“At retirement, Tamara Konstantinovna Belozertseva was bid farewell by the entire hospital. In the surgery department where she had worked as an operating room nurse for nearly forty years, a beautiful festive table was set up, with a huge fruit-and-cottage-cheese cake placed in the center, bearing the lovely inscription ‘Tamara – the soul of the department!’
Tamara Konstantinovna herself, who had just turned sixty-seven at the beginning of this year, sat on a chair with an almost untouched glass of white wine in her hand, receiving touching and heartfelt congratulations from her colleagues.
‘Tomochka, our dear – congratulations on reaching your well-deserved retirement!’ said Lyubov Arkadyevna, her cheeks flushed with emotion as she raised her toast. She had worked in the same hospital as a cardiologist. ‘Over these years, I’ve had the opportunity to see time and again that you are not only an amazing specialist in your challenging and extremely important field, but also a person of incredible heart and generosity! You, Tamara Konstantinovna, have always been someone we could count on! I wish you health and all the best! To you!’
‘Urrr-raaaa!!!’ – All the others immediately joined in, and the ward, where the farewell was taking place, instantly erupted with the clinking of glasses and cheers.
‘Thank you, thank you, my dear ones!!’ Tamara Konstantinovna later thanked them when the laughter subsided. ‘If only you knew how much I will miss you all! I have so many wonderful, bright memories connected with this hospital…’
The elderly woman could no longer finish her sentence, as tears of emotion and nostalgia for the years she had worked there clouded her eyes. Her colleagues reassured the nurse, after which the ward was again filled with heartfelt conversation.
With a kind yet somewhat sorrowful smile, Tamara Konstantinovna looked at her guests. Undoubtedly, she was very pleased that they had all decided to organize such a wonderful celebration for her. Yet the thought still did not fully settle in her mind that tomorrow she would no longer have to come here.
The elderly woman fully understood that sooner or later every story must end. Thus, her many years of work had reached its inevitable finale, after which only the unknown awaited her.
Of course, she accepted her retirement as a matter of course and did not hold any grudge against the chief physician who had called her in for a ‘serious talk’ a couple of weeks ago – yet deep down she somehow felt that it was still too early for her to retire. Tamara Konstantinovna still had enough energy for a couple more years of fruitful work, especially since she had always loved her job and sincerely rejoiced every time she managed to help someone. The woman was ready to endure any inconvenience – whether it was a low salary or forced overtime – just to have the opportunity to continue working and feel needed…
Tamara Konstantinovna did not want to think about it, but the thought often visited her that it was their new head – a young specialist who had arrived from the capital – who had suggested that she be ‘sent off into retirement.’
She remembered how disdainfully he had looked at her on his first day at work when he was introduced to the entire department, and later – she had accidentally overheard his conversation with the leading surgeon:
‘How can you keep this “old nag” in your department? She surely won’t even be able to find and pass on the necessary instrument during surgery! Personally, I don’t need this “museum piece” in my department…’ – the new head had then warned the surgeon.
At that moment, Tamara Konstantinovna felt so hurt for herself that she couldn’t hold back her tears: locking herself in the staff room, she wept for a long time before she could calm down and return to her workplace. Even her blood pressure spiked from the nerves – though she had never particularly complained about it…
It so happened that Tamara Konstantinovna had no children – she and her husband had tried for years without success, no matter how much they tried or which renowned doctors they consulted. In her youth, our heroine was deeply troubled by this, but eventually she resigned herself to it: she decided that if she could not have her own child, she would simply help people.
Until recently, everything in the Belozertsev family had proceeded in a calm, measured rhythm: Tamara Konstantinovna worked at the hospital, while Alexey Igorevich was the chief accountant at a trading firm. But seven years ago, the nurse’s husband fell gravely ill. The severe illness proved stronger, and after her husband’s death, Tamara Konstantinovna was inconsolable; for a while, she even literally ‘spent the night’ at work, trying in this way to drown her inner pain.
