Semyon Markovich, an elderly yet well-groomed man and a renowned millionaire who owned several firms and companies, sat in the police chief’s office with his head bowed, ready to sink through the floor. He was being scolded like a little boy!
The police chief could barely contain his emotions:
«Dear Semyon Markovich! This crosses all boundaries! We have overlooked your grandson’s antics many times. But this time he has outdone himself! Organizing races on the highway in an insane state, smashing both his own and our patrol car, and then fighting with an officer. This is too much… With all my respect for you, I cannot overlook this. Vladimir is now in the hospital under guard, and then he will serve his time. Perhaps prison will knock some sense into him!»
«Yes, I understand, I’ve lost control of the boy, he’s completely gone rogue. But please don’t get heated. He is my grandson, after all… Give me one week, and I will take drastic measures, and my troublemaker will never cause you problems again,» the businessman pleaded tearfully.
Semyon Markovich left the police station red as a boiled lobster and angry as a devil. He got into his luxurious car and ordered the driver:
«Drive to the hospital, I will deal with this scoundrel!»
He tiredly closed his eyes and pondered, «When and how did I lose Volodya?» as he recalled fragments of life, like duplicates in a film reel.
In their younger years, along with his wife, Zinaida, they worked at a research institute. They lived modestly and honestly like all Soviet people, but happily and peacefully. They raised their son Matvey, poured their souls into him, and spared no time – and he grew up to be an excellent guy, graduating from an economic institute with flying colors. In the tumultuous nineties, work was scarce, salaries were even worse, and there wasn’t a penny to their name. That’s when Semyon Markovich turned to business. Although still young, the son helped in everything, and they went through a lot together! They fended off the ‘protection’ racketeers and survived the default. Gradually, their venture grew and evolved into a powerful network.
Of course, such a business empire took an enormous amount of energy, health, and, most importantly, nerves. Meanwhile, the son married successfully, and they had a grandson named Volodya. The businessman rejoiced, thinking he would eventually hand over all the affairs to his son in his old age and enjoy retirement.
But his dreams were not to be fulfilled! A cursed accident shattered the oligarch’s life! His son and daughter-in-law were still alive when the ambulance arrived, but despite all the doctors’ efforts, the couple died from injuries incompatible with life. The culprit of the accident, a young and drunk reckless driver, was imprisoned for a long time, as Semyon Markovich made sure of it, but it was of no use! His son could not be brought back.
Three-year-old Volodya was left an orphan. Probably, if not for the grandson, the businessman would have broken down, unable to withstand such grief. And Zinaida constantly cried and became gloomy – no joke, the only son, the heir, the hope and support, was gone from life…
So, a month after the funeral, Semyon sternly told his wife:
«Listen, mother! We are done crying. We need to raise this boy now!»
Indeed, Zinaida gradually thawed in the cares of the little boy. She loved Volodya with unconditional, blind love, and endlessly spoiled him. The boy was allowed absolutely everything! He got used to commanding and demanding! Any whim was fulfilled immediately, even if it was far from normal.
As for Semyon Markovich, he delved into business, needing to strengthen his capital, so of course, he didn’t see much and didn’t notice things at home. He arrived home late and exhausted, collapsing into bed without strength. In the rare moments of family rest, he showered his grandson with expensive gifts, trying to compensate for the lack of attention and time.
Thus, Volodya grew up arrogant, self-satisfied, rude, and a spoiled brat. From an early age, he understood – granddad is always busy, and granny will fulfill everything and will be silent if necessary. The main thing was to press on pity, like, «I’m already an orphan, without a dad and mom, and you’ll still reproach me?» This phrase worked magically on Zina; she immediately became blind and deaf to her dear grandson’s escapades.
Volodya studied atrociously, was rude, cheeky to teachers, and often made crude jokes at girls, even going as far as physically harassing them. He knew well that nothing would happen to him; the school was private, and his grandfather was a patron.
The same story was in university – the guy was only formally listed there. He spent all night at discos, and only came home in the early morning, usually in an inebriated state, and would fall asleep, sometimes without even bothering to take off his shoes.
Zina, of course, tried to scold her grandson in the morning:
«Volodya, come to breakfast. We need to talk seriously. How long will this inappropriate behavior continue? I will tell granddad everything! Look at your late father, unlike you, what a smart boy he was, studied excellently, built a career, and you!» — tears always appeared in the woman’s eyes at this point.
«Granny, what breakfast? Don’t nag at my ear, my head is splitting! And don’t scare me with granddad, he’ll grumble, and that’s it. I only hear: ‘Father this, father that..’ Who cares about studying now? It’s all so boring!!» — the young man retorted.
Time passed, Zina got sicker and couldn’t calmly watch her beloved Volodya squander and ruin his life, and last year the woman passed away. Semyon Markovich became withdrawn, gaunt, and for a while completely abandoned Volodya, deeply mourning the heavy loss of his beloved Zinaida. And when he came to his senses, he realized that he had completely lost his grandson. He had completely gone off the rails, becoming aggressive, angry, and insolent. And today, the rascal, what he did! No, this had to be dealt with drastically!
