Lately the whole village has been discussing only one piece of news: Valerka’s wife Valentina left, leaving him with a son, ten-year-old Styopka.
They said that she had gotten involved with a business traveler in the city while she was there for accounting courses, but the woman hid her affair until she decided to leave her family – she fell in love.
Valery was shocked. He felt that something was happening to his wife, but he could not believe in betrayal. Valya planned all her trips to the city in advance: either to see a doctor, or to the clothing market, or to a good hairdresser. Valera was not jealous of his wife, he did not even think about the bad. And then it happened.
“Oh, my son, how trusting you are,” complained his mother, Antonina Ivanovna, “you can’t let your wife go, you should always be there for her… However…”
“That’s exactly it, the pig will find dirt anyway,” Valerka answered her angrily, took a cigarette and went to the porch to smoke.
A strange feeling overcame him: he did not destroy the family, he was a good husband and father, and his wife should be blamed for everything, but he was the one who was embarrassed about the divorce, because being abandoned is very painful… Especially for a man.
He didn’t know if he loved Valentina after everything that had happened. He treated her like a lost sheep, at first he asked her to come to her senses, but Valya was so in love and confident in her future happiness that she didn’t want to listen to anything, even when it came to the child.
“It’s okay, Styopa will live with you for a while until we get settled, and then I’ll take him to my place,” she said to her husband.
“We’ll see about that,” Valery answered her rudely and left the house while she was packing another suitcase.
Styopa was told that his mother had found work in the city, but he seemed to understand everything from the adults’ conversations he had overheard. Now he often spent the night at Tonya’s grandmother’s, and Valerka felt even worse these days.
He worked in his workshop in his free time – he was an excellent woodworker. Frames, doors, furniture, crafts – he did everything well. “Golden hands” – that’s what his fellow countrymen called Valera, and he had more than enough customers.
– What a stupid woman! She left such a man, – the mother was sad, – don’t be sad, son, you will find your destiny, a normal, calm and affectionate woman. And we have such. Look, for example, that same Olga, who works in the kindergarten. She was widowed two years ago…
– Mother, stop trying to marry me off! – Valery was angry, – I’ve had enough already, and I can’t stand to see these traitorous women. You should have thought better about how we can fight for Styopka. I can’t even imagine that he’ll call some other man daddy…
The mother pursed her lips and sighed. She herself loved her grandson madly and was afraid to even think about a long separation. But she whispered to her son:
– A mother is a mother… He needs her very much. And you are needed too… It’s just that everything will be different now.
It was summer. Styopka ran around the streets with his friends all day long, swam in the pond near the house and fished in the river. He was friends with the boys from his class, especially with Sasha, the son of that same Olga Alekseyevna who had been his kindergarten teacher when Styopka was little. Friendship with Sasha was, as they say, from the sandbox.
Both boys went to the same class together. Sometimes they visited each other, but most of all they loved to look in on their dad Valera in the workshop, where it smelled of wood shavings, fresh boards and furniture varnish.
Valera allowed his friends to touch the tools, taught them little by little how to use a plane, a hacksaw, measure out the required size of a board, and glue parts together.
Three months had passed since Valya had lived away from home. The divorce was officially finalized, she came to visit her son, but was in no hurry to take him with her.
“Our renovation is taking a long time,” she told the boy, “wait a little. And I can’t decide on a job yet. I left the sales job, I didn’t like it, now I’m looking for a new job…”
Valera heard all these explanations and was glad that Styopa was not rushing to his mother and was easily parting with Valentina. Several times she took him to visit the city, where they rented an apartment with their new partner, but after the weekend she again brought her son home to Valera.
– That’s right, don’t tear him away from his place, he studies here and his friends are here. He’s not a doll to be carried here and there, – Antonina Ivanovna asked her daughter-in-law.
“I’m not taking him away yet, but then we’ll have to transfer him to study in the city, of course,” Valya answered and, having kissed her son, she left.
Summer was coming to an end. Valera went to work to see fewer people. After he came from the sawmill, rested a little and talked with his son and mother, he went to the workshop, where work awaited him.