Later, when the initial shock subsided and acceptance set in, the nurse began to take things much more calmly and continued to perform her duties at her usual pace.
Now, however, the last breath of work for her was also gone… Tamara Konstantinovna looked at her colleagues with a bright sadness in her eyes.
2.
Left without her beloved work, the elderly woman began to feel bored and despondent. It was especially hard for her during the first couple of weeks when she would, time and again, find herself eager to go to work early in the morning, only to realize minutes after waking up that there was no need to rush anywhere.
This continued for about a month until the woman finally got used to the fact that she was now a retiree. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter,’ thought Tamara Konstantinovna as she sorted out old things in the storeroom, ‘I have plenty to do at home now. Soon, my hands will be free to finally devote time to things I never had time for before…’
Due to the change in her wake-up time and the absence of a usual meal schedule, the elderly woman’s body soon began to ‘malfunction,’ reacting to her new lifestyle with unexpectedly severe stomach pains.
It first happened one evening when Tamara Konstantinovna was sitting by the stove, looking through old photographs in her family album. With warmth, she ran her fingers over a black-and-white wedding photo in which she and her husband looked so young, beautiful, and happy…
‘Sashenka, how I miss you, my dear…’ the woman thought, just before she suddenly felt a sharp, cutting pain in her stomach. Wincing, she immediately clutched the painful spot, but by that time the pain began to slowly subside.
The former nurse took a pill and walked a little around the room, hoping that the spasm would subside on its own. And it did, but only briefly: just as she was almost relaxing and ceasing to think about it, the pain returned again – this time, even stronger and more prolonged.
The idea of going to the hospital did not appeal to her, yet she eventually made an appointment with a gastroenterologist. Had it been up to Tamara Konstantinovna, she wouldn’t be standing in line outside the doctor’s office right now; she would be watering her garden flowers instead. But she had no other choice: the pain was growing ever stronger, and her mood was steadily sinking.
After finally giving all the necessary tests, the woman began waiting for the doctor’s consultation. When she was called into the office and mentioned her surname, she immediately noticed a look of anxiety flash across her doctor’s face.
‘Doctor, please, what is it that I have?’ Tamara Konstantinovna nodded towards her medical file, which the doctor was examining intently.
The doctor took a deep breath, then looked directly into the patient’s eyes:
‘To be honest, Tamara Konstantinovna, I have nothing good to tell you. Your test results are very poor…’
The elderly woman’s heart gave an anxious lurch. At that moment, the former nurse finally understood that there were serious problems with her health.
The doctor slowly averted his gaze from her face, and looking at the test results, quietly said:
‘To my great regret, the chances of a positive outcome with such a diagnosis are extremely low.’
‘What? Oh my God, how can this be? Why me?’ thought Tamara Konstantinovna through tears. ‘Why me? I have spent my whole life helping people, trying to do only good…’
Out loud, the elderly woman said, striving to speak calmly and confidently:
‘Andrey Gennadievich, I worked in medicine for forty years. You can’t fool me… I would like to know exactly how much time I have left.’
He looked at her with sincere regret:
‘At most, half a year,’ the doctor replied. ‘I will prescribe you medications and treatment that can at least partially relieve the pain… In any case, you will have time and strength to finish all your affairs.’
Thanking the doctor for his honesty, Tamara Konstantinovna took the prescription and referral for treatment and left the hospital. Sitting on a bench in a small park, the woman burst into bitter tears.
She could not understand how she had failed to notice the early signs of such a serious illness… On the other hand, her husband hadn’t known about his own illness until the very end either… The former nurse had always hoped to live a long, if not perfectly happy, life – and now…
The doctor’s words sounded to her like a death sentence. Naturally, the elderly woman was not about to give up without a fight – but deep down she also knew that at her age the disease would probably “take over.”
Long, gray days followed, filled for Tamara Konstantinovna with sadness and a sense of utter hopelessness. Depression almost completely consumed her, and she constantly felt emaciated.
