My dear mother, my darling… What can I do, how can I help you?» Alla cried. She leaned over the woman lying on the dirty couch.
«Daughter, thank you for everything,» Maria Dmitrievna answered softly, «But you have already done more for me than you could. See how I have repaid you? Now we live in a dump. Forgive me… Your salary goes on my medicine…»
«You know, that’s not all. Something remains!»
Alla stood up. Determination was in her eyes.
«We haven’t lost everything yet.»
They lived in ruins. What was once a house was now just rubble.
Yet its inhabitants hardly looked like vagrants. Alla and her mother, Maria Dmitrievna, had been living here for two months. They once had their own cozy apartment with all conveniences. They had to sell it.
The only salvation for the gravely ill Maria Dmitrievna was an expensive operation. Alla worked as a kindergarten teacher and could not afford such expenses. Maria Dmitrievna, a painter from the local textile mill, earned even less.
Selling the apartment was a forced measure. Alla convinced her mother, persuading her that there was no other way out.
«I’d rather die, daughter, but I won’t be a burden to you! You’ll end up on the street, we have nowhere else to go…»
«No, mom! As long as there’s a chance, we have to fight for it. Apartments can be earned back. But I’ll never forgive myself if, because of these pitiful four walls, you lose the chance to become healthy again!» Alla firmly replied, already processing the documents for the sale.
The operation was successful. Maria Dmitrievna’s life was saved, but a long rehabilitation was required for full recovery, and there was no money left for that. Now Maria Dmitrievna moved on her own. But not everything was so simple. She remained in a wheelchair. Thus, they had to settle in a hovel that Alla found quite by accident. The woman settled into this modest corner while her mother lay in the hospital.
In the evenings after work, Alla brought a little food. Each penny was hard-earned, but she took care of her mother. However, the winter colds were approaching, and there was still no way out of the desperate situation. Everything that could be sold had long been gone, and the only valuable thing they had left was a painting. It depicted a pine forest where a young couple strolled. Maria Dmitrievna had painted it in her youth.
Alla tenderly looked at the canvas. She knew it was a memory of her mother’s past dreams, but at the same time, she understood that it was their only chance to survive.
The painting was stunning. A true work of art. Maria Dmitrievna had once been a talented artist. But when her heart was broken, she no longer took up the brushes. Only this painting remained from that past. She created it for herself, pouring her soul into it.
One damp and gloomy spring evening, Alla had a sudden idea. She came across a newspaper fragment advertising a luxurious hotel for the wealthiest people. She decided to go there to try and sell the painting. Alla had heard that millionaires could sometimes be very eccentric and might pay a decent sum for something unique.
«Mom, I know you’ll object, but we have no other way out. I’ll try, maybe it will work,» she said firmly to her mother, leaving no room for argument, and left that same night.
Meanwhile, Sergey Petrovich was driving to his luxurious hotel. His mood was worse than ever, and for good reason. That day his life, it could be said, had cracked: what he feared most had happened — his family fell apart.
On a cold November morning, Sergey divorced his wife Svetlana, with whom he had been married for almost two years.
Sergey dreamed of children, but Svetlana never gave him any heirs. In his time, he specifically chose a younger life partner, because he himself was already over forty, and time was inexorably moving forward. With each passing day, the chances of having offspring were diminishing. And without heirs, whom would he pass his hotel business on to? The state? Or maybe the church? Though, he admitted, even such a scenario made sense — after all, helping the Lord and His temples usually benefited.
Until recently, Sergey could not imagine that his happy life with Svetlana would turn out this way. He was confident that everything would work out because their love seemed boundless. At least, he thought so, until one fateful day shattered his illusions.
The day began with a mundane incident. Sergey was going on a business trip, but he was delayed and missed his flight. The next plane was only in the evening, and the businessman decided to return home. He wanted to surprise his young wife.
Svetlana literally cried when he was leaving. So, he decided to spend a little more time with her.
«For lovers, every minute apart is like an eternity,» he remembered her words, buying an expensive bouquet on the way home. Svetlana couldn’t stand cheap things and always demanded only the best for herself.
Sergey entered the house with trepidation. He was eager to embrace his wife, see her smile. But things did not go as planned.
He quietly opened the door, holding the bouquet in his hands. The apartment was unusually quiet, but there was a slight nervousness in the air. Sergey was going to surprise Svetlana. However, what he saw knocked him off his feet.
Svetlana was not alone. Sergey froze in the doorway.
«Sergey?!» Svetlana jumped up, pulling on a sheet.
«Come on, say it! It’s not what I think?» Sergey’s voice trembled with anger. «You know, I’m too old for such jokes.»
He turned around and left, not listening to excuses. This day became the beginning of the end of their marriage.
Two weeks after the divorce, Sergey was driving to his hotel, feeling that his life was spiraling down. He had trusted Svetlana unconditionally, and she turned out to be a traitor. But what hurt the most was that she not only deprived him of love. He no longer had any hope for the future.
