And what, you’re just going to leave like that?! Ksyusha, then you clearly don’t respect my parents! And that means you don’t respect me either!» Anton yelled at his future wife, who was frantically throwing things into her bag at the time.
«Anton, I’m sorry, I can’t stay. Something definitely happened to Dad, he hasn’t answered calls for two days,» Ksyusha replied, wiping away tears as she spoke.
…Ksyusha’s mother died when the girl was just five years old. She remembered her very vaguely—only small fragments of memory. Her father, Andrey Semenovich, had worked his entire life as a simple laborer, never aspiring to be a boss. He was a simple, kind-hearted man. It was just his misfortune that his wife was taken by an incurable disease much earlier than expected. And so, Andrey Semenovich remained a widower, barely thirty years old…
He grieved, but decided he had to live for his only daughter—little Ksyusha. Many advised him to remarry, even suggesting candidates. But Andrey Semenovich dismissed all potential brides. He was very concerned that no woman would be a worthy replacement for Ksyusha’s mother. So, he lived alone—as a widower.
He denied himself many things, but his daughter never wanted for anything. At the same time, he always tried to instill in his heiress the best qualities—kindness, justice, compassion. Ksyusha grew up embodying these.
When the girl started dating a local boy named Dima, Andrey Semenovich was only happy.
«Mitya is a smart guy. You’ll be safe with him, daughter, like behind a stone wall.»
«Yes, Dad, Dima is really good. It’s just that he’s being drafted into the army.»
«Well, nothing, you’ll wait. It’s only a year—just twelve months. I, in my time, served three years in the navy and nothing, your mom waited for me.»
In the autumn draft, Mitya went to the army, and Ksyusha enrolled in college and moved to the city. Her father missed her terribly, urging her to return—after all, she could have gotten an education in her hometown. But Ksyusha insisted on her decision.
And in the city, she met Anton—a prominent, athletic guy who almost immediately caught the attention of the provincial girl. He courted her beautifully, gave expensive gifts, took her to restaurants. Her friends unanimously told Ksyusha:
«You’d be a fool to trade this rich, handsome guy for your country bumpkin.»
At first, Ksyusha shrugged it off, but then she indeed decided that Mitya was not for her. She wrote him a letter about it. The boy replied. Mitya did not argue or reproach his beloved in any way. He simply said goodbye and sincerely wished her happiness. And that was the end of their relationship.
When she brought Anton to meet her father, the relationship between the men did not go well.
«Happiness isn’t in money, young man,» Andrey Semenovich told his future son-in-law.
«And what else then?! You’ve never traveled beyond your little town your whole life, living in this hut. Are you happy?» Anton disagreed.
Ksyusha was very displeased with her chosen one’s behavior.
«Antosh, why do you have to be like this with Dad…» she said once after another unpleasant conversation.
«How?! What, am I wrong that you lived your whole life in a rural hut and never even tried to buy something better, build, or even renovate? You’ve seen where my parents live, you saw the luxurious house they worked their whole lives for. I barely even saw them all my childhood.»
«Yeah? Well, Dad and I read books together every evening, drew, he told me about his youth. Then we drank tea with jam from berries we picked ourselves in the forest…»
«Enough! Stop playing your old tune. I’m not interested in listening to this. Let’s go to a restaurant instead; a new one just opened. The prices are insane, but they don’t serve bread with jam.» said Anton.
«But today I wanted to cook something for dinner myself,» Ksyusha said with a smile.
«No way! Just don’t turn into some old-fashioned housewife, because I definitely don’t need a wife like that.»
In moments like these, Ksyusha felt particularly acutely how different she and Anton were. Sometimes the girl felt as if they had arrived in this world from different planets. Meanwhile, she increasingly remembered her Mitya. Her father told her that he never married and didn’t even find a girlfriend after the army.
…This week, Anton’s parents were supposed to visit them. But for the second day, the girl couldn’t get through to her father.
«And what, you’re just going to leave like that?! Ksyusha, you don’t respect my parents and that means you don’t respect me either!» Anton yelled at his future wife, who was frantically packing her bag at the time.
«Anton, I’m sorry, I can’t stay. Something definitely happened to Dad, he hasn’t answered calls for two days,» Ksyusha replied, wiping away tears.
The girl threw some things into the bag. She had no time for Anton now. Ksyusha clearly felt that something was wrong with her father, as they used to call each other every evening. But his phone was turned off now.
«Maybe your old stump just forgot to charge his phone. Or maybe he’s gone on a binge. Why not, his daughter snagged herself a rich man. Enough to drive anyone to drink,» Anton smirked.