The man had a cunning plan in mind… He instructed the security about everything, and entered the ward. Volodya was lying on the cot, apparently without fractures. Just a couple of bruises and scrapes.
«Well, hello, grandson,» began the man.
«Hi, grandpa. Don’t be mad, I kind of wrecked the car pretty bad, just happened, it’s not my fault… And also, another problem arose,» and the young man jingled his handcuffs. «You’ll fix everything, right?» he asked ingratiatingly.
«Of course, don’t worry, I’ve already decided. Get dressed quickly and into the car. Don’t remove the handcuffs from him,» he ordered the security and left.
«Hey, grandpa, what’s this?» the young man was puzzled.
If only he knew what would happen next… They drove for a long time, on dusty bumpy roads, for about eight hours. The young man was hysterical and outraged:
«Where are you taking me? Grandpa, what’s the matter? What kind of silly games are these?» the young man shouted.
«Good game, it’s called work therapy. You’ll find out soon!» Semyon Markovich barked back.
The young man immediately quieted down. «Better not to anger grandpa now,» he decided and even dozed off.
«Wake up, Volodya, we’re here,» the businessman smirked.
The young man rubbed his eyes and couldn’t understand anything. Some remote village, a dilapidated hut, not even a proper fence. Why were they here, the young man couldn’t understand.
«So, my beloved grandson. Listen here. Since you think you’re old enough to drink, party, smash cars, and fight the police – and all these entertainments on my dime, I must note. Then be ready for independent life! And this is now your home. There’s a week’s supply of food in the basement, basic necessities, of course. Here’s some money for bread, also for a week. And from there, fend for yourself! I’m not going to sponsor you anymore, you’re an adult. Don’t look for me. If you think of returning – you’ll end up in jail, your case is still open, I’ll make sure of it.
Getting back in the car, Semyon Markovich waved to the security, they removed the handcuffs from the young man and drove off, leaving a cloud of dust behind…
Volodya was in shock! He could not believe the reality of what was happening. The first night he slept dressed on an old dusty, saggy sofa. He believed it was a joke, granddad decided to teach him a lesson, he would come in the morning and take him back. He wouldn’t really leave his beloved grandson in such a hole.
The next day, closer to noon, the young man realized that granddad was not coming to get him. He wanted to call Semyon Markovich, press on his pity, as always, but found that in this God-forgotten place, there was no network at all.
The young man was seized by anger: «Oh really? Well, fine, imagine that! What am I, a little kid? They’ll miss me and get me in a week, they won’t get rid of me!» – the young man fumed.
Hunger is not a sister, Volodya had to, for the first time in his life, fuss about the household. And living in a pigsty was disgusting. Dust and filth everywhere. Whether he liked it or not, he had to go to the well for water, wash the floors, and sweep with a broom…
Unaccustomed, the young man was exhausted by the day that he fell asleep without any strength, and the old sofa seemed like a soft feather bed to him. Two weeks passed, Semyon Markovich was nowhere to be seen. Money for bread had long run out, food supplies were also running low. The young man began to panic. He improvised a sort of homemade fishing rod, dug up worms in the yard, and decided to go fishing at the local pond. Nearby, a villager was fishing from a boat. Having laughed enough at Volodya’s futile attempts to catch anything, the man took pity and decided to help the young man. That’s how they met. The fisherman’s name was Grisha, he worked on a farm in the neighboring settlement, and fished on the pond just for the soul.
«Grisha, where can you make some decent money around here? Because my finances have run out, and granddad still hasn’t come for me, apparently he’s really upset,» the young man asked.
Grigory laughed: «You’re funny! Did you fall from the moon? It’s immediately clear — you’re from the city. Yes, here you can’t even find a job with a torch during the day. To have a penny – you need to work hard. Want to, come tomorrow to the farm, we always need working hands. And then we’ll see, maybe you’ll fit for something. Although by your looks, you’re not used to work,» the man chuckled.
«Thanks even for that,» Volodya muttered sullenly. The prospect of working on a farm didn’t impress him at all, but there was nothing to be done.
Thus began the working days of the young stockman. Initially, the young man was angry, terribly tired, his hands were covered with calluses from heavy work, and the terrible stench from the cowshed. But seeing how skillfully and deftly Grigory and other men did their work, he was ashamed to whine and complain.
After chatting with simple workers, sweating under the scorching sun, Volodya began to understand how hard each earned penny was and how it was valued.
Finally, on a day off, a luxurious foreign car pulled up to the house. The young man joyfully ran out of the house as he was: «Hooray, finally I’ve suffered enough, granddad came!» – Volodya rejoiced.
But to his surprise, his father’s lawyer got out of the car and gave the young man terrible news: «Please accept my condolences, Vladimir! Your grandfather, Semyon Markovich, has passed away. I brought you his will. Please, review it.»
The young man took the document with trembling hands and read it three times before he understood the meaning of what was written. All his capital and property the grandfather bequeathed to help orphanages and shelters. And about him, Volodya, there wasn’t a word in the will!