The thoughts of an impending end increasingly occupied Tamara Konstantinovna’s mind; this only deepened her sense of loneliness and inner emptiness, which seemed to form an enormous knot of sorrow and fear. The poor woman felt utterly powerless, as if an endless abyss was swallowing her up – and she saw no way out of her situation.
3.
One day, when Tamara Konstantinovna was returning home from the store, carrying a small bag of groceries in each hand, an unusual scene caught her eye. Under a railway bridge, she saw a homeless young man and a large, but very thin, dog whose right front paw was bandaged with a broad, darkened scarf stained with crimson spots.
The dog lay on an improvised bed made from a piece of old, tattered blanket, while the vagabond sat beside it; the animal was breathing rapidly and looked miserable, as the young man carefully palpated its ribs. When he pressed around the area under the ribcage, he immediately heard a faint, high-pitched whine – the dog was whining, evidently in great pain.
‘Alright, got it,’ the homeless man murmured. ‘Just hold on a little longer, kid. Let me get you some water…’
The young man rummaged through his bag and pulled out a wide plastic bowl and a bottle of clean water. He poured water into the bowl and placed it before the dog, which immediately began lapping the water greedily. The vagabond gently patted the dog on the head and smiled – Tamara Konstantinovna noticed that he himself looked terribly thin and emaciated.
The young man’s cheeks were sunken beneath his thick, overgrown beard, and his curly hair stuck out in unruly tufts from under a shabby wool cap – tufts that one might just want to trim or try to comb out.
The elderly woman’s heart ached with pity, and unable to just walk by, she decided to ask him what had happened.
‘I just took in a poor fellow,’ the young homeless man explained. ‘He was hit by a car on the road; his paw is badly injured. I bandaged him as best I could – but it seems he even has a broken rib. I barely managed to drag him away from the highway, or else some truck would have run him over… I hope he survives. Although if his paw is badly injured, he might limp, but that’s not the worst thing…’
The man patted the dog again, and the animal joyfully rested its head, reminiscent of a Caucasian Shepherd’s, under his arm. Despite the pain, the animal felt cared for, and did what it could to show its gratitude to its rescuer.
‘And why are you both sitting out here on the street?’ Tamara Konstantinovna asked cautiously. ‘Why don’t you take him somewhere warm instead…?’
The young man’s expression immediately turned sorrowful:
‘I have no home… I’ve been living on the street for a long time now… We set up under this bridge for a while, until Zhorik recovers. Then we’ll look for another place.’
Inside, Tamara Konstantinovna felt as if everything had come to a halt:
‘Zhorik… Have you even given him a name?’ she asked the young man, nearly shedding a tear from being touched, then, unexpectedly even to herself, added: ‘Listen, why don’t you take your dog – and come with me. We’ll re-bandage him properly together – I’ll help you, having worked as an operating room nurse in surgery for so many years, I’ll help get your shaggy friend “back on his feet.” And we’ll examine and disinfect his wound as well…’
The homeless man looked noticeably flustered; he did not expect such a generous offer from a complete stranger:
‘But you hardly know me; it feels a bit awkward… And how would I come to your place with the dog? You probably need your peace and quiet…’
Tamara Konstantinovna smiled lightly at him:
‘Don’t worry about my peace – I have plenty of that anyway… Come on, what are you doing sitting here under a bridge?’
The young man thought for a moment, then nodded:
‘Alright, I’ll pack up my things and we’ll go. And if necessary, I can even sleep in your yard without going into the house. I understand everything… I just need to save Zhorik, and as for myself – I’m not worried; I can survive in any conditions.’
The homeless man smiled at Tamara Konstantinovna, quickly slung his bag over his shoulder, then picked up the whimpering dog and followed the elderly nurse.
Along the way, they got acquainted, and the woman learned that his name was Denis Zuev, and that he had spent most of his life on the streets. The young man looked just a little over thirty, but fate had not been kind to him.
