– Mom fell fast asleep. If only not to wake up! Otherwise there will be a scandal.
Moving on tiptoe, the child approached his small sofa and, trying not to creak, carefully lay down. This sofa was given to Temka by neighbors when they started repairs and decided to change all the furniture. However, it was five years ago. Then the three-year-old Artem seemed to have a big sofa. Now the grown-up child was uncomfortable and cramped. In addition, the sofa eventually got worn out and began to creak terribly.
But Mom didn’t care at all. There would be money for a drink! The rest is not so important. And the woman drank every day. So you can’t envy the poor Temka. The mom runs to the store, buys a bottle and everything seems to be fine. She walks around all day cheerful, kind, stroking her son on the head and humming songs. But if he suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night, and there is no drink at hand, then watch out, baby. The woman was furious. Therefore, at night, the boy was not that noisy, he was even afraid to breathe.
The night outside the window seemed like a fairy tale. In many houses, the windows have not yet been extinguished. The whole city was covered with snow, and in the distance the multicolored lights of a large Christmas tree twinkled on the square. After admiring the night landscape a little, the boy turned his gaze to his mother. She was sleeping peacefully. In the dark, her worn, tired face looked younger and more beautiful. But the apartment was always depressing – dirt, emptiness, cockroaches and old torn curtains. It wasn’t like that at school – bright walls, new furniture, a floor washed to a shine. Therefore, the boy went to school willingly.
Yesterday they decorated their classroom for the New Year – they cut snowflakes out of multicolored paper, hung a silver rain. Tomorrow the students are going to the Christmas tree. Last year, at the same holiday, Artemka saw with his own eyes a real Santa Claus, with a fluffy beard and a huge bag of goodies. Then the happy boy received his first gift in his life – a box with a set of sweets. I ate half of it instantly, brought the rest home. But the mother refused the gift.
– Eat yourself, son, but remember for the future – sweet spoils teeth. That’s why I never buy you candy.
– Okay, Mom, I’ll finish the gift carefully, one candy every day.
And this time the teacher said that Santa Claus will fulfill wishes. Therefore, on New Year’s Eve, you need to write your most cherished dream on a piece of paper and put a piece of paper under your pillow. If the child has behaved well all year, the wish will definitely come true.
So for the past few days, the boy has been constantly thinking about what to choose. Ask Santa Claus for a little cheerful puppy? Or let the kind grandfather make sure that the mother finally stopped drinking. I thought and thought and chose a puppy. I really wanted a friend.
At home on New Year’s Eve, the boy was always sad and lonely. Mom didn’t want to decorate the Christmas tree. To all his requests , she just sighed and said:
– Why spend so much money on this nonsense? I’d rather give you a nice present, son.
However, for some reason mom forgot about the gift. Artemka hoped every year, but on New Year’s days he was inevitably disappointed. “Probably, mom buys gifts, and then gets drunk and loses everything,” the kid thought one day and finally stopped hoping.
But this year, Mom said decisively:
– That’s it, now the gift will be for sure! I promise you.
New Year’s Eve has come. A letter written to Santa Claus with a request for a small puppy was lying under his pillow from the very morning. Mom came back late, drunk and very cheerful. Staggering, she went into the room, fell heavily on the Dark sofa and started singing a New Year’s song. Then she started hugging.
– Happy New Year, dear son. This time I’m not empty-handed. Everything is as promised. There will be a gift for you. Oh, where is he? Wait, we’ll figure it out now.
Artemka sighed sadly. What can you do, it means you’ve lost it again. At this time, a muffled squeak was heard from a bag standing in the corridor.
– I remembered, it’s there, in the bag! That drunk fool,” the woman screamed with laughter, went to the bag and shook out a dirty thin kitten on the floor.
The frightened baby froze in place and continued to squeak frantically. And Temka jumped up with joy and shouted loudly thank you. So, the good Santa Claus still read his note. So I didn’t let my mother lose the gift. And the fact that he was given a kitten instead of a puppy is not important at all. Santa Claus has so many letters on this day, he could get confused. What a difference! The main thing is that he now has a little furry friend!
