Galina ran along the platform, gasping under the weight of her bags, afraid she might miss the last train. Jumping almost on the move into a half-empty car, she exhaled, sat down on the bench, and took a long time to catch her breath. She pulled out a small mirror from her handbag, looked at herself, and thought, «Well, look at that! Loads of wrinkles, bags under the eyes, and this silly perm with burnt ends, I’ve turned into an old woman! All thanks to that ex-husband of mine, may he never prosper!»
The journey was long, about an hour and a half, so the woman closed her eyes and began to remember her past, which she couldn’t shake off.
Galina didn’t know who her parents were or whose child she really was. At the age of five, police found her crying at the station, begging passersby for a piece of bread. No adults were around. All she could tell about herself was that her name was Galya, and she didn’t remember her last name or where she lived. The authorities quickly found her parents since they lived nearby. But in their drunken stupor, they hadn’t even noticed their daughter was missing and easily gave her up. The orphanage treated her for severe bronchitis, lice, and scabies, and cut her hair short, giving her the nickname Galka for her sharp nose, slender neck, jet-black hair, and resemblance to a magpie. Surprisingly, she didn’t remember her parents and didn’t miss them, and the compassionate caretakers never told her about them to protect her psyche.
Life in the shelter was tough, with bullying from nasty peers and strict educators who could lock her up in a storage closet with rats for any minor offense. The feeling of constant hunger haunted her long after leaving the orphanage. By law, she should have received housing from the state upon reaching adulthood, but in reality, she was given a dilapidated old room with holes in the walls and a broken window, tossed at her with the words, «Well, don’t hang your head, make yourself at home, darling!»
But living there was simply impossible, and the dormitory was so decrepit that it was demolished a year later, with a promise on paper to provide new housing in exchange for the old one. So Galya found herself on the streets. She needed to survive somehow and took a job as a cleaner in a cheap motel, living there in a windowless storage room. The work was hard and thankless, and the pay was meager, but she was grateful for it since she couldn’t get hired anywhere else without experience or education.
The girl hoped that at least with marriage she might be lucky and meet her prince. After all, she was quite attractive: not tall, but neat, pretty, and always smiling. Once, Galya volunteered to help a friend re-paper her walls and stayed late. She ran back to her storage room through the dark alleys, cutting the long path short. That’s where Nikolai attached himself to her. He kept trying to strike up a conversation, complimented her, and wouldn’t leave her alone! The guy was a bit tipsy, and she was very scared of him, so she started to run. He caught up with her near the motel, turned her around, and kissed her passionately! She barely managed to break free and started screaming:
«Are you crazy? Leave me alone! People! Help!»
The young man got a little scared and retreated, shouting as he left:
«You’ll be mine anyway, brunette! I liked you a lot!»
Galya tossed and turned all night on her saggy couch. She couldn’t get the bold stranger out of her head. His passionate kiss had her legs trembling and her head spinning. «What an audacious man! Some kind of crazy maniac, but he sure kisses great!»
The next day, as she usually cleaned the hall, Lena from the reception called her:
«Galka, come here quick! There’s a suitor here for you!»
She was stunned: «What suitor? I’ve never had one!»
Below, the same stranger awaited her, sober, shaved, and with flowers. The guy smiled broadly and winked:
«Hello, brunette! You know… sorry… it was awkward. My name is Kolya, and this is for you! From the bottom of my heart! Maybe we can go for a walk this evening?!»
The girl blushed:
«Thank you, I’m Galina. Well, I don’t go out with strangers! Why are you sticking to me?»
Kolya laughed:
«I told you, you will be mine! Period. Now go to work, I’ll wait for you right here at nine tonight. Bye, dark-haired one!»
