– Mommy is fast asleep. I hope I do not wake her up! Otherwise, there will be a scene.
Moving on tiptoes, the child approached his small sofa and carefully lay down, trying not to make it squeak. This little couch had been given to Timmy by the neighbors five years ago when they began renovations and decided to replace all their furniture. At the time, the three-year-old Timothy thought the sofa was huge. Now, the growing child found it uncomfortable and cramped. Moreover, the little sofa had become worn out over time and squeaked horribly.
But his mother did not worry about that at all. As long as there was money for drink! Everything else was not so important. And the woman drank every day. So, poor Timmy was not to be envied. His mom would run to the store, buy a bottle, and everything seemed fine. She would be cheerful and kind all day, stroking her son’s head and humming songs. But if she suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and there was no alcohol at hand, then the little one had better beware. The woman would fly into a rage. That is why, at night, the boy was afraid not only to make noise but even to breathe.
The night outside the window seemed like a magical fairy tale. Lights were still on in many homes. The whole town was covered in snow, and in the distance, the multicolored lights of a big Christmas tree twinkled in the square. After admiring the night scenery for a while, the boy looked over at his mother. She was sleeping peacefully. In the darkness, her worn, tired face looked younger and prettier. But the apartment was always oppressive—dirt, emptiness, cockroaches, and old, torn curtains. School was different—bright walls, new furniture, and floors polished to a shine. That is why the boy eagerly went to study.
Yesterday, they decorated their classroom for the holidays—cutting snowflakes out of colored paper and hanging up silver tinsel. Tomorrow, the students would gather for the Christmas party. Last year, at the same celebration, Timothy saw a real Santa Claus with a fluffy beard and a huge sack of gifts. The happy boy received his first gift ever—a box with an assortment of candies. He ate half of them immediately and brought the rest home. But his mom refused the treat.
– Eat it yourself, son, but remember for the future—sweets spoil your teeth. That is why I never buy you candy.
– Alright, Mom, I will finish the gift carefully, one candy a day.
This time, the teacher told them that Santa Claus would grant wishes. So, on New Year’s Eve, they needed to write their most cherished dream on a piece of paper and place the note under their pillow. If the child had behaved well all year, the wish would definitely come true.
So, for the last few days, the boy had constantly been thinking about what to choose. Should he ask Santa for a small, cheerful puppy? Or should the kind old man make his mom finally stop drinking? He thought and thought, and he chose the puppy. He really wanted a friend.
At home, the boy always felt sad and lonely on New Year’s. His mother did not want to decorate a tree. To all his requests, she only sighed and said:
– Why spend so much money on such nonsense? I will get you a good present instead, son.
However, his mother somehow always forgot about the gift. Timothy hoped every year, but disappointment inevitably awaited him on New Year’s Day. “She probably buys the gifts, then gets drunk and loses everything,” the little boy once thought, and finally stopped hoping.
But this year, his mother declared firmly:
– That is it, there will definitely be a gift this time! I promise you.
New Year’s Eve arrived. The letter written to Santa Claus asking for a small puppy had been lying under his pillow since morning. His mom returned late, drunk and very cheerful. Swaying, she went into the room, fell heavily onto Timmy’s sofa, and launched into a Christmas song. Then she reached out for a hug.
– Happy New Year, my dear son. I did not come empty-handed this time. Everything as I promised. You will get a gift. Oh, where is it, though? Wait, let us figure this out.
Timothy sighed sadly. What could he do? She must have lost it again. At that moment, a muffled squeak was heard from the bag standing in the hallway.
– I remember, it is in the bag! What a drunken fool I am, the woman yelled with a laugh, walked over to the bag, and shook a dirty, skinny kitten onto the floor.
The frightened little creature froze in place and continued to desperately squeak. But Timmy jumped up with joy and loudly shouted thank you. It meant the kind Santa Claus had actually read his note. He had prevented his mother from losing the gift. And the fact that he was given a kitten instead of a puppy was not important at all. Santa Claus had so many letters that day, he could have gotten confused. What difference did it make! The main thing was that he now had a little fluffy friend!
