hung shelves and pictures for her, news of the handy man quickly spread by word of mouth throughout the microdistrict and he became the local ‘Man of the Hour’.
At first, he was shy about taking money, but then he decided—how long can he sit on Tatyana’s neck.
Relationships with the woman became closer and warmer.
They found many common topics for conversation.
And Oleg kept wondering—why did he remember so much—remembered even movies and actors in them, books and their characters, names of cities and countries… Remembered that meowing creatures are called cats, and barking ones—dogs, remembered that cows give milk, and birches have white trunks with speckles… He remembered a lot. But about himself—nothing. Even his own name had been erased from his memory. Yes, he had already gotten used to the new one—as if he had always been Oleg.
Moreover, the man, seeing some movie about hackers on TV, thought and… the next day he asked permission to open Tanya’s laptop, quickly typing there.
«You know, it turns out I can write programs…» he was surprised. «That was definitely my profession.»
So began a side job on the Internet, bringing a substantial addition to the family budget.
And one day they sat up late watching a movie and the woman dozed off, resting her head on his shoulder.
Oleg cautiously… touched her hair with his lips, smelling of some flowers, and groaned with the desire that surged up.
He would have held back. He would have stopped. If Tanya hadn’t reached out to him with her lips.
From that time, their relationship became full-fledged. Tatyana was flying on wings—in her previous sad marriage experience, she couldn’t imagine being so happy in marriage.
«Fate threw you to me,» she laughed.
«Well? I need to legalize myself—no matter how long you sit, you need to get documents and get a job under my own name, so after the weekend I’ll go through the instances.»
But there was no need to go anywhere.
On Saturday, the happy world of Tatyana crumbled.
They were already perceived as a married couple and were invited to an anniversary evening in a cafe by a colleague.
«Meet Oksanka, this is my… m-m-m… husband…» said Tatyana, approaching the celebrant.
«I’m Oleg.» The man extended his hand and suddenly froze, staring at Oksana, then said confusedly, «Excuse me.»
His face turned to stone and paled.
«Oleg, what’s wrong with you?» Tanya made an apologetic gesture with her shoulders to the colleague and turned to the man. «Do you feel bad?»
«Yes.. That is no… Tanyush…I remembered. I remembered everything. Your colleague—she looks very much like my wife. Yes, yes.. I have a wife and a son who is a student. And I—Grigory S*. And I..yes..exactly… I worked at a major organization as a programmer… And one day some thug, huge, like a wardrobe, attacked me when I was walking our dog… —a little chihuahua… And that’s all. I don’t remember more.
«Well, there. I told you you’d remember! Hooray! It happened.» Tanya tried not to show her disarray and despair, close to desperation. «You remember your address?»
«Of course. After all, I was born and raised there. It’s my parents’ apartment. They lived in the city and then moved back to the village, but they left the apartment for me. Only… I don’t understand—why aren’t they—my wife and son—looking for me?»
«Well, you’ll return home and find out everything,» Tanya couldn’t hide her sadness.
«Tanyusha, but I… I don’t want to leave you. Understand? I’ve never felt as good and warm as I have with you. Especially not with my wife. Maybe I loved her when we got married, but definitely not in recent years. Especially since she… well, never mind… It’s not important.»
«Oleg! Oh. that is, Grigory, but you still need to go back to her, to your son. And there you together will decide how to be…»
«Yes, you’re right. Only… Will you take me back?»
«Well… Don’t rush, at least. Make a thoughtful decision.»
Oleg-Grigory left and Tanya cried all evening, pressing his sweater to her lips.
«Everything’s right. Everything’s correct. He’s a stranger… Let him have everything good—he’s a wonderful person and deserves happiness.»—she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
A knock on the door rang out in the early morning.
Tanya gasped, seeing Oleg in the peephole with swollen and bruised lips and a torn jacket.
«My God! What happened?!» she flung open the door. «Come in.»
The man silently extended his arms, grabbed Tanya in an embrace, and pressed her to himself.
«Well, that’s it… That’s it…» he said, and his heart thudded in time with the words.
«Imagine, Tanyush,» he later told her. «I rang the doorbell, my wife opened it and… screamed from… no, not from joy, not from confusion, but from horror and fear…
«Pasha!!!» she yelled and the same two-meter thug who had beaten me that evening jumped out of the hallway. Broke me with the calculation that I wouldn’t survive. Even stabbed me with a knife.
«So you survived, you wretch?!» he hissed, seeing me today.
«And I understood everything.
«Tanya, you understand that I’m not Jackie Chan and so I decided to run away. But where to— he caught up with me, knocked me down, but… this time I was luckier. And not him.
— Just then a patrol car was passing by—well, they caught him.
— It turned out that he was my wife’s long-time lover and they together decided to get rid of me even the first time.
— Well, now all this will be unraveled.
— That’s it. — Grigory took Tanya’s fingers into his own and gently brought them to his bruised lips. — Well, I’ll restore the documents, file for divorce and… make you an offer. Do you agree?
—Agreed, of course—make… an offer… — Tatyana laughed.
—And your answer will be…? — the man smiled.
—My answer remains a mystery. A woman should be a mystery.
—Well come to me, my mysterious beloved…
While the investigation was ongoing, Grigory restored documents—some were still lying in his apartment, some he made anew. He returned to work, divorced his wife, and evicted her from his apartment.
Tanya and he filed an application.
The most painful issue was settled with the son.
During the investigation, it turned out that the boy Grisha thought was his son was actually not his child, but that of the same «thug»—he was like him in height and build.
«He took after my great-grandfather on my father’s side,» his wife used to say.
But the most hurtful thing was that the son knew who his real father was and all this time had been deceiving Grigory together with his mother.
Tatyana also awaited a surprise in this story.
She came with Grisha to the verdict announcement.
Her eyebrows climbed her forehead when she saw the defendant—the same two-meter «thug» Pavel.
«It can’t be! It can’t be!» she silently screamed.
«What’s wrong with you?» Grigory lovingly embraced his beloved woman. «Told you, you shouldn’t have come with me.»
«It’s P-p-p-avel… My ex-husband.»
«Oh, and what a life twist!» Grigory embraced the woman more tightly, and, encountering the amazed gaze of the defendant, proudly squared his shoulders.