When they arrived at her home, the first thing they did was treat the dog’s wounds as needed and change its bandage. In Tamara Konstantinovna’s refrigerator remained some meat trimmings, which she had planned to later use for soup; however, now they were given to Zhorik for dinner. The dog was incredibly happy to receive hot, aromatic food, even wagging his tail softly to show his affection for the hostess.
At that time, Denis went to take a shower, where, for the first time in a long while, he managed to wash and shave properly. After that, he seemed to have regained about five years of youth in his appearance.
When he emerged from the bathroom, Tamara Konstantinovna did not immediately recognize him: standing before her was a tall man with beautiful, dark-blonde, curly hair and bright blue eyes.
The woman served the young man a large plate of hot vegetable stew and invited him to dine together. Denis sincerely thanked her for her help. Over the meal, they started talking, and Tamara Konstantinovna learned more about her new acquaintance.
The young man explained that his mother had raised him almost single-handedly, working several jobs and unsuccessfully trying to cope with a heavy-drinking partner who spent most of his time on the couch, clinging to a bottle of ‘frothy drink.’
‘She worked as a cook in the school cafeteria during the day,’ Denis told the former nurse, ‘and in the evening she cleaned the floors at the same school – all just to feed and clothe me. I felt so much pain for her back then – I can’t even begin to express it! And that bastard wouldn’t even look in her direction when she came home half-alive! He didn’t try to help her, and didn’t even want to work: he said there was no point since he already had enough money…’
Denis’s face darkened, and his hand involuntarily clenched into a fist:
‘If you only knew, Tamara Konstantinovna, how much I wanted to grab him by the scruff and throw him down the stairs back then! So that he would never dare to mistreat my mother again. But I was just a kid, only ten years old – I couldn’t really stand up to him. Sometimes he beat my mother so badly that she couldn’t walk afterwards…’
Tamara Konstantinovna could only shake her head sympathetically.
Denis continued:
‘In the end, my mother couldn’t endure the beatings – and she died. And my stepfather – after that, he completely went off the rails: he turned our apartment into a den for drunks, and one day – under the guise of his drinking buddies – some shady realtors came by. They got him so drunk that he signed over our apartment to them ‘for a song’…’
The man sighed heavily:
‘I immediately realized that that night they could have done anything to us – so I ran away. I was already fifteen then… I still don’t know if my stepfather is alive or if fate has punished him for all his wrongs…’
Denis explained that after a while he wandered on the streets, trying to survive as best he could, and eventually got involved with a bad crowd, where older guys engaged in petty theft.
In the end, during one of their raids, the police caught them. Denis had to spend two years in a general regime penal colony. When he was released, he decided – that was it, he would leave the criminal life behind once and for all.
Since then, he has kept that promise, working odd jobs – sometimes as a loader wherever he could, other times as a general laborer on construction sites. That’s how he lives now.
Tamara Konstantinovna looked at the young man with genuine compassion. After hearing Denis’s moving story, her sympathy for him grew even stronger.
She watched as Denis and Zhorik eagerly ate the stew and porridge she had prepared, and at that moment she felt her heart gradually begin to come back to life. For the first time since the terrifying diagnosis, she felt a desire to live and care for someone.
4.
Denis and Zhorik began living with Tamara Konstantinovna, and the elderly woman’s home immediately took on a “manly touch”: Denis repaired furniture, fixed a long-overdue sagging curtain rod in the hall, helped the woman replace the bathroom plumbing, and generally did everything he could to assist with household chores. Tamara Konstantinovna started to regard the young homeless man almost like a close relative, often calling him ‘son’ in conversation – and he didn’t object.
Zhorik also slowly but surely improved: for the time being, he lived with them in the same room where his owner slept. Denis and Tamara Konstantinovna regularly checked on the dog’s condition and each time sighed with relief when they saw that he was getting better.
