“Boryslav!”
Borya flinched. He didn’t like being called by his full name. All his colleagues knew him as Borya and never addressed him formally. The person who called him that now must have been looking at his passport.
Borya turned around. In the doorway stood Vera Igorevna, the accountant. She had only been at the company for a few months and from day one, she practically stalked Boris, but even she never called him that. The man tried to hide his displeasure, but apparently not very well, because the woman was literally growling with fury.
“Vera Igorevna, is something wrong?”
“And what—nothing? You want to say everything is okay?”
“She must have seen the passport and realized her interest was fruitless,” he thought, and said: “Vera Igorevna, can you explain? Is there something missing from the documents?”
“What documents? You’ve been confusing me for so long!”
Boris noticed how the drivers in the adjacent office quieted down and slowly began to approach the room where Vera was getting louder.
“So, I really don’t understand what’s happening.”
“You understand everything. I, like a fool, was preaching in front of you, and it turns out, you have a woman waiting at home.”
“Well, forgive me, of course, but we never discussed each other’s personal lives, so why would I tell you about who I have at home?”
“You have no decency at all. It’s not listed in your passport. You deceive her, deceived me.”
“You know what… I haven’t deceived anyone and I never promised you anything. And why are you even accusing me of anything?”
“I wasted my time on you, and you… And you…”
Boris left the office and headed to his car. Not much time was left until the new year, and he didn’t want to celebrate it behind the wheel. He slowly drove onto the road.
Boris always loved his job. A big truck, the highway, the towns and villages flashing by. Only on the road did he feel in his element. He just didn’t like winter: the roads weren’t the same, and the car didn’t handle as well.
Several hours later, it grew dark, and he stopped at a large parking area, where, besides him, about a dozen other long-haul trucks were parked. He figured he was on schedule and had time to rest and gather strength. He moved to his sleeping berth, lay down, and immersed himself in his thoughts.
“And really, why haven’t Galya and I registered our marriage?”
Boris and Galina had been together for over 10 years. When they met, he was sure that a stamp in the passport changed nothing. He was generally disillusioned with women and serious relationships back then. But Galya was not like those he had met before her. She changed his views, but he never made up his mind about marriage. Galya wanted it, but didn’t demand it. He was sure that with the stamp, he would lose something important, valuable, something that their union was based on.
“I wonder, if we had registered our marriage, would we have lived together so long? And if it’s so important to her, why doesn’t she talk about the wedding? Phew, I guess I’m getting old, thinking such philosophical nonsense.”
Boris realized he couldn’t sleep and reached for his phone. He quickly dialed a number and heard Galina’s anxious voice on the line.
“Borya, how are you? Did something happen?”
“Hello, no, sorry.” He glanced at the clock and realized it was almost two in the morning. “I just haven’t heard your voice in a long time.”
“I’m waiting for you,” she replied, now soft and calm. “Come back soon.”
“Alright, good night.”
Boris hung up and fell asleep instantly.
The trip went smoothly. He freed up and was happy to realize he would make it home for the holiday. Just a few more hours of driving, and he wanted to get to the warmth and comfort of home as soon as possible, so he decided not to delay. There were still a few hours until dawn, but he couldn’t sit still, so he set off.
As always, the villages flashed by the window, and the wheels rolled mile after mile. In the pre-dawn hours, there were no cars on the road, so he drove without delay. He passed another village and about ten minutes later noticed something on the side of the road. He slowed down, and as he got closer, he realized it was a woman, more precisely, an old grandmother. She didn’t pay attention to the big truck that just passed a meter from her, didn’t even flinch.
Boris had heard that long-haul drivers often encounter pedestrians who either accidentally or intentionally walk into traffic. But he saw neither fear nor despair in this grandmother. She seemed to be walking the streets on her own business. He, not understanding why, slowed down and stopped. A couple of minutes later, the grandmother caught up with the truck, and he got out.
“Hello. What are you doing here at this time? It’s dangerous to walk on the roads at night. And it’s cold.”
“Yes, kind person, it’s not May. But I need to. I urgently need to, so I walk.”
“And what’s so urgent that you’re walking along the highway? And where are you going? Maybe we’re heading the same way. After all, there’s only one road here, so get in, I’ll take you as far as I can.”
“Thank you.”
The grandmother quickly climbed into the truck, and Boris returned to the driver’s seat and pulled away.
“So, where are you coming from and where are you heading?” he asked, watching as the elderly woman rubbed her frozen fingers.
“I ran away and am going to my son. It’s his name day today. I thought I’d make it. Even if I don’t make it, at least just to see him.”
“Oh, look! It’s my birthday today. I thought December 31 was only unfortunate for me. And what do you mean ran away? From where?”
“You just passed a town, so there’s a nursing home there. That’s where I ran away from. They fell asleep, and I quickly packed up and left.”
“So what were you doing there if you have a son? How could he put you there?”
The grandmother lowered her down jacket and Boris saw that her head was almost completely gray. Now he realized that she was at least 70 years old, although by her voice and movements she seemed younger.