Sergey looked at the road ahead. The evening city lights were on, but everything had dimmed for him. He still couldn’t understand when everything had gone wrong. He realized that he hadn’t felt happy for a long time. Yes, everything seemed perfect on the outside, but the feelings of comfort and peace had long been absent.
Meanwhile, Alla stood at the doors of the luxurious hotel. She nervously fidgeted with the sleeves of her old coat, holding the painting in her hands. She was scared, but she had to try. The painting was the only thing she and her mother had left. She hoped she could sell it, for whatever amount. Just to hold on a little longer…
Sergey considered himself a refined nature, and therefore in his eyes, Svetlana looked like the perfect companion. They met during one of his business trips. Svetlana worked at a partner’s company. She held a modest position and did not stand out for her talents in management or administration. However, her task was completely different.
Svetlana was a real beauty, and she was not shy about speaking her mind. She became a sort of business card for her company. For business, this was important. Even more important than the ability to work with documents. She remained in accounting, where they expected presentability rather than professional feats.
Sergey knew nothing about it, nor was he interested. He had already lost his head to her charm, sincere smile, and long legs. They seemed to wrap around him, depriving him of the ability to think rationally. On the day they met, Sergey invited Svetlana to dinner.
Office romances were not prohibited at the company. Moreover, no one objected. Why would they, if it could help in closing profitable contracts? Of course, Svetlana readily accepted the invitation. To spend an evening in an expensive restaurant with a man 17 years her senior? Why not!
The next day they repeated, and then again. But the time came to part and return to their cities.
Of course, she felt nothing for him. How could she, if he was old enough to be her father? And love-struck Sergey didn’t think about anything. She was ideal for him.
Svetlana was surprised when, a few days later, Sergey stood at the threshold of her rented apartment. In his hands, he held a huge bouquet. But the surprises didn’t end there. He pulled out a box with a ring from his pocket. He knelt on one knee, saying:
«Sveta, marry me.»
It would be foolish to refuse such an offer. Of course, Svetlana agreed. And the huge diamond on the ring did its job.
Within a couple of weeks, they had their wedding. The young wife quickly left her job, which had already bored her. She moved into Sergey’s spacious three-story house. There, she could enjoy all the comforts of life and not think about the need to earn a living.
It seemed their family happiness was perfectly arranged.
Who knows how long Svetlana could have deceived Sergey, enjoying the life he had set up for her, if he hadn’t decided to surprise her and come home at the most inappropriate moment. This was the second «surprise» in their relationship. The first was a pleasant gift for Svetlana, but the second turned into a disaster.
As soon as Sergey approached his house, his heart beat faster. A strange car was parked at the gate. He tried to calm himself, suggesting that perhaps a friend of Svetlana’s had come. The hope that a plumber had come to fix a clog seemed frankly naive.
Sergey had never been a jealous man and had no reason to doubt his wife. But at that moment, he realized how little he knew about her life, as he spent almost all his time at work.
Trying not to make noise, he entered the house through the back door. The scene that unfolded before him shocked him. On the kitchen table were items belonging to a man and a woman, and sounds from the bathroom left no room for doubt.
Unable to contain his emotions, Sergey ran into the yard. There, behind the gate, grew a thick bush of nettles, which he immediately cut. Returning to the house with the improvised «weapon,» he flung open the bathroom door. Before him stood a scene: his wife, covered with a towel, and a completely naked bald man.
Both, seeing Sergey, screamed in surprise. But what hurt Sergey the most was Svetlana’s behavior. Instead of trying to smooth things over, she defiantly remained calm, as if deliberately displaying her body.
«Well, what? Look what you can lose!» she threw at him defiantly.
And then she started blaming him:
«It’s your fault! You ruined my life! Always at work, never paying attention. And I, by the way, am young and healthy! I want love and affection, and you make me bear children I simply hate!» her words sounded like whiplashes. «At least I know how to protect myself!»
At that moment, Sergey felt like a complete idiot. He was not just a deceived husband, but in her eyes, he also appeared guilty. It seemed Svetlana was waiting for him to apologize for, in her words, «breaking her life.»
But Sergey found another way to «apologize.» In his hand was still the nettle. Approaching his wife, he without further ado lashed her with the nettle on her tender spot. Svetlana screamed, and the bald lover ran away so fast that he almost tore the door off its hinges.
Sergey realized that this was the last point in their marriage. He was no longer willing to spend his energy and nerves on someone who had so cynically trampled on his feelings.
Svetlana shrieked around the neighborhood, waving her arms and dodging. She ran around the yard until she finally darted out the gate. This humiliating escape was her last memory of Sergey’s house.
The marriage contract decided everything. Svetlana tucked her tail and returned to her hometown, to a small Khrushchev-era apartment. There lived her mother. In the cramped apartment, she licked her wounds and pondered how to hook another gullible man. The reality, from which Svetlana had long been detached, hit her with its harshness. Now she had to live on her mother’s pension, feel all the delights of a worthless life, and get used to public transport.