And so began their stormy romance with Nikolay. The guy was sharp-witted and a great joker, the life of the party. They often went to parties and had fun until they dropped. Kolya told her he was an athlete, a soccer player, and that he would soon be taken on the national team. He truly was fit and in excellent athletic shape. Galya herself didn’t notice how she fell head over heels in love! And soon enough, the young couple got married and moved into Nikolay’s Khrushchev-era apartment. At first, they lived modestly but happily, doing everything together. But it wasn’t long before the first warning signs appeared. For some reason, no team took him, he wasn’t eager to look for a job, and he often liked to drink with friends, sometimes excessively! Initially, Galya just grumbled and tried to talk to him, to appeal to his conscience, but he just joked it off:
«Oh, stop nagging, Galka, my head is splitting. I told you, it’s the last time! From Monday, not a drop! And I’ll get a job! Just wait a bit!»
But as years went by, Galya toiled like a horse for both of them, while Kolya lived off her, singing his way through life!
Serious scandals began in the family, leading to divorce. Galya slowly started saving penny by penny for her own place, realizing that sooner or later they would have to part ways!
Eventually, when after five years she had saved enough to buy a small house or at least a room, Galya one not so fine day reached into the linen closet, where she had carefully hidden her stash, and found it missing. She felt a chill inside and her legs gave way! She frantically searched through all the things, but in vain! The money was gone. As was the husband, who lately hadn’t been getting off the couch at all!
She understood everything instantly! It was he, Nikolay, who had stolen all her savings! She waited for him until midnight, hoping he hadn’t yet spent it. But hubby crawled home drunk to the bone by dawn! Galya shook him, screamed, and tried to find out where that scoundrel had taken her money, but he just fell in the corridor and loudly snored, unresponsive to anything.
The next morning a huge scandal erupted! Galya screamed:
«Kolya! Why did you take the money? Where did you put them! I earned them with my own back! I wanted to buy us a little house!»
He just laughed maliciously in her face:
«Us? You think I believed that? So you decided to sneak away from me… Well now, bite on this! I had a grand time yesterday, and I’ve hidden the rest safely. I’ll drink it up closer to the holidays!»
Galya was shocked by such audacity, she screamed in his face:
«Scoundrel! Villain! I hate you! I’m filing for divorce and leaving you! You’ve ruined my life! All you know is how to get drunk! What did I do to deserve this?»
«Well then get out of my apartment! Who needs you without your own place? You’ll move back to a utility room? Be gone!»
Galya hysterically packed her things and left, slamming the door loudly. She cried for a long time, wandered around the city with a bag slung over her shoulder, and didn’t know what to do next. With the last of her money, she rented a small room on the outskirts and began to survive alone. She felt so bitter and foolish: «What a fool I am! So many years wasted on that bastard! Worked like a horse, day and night, denied myself everything, and what? What do I have? No home, no child, and I look like an old woman! I didn’t take care of myself, didn’t preserve myself! How am I to live on?»
She barely stretched the last pennies to afford food, utility payments, and room rent, while she browsed fresh job listings. One day, an interesting ad caught her eye: caretaking for an elderly person in exchange for a house in the village with accommodation. She grabbed this opportunity like a lifeline! After all, she couldn’t afford to buy herself a home even in the distant future, and moving around at over forty was getting harder. She called and arranged a meeting. Arriving at the given address, an elderly man, a dandelion of about eighty years old, greeted her. He led the guest to the kitchen, poured some tea, and began to tell about himself:
«My name is Vasily Ivanovich. I’m from the countryside, from Orekhovka, about eighty kilometers from here. I worked as a tractor driver all my life, kept a farm, a huge garden. There used to be a family, a son, everything like normal people. Don’t think I’m some kind of hermit! Yes, my wife, Evdokia, died early, left me all alone in this world, and my son disappeared without a trace, went to the capital and vanished, haven’t heard from him in ten years. But now, in my old age, I’ve become completely helpless, my hands tremble, I can barely bring a teacup to my lips. My legs also barely obey me, I can’t even hobble with a stick. It’s a terrible thing, old age, especially when you’re alone in this world with no one to hand you a glass of water. So, kind people rented me this apartment and suggested I place an ad in the newspaper. And there, my little house remains empty, but I no longer have the strength to manage alone. So, I want to live out my days in peace, I don’t have long left, I feel it. In return, I’ll transfer the house to you, all honestly. Well, do you agree to deal with an old man?»