– Don’t feel sorry for yourself, son, – his mother told him, – you should go somewhere. There’s a concert at the club this evening. Lots of people will gather there. And tomorrow they’ll show some movie.
She put homemade cookies on the table.
– Did you bake it? – Valera was delighted, drinking tea.
“No, Olga gave it to me. Together with Sasha,” the mother answered, moving the plate closer to her son.
– What’s wrong with her? – Valery asked irritably, – she never gave me anything, and now she baked something?
– Today is my name day, by the way. I always congratulate her mother, we are not friends, but we have always been and are acquaintances… But you forgot about everything in the world. You can’t turn away from people, Valery…
– Sorry, Mom. I forgot. Right. And the cookies are delicious. Thank you… – Valera left the house. He was in a bad mood. Tomorrow Valya was supposed to come to take her son to the city. There she found him a school not far from home where he would study.
– And how will he settle in there? Will he find friends like Sashka? – Valery said out loud to his mother when his son was not at home.
– What can we do? Just try to see him more often and talk, ask how he is doing. Help if needed… – the mother wiped away her tears.
After Styopka left, the house became quiet and empty. Valera was beside himself. He took on orders to keep himself from getting depressed, saved up money, and went to the city to see his son every weekend.
But soon the days became shorter, it became dark early, the first frosts hit, Styopa had less time to communicate with his father. He did his homework, went to the sports section and had no more than two hours for a walk with his dad.
One day Valera fell ill. He caught a cold and was treated at home, bringing down his high temperature. His mother was bustling about in the kitchen. She tried at all costs to feed her son, prepared fruit drinks, broths, infusions and applied mustard plasters to his chest.
– Just like in childhood, – Valery thanked her, – when I was little I was often sick, and again you nursed me back to health. Are you tired, I suppose?
– It’s okay, I’m retired, what should I do? – his mother tried to calm him down, – Sasha came too, but I didn’t let him see you so he wouldn’t get infected. He brought your favorite cookies and a jar of honey for your recovery.
– Thank you… I’ll thank you. Later. I’ll give them something too… – Valera whispered in a weak voice.
“It’s a holy thing to help the sick and the old, and they don’t expect gratitude, they are religious and kind people,” the mother answered.
As soon as Valera began to recover, he began to go to his workshop, which stood at the end of the garden, near the fence with the neighbors. Due to weakness, he did not undertake large works, but checked his tools, stoked a small stove, which quickly warmed the room, and sat down to carve some started drawing on wood. He did such works rarely, depending on his mood.
On this Saturday, the neighbors always heated up the bathhouse. It was already getting dark when he heard laughter near the neighboring bathhouse. Valera looked out the small window overlooking the neighboring garden and was stunned.
Young women jumped out of the hot bathhouse onto a fluffy fresh snowdrift. They dove into the snowdrift, grabbing snow and throwing it on top of each other. Steam rose from their bodies. The women quickly ran back to the bathhouse, but Valera still managed to admire the procedure. In one of the women he recognized the very same Olga that his mother always reminded him of.
Her loose dark hair, covering her chest, made her look like a mermaid. Her strong, slender legs were red from the steam, her stomach was taut.
Valera slightly recoiled from the window, afraid of being noticed. But his heart began to beat traitorously, and he could not take his eyes off the women until they disappeared into the bathhouse.
“What a performance…” he exhaled. And only now did he feel how long it had been since he had seen a woman’s caress, warm hands had not wrapped around his neck, had not caressed his face. It was as if he had woken up from a deep gray sleep, went outside, closed the door of the workshop and went into the house.
There in the kitchen, at the table, sat Sashka. He was wrapped in a warm sweater and a shawl. The blush on his face showed that the boy had recently been to the bathhouse.
“Hello, Uncle Valera,” he greeted the incoming host, “we’re at the neighbors’ bathhouse. So I was the first to get washed, and I came here to drink tea.”
Valera nodded and sat down at the table. They were silent. Sadness hung in the air. The clock ticked rhythmically, the kettle boiled on the stove. Mother sat in the room and talked to someone on the phone.