However, no matter how much good Denis did for his benefactress, all the neighbors in the area disapproved of him and maliciously whispered behind Tamara Konstantinovna’s back, concocting the most monstrous rumors about his ‘real intentions’ – speculating that Denis was merely waiting for a chance to ‘rob this crazy woman, or do something even worse to her’…
The homeless man tried not to pay attention to these provocations and continued to help Tamara Konstantinovna in every way he could. After some time, Denis met a wonderful woman.
Her name was Marina; she worked as a cashier at one of the local grocery stores and immediately took notice of the tall, handsome young man who greeted her with a friendly smile every time he came shopping. The two began to talk often, feeling a warm affection for each other.
One day, Denis decided to meet Marina after her shift to walk her home, but he was surprised when he saw a small six-year-old boy holding Marina’s hand tenderly by her side.
‘Hi!’ Denis said cheerfully to the boy. ‘I decided to meet your mom after work. It’s getting dark; it’s dangerous for you to be out alone…’
With these words, Denis pulled out a charming bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back and handed it to a shy, yet clearly delighted, Marina.
‘H-hello, mister,’ the little boy greeted politely, then, as a precaution, clung tighter to his mother’s leg.
Pretending not to notice his stutter, Denis only looked at Marina questioningly:
‘I’ll explain later,’ she replied shortly, introducing the former homeless man to her son, whose name was Alyosha.
While Denis escorted Marina home, she explained that she would be happy to continue seeing him but that she was currently in the midst of a difficult divorce process with her ex-husband, Semyon.
‘Semyon is an alcoholic,’ Marina said with a sigh. ‘He started drinking even before our wedding. Before that, he somehow managed to hold it together and even tried to work, but then…’
The young cashier sighed sadly:
‘I even tried to “recode” him and took him to a folk healer, and I did everything… I thought that when Alyosha was born he would finally leave, but no – he only drank even more. And Alyosha started to stutter because of him…’
‘What happened exactly?’ asked Denis.
‘I’m to blame,’ Marina began, ‘that day I had to go to work urgently. My colleague was ill, and there was no one to cover for her. And foolishly, I left Alyosha with that scoundrel. They went to the park to ride the attractions…’
Marina took several deep breaths before continuing, and at that moment Denis noticed tears glistening in her eyes.
‘My husband couldn’t resist buying beer. He went off to a stand and forgot about our son. And then, out of nowhere, a stray dog ran over and attacked my boy…’
Marina spoke almost in a whisper, so that Alyosha wouldn’t hear a word.
‘Alyosha was only four years old. He was terribly frightened when that animal started barking and growling. Thank God, some compassionate people came along and chased the stray dog away with sticks. And when Semyon heard the screams and came over, he pretended nothing had happened, can you believe it? I later heard all about it from the neighbors – I was in complete shock, and Alyosha… He has been stuttering ever since; I can’t help him at all. And he is terrified of dogs. If he sees one, he immediately bursts into tears…’
‘What a scoundrel…’ Denis managed to say, deeply moved.
Marina hugged little Alyosha wearily:
‘From that moment, everything was over between us. Now we live as neighbors – sharing one dwelling. He still walks around as angry as hell…’
Denis nodded in understanding and assured her that he would wait as long as necessary because he only wanted to be with her.
5.
A couple of days later, Denis ‘had the pleasure’ of encountering Semyon in person when he harassed his almost ex-wife right in a store:
‘Marinka, didn’t I tell you? Hand over a quick “thousand rubles” to me! Don’t you see—I need to sober up?’
Marina murmured something to her husband, and he grew even angrier, beginning to smash a nearby counter. Then Denis could no longer stand it; he approached the man and roughly ‘took him down’:
‘Haven’t you heard what you were told? The young lady made it very clear that she no longer wishes to see you! Get out of here before I call the police!’
‘I don’t understand, who’s the one speaking here? Why are you so concerned about my woman?’ Semyon slurred, tangling his words. ‘What, did some punk show up or who are you?’
Instead of answering, Denis deftly slipped his hand under Semyon’s arm and, with one swift move, twisted the unruly man into a ‘sheep’s horn,’ then escorted him out of the store, warning him that next time he wouldn’t be so lenient and he’d immediately call the police.