Galya answered:
«With pleasure. You, I see, are not a troublesome person. Neither am I, so we’ll get along. After all, I ended up on the street after the divorce from my husband. That’s how life goes… I gave my whole life to that scoundrel, and he kicked me out and even stole the money I had been saving for housing. My name is Galina, by the way. Nice to meet you. God didn’t bless me with children, so I’ll even be glad to take care of someone. I’ll vacate my room tomorrow and move in with you right away. While I’m here, let me cook you something to eat. Let’s see, what do we have in the fridge? Oh, it’s pretty bare… Then I’ll go to the store first, then cook. Agreed? What would you like for dinner?»
Galya cooked thick cabbage soup and milk porridge, and the grandfather devoured the food with great pleasure. She helped him undress and put him to bed. She drew the curtains and said:
«Well, Vasily Ivanovich, rest until tomorrow. I’m off to pack.»
The old man blissfully smiled:
«Until tomorrow, Galochka! I’m very much looking forward to it. Haven’t eaten this well in a long time… Honestly!»
Time passed, Galya lived with Vasily Ivanovich soul to soul, conscientiously fulfilling all her duties, but years take their toll, the old man’s condition worsened, he almost never got out of bed, and quietly passed away in the autumn. Throughout these days, they had become like family. Galya sincerely mourned, who now to talk to heart-to-heart? Who to cook for? She took it upon herself to organize a modest funeral and memorial service, as Vasily Ivanovich’s own son never made contact, and he had no other relatives.
After some time, Galya inherited the property, and the house officially became hers. Today, she was driving to Orekhovka after work for the weekend, needing to start getting her dwelling in order.
However, as she approached the house, Galya’s spirits increasingly sank! The fence was completely rotten and lay on the ground. The yard and garden were overgrown with weeds and shrubs. She barely managed to open the rusted padlock and entered inside. It was dusty and gloomy everywhere. But Galya was no stranger to hardship. She told herself, «Alright, enough sulking! Get changed quickly and try to fix the fence before it gets dark!» She rolled up her sleeves and tackled the task with great zeal. But honestly, it wasn’t going very well, as the job clearly needed some male strength and ingenuity. She accidentally hammered her finger, tore her leg on a rotten board, got all messy, and the fence still didn’t budge. The woman sat down on a bench and wiped the sweat from her forehead: «No matter how I look at it, I need to ask some man for help! I can’t overcome it alone!»
A terrible storm was approaching outside, the wind gusts strengthened, and suddenly, as if from a bucket, it started to pour rain! Galya hurried into the house, lit candles, when suddenly there was a loud and persistent knocking at the window. The woman was scared: «Who could it be? I don’t know anyone here… And in such bad weather.»
The hostess rushed out to the yard, throwing on a jacket quickly, and opened the gate. A strange stranger stood on the doorstep in a khaki jacket with a hood covering half of his face. He was grim, unshaven, and terribly worn out. He carried a heavy, battered backpack.
Galya asked fearfully:
«Hello, who are you looking for? We don’t seem to be acquainted!»
The man looked at her pleadingly and requested:
«I beg you! Let me stay the night! Don’t turn me away! I have nowhere to go! The rain will stop, and I will leave quietly in the morning!»
She knew in her mind that it was a huge risk, who knows what he had in mind, and frankly, the appearance of the stranger was intimidating, but for some reason, she couldn’t refuse him. And she let him into the house silently.
Then she quietly said:
«Sorry, it’s not tidy. It’s my first day here. I’ll prepare something for you to eat now and make up a bed in the entryway. I won’t invite you into the house, don’t take it the wrong way. My name’s Galina. And you? Where are you from? Clearly from far away! What brings you to the village at this hour?»
The man quietly responded:
«I’m Mikhail. You’re right, I’m from far away, a geologist, that’s how it turned out, I’ll tell you later. No big deal, I’ll sleep in the entryway, thank you for not turning me away.»