The lawyer left, and the young man just stood, petrified on the porch, in a stupor. Then mechanically, he took a towel and headed to the pond to refresh himself and come to his senses. He saw nothing before him, only one thought spun in his head: «Grandpa… How could this be! And now I’m a pauper… I have nothing but this dilapidated shack! Oh grandpa! What a lesson you taught!» – the young man lamented to himself.
He was pulled from his state of shock by a scream and splashing in the middle of the pond. Someone was drowning and desperately calling for help! Without thinking, Volodya jumped into the water and with great difficulty pulled a girl ashore. By the time he did, she was no longer breathing. The young man frantically tried to remember how to provide first aid. Trying with all his might, he no longer hoped for a miracle. Finally, the girl coughed up and began to blush. The young man relievedly fell on the grass and exhaled: «Thank God! She woke up!»
The stranger began to regain consciousness, she was shivering despite the heat. Volodya picked her up in his arms, wrapped her in a towel, and shouted: «Tell me, where do you live, drowning girl!»
The girl, barely moving her lips, said: «The chairman’s house, I’m his daughter, my name is Tanya,» and closed her eyes again.
Volodya rushed to her house with Tanya in his arms, though the path was not close. With his last strength, he knocked on the window and the gate. A dog in the yard loudly barked, and a minute later the chairman himself appeared at the doorstep.
«My God, daughter, Tanya! What happened to her?» – the man shouted.
«Take your drowning girl. I barely resuscitated her, thought I wouldn’t save her,» and the young man handed the girl to her father.
«Oi, silly girl! What were you thinking! It’s all my fault, old fool! Thank you, boy, I’ll never forget this. Come inside. Rest, you’re barely standing,» commanded the man.
They laid Tanya on the bed. Her mother fussed around her, they called a paramedic. Thank God, everything turned out alright, just a severe shock and hypothermia for the girl. They gave her a sedative injection, and the daughter fell asleep.
In the kitchen, Volodya and the chairman talked and drank cold kvass. He said: «You see, I found a good suitor for Tanya, wealthy, already engaged. But she didn’t like him. The daughter cried, begged me, pleaded not to marry her off, but I was stubborn and wouldn’t budge. That’s why she decided to drown herself in despair. I’ll never forgive myself! And who are you? I don’t recognize you, have you been in the village long?»
Volodya didn’t lie or evade, and poured out everything to the chairman. It even felt better. The young man had long wanted to confide in someone and get advice on what to do next.
«Well, you’ve messed up, young man!» – the man stretched.
«Know what? You seem like a good guy. You did a good thing, saved my daughter. I’ll help you. Come work for me as a driver. I’ll write you some firewood, you’ll fix up the house. Look, you won’t perish, if you don’t drink the bitter,» offered the chairman.
«I agree!» – Volodya rejoiced.
Things really started to improve gradually. The young man had golden hands, he relaid the stove in the house for the winter, built a new fence, and even a sauna. He befriended Tanya. They walked long evenings and talked sweetly. He was mesmerized by her gentle figure, auburn mop of unruly hair, and soft, feline grace. Volodya was surprised at himself, how could he have liked those glamorous city girls with vacant looks before?
It turned out, life in the village wasn’t as bad as he initially thought. Especially in the evenings, when the fog rose and the evening coolness set in, the stars shone, the herbs smelled intoxicatingly, and the cicadas chirped. Gradually, the young people got closer and fell in love. Tanya’s father was only happy about this, seeing his daughter happy, Volodya cared and loved her.
Winter was approaching. Volodya ordered firewood and was chopping it in the yard. Suddenly, the dog Bim started barking loudly. «Who could it be?» – the young man thought.
Volodya was speechless when granddad climbed out of the car! He ran up to him, not believing what was happening, and hugged him till it hurt, almost crying from joy: «Grandpa! Dear! You’re alive? How glad I am!»
Semyon Markovich was also amazed at the transformations. The hut was excellent, everything was in order, all house-kept. The grandson, rosy-cheeked, matured, and so grown-up. There wasn’t a trace left of the former whining brat.
«Forgive me, grandson, for deceiving you! I’m alive! I just didn’t know how else to knock some sense into you. But I couldn’t stand it, decided to check on you, missed you terribly!» – and the businessman became emotional and teared up.
«Come inside, grandpa. I’ll make some tea. Are you hungry? I have tasty meat, and excellent cabbage soup!»
«Wow! So you learned how to cook?» – the man was astonished.
«You know, grandpa, thank you! I learned to live here!»
«Well then, shall we go home? Since the lesson did you good?» – said the millionaire.
«Honestly, grandpa, I don’t want to! I fell in love with a girl, Tanya, want to marry her. I’m satisfied with the work. I like it here. And the megacity is not for me. Hustle, malice, everything there is so fake, no time to look around and catch a breath. You come to me, for the wedding, and just like that. I’ll always be glad to see you! We’ll steam in the sauna, go fishing. And I don’t want money, when you earn it yourself, you value it much more.»
«Finally, I hear the words of a real man. I’m proud of you, Volodya. And I respect your decision. Now I’m not afraid to die!»
Granddad and grandson hugged and talked about everything for a long time