Sergey, to distract himself from the unpleasant events, decided to stop by one of his hotels. Just the day before, one of the maids had informed him of an incident.
«Sergey Petrovich, such things are happening here! The administrator brought a vagrant to the hotel, and she spent the night in a suite!» the woman complained. «Can you imagine? The suite, where only wealthy guests should stay, turned into some kind of den!»
Sergey was furious. The hotel, built for affluent clients, with prices per night that could be a monthly salary for an average person, could now suffer from this story. His entire reputation could collapse in an instant.
His mood was already bad due to the divorce, and then such news. He decided to personally find out what had happened.
That evening, Victoria was on duty as the administrator. She got to work on the last bus. The hotel was located outside the city, away from the hustle and bustle. Wealthy clients were not bothered by this. They could be picked up by cars or even private helicopters. But ordinary employees, like Victoria, had to use buses, which ran only twice a day.
Victoria approached the hotel. She noticed a young woman running from the hotel to the bus stop with some object wrapped in paper under her arm. Alla just missed catching the bus. Seeing that the transport was leaving, she collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
«Why are you so upset? It’s just a bus. You can call a taxi.»
«I have no money. I came here this morning to sell this painting. It’s the only thing my mother and I have left. But no one bought it, even for a pittance.»
Alla, unable to hold back her emotions, told Victoria her story. About how her mother, Maria Dmitrievna, fell seriously ill. How they sold the apartment, how they live in a dump. This painting remained their last hope.
Victoria listened attentively, feeling her heart tighten. She understood that she could not pass by such a story, but she could only help with what was in her power. At her own risk, she offered Alla to spend the night in the best room of the hotel. Only this room was available.
Of course, Alla gratefully agreed. The frost that night was severe, and spending the night outside was simply dangerous. Fortunately, she managed to warn her mother by calling her from a cheap mobile phone, which was already worthless. If it had any value, they would have sold it long ago.
In the morning, Victoria planned to clean the room herself so that the grumpy and mean maids on duty with her noticed nothing. However, her plans were disrupted by an early visit from the hotel owner. Sergey burst into the building with a loud scream:
«Where is that vagrant?!»
He immediately rushed to the suite, from where he literally dragged poor Alla out. After that, he threw her out the door and also told Victoria:
«You’re fired. Pack your things and get out.»
Victoria had no choice but to follow Alla. Fortunately, the bus had just arrived, and both women managed to get on. Alla sat in tears, tormented by the thought that because of her, Victoria, a mother of many children, was left without a job. She had completely forgotten that the painting remained in the room.
Sergey decided to make sure the guest hadn’t stolen anything and went up to the room. There, he saw the painting. He looked and froze. The canvas depicted a young couple walking in the forest. Something about this image touched him deeply.
He knew this painting! He had seen it at the most unforgettable time in his life!
«It can’t be…» he whispered.
He dropped the painting and ran.
«I need to catch the bus,» he thought, and hurried with all his might.
Sergey drove his car, catching up with the bus. The bus driver was quite surprised when a luxury car abruptly stopped in front of him. Victoria and Alla were even more shocked when Sergey entered the bus and apologized.
«I’m sorry for my behavior. I was rude, but the painting… it explains a lot.»
Alla said that the painting depicted her parents. After such words, Sergey fell to his knees before her, begging for forgiveness.
«Alla, I… I’m your father. But I didn’t even know it.»
Sergey’s former lover was Maria. She had left him many years ago. Suddenly disappeared from his life when he was serving in the army.
Sergey explained how one day, television producers came to their unit to make a film. He ended up in the crowd scene. According to the script, he embraced a girl. This was shown on TV. And his beloved Maria saw it.
She decided that her fiancé had betrayed her. Without waiting for his return, she moved to another city, unwilling to explain anything. And yet, at that time, she was already pregnant.
Now fate had brought them together again. Maria learned that Sergey had met their daughter and asked for forgiveness. In the end, all three — Sergey, Alla, and Maria — went to Sergey’s house, where a new life awaited them.
A few months passed. Maria Dmitrievna got up from her wheelchair. Now she was preparing for a wedding with Sergey. Alla’s joy knew no bounds.
She made an important decision. She quit her job as a kindergarten teacher and signed up for courses. In the future, she planned to take over her father’s family business. Her energy and determination inspired confidence that she could handle the new role.
Victoria’s life also changed. She returned to the hotel, but not as an administrator, but as the manager. The first thing Victoria did was fire the mean colleagues.
«Such gossips and careerists are not needed here,» she said firmly.
However, Victoria acknowledged that sometimes even unpleasant personalities can bring unexpected benefits. Thanks to one of such gossips, the story of Alla and Maria Dmitrievna became public.
Now their home became a place of warmth and comfort. The painting, which had played such an important role in their lives, finally took its rightful place in the living room. They placed it at the center of the wall as a symbol of family unity and overcome difficulties.
The harmonious family began a new chapter in their life, in which there was no room for bitterness and losses. Every morning now started with smiles and plans for the future, which inspired each member of this unusual family.