«Anton, how can you even say that and smile about it. We’re talking about my father, and he hasn’t taken a drop of alcohol in his life.»
«Of course…» Anton drawled arrogantly.
The girl said nothing more to her future husband. Now was not the right time for arguments, as Ksyusha had to catch the last bus from the bus station to her hometown.
She quickly reached the bus station, boarded the bus, and thought only about how to arrive as soon as possible and that her father was alive and well. She ran to the house in a few minutes. To the girl’s surprise, both the gate and the door were locked with a padlock. This meant only one thing—Dad wasn’t home. But where could he be then?
The girl left the house, knocked on the neighbors’ door.
«Aunt Masha, hello. Do you know where Dad is?» she asked.
«Oh, Ksyushenka, trouble. Andrey Semenovich is in the hospital. They took him away yesterday,» the woman wailed.
«Why didn’t you call me?» Ksyusha pleaded.
«We did call you, but you didn’t answer,» the neighbor replied.
«You probably have my old number. I changed it recently. Well, alright, thank you.»
Despite it being evening already, Ksyusha went to the hospital. The medical facility in the small town was the only one, and it was just two stops away.
At the reception, a duty nurse greeted her.
«Who are you visiting, young lady?» she asked calmly.
«Andrey Semenovich Vinogradov was admitted, I’m his daughter, what’s with him?!»
«Yes, he had a heart attack. They operated yesterday. But you can’t see him now.»
«Can I at least talk to the doctor?» Ksyusha asked.
«You can. The doctor who operated on your father is on duty today. Put on shoe covers and wait over there on the chairs, I’ll call him now,» the woman pointed to chairs in the reception area.
It turned out that the situation with her father wasn’t as bad as Ksyusha had imagined. The operation was successful, and doctors were quite optimistic about his recovery and return to normal life.
The next day, Ksyusha came to see her father again. This time, she was allowed into his room to see him.
«Dad, you really scared me!»
«Oh, daughter. My heart worries for you, it just couldn’t take it, apparently. But no matter, we’ll live longer,» the man said cheerily.
«Dad, I’ll take leave from work and stay here.»
«And your fiancé, he won’t mind?» Andrey Semenovich asked.
Ksyusha smiled at her father and shook her head no. As she left the hospital, she unexpectedly bumped into Mitya.
«Hello!» he was the first to greet his former beloved.
«Hello, Mitya. So glad to see you.» Ksyusha said.
«I’m glad too, I heard you were getting married.»
«Well, generally, yes…»
«Will you stay here for now?» the young man clarified.
«Of course, until Dad is fully recovered, there certainly won’t be any wedding.»
Ksyusha returned home. Everything here was so familiar and dear. Even sleep was sounder than in the apartment furnished with expensive furniture and appliances that belonged to Anton. In the evening, the fiancé called.
«Until Dad is completely recovered, there certainly won’t be any wedding,» she said into the phone to Anton.
«What?! What nonsense is this? Do you know what kind of people we invited? Are you trying to embarrass me?! Brainless sheep!»
«Anton, you’ll have to excuse me, but my dad is more important to me than all your influential people put together. And don’t you dare insult me!»
Anton hung up the phone. But Ksyusha didn’t even think to be upset about it because the most important thing for her now was for her father to recover.
And Andrey Semenovich was soon discharged home. But the man still needed care. Mitya drove them home, and right at the gate, Anton stood with a luxurious bouquet of roses.
«Well, I’m just in time. Feeling better, Dad? Ksyu, let’s go, everything’s alright, I bought us tickets to Turkey. Let’s unwind, breathe out, and when we return, we’ll have a wedding. One that makes the earth shake,» he smiled confidently.
«Anton, are you out of your mind?! I’m staying here. With Dad.»
«What? You know, I’m tired of your nonsense! And I won’t endure it anymore! Do you think I’ll run after you? I just have to snap my fingers, and any girl will come running. In fact, maybe you should just stay here for good, huh?» asked Anton.
«Maybe forever,» the girl quietly answered.
The guy threw the bouquet on the ground, spit, then got in his car and left.
«Well, kids, shall we go have some tea?» Andrey Semenovovich said.
«Let’s!» Ksyusha said cheerfully.
At the table, Andrey Semenovich said:
«I look at you and I’m glad—you make such a wonderful couple. Even my heart feels lighter—completely relieved.»
Mitya hugged Ksyusha, and she snuggled up to him.
«There you go. There wouldn’t be happiness, but misfortune helped,» the man said.
…And two months later, Ksyusha finally had her long-awaited wedding. Only the groom’s name was Dmitry…
