I wanted it better

– Seryozhka, where are you going?

– Yes, I’m going for a walk, Ma, there’s dancing in the club, we’ll take a walk, we’ll play on the ionica, but we’ll disperse.

– Don’t be stupid! I won’t let you!

Sergei carefully moved his mother out of the aisle.

– I’m not small anymore, I’m 21, but I’ve been in the army for two years, training, service, I kept people at gunpoint, and you…

– Yes, she’s not a match for you! Don’t go there!
My father came out into the corridor:

– So, what’s the noise?

– Well, at least you tell him, – the mother screamed, – the whole family is a disgrace!

– Stop embarrassing me! That’s enough, Mom! I’ll leave the house, if you don’t stop, I’ll transfer to the north, okay? – Seryozha slammed the door and jumped out of the house.

– Well, what are you starting? Why are you touching him?

– Don’t you even care? Do you know who he contacted at all? With Dashka Akunina, do you understand?

– What’s the problem?

– What are you? No problem at all! Don’t you know? She’s a divorcee! At least sometimes you would be interested in a child. She’s older than him!

– Calm down, Nyur, it’s okay, she’s only a couple of years older.

– Yes, where there! She’s twenty-four, it’s a shame!

– So our twenty-one only! I’ll go to her mother, maybe at least she’ll shame her.

– Here you are and don’t shame the family, it’s not our business, they are young, it’s up to them.

Young people gathered near the club.

Seryozha stood and waited for Dasha. I tried not to show it, but my heart was pounding in my chest like a metronome. The guy felt her presence with his back, the girl greeted him with a sweet smile.

Sergey has been in love with her since school, but Dasha never took him seriously, considered him small. When she got married, the lover wanted to drown himself, but his brother saved him. He joined the army, well, at least he stayed alive, his mother never found out that he served in a hot spot. I returned, and there Dasha and her little daughter arrived, got a job in the library.

So Seryozha began to take care of her, the girl at first did not recognize her old boyfriend in a strong, mature guy. When he confessed, at first I didn’t believe him, but I stopped moving away.

Dasha always seemed to him the first beauty, a clever girl, he didn’t care that she had been married.
The record player hummed:

Fish, fish, help,
Golden, do me a favor,
Order that girl,
To fall in love with me!(c)

– Dash, shall we go for a walk?

– Come on, only at 11 I have to be home, – the girl looked up, and Seryozha drowned in this look.
They left the club separately, the girls envied Dasha, the guys followed Sergei with a thoughtful look. Not that the young man was shy of his companion, on the contrary, but they were not the bride and groom, how can they leave together?

Toma stood obediently near the corner of the club, Sashka came up, stopped, admiring the well-shaped figure in a light dress.

She took my arm, pressed a little trustfully, and let’s go.
We walked along a dark street from one end of the village to the other, Dasha looked at her watch, said she had to go.
– Let me walk you out.
– No, Mom’s not sleeping yet, no need.
Sergei insisted on his own and escorted her to the gate, lightly touched her wrist with his lips, said goodbye.
– Take Lenochka with you tomorrow, we’ll take a walk.
– Okay, we’re going to the river tomorrow, come.

Dasha entered the yard, walked up to the house, waved goodbye. Seryozha made a wish, if he looks out of the window, then he loves. She looked out. The happy guy turned around and walked towards the house.

Some kind of shadow flashed, at first I thought it seemed.
– Mom, what are you doing here?
– Yes, I went to Natasha for salt.
“In the middle of the night?” Natasha lives at the other end of the village, so she was watching?
– I was watching! You are my son, I will not let you ruin your life!
– For the last time I ask you, don’t get involved, you don’t know anything.
– What don’t I know? – the woman screamed, – what has she bewitched you cursed? I won’t let you,” the mother fell to the ground and grabbed her son by the leg, “don’t go to her!
– Get up, that’s enough. You don’t know her at all.

***
– Dash, we need to talk.
– Hello, is something wrong?
– Not yet, but if you don’t leave the Earring alone in a good way, it will definitely happen. He’s still a kid, he doesn’t understand. You are no match for him. Find yourself a peer, and if you want to marry you to Elisha, he also has a car, a profitable match!
– So he’s older than my mother, what are you?
– Too much for me, a young woman has been found! Me too! I’ll curse you, do you hear? Walk with others, don’t touch Sergei!