“What, do you miss Styopka?” Valera asked the boy.
– I miss you. A lot… – Sasha responded and, sobbing meaningfully, wiped his nose with his fist, – how is he doing at school?
– He says nothing. But who knows? Maybe he’s embarrassed to tell the truth so as not to upset his mother, – said Valera.
– We should go to him together, huh? Because when will he come here now? We won’t be able to wait – he’s studying, – suggested Sashka.
– Yes, we can. Of course, we have to go, – Valera was delighted, – I’ve almost recovered.
– Where are they going? – Mother came out of the room with a joyful look, – Valya just called. She’ll bring Styopa tomorrow.
– But she said that she would only bring it during the holidays? – asked Valera.
“There’s a quarantine at school because of the flu, and they’re being let out on vacation early,” the mother reported.
The next day, Sashka, Valery and Antonina Ivanovna met Styopa. He seemed to them to have stretched a little, lost weight, but with genuine joy he hung on the necks of his father, grandmother and friend.
– Finally, Styopka is back! – Sashka shouted, jumping on the spot.
Valya took Valery aside, and they talked about something in the room.
“What secrets do they have there?” Grandma quietly asked Styopa.
The boy sighed and explained:
– There is no secret. I started doing poorly at school. Yes… That is why the psychologist advised me to go back to my school, to my friends, to my dad and grandma…
“Did your mother take you to a psychologist?” Grandma was surprised.
– Yeah, we have a psychologist at school. A child psychologist, – answered Styopa, and I’m glad that I’ll be studying here again. And you, Sasha?
The friends hugged, and grandma burst into tears.
– What about mom? Did she allow it? – Antonina Ivanovna couldn’t believe what was happening.
– I allowed it, – Valentina herself answered, entering the kitchen, – We need to proceed from where it is better for the child. And it so happened that Styopka lost his temper there. It became difficult for him. And I couldn’t help, I got a job. It’s a long way to go. I come home tired, late… But the salary is good there, just like I wanted. After all, in the city you need a lot of money: the expenses are not the same as here…
– You didn’t have enough money here. Look how much Valery earns, – Antonina Ivanovna couldn’t resist.
This time the obstinate daughter-in-law did not answer. She sniffled and wiped away a tear, then said goodbye and left, as the taxi driver was waiting for her in the yard.
Grandmother, grandson and Valera hugged again and started to unpack Styopa’s things. When the boys had eaten and ran off for a walk, Antonina Ivanovna said to her son:
– Well, what did I tell you? Everything will be fine with us. But don’t forget yourself! Live and enjoy life.
On New Year’s Eve, children ran around the courtyards laughing. Decorated trees were shining everywhere, music was ringing, and there was a smell of pies and salads.
Olga was cooking in Valera’s kitchen. She was setting the table, waiting for Antonina Ivanovna and her mother.
– And where have our revelers disappeared to? Everything is ready, but they are not here! – she worried.
– They are at the club watching the New Year’s concert from schoolchildren. Our boys are performing there, too, I told you. But they will be here soon, – Valera approached Olya and hugged her around the waist.
They had already been together for two weeks. Then, when Valera saw her naked, he could no longer remain indifferent. One day, he met her at her house and arranged a date in the city.
After walking around the city, they had lunch in a cafe, where Valerka immediately suggested dating. After several meetings, they began living together.
Valera, starved for female warmth, fell head over heels in love with Olga. She was a sweet and simple woman, a caring mother and an excellent housewife.
Now, when the New Year has come, when everyone makes the most important wish for themselves – happiness, there are more truly happy people in the village. And among them were two friends – Styopa and Sashka. They also became stepbrothers.
Valentina did not live long with her partner, disappointed in her hasty love. She returned home to her parents, dejected, thinner, and for a long time did not look at those around her, hiding her eyes. The only joy for her was Styopka, who still lived with his father, but constantly visited his mother, who beckoned him to her with pies and gifts.
Valera and Olga had a daughter, whom they named after their grandmother – Tonya. A rare name in our times, but the grandmother was happy and looked after her granddaughter, not forgetting about her dear boys: Styopa and Sasha…