A boy from an orphanage fed a hungry old man in the park, and the next day a luxury car drove up to the shelter.

– Who went into the cafeteria again and stole a loaf of bread? – Lidia Fedorovna, the caretaker, shouted as she opened the door to the children’s room. – It wasn’t me! – one of the boys shouted. Everyone else supported him. Sascha said the same, but his answer sounded unnatural. – Was it you? – Lidia Fedorovna shouted, grabbing him by the collar.

The caretaker was very strict. The children were afraid of her. She couldn’t stand it when things happened behind her back, and she only found out about them later. Today, Sascha simply had bad luck. He stole bread not just for himself but for the other kids as well. However, no one wanted to fall into Lidia Fedorovna’s good graces, especially when she was always in a bad mood. Sascha had to take the fall for everyone. They put him in the corner for the entire day.

The next day, Lidia Fedorovna was replaced by a gentler and kinder Maria Igorevna. With her, Sascha didn’t feel humiliated or upset. She didn’t even shout when the children took more food than they were allowed. She knew that every child needed to grow and needed food for that. With Maria Igorevna, things were always interesting. She always found activities to keep the children from getting bored.

When it was time to return to Lidia Fedorovna, Sascha would always try to escape from the orphanage. This time, the eleven-year-old boy ran away again through his secret passage, which only he knew about. Even the guard, Grandpa Vadim, didn’t know the way. Sascha carefully slipped through the fence after lifting a few planks and freed himself into the open air.

It was late autumn. The leaves had already fallen, but the snow hadn’t yet arrived. Nature looked bleak. The birds were hidden in warmth. In the park, a small boy was walking in an unbuttoned coat. Sascha enjoyed this rare solitary walk, imagining that he was grown up. He had long wanted to grow up and leave the orphanage, where he had to endure strict rules. Among the trees, he listened to the rustling of fallen leaves and watched the cawing of crows that occasionally flew over his head. The sun was hidden behind gloomy clouds. There were few pedestrians. Sascha had time to observe everyone. “They probably have their own homes and children… What do they need me for?” – he thought sadly.

Suddenly, a stranger handed him a small package.

– Here, take it. This is for you, – the man said.

– For me? What is it? – Sascha asked.

– Cookies. I see you wander here alone often. Where are your parents? – the stranger asked.

– I… I… – Sascha decided not to mention where he was from and quickly ran in the opposite direction of the park, holding the gift in his hands.

The boy ran a few more meters until he saw an old man sitting on a bench. He was supporting his chin with both hands and was lost in thought.

– Good afternoon! – said the boy, approaching the old man. Sascha noticed his sad expression. He felt very sorry for him.

The boy sat next to him on the bench and began eating the cookies with appetite. – Can I have a piece? – the old man suddenly asked, reaching his hand for one of Sascha’s cookies.

– Of course! In the orphanage, we always share, – the boy replied, handing the old man a piece of cookie. At that moment, Sascha felt embarrassed because he had accidentally revealed that he was from an orphanage, even though he had decided not to tell anyone about it.

– So, you ran away? – the old man asked.

– And I sit here not knowing where I came from… I was walking, walking, and I forgot… That’s how it is when you get old.

Sascha took a deep breath. How good that the old man wasn’t asking about him anymore! – You don’t remember anything? – the boy asked, and the old man shook his head sadly. – It must have happened long ago… No one knows what will happen to them… People don’t know what awaits them. In the end, everyone gets the same – old age…

Sascha listened with interest to the old man. Now he really felt sorry for him! Completely alone and unwanted. At least he had a bed, a plate, a cup, and a spoon, but this old man didn’t even remember where he lived! Was there no good person in this world who would take this poor old man in? Sascha wondered as he looked at the old man.

– Don’t you have a phone? Maybe that would help, – the boy asked.

The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out an old, somewhat outdated mobile phone, then handed it to Sascha. The boy pressed a button, and the screen lit up. Suddenly, a number appeared on the screen.

– Someone’s calling you! – Sascha exclaimed.

– You can pick it up, – the old man said.