Galina brewed tea, quickly made sandwiches, they had dinner in silence and went to bed. Galya securely locked her room door, propping a chair under the handle just in case, thinking that if the stranger decided to break in, the chair would fall loudly. Only in the early morning did she finally fall asleep, exhausted by fatigue.
She was awakened by the distinct sounds of something heavy outside the window. Galya abruptly sat up on the sofa, looked around: the chair was in place, meaning no one had tried to get in. Then she quietly moved it aside and walked into the entryway. Mikhail was nowhere to be seen, but his backpack was still there. She went outside and was stunned. The man, skillfully wielding a hammer and saw, was just finishing fixing the fence. The job was going so well and easily that she even smiled and went to prepare breakfast.
«Mikhail, good morning! There’s a barrel of water by the shed, wash up and come have breakfast. I’ve almost got everything ready.»
«Good morning, I’m coming!»
Mikhail ate his fried eggs with sausage and pancakes silently but with huge appetite. At the end of the meal, he thanked her sparingly:
«Thank you, it was very tasty. And thank you for the lodging too. May I stay a couple more days? I’ll help you here. It’s hard for you alone to manage the house. It’s not a woman’s job to wield a hammer. If not, I’ll leave right now!»
Galina hesitated, then answered:
«Thank you for fixing the fence so skillfully! Stay, you won’t be in the way. And indeed, male strength is needed everywhere here! Just watch yourself, no foolishness! You keep sleeping in the entryway!»
After breakfast, they jointly fought the weeds in the yard, working up a sweat. Mikhail chopped firewood and heated up the sauna. Galina steamed first, then went to set the table. When the guest went to wash, she wanted to move his clothes from the chair and noticed a patch, looked closely, and gasped! It was a prison patch! Panic seized her: «Idiot! I sheltered a fugitive convict! Mommy… What now? He’ll surely strangle or stab me! Though, on the other hand, if he wanted to, he would have done it last night! And what’s there to steal? There’s no wealth in the house. So that’s why he’s been silent and almost told me nothing! What a mess I’ve gotten myself into!»
From the sauna, the man emerged clean-shaven, rosy-cheeked, and refreshed. And quietly said, «How wonderful! I haven’t felt this pleasure in a long time.»
Galina looked closely at Mikhail: medium height, handsome as it turned out, curly hair, and a dimple on his chin. But most importantly, his eyes: they held such sorrow and despair, like an animal trapped in a cage!
The man just glanced at his clothes, which were not as he left them, and immediately understood everything. He looked intently at Galina, her veins trembling, and asked:
«Saw it, didn’t you? I thought so. Don’t worry so much, I wasn’t imprisoned for murder! Yes, I’m a convict. Moreover, a fugitive. That’s the plain truth. First time, still a minor, I was very skilled at breaking into cars, but still got caught quickly. There were three of us. The buddies convinced me to take all the blame. They said, ‘They won’t give you much for being a minor,’ so I agreed. Then I got out, thought that was it, never again, but it turns out to be a vicious cycle. With a record, no one will hire you, but you need to live on something, so you start the same old schemes again. Second time I was caught five years ago. By then I had become so skilled at this, they couldn’t catch me for years. I only stole cars from wealthy brats who are swimming in money. They can afford it, they didn’t buy those cars on salary. I had one year left to serve. I’m a fool for giving in to the buddies’ temptations and agreeing to escape. We managed to escape, surprisingly, but then our paths diverged. They called me again to do the same thing, steal cars and alter their numbers. But I decided that’s it, enough! I’ve had my fill of prison slop! I think, better to die like a dog under a fence than to steal again. So I’ve been hiding out in the woods and warming up in empty summer houses. What to do next, I honestly don’t know. That’s the situation. Now you know everything, so I probably should go! I understand, who wants to let a fugitive convict into their home and have trouble.
