Old parents

– And why did you come, – Alyona recoiled, looking around so that no one would see her in such a company, – she asked how many times.

The girl told everyone that she lives with her grandparents, and her parents are military, so no one has ever seen them.

– Alyonushka, my dad and I were passing by, to the post office, to get a pension. We’ll go to the market on the weekend, we’ll buy you whatever you want.

Alyona’s mother was an elderly and very thin woman, her father looked better, but age took its toll.

They never skimped on their daughter, bought all the best, fulfilled all the whims.

When Alyona was born, according to her, they were already old.

– It’s so disgusting, being old to do this, – Alyona complained to her friend.

Only Anya knew that Aunt Galya and Uncle Vasya were not grandparents, but Alyonka’s parents.

– It’s cool for you, young parents, you can walk, go to cafes, go to the cinema. It’s a shame to even go out with mine. Acne is not enough for me, even the ancestors of the old got.

In fact, Alyona was quite a pretty girl, and her parents didn’t look so bad.

– Where did you get such beauty? Gorgeous skirt! Will you let me try it on? I should also ask my mom.

– Mom bought it, it seems to be called an elastic band.

Alyona took off her light trousers and began to pull on a black mini-skirt. Anya out of the corner of her eye saw large scars on the half of the ass.

– Damn, the scar will be visible, – Alyona swore. Thanks, Mom, you can’t even wear a skirt.

– Don’t exaggerate, it’s almost invisible there, – consoled a friend.

The scar was really big and deep, whitened with time, but still noticeable.

– You’re taller than me, buy a bigger size, and it will be fine. What does your mom have to do with it at all? Where did the scar come from?

– I was small, the dog attacked, and the mother did not follow.

On Monday, Alyona did not come to school, only in the evening she bothered to call a friend, asked to meet.

– What are you skipping? Do you want to go to vocational school? – Anya drove over.

– Yes, what kind of school is here, I learned something. Let’s go smoke, I’ll tell you everything.

– Do you smoke?

– Yes, I just want to try, I shot a neighbor.

– What did you want? I won’t smoke, my ancestors are at home, they will kill me if they smell it.

– So I will. Remember, we went through the history of all sorts of graphs? Do you remember Yusupov?

– Well, I remember, then what?

– And the fact that I’m not Smirnova, but Yusupova! Countess!

– Have you been drinking?

– I didn’t believe it myself at first, my mother and I were doing repairs, we pushed the closet away, and there were a lot of different pieces of paper there, my mother said she would sort it out later. I put them down, and then I look, there are old photos and adoption documents. I’m a receptionist, think about it!

– Yes, some nonsense, maybe just an old piece of paper.

– Yeah, right. I threw a tantrum, my mother told my father to tell me everything, and left. And he says, they say, your mother was young, only fifteen years old. You figure it out! My parents are young too! In short, it turns out that they just took me away from her and took me away. I’m going to her!

– So, wait, where are you going?

Crazy, and the study, and the address? How are you going to go alone?

– My father said the address, there is money, and it’s not far away. It’s only an hour’s drive. My poor mother, they stole me, it turns out.

– Alain, don’t. Stay, they love you.

It was not possible to convince her friend, the next morning her mother woke up Anya and said that Alyona’s mother had come, and said that her daughter was missing. The girl told her mother everything she learned yesterday, there was a thud in the corridor. Alyona’s mother fainted.

***

– Mom, will Aunt Galya survive? That’s Alyonka the fool…

– The doctors say it’s just a nervous breakdown, everything will be fine.

In the evening, there was a knock at Anya’s window, Alyona was standing in the yard.

– Mom, I won’t be long, – Anya shouted and ran out into the yard.

– Where are you going?

– Alyonka came.

– Let him come in.

Alyona stood in tears and sobbed.

– Don’t cry like that, just a nervous breakdown, she’ll get better, – Anya hastened to comfort her friend.

– What are you talking about?

– Let’s go into the house, Alain, Mom called.

– Wait, who’s having a nervous breakdown?

– At Aunt Gali’s, didn’t you know?

– I urgently need to go to the hospital!