Reluctantly, Sascha pressed the green button on the phone and held it up to his ear. – Hello! – he said into the receiver.

– Dad, where are you? We’ve been looking for you since yesterday! – I caught this man in the park, he’s with me, his father. That might help. Give me the address!

Sascha gave the address of the park. After the call, he quickly said goodbye to the old man and ran back to the orphanage. He didn’t want to be punished again by Lidia Fedorovna, whose mood was always bad.

– Kid, wait! Sascha! – the old man shouted after him, but the boy decided not to stop.

On his way back to the orphanage, the boy quickly opened the door and froze. Lidia Fedorovna was standing at the doorstep. She looked awful. – So, you’ve returned? How many times did I tell you not to go out alone? – she immediately began shouting, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him up the stairs. – It hurts! – Sascha screamed. – Where are you taking me? – You deserve this! – the caretaker continued, shouting at him. The boy heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. – Stay here, you scoundrel, – she said, pushing him into the corner of the room. – You have time to think!

Sascha looked around the room. It was very dark. The weak light illuminated the boy, showing that he was in the isolation room. He started knocking on the door and shouting, but no one heard him. He fell asleep by the door, crying and feeling unwanted. He dreamed a dream. He and his dad were walking through the city. His dad was explaining something, and Sascha absorbed his words like a sponge. Suddenly, he felt so good, calm, and happy with his dad…

An elegant, large car drove up to the orphanage building.

– Oh dear, who is that? – one of the caretakers called out, looking out the window. – Lidia Fedorovna, there are some guests.

The caretaker also looked out the window and said: – I’m going to greet them right now. It’s clear that these guests are not ordinary. – Good afternoon! – she said, opening the door for the man and woman. – We came for a matter. Can we come in?

Lidia Fedorovna forced an unnatural smile on her face, the kind she only wore on holidays, and led the guests inside.

– We want to see the boy. His name is Sascha, he’s 11 years old. He often runs away, – the man said briefly.

– Ah, Sascha? – Lidia Fedorovna exclaimed, immediately furrowing her brow. – What’s wrong with him? – the worried guest asked. – Nothing, everything is fine. It’s just… – Then show him to us, – suggested another woman. – We want to talk to him about something important.

The caretaker reluctantly walked up the stairs leading to the lower level. – You mean, Sascha is down there?! – the man asked, surprised, following Lidia Fedorovna.

– Yes, that’s how it happened, – mumbled the caretaker, embarrassed.

Finally, they reached the metal doors. – He’s here, – said Lidia, unlocking the door. The guests gasped at the sight of the boy in the corner of the isolation room. – Sascha? – the man opened his mouth, then turned to Lidia Fedorovna. – What do you think you’re doing? How could you lock the boy in isolation? Who gave you that right?

– He’s guilty. He shouldn’t have run away from the shelter! – You will change that right now. – What? – You are both going to find new jobs right now! – the man shouted at her, then turned to Sascha. – Sascha, we came for you.

– For me? – the boy said uncertainly.

– Don’t be afraid of us, – said the man, taking him by the hand. – Let’s go upstairs. I’ll explain everything.

Soon, Sascha learned that his unexpected saviors had no children and had come for him. – Thank you for feeding my father in the park! – the man thanked the boy. – If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how much longer he would have sat there, and what kind of people he would have met. Nowadays, there are a lot of wild animals.

Sascha looked at his future parents and felt that this was like a continuation of his dream about his

father. He even pinched his hand to see if it wasn’t a dream, and if he would really go to a new family.

… Lidia Fedorovna was fired the same day. The director promised her that she wouldn’t find a position in any other orphanage.

Time passed. Sascha walked proudly away from the place where he had spent almost his entire childhood. He held his new father’s hand, who somehow reminded him of his father from the dream. A new life was starting for the boy, one completely different from life in the orphanage. He would never again have to face the angry, furious Lidia Fedorovna, who now, under someone else’s care, carefully washed the floors in another institution.

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A boy from an orphanage fed a hungry old man in the park, and the next day a luxury car drove up to the shelter.