A high shadow approached and her face was illuminated by a dim light of a flashlight. The face of the man seemed to be more familiar, and this at least calmed the old woman a little. When he quietly sat down on the edge of her hard slipper, the old woman Rose, still not understanding who was in front of her, only held her breath.
But when she heard his voice, she immediately recognized Stepan, the same felcher who came during the day. She was overwhelmed with joy, and despite her weakness, she grabbed his hand, feeling how tears of relief came to her eyes. What happened to you? Why are you here and what is going on? Stepan quietly asked, illuminating her face with a soft light of a flashlight.
The old woman, overcoming a lump in her throat, began to talk about her illness, about how her son refused to treat her and simply locked her in this cold building. She did not remain silent about what her son had planned with the sale of her house. Words flowed out of her mouth like a bitter stream, and the felcher listened carefully, barely nodding.
Stepan thought for hours in his head, and then quietly whispered, let me see what’s wrong with your back. He carefully turned the old woman over, feeling her back and lower back. Rose barely screamed from pain, but tried to endure.
Stepan gently asked, do you want to get up on your feet again? The old woman firmly nodded her head. In response, he quietly said, then undress and have to endure. With these words, he began to carefully knead her back along the spine, trying to do it as carefully as possible.
But the pressure gradually increased, and the woman barely held back her tears from the pain. She felt like a felcher kneading each vertebra, pulling the skin. Her pain was gradually dulling.
Giving way to a weak sense of relief, the woman felt as the heaviness of her body began to retreat. Stepan continued to knead Rose’s back for an hour. His forehead was covered with moisture, but he did not stop, realizing how important it was to restore the woman’s ability to move.
When he finally finished, he carefully wrapped the old woman in a blanket and said, tiredly, now rest, you need rest. In the morning I will bring a district doctor, because, as your son thought, it is impossible. The native does not treat the mother in this way.
Solidity and determination And your health is not so bad. The nerve is just numb, but it is not fatal at all, and can be easily corrected. You will see for yourself.
You will walk again soon, as before. The old woman closed her eyes and plunged into a quiet sleep. For the first time in a long time she slept calmly, without anxious thoughts and fear.
The next morning she heard the roar of voices in the yard. Baba Rose strained her ears, trying to understand what was going on there. Through the thin walls of the building she heard the cries of her son and the hoarse voice of her daughter-in-law.
Get out of the yard, cried Ivan. I will sue you all. But among this cacophony of sounds stood out the calm, confident voice of Stepan, who persistently demanded to open the pre-building.
We must make sure that everything is fine with your mother. Baba Rose was worried, realizing that if they came in now, she would find herself in the middle of the night. What a shame! She thought, lowering her feet from her slipper and hurriedly heading to the hanger to grab the shawl.
But then something unexpected happened. She suddenly realized that she was standing on her feet, and her eyes were surprised. Is it true? She thought.
The old woman took a step, then another, and realized that she was moving fast and confidently, as if she had not spent these long days in bed. She had already crossed herself from such a miracle. And then the door of the room opened.
A police officer was standing on the threshold. His eyes were surprised. He was sure that he would find the old woman lying motionless, and in front of him she was standing on her feet and even crossing herself.
He turned his head to the hanger, waiting for an explanation. But he just smiled. None of them thought that one session of massage could give such a result.
– Well, Baba Rosa, you give! – exclaimed Stepan, not restraining his joy. And immediately he rushed to the old woman to support her and help her to get out of the suffocating attachment. When they left, Ivan and Svetlana froze like buried.
Their eyes widened, but in just a moment they, as if grasping, rushed back to the house, escaping from shame. The old woman, looking around, suddenly realized how much her life had changed. – What are you, dear people! – she began to explain to the district officer and the neighbors.
– My son just came to visit me, that’s all. And now he’s coming home. In the end, she decided not to write a statement to the police.
She felt sorry for her son. Although her heart ached from resentment and betrayal, but when she turned to him, her voice sounded firm and resolute. – Don’t you dare come to me again! I can’t forgive you! Ivan and his wife hurried to clean up their mess, not daring to argue and afraid that the mother might change her mind.
When Baba Rosa was left alone in her little house, she quietly sat down in the kitchen, made herself some hot tea and, looking around, noticed how her guests started her cozy home. Chaos and dirt reigned everywhere. During the time she lay sick, the house was completely ruined.