Anya’s mom appeared in the doorway:

– So, run into the house, both of you. Tomorrow we’ll all go together, and today it’s already late, we need to sleep.

They sat down to drink tea and Alyona began her story.

In the morning, before dark, she ran away from home, bought tickets and went.

Alyona was sure that even if her mother had moved, someone would remember her and she would be given a new address.

It was not difficult to find the right house, a dilapidated barrack, apparently mom moved. A woman came out of the house, Alyona decided to address her:

– Good morning, do you happen to know, Daria Yusupova once lived here.

– Yes, she still lives here, – the woman said, – she drinks and breeds. Are you from custody?

– You did not understand, she is very young, she still has a daughter Alyona.

– Yes, she has these daughters … – The woman swore, – come in, once she came.
There was a knock on the window.

– Dasha, get up, they’ve come for your soul. Custody.

There was a rustling outside the battered window with broken glass, and a young, but downcast woman appeared on the threshold. A red, puffy face, the smell of alcohol and unsteady movements instantly eclipsed youth.

– What do you need?

– I’m looking for Daria Yusupova, apparently I made a mistake.

– Well, I am. So you’re not from custody, my eldest daughter, look, you look like. What do you need? I won’t take you to myself, I need you painfully, you should have been given an apartment in the orphanage, that’s where you live.

– I just wanted to see my mom.…

– Did you see it? Feeling better? You look at how they dress you in the orphanage, spoil you with gold, maybe you can share it? – the woman was advancing, breathing fumes.

– Dasha! – a voice came from the barracks, – where are you? There’s a child yelling.

– Yes, I’m coming. Oh, what’s your name?

“Alyona,” the girl said softly.

Suddenly, memories came flooding back to her.

She lived in cold, hunger and dirt in the first years. Some man threw her out into the yard in the cold. The booth should be warm. The dog barks and rushes, bites, tears, hurts. The dog was almost not fed, only that day he got something.

Alyona realized where her nightmares came from. Her memory had allowed her to forget about that day, but now she had to remember everything.

“I didn’t have a name.

– I wasn’t up to you, you know? I wanted to go, but I didn’t get there.

– Well, yes, – Alyona grinned, – the bottle was more important to you than your daughter. Do you know who my father is?

– Don’t make a prostitute out of me! I’ve been with one man all my life, we have love! Wait, you’re not an orphanage, homely, well-groomed. I hate them. I’m from an orphanage, the janitor found me under the bridge, my name was Yusup. They gave me Dasha’s name, they thought to write down the last name of the Bridge, but decided to make Yusupova. He came to me alone, and then he died.

Alyona was silent.

“I loved you, I really did. It’s all Sasha, my husband. He said it was necessary to hide, I was a minor, they would take me away. I didn’t even drink then. I had to run, but I was a fool, I was afraid to leave Sasha, he was the only one who loved me, except for uncle.

– And where are the other children?

– He sent everyone to the orphanage. He allowed me to leave one girl.

– I have to go.

– And what did you come for?

– Nothing. Goodbye.

***

– Aunt Light, what should I do now?

– Alyonka looked at Anya’s mother and cried, – now my parents will never forgive me. Here I am ungrateful, how stupid I am.

– Alain, your father told me how they got you. They wanted children for a long time, it didn’t work out in any way. One day he was walking home from work and noticed a dog tearing a doll in the yard, then only realized that it was not a doll at all, but a child.

The animal, apparently, was not fed. Your father rushed to you and covered himself until help arrived, his arm was torn all over.

They will forgive because they love you.

– I have such a bad heredity…

– Don’t be silly, it’s not just heredity that determines what a person will be like.

***

Mother and father forgave Alyona, since then she has not been shy to walk with them, told the whole class the truth. One thing the girl wanted was for her parents to live longer.

Alyona could not find other children, they adopted all of them, but she made sure that the guardianship authorities removed the baby from a dysfunctional family. Parents were not allowed to adopt a girl because of her age, but they found a good couple who adopted Nadia.

Alyona tried not to upset her parents, she was friends with Anya all her life.

Together they got an education, got married and their children became friends.

Her parents have long since died, but Alyona never forgets about them, unlike her biological mother, whom the girl swore not to remember.

And why stir up the past?