On her birthday, Natalia met to visit her son to the city. She lived in the village near her son. The bus went there twice a day – at six o’clock in the morning and at four in the evening. I had to go on the first bus, as it was not necessary to stay with her son Natalie, because of the attitude of Oksana’s daughter -in -law. She had one ո Make – the bus came to the city early, and the son with a daughter -in -law usually slept at this time. We had to sit on a bench and wait until eight in the morning. The daughter -in -law greeted her uninvited. – What, Natalia Fedorovna, is not sitting in her village? You are an old person, you need to think about your health. And your arrival is very inappropriate. You would have called before you go. Natalia married in twenty years. The future husband was five years older and recently, after graduating from the Agricultural Institute in absentia, he got a mechanic in a collective farm garage.

Natalia worked as the head of the collective farm. One day, a nice guy came to her club and invited her to dance. “Sasha,” he introduced himself. So they met, and after the dance, the club was already waiting for the local guys. – Mechanic, you, what do you spend our girls? There is anyone here, ”said the most favorable of them. “And you can write a statement….,” Sasha replied. – In two copies ……. In seventy -two weeks we will consider, – he added after the pause. The boys were left to stand, apparently digesting. The wedding was modest. In addition to the younger brother, who, after graduating from the institute, was just admitted to the post of chief of housing and communal department in the city, no one had. They were raised to take in an orphanage. Natasha’s parents were poor people, both worked in a collective farm by ordinary workers.

The table was covered in the parents’ house. They invited the closest people, where the head of the collective farm and handed them the keys to the house, which was highlighted by Sasha as a specialist. A year later, Natasha was taken to give birth. – I wait with the twins, escorting it, the man said. They both dreamed of two kids – a boy and a girl. Childbirth went well, the boy led. Two hours later, Natasha brought a hungry son. When she fed him, the doctor and the head of the maternity ward Vira Vasylivna entered the ward. The manager was well acquainted with Natasha’s parents. Prior to her receipt at the Medic Institute, they lived in one village with their parents, were neighbors. – Today, one mom gave her son and wrote a refusal. She rolled up the icteria and went. We could not persuade her. The boy is healthy and very pretty. After silent, Vira asked: – Did you want a twin? Maybe take this baby? It is a pity to give it to the shelter.

And your husband was raised in the orphanage. I think he won’t deny? And we will decorate the all as if you were giving twins. Then she added: – If you do not want, we can formalize the adoption. But it takes so much time, and it will be difficult for the child. And it is not known that they will still give it to you or not. Vera was a good specialist and just a wonderful person. Perhaps because she knew Natalie’s family well, she addressed her with this illegal offer. And maybe at that time people were different, more human. Natalia could not say a word, from the crowd on her feelings. – Think. A few years later, you will say to us, ”the doctor added. And they went. In the evening, Sasha came to the hospital. – I know what a children’s home is. Let the twin births, ”he decided. Sasha came to meet his wife with twins.

After handing his wife a huge bouquet of roses, the head – a bottle of sparkling and a box of chocolates, he took both babies. -Sit down, mother-heroine! He joked, – the head himself ordered his car. The driver opened the door in front of Natalka: – Pumped with the breeze like a queen! They decided to name their son Paul, and the reception room by Peter, in honor of the apostles, as they were both on July 12. The children grew different. If Petrick was a kind boy, Pavlik was bold and disobedient. Both graduated from school in their native village, both joined higher education institutions. And none of them guessed that one of them was non -uniform. Marina, Peter’s wife, was a friendly woman and did not turn to her mother -in -law. Pavel Oksana’s wife, called her only to her father’s name and treated her with a poorly hidden contempt. They lived in the city, twenty minutes by bus.

The three of them lived, the grandson was fifteen years old. The last time they were five years ago, when Sasha was not. Peter lived in Kiev, but they visited their mother every year. All of them came, with two grandchildren. When Sasha did not, Marina said: – Mom, move to us to live that you will be alone here. Moreover, in your home. It will be difficult without dad. – While the feet are walking, I will still live, and it will be seen there, – she replied. Natalia was sitting on a bench near Paul’s house, waiting for everything to wake up. At exactly eight, she rose to the second floor and listened to the closed door. Behind the door was silence. – They still sleep. I will sit here on the stairs, ”she decided and the villages on the stairs. After about half an hour, the sound of the door sounded and Paul came to the staircase. – Mom, you again? Oksana and her son went to rest in Turkey. And I need to urgently be meeting with the client.

There is no one at home. Take a taxi and go home, I will call in the evening – and he threw her two hundred hryvnias, forgetting about her birthday. Forgetting that she never had a phone. Natasha rolled at the bus station until the evening bus. Already approaching her home, she noticed a car near the house. The son of Petro rolled the porch, the grandchildren stabbed the firewood, Marina baked pies. The table before her arrival was already covered. “Happy Birthday, Mom,” her son congratulated her son. “Live for a long time, grandmother,” the grandchildren were added. In the evening after a festive dinner, when the daughter -in -law and grandchildren fell to bed, Natalia approached her son and said: – Petya, I want to repent you. My dad and I are not native to you. You are receiving. Forgive us. – So I know, mom. Back in grade 10 he learned, “good” people said. But I did not want to upset you with my father, so he did not ask anything, ”the son answered kindly. “You will always be a queen for us all,” he added, reminding her for a long time forgotten the words of the Volga driver.