Galina was silent for a moment, then quietly said:
«Turns out your fate might be even worse than mine. I’ve been struggling since childhood myself. Grew up in an orphanage, then spent half my life married to an alcoholic, never saw the light of day, and then took care of that old man who in gratitude deeded me this little house. Such a good man he was. Vasily Ivanovich and I got along so well, he was like family to me. Always worried about his son, that he disappeared somewhere without a trace! So it’s not all roses for me either. Now I’m back working as a cleaner at a motel, I have no energy left, live right there, in a utility closet a meter by a meter. I’m thinking of getting the house in order and leaving here for good. I’ll take up gardening, maybe get a job as a milkmaid or something. It’s easy to breathe here, somehow free. I’m not driving you away, stay a bit longer. You’ve been a great help to me!»
The weekend flew by like a single day, Mikhail now was smiley, talkative. He turned out to be a good conversationalist, didn’t swear, and didn’t use prison slang. In these two days, Galya and Misha accomplished a lot around the house. It was time for the woman to return to work. She packed up and said goodbye:
«Well, I’m leaving. I’ll come back on Friday for good. I’ll settle things at work and move all my stuff over.» The man was surprised:
«And what, you’re just going to leave me here alone and go? Knowing I’m a convict? Aren’t you afraid? Such a daredevil… I’ve never met anyone like that.»
The woman sighed heavily and shrugged:
«I’m scared, to be honest. I won’t lie. But on the other hand, what’s there to steal? I live poorly myself, I hope everything will be fine, and you won’t let me down. And about being a naive fool, I know that myself, but it’s too late now, I can’t change. That’s always been my trouble.»
She was restless all week, constantly thinking about Mikhail and her house. She scolded herself: «Maybe I should come back earlier? Such a naive fool I am! And it’s been like this all my life! I’ll come back and find he’s brought his convict buddies to live, and I’ll be out on the streets again… then what?»
She barely waited until Friday, left work, and rushed to the village. She approached the house cautiously, listening and watching. But to her surprise, everything was in perfect order! Moreover, the house was clean, fried potatoes were sizzling on the stove, and Misha was tidying up the shed, stacking firewood neatly. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t hear her right away.
Galya cheerfully said:
«Hello, Mikhail! You’ve done a great job, it’s so clean everywhere! I worried for nothing.»
The man smiled and responded:
«Hello, hello! Oh, come on, you’re flattering me. I just did it to stave off boredom. It’s more fun together, but it’s downright depressing here alone. Good that you’re here for good. Shall we go eat? I’ve cooked something!»
A couple more days flew by. Galya caught herself thinking that she felt very good and comfortable with Misha, as if they were husband and wife who had lived together their whole lives. Misha didn’t overstep any boundaries, but he looked at her so eloquently that the woman, starved for male warmth, simply melted. After all, there had been no intimacy with her alcoholic husband for a long time.
But it all ended in an instant when police burst into Galya’s home and abruptly arrested Misha! He didn’t resist and only looked reproachfully at the woman, thinking she had tipped off the officers. Galya instantly understood and desperately shook her head:
Misha, don’t think badly of me! It wasn’t me!»
A police officer at the scene explained that the information about Mikhail’s whereabouts was given by a neighbor, Igor, an unpleasant type who accidentally overheard a conversation that day. Moreover, he recognized him as the son of the former owner, Vasily Ivanovich, because the neighbor had known him since childhood. Since Galina had rejected Igor and sharply cut off all his attempts at courtship, he harbored ill will against her and decided to cause trouble this way. The police had known Igor for a long time; he was a reliable informant and reported everything happening around.
With tears in her eyes, Galya saw Misha off:
«Write me at least a line! Where you are and how you are! I will come to you, do you hear? Believe me!»
«Thank you for your kindness, Galochka, I will never forget!»
Mikhail was taken away, and Galya was left alone again. Suddenly, it felt so lonely and sad. Her hands just dropped. She fell on the sofa and burst into tears: «Why am I so unlucky? If I ever meet a man I’m drawn to, he’s either a drunk or a fugitive criminal? How did this neighbor come about, curse him! If only I could live with Misha a bit longer and feel like a woman! Forget them all! Apparently, it’s my fate to live out my days alone!»