‘You little pup…’ Semyon hissed after him, ‘You want to take my woman away? You won’t get away with it! We’ll see about that…’
Harboring a grudge against the homeless man, Semyon, limping, returned home.
Meanwhile, Tamara Konstantinovna was bustling in the kitchen, preparing for the return of her guest: never before had the elderly nurse felt such an uplift in spirit – not for a minute did she regret taking Denis and his dog in. In a way, the young man had indeed become almost like a son to her, and this wonderful feeling of late motherhood quite literally ‘lifted’ her spirits.
A month passed in pleasant domestic activity, and even the stomach pains had dulled somewhat; however, the fear of death still clung to the elderly nurse. Tamara Konstantinovna was very anxious that the relief she was now experiencing was only temporary, and that very soon her condition would deteriorate to the point where she could not even get out of bed. The woman knew that such deterioration was inevitable with patients as their end approached.
Fearing that she had little time left, Tamara Konstantinovna decided to draw up her will, and once everything was ready, she invited a notary to her home.
‘Have you lost your mind?’ the notary frowned as he read the retirement woman’s last will. ‘You intend to bequeath all your property to that street bum who just sat there! Think again, Tamara Konstantinovna! He might simply deceive you in order to get your home as quickly as possible. And you are practically serving this homeless man on a silver platter. Why would you do that?!’
‘Denis doesn’t know anything about this,’ the nurse shook her head. ‘If he wanted to, he could have done anything to me a long time ago, but that boy treats me only with kindness… He knows nothing about the will; I have no family or children – to whom should I leave it all? And so, let Denis live here with his fiancée – it makes me happy.’
The notary was greatly surprised but said nothing. A client’s will is the law, so he signed the document and left.
Another month passed: during all that time, Tamara Konstantinovna lived life to the fullest and rejoiced in the warm moments when Marina, along with Denis, visited them.
The elderly woman rocked little Alyosha on her lap; they all drank tea with homemade sweets and talked a lot, and then she read fairy tales to the boy. The former nurse had even bought a book specifically for such evenings, and in those moments she felt like a real grandmother taking care of her beloved grandchild.
Sometimes Marina would leave the boy with Tamara Konstantinovna so she could go to the movies with Denis or simply take a walk in the city, and then the elderly woman felt that all of them were one happy family, despite being strangers in a formal sense.
The young woman prayed for one thing only – that the court would soon resolve the custody issue so that she could finally divorce Semyon, leaving him with their shared home. Marina needed nothing from him, especially since Denis had already assured her that he would take them and Alyosha as soon as the court proceedings ended. He wanted to marry Marina and be the best father for her son, better than the biological alcoholic father.
Tamara Konstantinovna was overjoyed to learn that the people dearest to her had decided to get married. The woman didn’t immediately notice that she no longer felt any pain – honestly, over the last month and a half, her well-being had noticeably improved! Tamara Konstantinovna was very surprised and deep down could not help but wonder – is this really possible? She had already prepared herself for death…
This mystery was resolved just a couple of days later when the elderly woman went for her scheduled appointment with her doctor and, this time, saw on his face a look of clear embarrassment instead of the usual sympathy.
‘Tamara Konstantinovna, you see…’ the doctor began hesitantly, ‘it turns out that during your first round of tests, a regrettable error occurred. The lab technician mixed up your sample with that of another person, and this wasn’t discovered immediately. And now, after rechecking and comparing with your latest tests, it turns out that the diagnosis was incorrect. Tamara Konstantinovna, you do not have a tumor. There are some issues with your digestive system, but it is all treatable.’
‘Oh my God!’ the patient exclaimed, flinging her hands. ‘Doctor, is it really true? I’m going to live!’
‘You will live a very long and happy life,’ the doctor smiled at her. ‘Do not doubt it…’
As if on wings, Tamara Konstantinovna hurried home and shared the joyful news with Denis and Marina, who was just preparing lunch while also feeding the leftover meat scraps to Zhorik. Denis and his fiancée were overjoyed to learn that the health of their dear Tamara Konstantinovna was not in danger.