Once in the arms of the boy, the kitten quickly calmed down, squeezed his tiny eyes shut and began to purr loudly. Artemka wanted to thank his mother again, but she had already collapsed on the bed and was snoring loudly.
Without letting the kitten out of his hands, the boy carefully made his way to the kitchen. There’s some milk left in the fridge. Artemka poured it into a saucer, added some bread and put the baby next to the saucer. The kitten eagerly pounced on the food, and his little tail twitched comically from side to side.
– What are you twitching your tail for? Are you chasing away flies? So, I’ll call you Shoo,” the boy said affectionately and gently patted the baby’s ears.
When the kitten had dinner, the boy took him to the sofa with him, and soon they both fell asleep. However, they did not manage to sleep. About an hour later, a scandal broke out in the apartment.
“You filthy little bastard! I’ll strangle you! No more cats in my house,” the angry mother yelled from the kitchen.
The frightened boy hugged the kitten to himself and cautiously approached his mother. The woman was lying on the floor and unsuccessfully tried to get up.
– Mommy, Mommy, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick? Mommy, please get up,” the child cried in despair.
Seeing a trembling kitten in her son’s arms, the woman screamed furiously:
“Didn’t you see what that thing did?” Why didn’t you wipe the puddle behind him. I slipped, almost hit my head on the table. You would have come, but your mother is lying dead. Okay, that’s enough for me! Bring the bastard here!
Barely having time to get up, the woman grabbed the unfortunate Shoo and threw him out of the window. Artemka was stunned for a moment, then turned to the distraught mother and said sharply:
– I hate you! The murderer!
Then, without putting on warm clothes, he dashed out into the street in despair.
The boy saw the kitten lying in the snow right away. He came up and gently called: “Shoo, Shoo.” But the poor creature didn’t react. Then Artemka sat down, gently stroked the kitten and it wiggled its tail.
In anticipation of the New Year, Lida sighed sadly. The mood was not festive, I did not want to set the table. But suddenly a thought flashed through: “Maybe that’s why dreams don’t come true, because I don’t celebrate the New Year according to the rules. What if Santa Claus shows up? What will I treat him to? I’ll go, at least I’ll buy a cake and some fruit. After all, a holiday is a holiday.”
Feeling the night frost, the girl quickened her pace and quickly turned the corner. There was a lonely child standing in the yard of a neighboring house. In homemade pants and a T-shirt! On such a cold night!
– Hey, kid, what are you? You’ll catch a cold! And where are your parents looking? Lida said indignantly, took off her coat and threw it over the freezing child.
A thin red-haired boy began to cry and pointed to the snow.
– Look! It was his mother who threw him out of the window. I’m afraid to take him, he’s probably dying.
– And you don’t live very high up? – the girl asked hopefully.
– On the first floor.
– So everything is fine. Just scared the poor guy. Here it lies in place.
The kitten seemed to understand everything – he looked at the kind girl and confidently stood on his paws. The happy boy immediately picked up the baby. At this time, a dirty window on the ground floor opened and a disheveled female head appeared in it.
– Temka, what are these tricks? Run home! Do you hear?
The boy shivered in fright and looked at Lida. The girl nodded understandingly and politely addressed the woman.
– Happy New Year. My name is Lida. I’m almost your neighbor. I live nearby. Please release the Topic. Let’s sit and have tea with a cake. Here’s my business card with my phone. And tomorrow I’ll take the child home myself.
The mother thought for a while, threw a winter jacket with boots out of the window and shouted approvingly.
– And it’s true, why should he sit at home, hungry with a drunken mother.
Lydia helped the child get dressed, and they went to the store. There the girl bought a lot of delicious goodies, did not forget about the food for the cat. The holiday was wonderful.
No wonder Artemka believed so much in Santa Claus! And then Lydia also believed in him. After all, everything she wished for was fulfilled in the same year. I met a good man and finally found family happiness.
Surprisingly, everything got better and Artemka’s mom made friends with Lida and abruptly stopped drinking. And the big striped Shoo lives on two houses. What can I say, I got the best job!
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