And she got back to work, as there’s no downtime in rural life. Five months passed and suddenly the postwoman brought Galya a letter!
She shouted from the threshold:
«Galochka! Your fly-by-night lover has sent you a letter! He must love you, hasn’t forgotten! But don’t be too flattered, they’re all the same, writing to women from prison to live off someone else later, I saw it on TV!»
The woman just waved the postwoman away like an annoying fly and with trembling hands opened the envelope. The handwriting was angular, but it was clear that the man had tried very hard to write legibly:
«Hello dear, sweet, Galochka. I thought long and hard and decided to write to you. They’ve added to my sentence for escaping. You better forget me, a good-for-nothing fool! Don’t come! Don’t ruin your life! I want to tell you something very important, that’s why I wrote! Know that you will remain in my memory as the happiest and brightest moment of my worthless, broken life! You don’t even realize what a wonderful woman you are. You should be cherished. It’s hard to find such a smart and capable woman nowadays. It’s a pity we didn’t meet earlier! I hope you’ll find a man worthy of you, without a prison past. Goodbye, my dear, I hug you tightly! Don’t remember me with bitterness!»
Galya clutched the letter to herself and cried desperately: «So he remembers, hasn’t forgotten! Why is it all like this! How I miss him!»
After a week of agonizing, Galya decided: «I’ll go see him! Maybe they’ll let me? Just to take another look at him! I understand it’s silly, but my heart is drawn to this poor man, kill me!»
She spent a long time knocking on the doors of various authorities and finally, after six months, managed to obtain a long visit with Mikhail. All this time they corresponded, Galya waited for each letter with a pounding heart!
Neighbors and fellow villagers condemned her and discouraged her from this rash step:
«Galochka! Don’t be a fool! Why do you need that convict? He didn’t even bury his own father, always stuck in camps. What kind of life is that? You’ll just end up with problems! Do you need that? Aren’t there enough normal men in the world? Poor soul, by God!»
Finally, the woman was allowed to meet with the prisoner. Galya prepared for the long journey. She bought everything she could to pass on to Misha and went. They were given a separate room under guard. Galya set the table and nervously adjusted her hair in the mirror, all the while thinking: «And what did he find in me? A forty-five-year-old woman, with traces of an unsuccessful personal life on her face! Nothing attractive. My figure has also long since spread at the seams and is no longer girlish.»
Half an hour later, Mikhail was brought in. In his prison robe and with a shaved head, he looked even younger and more vulnerable. And the eyes on his gaunt, emaciated face became even more expressive.
When the door closed behind the guard, he approached her, hugged her tightly, and said:
«Well, hello, Galochka! You actually came! How happy I am! No one has ever loved me like this! Come to me, my dear!»
And they were swept away into a whirlwind of passion. He seemed not to notice her wrinkles, kissing each one, and whispered sweet tender words to her! Lord, her ex-husband had never spoken so many words of love to her as Misha did in those days! They could not let go of each other for a long time. Then they talked a lot about life, about the future. Galya promised she would wait for him! And that she needed no one else. And Misha swore he would forever give up thievery, find a job in the village, and they would definitely get married, and live one big happy family. Their idyll was interrupted by the stern guard who announced that the visit was over. He too looked at Galya, as if she were delusional, with condemnation and reproach, and truly did not understand why women travel thousands of kilometers to convicts? It’s not a rare phenomenon. And it would be one thing if she were young and foolish, but she’s of age, yet still, there she goes!
With a heavy heart, Galya went home, not wanting to part and be alone again. But now she had a ray of hope! She believed, Misha would not betray, not deceive! He truly loved her, she could feel it! Let them judge her, let them laugh in her face as much as they want! But she was happy with him, and that was that!
A couple of months after the visit, Galya began to feel a strange malaise. She was constantly nauseous, wanted nothing but to sleep. She chalked it all up to age-related ailments, lamenting that the symptoms had flared up all at once, and only when something clearly began to stir and push in her belly did she start to realize! The ultrasound showed twins, she nearly fell off the couch. The thought raced through her brain: «This can’t be! I’m forty-five! And with Misha, we hardly anything! Can it really be true, and I’ll become a mother? Oh, how scary! Two at once! Will I be able to raise them? Do I have enough strength and health? How do I tell Misha, will he believe?»