Once in the boy’s arms, the kitten quickly calmed down, squeezed its tiny eyes shut, and began to purr loudly. Timothy wanted to thank his mom again, but she had already flopped onto the bed and was loudly snoring.
Not letting go of the kitten, the boy carefully made his way to the kitchen. There was a little milk left in the refrigerator. Timothy poured it into a saucer, added a bit of bread, and set the little one next to the dish. The kitten eagerly pounced on the food, its tiny tail twitching comically from side to side.
– Why are you flicking your tail? Are you chasing away flies? Then I will call you Shoo, the boy said affectionately and gently stroked the little one behind the ears.
When the kitten had finished dinner, the boy took it with him onto the sofa, and soon they both fell asleep. However, they did not manage to sleep for long. About an hour later, a commotion erupted in the apartment.
– You wretched little viper! I will choke you! No more cats in my house, the enraged mother shrieked from the kitchen.
The frightened boy hugged the kitten tightly and carefully approached his mother. The woman was lying on the floor, unsuccessfully trying to get up.
– Mommy, Mommy, what is wrong? Are you hurt? Mommy, please get up, the child cried out in despair.
Seeing the trembling kitten in her son’s arms, the woman yelled furiously:
– Did you not see what this creature did? Why did you not wipe up the puddle after him. I slipped, I nearly hit my head on the table. You would have come home and found your mom lying here dead. That is enough! Bring the scoundrel here!
Barely managing to stand up, the woman grabbed the poor Shoo and threw him out the window. Timothy was stunned for a moment, then turned to his hysterical mother and said sharply:
– I hate you! Murderer!
Then, without putting on warm clothes, he rushed outside in despair.
The boy immediately saw the kitten lying in the snow. He walked up and gently called, “Shoo, Shoo.” But the poor creature did not react. Then Timothy knelt down, gently stroked the kitten, and it wiggled its tail.
Lydia sighed sadly in anticipation of the New Year. She was not in a festive mood; she did not want to set the table. But a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: “Maybe my dreams do not come true because I do not celebrate the New Year properly. What if Santa Claus shows up? What will I treat him with? I should at least buy a small cake and some fruit. After all, a holiday is a holiday.”
Feeling the night cold, the young woman quickened her pace and quickly turned the corner. In the yard of the neighboring house stood a lonely child. In house pants and a T-shirt! On such a cold night!
– Hey, little one, what are you doing? You will catch a cold! And where are your parents? Lydia said indignantly, took off her coat, and draped it over the shivering child.
The thin, red-haired boy began to cry and pointed to the snow.
– Look! My mom threw him out the window. I am afraid to pick him up, he is probably dying.
– You do not live very high up, do you? the young woman asked hopefully.
– On the first floor.
– Then everything is fine. The poor thing is just scared. That is why he is lying still.
The kitten seemed to understand everything—it looked at the kind young woman and confidently got back on its paws. The happy boy immediately scooped up the little one. At that moment, the dirty window on the first floor opened, and a disheveled woman’s head appeared in it.
– Timmy, what are these tricks? Get inside right now! Do you hear me?
The boy nervously shivered and looked at Lydia. The young woman nodded understandingly and politely addressed the mother.
– Happy New Year. My name is Lydia. I am practically your neighbor. I live nearby. Please, let Tim come with me. We can sit down and have tea and cake. Here is my business card with my phone number. I will bring the child home myself tomorrow.
The mother thought for a moment, threw the winter jacket and boots out the window, and shouted approvingly.
– That is right, 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 young woman bought many delicious treats and did not forget about food for the cat. The celebration was wonderful.
No wonder Timothy believed in Santa Claus so much! And then Lydia believed in him too. After all, everything she wished for came true that same year. She met a good man and finally found family happiness.
Surprisingly, everything worked out for Timothy as well—his mother became friends with Lydia and suddenly quit drinking. And the big striped Shoo still lives between the two houses. No doubt about it, he is the best off of everyone!
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