Please, daughter, pity me,» I begged. «I haven’t eaten bread for three days, and I have no money left.»
Tears were running down my cheeks, covered with fine wrinkles. In my hands, I only held a bag with empty bottles.
«But how can this be?» they answered. «This is a bread stand. We don’t take bottles. Can you read? It says clearly: bottles need to be taken to the collection point, and then you get money for bread. What do you want?»
But I didn’t know that the collection point closed at noon. I was late. I had never collected bottles before. Despair gripped me, and I walked away, not knowing where to get any money.
«Well,» she said, «you should sleep less. Tomorrow morning, take the bottles and come back.» «Daughter, give me at least a quarter of a loaf, and tomorrow I’ll pay you back. I feel dizzy from hunger.»
It was clear that the elderly woman was very embarrassed to ask, but she held herself proudly.
«No,» the saleswoman replied, «I don’t do charity. I can barely make ends meet myself. There are a lot of beggars here. Don’t linger.»
«Hello,» the saleswoman addressed a man standing near the stand. «Your favorite bread has arrived. The apricot pastries are fresh, and the cherry ones are from yesterday.»
«Good day,» the man replied, lost in his thoughts. «I’d like some bread with nuts and dried fruits. And six cherry pastries.»
«With apricot,» the saleswoman repeated. «Then with apricot.»
The man stared off into the distance, not noticing the elderly woman who was standing nearby, watching him.
The saleswoman handed the man his purchases through the window of the stall. He took out a thick wallet and paid with a large bill. His gaze slid over the elderly woman’s face and stopped on the large brooch pinned to her jacket.
The elderly woman didn’t look like a beggar at all. She had an intelligent appearance and a proud posture. She was dressed in old but neat clothing.
Pavel got into his car, placed the purchases on the front seat, and drove off.
His office was nearby.
When he arrived, his secretary Marina greeted him.
«Pavel Andreevich, your wife asked you to call her back.»
«Oh, Marina, what happened?» he asked, concerned.
Pavel Shatov was the owner of a household appliance company. He started his business in the early ’90s. Thanks to his intelligence and ingenuity, the company grew quickly. Pavel’s office was located on the outskirts of the city. He could have afforded an office in the center, but he didn’t want to waste money.
Pavel had built a beautiful cottage where he lived with his wife and two sons.
In two weeks, he was supposed to become a father for the third time, and that’s why his wife’s call worried him.
«Zhanna, what happened?» he asked.
«Pasha, they’re calling us to school. Artem got into a fight with a classmate again.»
«Darling, I don’t know if I can come. I have so much work. I’m trying to negotiate with a major supplier.»
«Pasha, you know it will be hard for me to go alone.»
«No, no, you don’t need to go anywhere. Take care of yourself. I’ll find time, I promise.»
«Artem is definitely going to get a spanking from me if he doesn’t understand words. Sorry, dear. I have to work. I’ll be late, don’t wait for me for dinner.»
«Ah, dear, you’re never home. The children don’t see you, you come when they’re already asleep, and leave when they’re still asleep. I worry about you. You never rest.»
«What can I do? That’s the job. I hope I won’t have to work like this for more than a week, and then everything will settle down. And when I’m at the maternity hospital, who will look after the children?»
«I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry, we’ll hire a nanny.»
«But I don’t want to leave the children with a stranger for the whole day.»
«Zhanna, let’s talk later. I have a lot to do right now, and you probably do too.»
«I feel like you don’t care about me or the kids.»
«Sweetheart, don’t say that. Everything I do, I do for the family— for you, Artem, Kirill, and our daughter who will soon be born.»
«Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I miss you so much. I want to see you more often.»
Pavel stayed late at the office. The children were already asleep, and his wife was waiting for him in the living room.
«Sorry, dear, I said too much today.»
«It’s all right. You need to take care of yourself. You shouldn’t have waited for me. Let’s go to the kitchen, I’ll heat up your dinner.»
«No, thanks, I’m not hungry. I ordered food at the office, by the way. I brought apricot pastries. They’re amazing, nowhere else do they make them like at that bread stall. And the bread with nuts and dried fruits…»
«Yes, the pastries are good, but the bread, the kids and I didn’t like it at all.»
Pavel paused, remembering the elderly woman he had seen near the stall.
«Darling, go lie down. Tomorrow you’ll be off to the office at the crack of dawn again.» «Pasha,» his wife tried to shake him out of his thoughts. «What’s wrong with you? Tell me honestly, are there problems at the company?»
«No, everything is fine at the company. If I can get a deal with a supplier, everything will be better than I imagined.»
«You’re so tired, you’re half asleep.»
«No, I’m just trying to remember. You know, today I saw an elderly woman by the bread stall. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn’t listen to the conversation between the seller and the woman. Only now I’m remembering bits of the conversation, but that’s not the most important thing. The face of that elderly woman seems familiar, but I can’t remember where we’ve met before. Who is she? And that big brooch on her jacket…»
Pavel was a kind-hearted man, always ready to help.
The elderly woman he met at the bread stand wouldn’t leave his mind. He scolded himself for not helping her when she needed support. What bothered him most was that her face seemed familiar, but he couldn’t remember where they might have met before.
Pavel arrived at the office very early and started doing calculations, trying to solve a few simple tasks.
«Maybe I didn’t sleep well, or maybe I have a problem with math,» he chuckled to himself.