Denis went out into the yard to stack some firewood for the evening. It was summer outside, and the young man was working in a T-shirt when Tamara Konstantinovna passed by and noticed on his shoulder a painfully familiar mark in the shape of a large oval…
Gasping, she stopped, unable to control her emotions.
‘What’s wrong, Tamara Konstantinovna?’ Denis asked with concern, noticing the condition of the lady.
‘Your birthmark,’ the woman explained. ‘I’ve seen it before…’
She recounted that many years ago, a pregnant woman was brought to their department in her last month. The surgeon then decided that an operation was necessary because otherwise both the mother and child would die. Tamara Konstantinovna had only been assisting at the time, but she clearly remembered that the woman gave birth to twins! And both boys had identical moles on their shoulders…
‘But that’s impossible!’ Denis exclaimed in astonishment. ‘I have always been an only child, and my mother never mentioned that I had a brother, let alone a twin. This must be some mistake…’
‘No,’ Tamara Konstantinovna replied firmly, ‘there can be no mistake here: I have a photographic memory, my dear, and I’ve remembered faces and other distinctive features perfectly since my youth. And I am absolutely sure – you have a brother!!’
Denis did not know what to say then, and in the evening, when everyone was having tea and he told Marina about it, he hesitated:
‘Maybe you’re right, Tamara Konstantinovna,’ he said, ‘but if I had a twin, my mother most likely would have given him up for adoption. How could she possibly raise two? She barely managed to raise me alone…’
The thought that he might have been separated from a twin brother in infancy deeply upset Denis. But what could he do now, after so many years?
Even if Tamara Konstantinovna was right, where could he possibly find him? Denis tried to make inquiries at the local passport office, but they couldn’t provide any information.
Gradually, he stopped thinking about it and shifted his focus to much more important matters: a month later, the court finally granted Marina a divorce from Semyon, and now he and Marina could calmly begin preparations for their wedding.
6.
The happy couple had no idea that the harshest trial was still ahead of them.
One evening, a drunken Semyon staggered into Tamara Konstantinovna’s yard. The man was loudly shouting obscenities and flailing his arms, trying to attract the attention of his ex-wife. He wanted to take Marina and Alyosha back with him – and the frightened woman, fearing for her son, hid in the back room.
Denis went outside with the clear intent to teach the insolent man a lesson, and a fight broke out between them. At one point, Denis Zuev didn’t notice how, in the darkness of the evening, the glint of a long knife flashed, which Semyon was holding in his hand. A second later, Denis felt a sharp pain in his right side. Everything went dark before his eyes…
‘Drop dead, you bastard!’ Semyon hissed in his ear, and after glancing one last time at the horrified Tamara Konstantinovna standing in the doorway, he disappeared into the darkness.
‘Denis, my son!’ cried the terrified nurse as she rushed to the young man. At the shout from inside the house, Marina also came out, and upon seeing what her ex-husband had done to her fiancé, she immediately called an ambulance.
The doctors, upon arriving, explained to the women that Denis urgently needed an operation and a blood transfusion – the young man had lost so much blood while waiting for the medics. The doctor at the hospital immediately sent a request to the regional blood bank, but it was refused: they did not have material with such a rare blood type and phenotype. There was a small reserve, but that had run out a week ago.
Then the doctors began searching for a donor in their database, and finally, luck smiled on them: there was one donor in the city, a young businessman by the name of Verbin. The catch was that he had just donated blood recently – and he needed a break. The situation was further complicated by the fact that Pavel Ivanovich (as the businessman was called) had an extremely important meeting in Moscow and had to be at the airport in an hour.
However, the doctors managed with great difficulty to persuade the businessman to come and save a life by donating his blood. There was no other person with such rare blood parameters in their small town. Dropping everything, Pavel eventually arrived at the hospital; he couldn’t pass by someone in dire need.