Unfortunately, Galya’s tests were very bad, her age critical, and doctors were very worried for her life and the children’s. So they immediately hospitalized her for preservation, right up to the birth, and didn’t even allow her to stand up much. The pregnancy was so complicated. It was hard for Galya, of course, since only the kind-hearted postwoman Zina, who sometimes came to the city for her errands, visited her. The days in the hospital dragged on tediously and monotonously, and it seemed they had no end. The woman desperately wanted to go home, since there was probably complete neglect there. But most importantly, she needed to send Misha the joyful news that he was soon to become a father of two babies! How would he take it? Galya agonized and worried, especially since no one gave good prognosis for such a complicated pregnancy. But there was no answer from Misha to her several letters… After another week of waiting, Galya finally gave up and bitterly cried: «So that’s you, Misha, who you really are… You don’t need children or a family. People were right, I didn’t listen to them, and they warned me, but I believed, like a schoolgirl, in pure love…»
But Galya didn’t know the truth, just recently her beloved had been transferred to another colony, and the letters kept going to the old address unanswered.. Misha was also worn out when he stopped receiving letters from his beloved Galochka: «Could something have happened to her? She couldn’t have just suddenly stopped communicating and left him! Although… Maybe some decent man with a clean reputation came along! How nauseating and painful it is! Just when he started to believe that fate had finally turned to him, there it was, happiness, right next to him, just reach out! But no, another downfall!»
He barely waited for his release from prison and immediately rushed to Orekhovka! Misha walked around the house three times, everything was deserted, the yard and garden overgrown, an rusty lock hanging on the door. «Where could she have gone? Left? She has no relatives! Definitely went to live with someone and found a man! How could it be? I believed her! And now, how to live?» He wanted to disappear right there, in front of her house, and no longer suffer from jealousy and hurt!
He sat on a bench and clasped his head with his hands. Where to go and how to live further he had no idea! Galya was his last hope!
Then he was spotted by granny Masha, living nearby, who was just returning from the store, and she approached him:
«Are you waiting for Galka? Well, she’s in the maternity hospital! They put her there back in spring, and she lay there until the very birth. Afanasyevna visited her yesterday, seems like she should have given birth already! Run fast, daddy! Or you’ll be too late! She’s having twins!»
Misha literally jumped on the spot and shouted:
«Can’t be? What news! Why didn’t she write to me? Thank you! Which maternity hospital, where should I look for her?»
The kind-hearted old lady said:
«You funny man! Yes, she’s been suffering there, poor thing! No joke, to decide to give birth at such an age! Some are already babysitting grandchildren. Wait, I’ll gather a parcel for her! Why would you go empty-handed? Send greetings from granny Masha. Take care of her, and go home, clean up everything, so she returns home with the child. Clear? The same to me, men, you have to be taught everything!»
Mikhail heartily thanked the granny and rushed to the maternity hospital! In the lobby, they cheered him up:
«Galina Kozlova? Gave birth, twins. A boy and a girl. Weight two nine hundred and two and a half. And you are, the father? Let me record your details! Leave the parcel, but you can’t see her. The birth was very complicated, especially since we have strict regulations.»
The man was terribly worried that he wouldn’t be able to see Galochka:
«Can you pass a note? I’ll just scribble a couple of words for her! Please, it’s very important to me! What room is she in and when will they let me see her?»
Galya was recovering from the most difficult birth, which had completely exhausted her. She had no strength at all. She worried a lot for the babies, hearing how doctors whispered that they were very weak and took them somewhere. Hopefully, everything was okay with them! Suddenly, she heard a cry under the window and a painfully familiar voice with a hoarseness:
«Galochka! Thank you for the kids! I love you!»
The woman couldn’t believe her ears! Could it really be Misha? He’s back?