***
– Oh, Mommy, I’m going to leave…
– Dashutka, what are you doing? Offended by who?
– Aunt Lyuba said such a thing… I have to leave, Mom.
– I told you, don’t mess with him!

***

– Lyuba, come out, there is a conversation! – Lyudmila Sergeevna was standing in front of the gate, her hands on her hips.

– Yes, come in.

– No, you come out. If you say another word on Dashka, I’ll strangle you. And put your sucker on a chain, if I see him next to you at least once, I’ll kill him.

Perplexed, Alexander came out on the porch, greeted.

– And you, you uncouth blockhead, calm down your snake and watch the puppy, – Lyudmila viciously threw.

***

There was a scandal, Alexander sits frowning, Love yells, and Seryozha collects things in a bag.

– Mom, did I ask you not to climb? Yes, I’ve loved her since childhood, and now she doesn’t even want to see me. Do you think I’m going to sit next to your skirt all my life? Yes, as if not so! I don’t have a life without her, you’ve ruined everything, you know? I’m leaving, goodbye.

– Where are you going, Seryozhenka, but of course, I just wanted to be the best, forgive me for being an old fool, but I’ll apologize, just stay.

And she fainted.

The mother was taken to the hospital, Sergei had to stay.

Dasha left, could not forgive, they say she returned to her husband.
Sergey went to work as a driver, but he started drinking. His mother praised one of the girls to him, and he stopped leaving the house.

– Well, be happy, Mom, what are you not happy about? I’m going to sit with you all my life now.

So day after day, the guy found solace only in vodka and work, forgot about friends, forgot about fishing, began to get drunk.

– Sasha, he’s going to get drunk completely, what should I do? Lyuba began.

– You’ve already done everything you could, but I don’t know how to fix it.

– Yes, I wanted it better…

***

– What did the evil one bring you?
I came to ask for help. Seryozha washed down.

– And what do I do to you? Sit down for a drink with him? So I’m not an alcoholic.
– Why are you doing this?

– And you? Why did you disgrace Dashka? I would have killed him! And now I look and feel sorry for you. I ruined the earring, the eldest son ran away, and my husband doesn’t need you at all.

– Lucy, I came in a human way.
“What am I going to do to you?” Dasha has left, rejoice.

– Call her back, let them live, marry, do what they want.

– What? Go away! My daughter is not a toy for you! Get out!

***

– Hello, Seryozha. Why aren’t you saying hello?

– Hello, – the guy muttered. Stands blushing.

– That’s what I wanted, can you bring a sand car? Dasha promised to bring Lenochka, I want to make a sandbox.

– Of course! – Sergey beamed.
– It will ruin the guy, it’s morning, and it’s already fumes…

He kept his promise, brought the sand himself and made a sandbox, but they tell the truth, he drinks.

We need to save the guy, save him. Time after time, Lyudmila came up with new tasks for him, then to fix the shed, then to help in the yard, and he is happy. They are not enemies at all, and they have established communication with their mothers.

– Well, isn’t he drinking?

– What there, tired, but happy. Thank you, Lucy!

– Yes, my work is ending, at least do repairs in the house. Dasha, by the way, will arrive soon.
Love shuddered:

– Will she forgive me? I’ve said so many nasty things. Is it true that she returned to her husband?

– Yes, where there. She works in the library, lives with my aunt. You come in, and then there already, the neighbors pricked up their ears.

***

– Ma? What are you doing here? His son’s face twisted with anger.

– Lyubash, you forgot the book, – Galina ran out, seeing that Sashka drove up, and realized that it was necessary to save the situation…

– I stopped by for a book to read to Dad. He is interested. I took this.
Dasha arrived and found Sergei repairing the fence that Lyuba and Lyudmila had dismantled the day before.

– Mom, there’s an uncle there, – Lena babbled, pointing to Sergei at the end of the garden.

– Come on, honey, I’ll tell you something.

***
The wedding turned out to be a noble one, everyone was walking: gossipy neighbors, small children, and old people. When Dasha got married for the first time, there was nothing to remember, they signed and that was it. Before the wedding, the children reconciled with their parents, asked each other for forgiveness, Lyuba and Lucy became friends, the father became softer.

A couple of months later, the young people left for the city, his wife forced Sergei to go to university in absentia. A year later, another daughter was born. And parents have been gone for a long time and gossipy neighbors, and Dasha and Seryozha still like to remember their love story, waiting for great-grandchildren.