A real storm! Damn the last customer! Although I’m good too. Was it really impossible to refuse a country order?
It’s almost the end of the shift. So no – I chased a long ruble. Now I’m driving and shaking with fear. If only nothing would happen! It’s raining like a bucket. The wind is such that the trees almost bend to the ground. A nightmare!
I had to slow down, or even not far from the accident. Suddenly, a frail figure flashed in the headlights. A girl! Is she crazy?!
– What are you doing here?! I shouted out the window, stopping next to her. – Get in the car!
She hesitated for a second, but still got into the salon. The poor thing was soaked through and shivering from the cold.
– Thank you for stopping. I’ve been voting for an hour, and everyone is driving by. Only I have very little money…
– It’s not scary. I’m going home anyway – I’ll take you just like that. How did you end up here at such a time?
– I had a fight with the groom.
“And he left you alone?” At night, in the middle of the forest in this weather?!
She just nodded sadly…
– How could he? What a man he is!
The girl was silent, but I could see that tears were rolling down her cheeks. Or were they just raindrops?
– And where do you live? I asked her.
– Not far. In front of the city, the country village is my home from the very edge.
She suddenly dug her icy fingers into my hand and screamed.
– Pull over to the side of the road! Quickly!
– Why?
– I feel bad! I want to get some air.
I braked sharply. The girl jumped out of the car like a bullet. I was about to follow her out to help her, when there was a terrible roar and cracking of breaking branches from behind. Turning to the road, I saw the bright lights of the truck. He skidded on the turn. The car barely stayed on the edge of the cliff, demolishing several trees at the same time.
Oh my God! If I hadn’t stopped, I probably would have died. The girl saved my life…
I immediately ran to the scene of the accident. The driver has already jumped out onto the road. Fortunately, he was unharmed.
– Let’s take you to the city.
– No, thanks. I’ve already radioed for help. Go ahead!
When I got to my car, I called my traveling companion. She ducked into the car and lay still on the seat.
– If it wasn’t for you, I would have had an accident… Thank you very much!
– You see how it turned out – first you helped me, and now I’m helping you.
We drove in silence for a while, then I turned into the village.
“We’ve arrived,” the girl said. – This is my house. I would invite you to come in, but it’s very late. Thank you so much for taking me.
– Thank you for that. What is your name?
“Vera,” she replied with a smile.
– Good night, Vera! And leave the groom. He’s not worth you.
The next weekend I bought a bouquet of flowers and went to Vera. I wanted to thank her again. I drove up to the house and knocked on the door.
I was opened by a woman of about forty-five, very similar to Vera.
– Good afternoon! Sorry to bother you. Is Vera at home? We are casual acquaintances. Here I stopped by…
– The daughter died, – the woman interrupted me in a hollow voice.
A nightmare! Just a week ago we were talking to her, and now…
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
– Verochka died in an accident together with her fiance Yura. If you want, we can go to her grave. Leave the flowers there. She loved them.
We went to the end of the village, passed through the gate and found ourselves in a completely different world. Here no one was in a hurry. There’s no need.
Vera’s mother walked past the fresh graves and stopped for some reason only at the very end of the cemetery.
– Here … – She waved her hand wearily at the monument with a photo of her dead daughter.
“I don’t understand… Immediately a monument? But it’s impossible until a year…” Then I accidentally looked at the date of death, and … How is this even possible? Last year was stamped on the plate…
– The anniversary of the death was only a week ago. – Vera’s mom saw me looking at the dates.
My soul sank into my heels from wild fear. Either I’m dreaming, or I put a ghost in the car a week ago!
– Do you have only one daughter?
– yes. Verochka. Now I’m alone…
I put the flowers on the grave and looked at the photo again. Vera on it was exactly as I remembered her: beautiful, gentle and, most importantly, alive…
– I’m sorry. I’m sorry, but it’s time for me to go… hold on…
– Thank you for remembering…
I didn’t tell Vera’s mom what happened to me a week earlier. I didn’t want to hurt her. She’s already suffered enough, having lost her daughter…
Now every evening I mentally say thank you to Vera…
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