I was working in a grocery store. There were few customers that day. An elderly woman came to the checkout. I served her. The elderly woman attracted me with a puzzled look at the purchase. It was obvious that she had bought a lot of food and did not know how to carry it home.
– Is it far to carry? – I asked her.
– Yes, – the elderly woman replied. For some reason I felt sorry for the old woman.
– Let me help you, – I said. She did not refuse much. I asked her to substitute me at the cash register, as I had a legitimate lunch. Sacrificing my lunch time, I helped an elderly woman. On the way I met her and she willingly told me about her situation.
Rose said that at the age of 78 no one helps her. She buried her son – he died of cancer. Her dysfunctional daughter is slowly drinking and does not remember her mother. Having taken her to the apartment, we said goodbye to her. She thanked me with kind words and wished me a good groom. I told her with a smile that I am already married and have two children.Then we met again many times.I also helped her to carry bags of food. Rose always invited me for tea after that. That’s how I spent my lunches – with tea and treats. She already knew my shift schedule and came to my shift.
One day I didn’t see Rose at work. I could hardly wait for the end of the shift. After work, I quickly rushed to her house and started knocking on the door. After long attempts to reach the apartment, a female and displeased voice sounded from behind me:
– “Why are you breaking in?
– I’m here to see Rose, – I sharply turned and answered.
– Are you Emily? Rose’s friend? She’s told me a lot about you.
– Yes, I answered.
– Rose was buried yesterday. Here’s a note from her. She asked me to give it to you when they were taking her away with a heart attack – a neighbor handed me a folded piece of paper with a trembling hand.
I put it in my pocket, was in shock and could not read it, came home as if in a fog, told my husband about it. He had known about Rose for a long time. I forgot about the letter. I found it when I was going to wash clothes and checked my pockets. It was written not in a neat handwriting, because most likely she wrote this note in a bad condition. The letter read as follows:
” Emily, I have no one else to ask. I have a granddaughter Lisa. She is from the same dysfunctional daughter. The daughter was deprived of parental rights, and now the granddaughter is in an orphanage. I visited her every weekend. I would like to ask you to visit her as much as possible. And call this number”
The number was written at the bottom of the note. Dialing it, I heard a man’s voice. After explaining the whole situation to the man, he immediately understood who he was talking to and invited me to come to the same address. We went together with the man to this address.
As it turned out, it was a notary office. There we were told about Rose’s will. She had rewritten the apartment. On the weekend, my husband and I went to the orphanage, where we were received and Lisa was brought to us. She was a blond 10-year-old girl. She fascinated us so much that upon arrival home, we decided to adopt her. Our children have already grown up enough to accept her as their own.
Three years after the events, my husband and I had a big fight. We quarreled over a trifle. My husband left home to his mother and did not appear for a month. However, he returned home and we started to live as before.
Another 7 years passed. Lisa has already grown up. The apartment that we got from her grandmother was rewritten to her. But she was in no hurry to move there. She rented her own apartment and lived with us. The whole family still lived in one apartment. Adult children did not run away from the family nest.
One weekday evening I was waiting with my children for my husband from work. He was late. Suddenly I heard my husband enter the house and I ran to meet him. But he was not alone on the threshold. The man was holding a little boy by the hand.
– I will explain everything to you now, – the man began.
I understood that this child was not a stranger.
– Let’s go eat, – I interrupted the uncertain attempts to start a conversation with me, – everything later. After dinner, when the children were put to bed, we had a long conversation.
– It was seven years ago?” I began.
– “Yes. Just know that I love you. It was when we quarreled and I went to live with my mother. I drank there for a long time. Olivia took me in when I was drunk. I thought everything about you then… I thought I would not return. After staying with her for 2 days, I realized that she was not my woman. She was always drinking and partying. So I left. And today they called me to come urgently. I do not know how they found me. When I arrived, I saw terrible living conditions. Olivia did not tell me anything. She only told her son: “Look, your folder has arrived”. The kid ran up to me and hugged my hand. Then Olivia explained that she had taken custody of them. And if I don’t take him with me, they will take him to the orphanage, – the man told me everything, – will you tell me to give him to the orphanage? I will! I did not raise him.
I stopped my husband and said that the morning is wiser. We went to bed. In the morning I woke up and looked at the boy. He was so similar to my husband. After that I realized that he is ours and we will not give him anywhere.