As Verbin walked down the corridor to the transfusion ward, Tamara Konstantinovna and Marina sprang from their seats:
‘Denis?’ the nurse asked in astonishment, ‘Oh my goodness, but how? You’re… you’re now in a hospital bed…’
Marina looked at the elderly woman in amazement, and then they both understood everything.
‘Pardon me?’ the surprised businessman asked. ‘I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Denis; I’m Pavel…’
It turned out that the donor-businessman was an exact double of the homeless man who had been living with the former nurse! Tamara Konstantinovna realized that this man was indeed the long-lost twin brother she had told her “son” about.
When the nurse tried to explain this to the businessman, at first he did not believe her; however, upon entering the ward, he fell into a stupor: lying in the hospital bed, unconscious, was his “mirror image.”
‘It can’t be!’ Pavel whispered. ‘So it’s true?? I have a twin brother!’
At that moment, Denis could not answer him, but Pavel donated his blood and thereby saved his twin brother’s life. The blood was an exact match, and the operation was a success – later, the surgeon confessed to the businessman that if it weren’t for his selflessness that night, they would have certainly lost Denis.
When the patient regained consciousness and saw who had saved him, the young man was utterly astonished – he could not believe that his closest, blood-related person was standing before him: his very own twin brother. Pavel, looking at him, smiled through tears:
‘Brother,’ he said slowly as he approached Denis, ‘I still can’t believe it… How is it possible that we lived in the same city and never once met all these years?’
Deeply moved, Denis shook his head sadly:
‘It seems fate arranged it so that we wouldn’t know each other until the right time… Did Tamara Konstantinovna tell you everything?’
‘Yes,’ Pavel nodded, ‘She is simply amazing. And your fiancée – I heard she’s a beauty, that you defended her from that despicable ex-husband…’
The brothers talked for a while, then embraced. Pavel promised his brother that he would visit him as soon as he recovered, and he kept his word: after Denis was discharged, he was greeted not only by his beloved women but also by his brother arriving in a luxurious car.
It turned out that the former nurse was right: the businessman told her that he had been raised in an orphanage from childhood, from which a wealthy family had adopted him. He had never known about his brother, nor had the management of the orphanage where he grew up.
This meant that at birth, the boys’ mother kept only Denis for herself, while Pavel was left at the door of the orphanage. The brothers bore no grudge against their biological mother – Denis explained to Pavel how difficult her life had been, so the businessman fully understood the motives behind her actions.
Semyon, after the attempted murder of Denis, was immediately detained by the police – by that time, he had sobered up and given a confession. He faced trial and a long prison sentence. Moreover, Semyon was stripped of his parental rights, so Denis was able to adopt Alyosha immediately after his wedding with Marina.
Pavel then took Denis into his business: the former homeless man obtained his driver’s license, received his documents, studied, and began working as a truck driver. After marrying Marina and adopting Alyosha, he felt like the happiest man on earth.
As for Alyosha, after a year of living with Marina and his adoptive father, he gradually stopped stuttering, being surrounded by care and love. Marina considered this a true miracle – especially since the little boy, thanks to his interactions with the gentle Zhorik, had stopped being afraid of dogs. Now, they were best friends, and the dog, for whom they had built a beautiful doghouse in the yard, simply adored his little master.
Tamara Konstantinovna was happy, for in her twilight years she had finally found a large, complete family. She regarded Pavel and Denis as her sons, while Marina and Alyosha as her daughter and grandson. They got along well with the family of the businessman brother, who also had a wife and a little daughter. The brothers were grateful to have found each other after so many years, and now supported one another in everything, considering their meeting a true gift from Heaven.
Then, six months later, Marina brought Denis the news that she was expecting a child. Now, Alyosha would have a little brother or sister, and Tamara Konstantinovna even teared up with joy upon learning that she would become a grandmother for the second time.
Thus, having overcome all trials and difficulties, each of these people found in their lives what they had long dreamed of and which, until that moment, had seemed completely unattainable.