Suddenly, he exclaimed, «Could it be Tamara Vasilyevna?» and remembered that he recognized her by the brooch and jacket. He hadn’t seen her in 17 years, and she had changed a lot.
Tamara Vasilyevna had been a beloved math teacher. Even the parents of her students sought her advice.
She married late, at 38. She had a daughter, but the girl was weak and ill. She died when she was only three years old.
After the death of her daughter, Tamara Vasilyevna separated from her husband. He drank, but he loved his daughter dearly, and after her passing, he drank even more.
Tamara Vasilyevna shared her love with her students.
Pavel’s childhood had been difficult. He was raised by his grandmother, and his parents died when he was young. They were driving to work in the fields when they lost control of the truck.
Pasha was a smart and hard-working boy. He understood that he needed to work hard to succeed in life. Teachers praised his perseverance, and Tamara Vasilyevna particularly liked him. Pasha often visited her when he was a teenager. She lived in a private house and always invited him to help around the house.
Tamara Vasilyevna knew that Pasha lived in poverty with his grandmother and didn’t always have enough food. She invited him to lunch several times, but he refused, feeling embarrassed.
Then, she decided to be clever and offered him a job. There wasn’t much work, but afterward, a hearty meal would always be waiting for him. Tamara Vasilyevna also baked bread in a Russian stove. She was proud that she had received the baking form from her grandmother.
The bread she baked was soft and airy, and Pasha said it was the best he’d ever tasted.
«Well, since you say it’s the best, you should share it with your grandmother,» said Tamara Vasilyevna, cutting off more than half of the loaf.
Pavel became so absorbed in his memories that he forgot about work. He didn’t hear when his employees arrived at the office.
He knew that on the site where Tamara Vasilyevna’s house used to be, there were now high-rise buildings. So he decided to contact an old friend in law enforcement to find out her address. An hour later, Pavel knew his former teacher’s address.
However, his visit to her had to be postponed indefinitely due to work commitments.
Late in the evening, when Pavel returned home, he told his wife about Tamara Vasilyevna.
«I thought, Tamara Vasilyevna is a decent and intelligent woman. You were worried about not having anyone to leave the children with when you’re in the maternity hospital. Let’s invite her. She did a lot for me and gave me so much advice before I entered adult life. I probably wouldn’t have achieved what I have without her words. I can’t leave her in need,» said Pavel.
«Of course, dear, go to her and bring her back. Let her live with us. Maybe she can straighten out our eldest son so he stops fighting at school,» his wife replied.
«You don’t know Tamara Vasilyevna, she has the gift of persuasion,» Pavel smiled.
He and his wife had full mutual understanding.
Pavel only had a bit of free time on Sunday. He bought a bouquet of flowers and went to his former teacher’s house.
Pavel nervously pressed the doorbell. Tamara Vasilyevna opened the door. She had changed a lot: her face had become gaunt, her eyes had lost their color and sparkle.
«Hello, Tamara Vasilyevna, I’m Pavel Shatov. You probably don’t remember me; I graduated from school 17 years ago.»
«Hello, Pasha. How could I forget you? I recognized you back there, near the stall.»
«Sorry, Tamara Vasilyevna, I didn’t recognize you at first. I was lost in thought. Did you think I was embarrassed to approach you?»
The elderly teacher began to cry.
«Don’t worry, I’ve been looking for you, and I’m so glad I found you.»
Pavel awkwardly offered the bouquet of flowers.
«Thank you. The last time I got flowers was on September 1st, four years ago. I worked that school year and then left my job. Well, I didn’t leave, they asked me to.»
«Sorry, I can’t offer you tea. My pension comes in two days.»
«I came to take you. I have a big house, I’m married, I have two sons, and a daughter is about to be born.»
«No, no, Pasha, I can’t impose on you. And your family will hardly be happy to have a stranger in the house.»
«Tamara Vasilyevna, I’m offering you a job. I talked to my wife, and she’s all for it. Our children need a wise mentor and teacher. Who better than you?»
«Artemka, my eldest son, fights all the time. They called us to school the other day.»
«Will you be able to handle it, Tamara Vasilyevna?»
«I’ll be 70 next year, but I’ll manage.»
«Pack up, Tamara Vasilyevna, we’re going to meet my family.»
From that day on, Tamara Vasilyevna lived with the Shatov family, leaving all her worries behind.
Zhanna couldn’t get enough of talking to this wise and calm woman, an experienced teacher of the old school. She became a true treasure for the family.
A week and a half later, a joyful event occurred—a long-awaited daughter was born, and they named her Dasha. While Zhanna was in the maternity hospital, her sons happily spent time with Tamara Vasilyevna. She cooked delicious meals for them and helped with their homework.
Pavel and Zhanna were calm, knowing their sons were in good hands.
Artem, known for his provocative nature, couldn’t resist Tamara Vasilyevna, even though she never raised her voice at him. Perhaps Tamara Vasilyevna had the gift of persuasion, and Artem forgot about his school fights.
Finally, the day came when Pavel went to the maternity hospital to pick up his wife and newborn daughter.
«I’ve missed you so much, my dears!» Zhanna joyfully hugged her sons.
«We’re great!» smiled the younger son, Kirill.
«Mama, we baked bread with Tamara Vasilyevna!» Artem boasted.
«It was delicious, but Tamara Vasilyevna says it’s not the same in the oven as in a Russian stove. It was much better in the stove,» he added.