She barely hobbled to the window, wincing from the pain in her lower abdomen, and waved to him, he was terribly happy, sent her air kisses and jumped on the spot! Both cried from happiness, unable to hold back the emotions.
Galina lay with the twins for another three weeks, as the babies were very weak, and finally, they were discharged home. Misha with a neighbor’s car was already waiting at the maternity hospital doorstep. He tremulously took the babies in his arms and was afraid to even stir, lest they suddenly cry. The man stared at the little noses and eyes and couldn’t believe that he was now a father of two children! And that at forty-five years old! Miracles, and only!
When they arrived home, Galya was greeted by a surprise. Misha had crafted excellent wooden cribs for the twins, such beauty! The house was clean, the yard cleared of weeds, and simple treats were already on the table! Galya gasped! She hugged Misha and said:
«What a good job you’ve done! I thought I’d come back, and it’d be all dust and dirt, I’ve been away from home for so long! And you have golden hands, and a kind heart! I’m glad we met!»
The man beamed, but then became sad:
«It’s just a pity that I’ve lived such a useless life as a fool! Where now to look for work if I’ve spent half my life in camps! And how to explain to the kids that their dad’s a convict! A disgrace!»
Galya hurried to reassure him:
«No, the most important thing is that you’ve realized that, and now you’re starting a new, completely different life. Go talk to the chairman, maybe he’ll find something for you. If not, we’ll start a big farm, a garden, and trade meat and dairy, we won’t starve to death!»
Galya and Mikhail got married, and became a real close-knit family. Neighbors only marveled at how well everything turned out for them! Gradually, starting with rabbits and chickens, they ended up with a small farm! Galya learned to make cheese and butter, which were snapped up at the market, not to mention the boiled milk. They worked together, to the seventh sweat, and didn’t forget about the kids, Vika and Romchik also actively helped them, even though they were still tiny. Villagers gossiped about them for a long time, and even envied a bit:
«Look, who would have thought, an orphan and a convict managed such a thing! Amazing, how Galka managed to give birth at such an age! Aye, well done!»
And their kids were simply a sight to behold! Cute, smart! Just a model family. That’s how it happens! We thought Mishka would never come to his senses!
Incomes began to slowly grow, quality farm products sold well. Galya had long dreamed of setting up at least a modest monument for Vasily Ivanovich, so she decided on a difficult conversation with Misha:
«Dear, I’ve wanted to ask you something for a long time. We’ve never talked about this directly. Why didn’t you ever tell me that you’re Vasily Ivanovich’s son? Whom I nursed? You never talked about your family at all?»
Misha sighed:
«It’s simple, Galochka. There’s no secret. I’m just terribly ashamed to talk about it. Because I’m a terrible son, a disgrace to the family! After all, mom died right after she found out I was stealing and got imprisoned for the first time! She couldn’t recover from such a shock and basically, her death is on me… That’s why I severed all ties with my father forever, so he wouldn’t know what a scoundrel his son is! Decided, let him think I’ve disappeared without a trace. So you turned out to be a guardian angel for my father, and decently saw him off on his last journey. Thank you, my love. But there’s no forgiveness for me…»
Galya patted her husband on the arm and quietly said:
«Then let’s order a monument for your dad. It will be a tribute of respect. After all, he was a very good man. What do you think?»
Tears welled up in Mikhail’s eyes:
«What a smart woman you are, after all! I’m such a blockhead, didn’t think of it! Of course, we’ll order it. After all, God himself sent you to me, so that I would come to my senses and take up my mind, no other way! How I love you, my Galochka!»
The woman beamed at such warm words and pressed even closer to Misha, thinking to herself: «Finally, after long wanderings and sufferings, I found my happiness, albeit not perfect! Just recently, I was a life-weary lonely divorcee without a home or prospects. And now I have my own house, a beloved husband, two charming babies, and a small family farm business! Isn’t that happiness? Knowing that someone is waiting for you at home, that there’s someone to love and care for, and most importantly, that it’s mutual!»