“I’ve been living there for several years. It’s like a prison there. They take your money, won’t let you out. And if you dare to complain, you’ll be left without food.”
“That’s terrible… Is there really no one to hold them accountable? The prosecutor’s office should be sicced on them.”
“Oh, dear, we tried, but no one believes us old people. They put on such a performance there that you’d want to live there yourself. No one bothered to check, and then we got it even worse. So, we sit there and keep quiet, not to cause trouble.”
“But how did it happen that with a living son you ended up there?”
“My son is alive, only he thinks I’ve been long gone. His father told him that, and he told me too. So I suffered. I got married young, gave birth. He was just starting out, but quickly made a name for himself, became a big man. Everyone was afraid of him. And I was too. He became very cruel. I stayed at home, didn’t go anywhere. Then he came one day and said that he no longer needed me. He kicked me out, took the son. Said that if I tried to find him, I’d only make it worse for myself and the child. What else could I do?”
“So, did your tyrant die?”
“Yes, so Ira said. There, in the nursing home, there’s a nurse. A good girl, kind. She helped me. When I decided to find my son, I turned to her. She looked something up on the internet and said that my husband had died a long time ago. So I decided to find my son and tell him everything. Ira found the town where my husband lived with my son. Even though so many years have passed, I hope to find him there. Or at least find out where to go next.”
When the grandmother mentioned the town where her son lived, Boris thought about how many events in this woman’s life resembled what had happened in his own life. The grandmother continued her story:
“At first, we lived well. When we were expecting our son, we couldn’t decide on a name. We argued: he wanted one, I liked another. When he was born, we decided to give him both names. He wanted to name him after his grandfather Boris, and I really liked the name Slava. So our son got such a strange name, Boryslav.”
Boris almost let go of the steering wheel at those words. He slammed on the brakes abruptly. The startled grandmother looked at him and shook his hand.
“My dear, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling ill?”
“No, all is well. Just tired. We’ll stop, take a break.”
Boris gathered his strength and drove to the nearest parking lot.
“You sleep here, there’s a sleeping berth, it’ll be warm and comfortable. And I’ll be here.”
The grandmother moved back, lay down, and quickly fell asleep, while Boris watched her and remembered his childhood.
“And where’s mom?” asked the boy, ready to cry.
“Son, you’re grown up now and should understand that things are complicated for adults. Your mom… she fell in love with another man and won’t live with us anymore.”
“Doesn’t she love me anymore?” the boy asked, no longer holding back tears.
Boris remembered how much pain and disappointment there was in his soul then. He couldn’t believe that the loving and caring mom suddenly left him and disappeared. He tried to understand, but his child’s heart refused to believe in the betrayal of a loved one.
The father convinced him that they would be happy together, and Boris eventually got used to the idea that he had no mother. When he grew up a bit, he raised the conversation again.
“Dad, I want to see mom.”
“We’ve already discussed this. She won’t come back to us.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that. I just want to look her in the eye. I want to understand why she did this to me.”
“Sorry, son, but it’s not possible. She died not long ago. She lived on the other side of the country and was buried there.”
Then his world collapsed again. He had held on only because he believed that someday he would see his mother and get an answer to his question. Now he had lost hope. Boris became bitter toward his father, toward everyone around him. He got involved with a bad crowd and spent almost all his time on the streets, and when he returned home, he encountered his father.
His relationship with his father finally broke down. The boy eventually saw his true face. He hit him, cruelly and with pleasure. Boris saw the smile when his father looked at his son’s contorted face in pain. After another beating, Boris couldn’t take it anymore and left. The staff at the orphanage were surprised when the son of a wealthy and influential father asked to take him in.
The very next day, the father stood in the director’s office, spitting with rage. He yelled, threw papers, banged on the table, but the boy remained under protection. It was just over a year later when Boris was called into the director’s office, and the man with a sad face informed him that his father had died. He was driving and got angry when someone passed him. Deciding to prove his superiority, he sped up too much and lost control.
Boris graduated from the orphanage, received an apartment, and stayed in that town. The years went by, memories faded, and he completely forgot that he ever had a mother. But, seeing this old woman, seeing her eyes, he felt something in him stir.
“Could it really be her? Can such things happen?” In memories and anxieties, Boris didn’t realize he had fallen asleep. He woke up when the sun lit his face. He opened his eyes and saw that the woman was sitting on the sleeping berth, looking at him attentively.
“Oh, aren’t you asleep anymore?”
“Ah, your car keeps blinking and hissing.”
“That’s how it should be. Everything’s okay. Did you sleep well? Then we’ll have some tea and hit the road.”
Now, looking at this woman, he truly saw his mother. Those were the same eyes he remembered from his childhood, the ones he so wanted to see and get an answer to the main question of his life.
When they approached the town, the woman began to gather her things. Pulling on her scarf, she said:
“Drop me off somewhere here. I only know the town, not the address. I’ll go to the administration, maybe they’ll tell me something?”
“Who’s going to help you today? It’s New Year’s, everyone’s celebrating. And where will you go, with two weeks of holidays ahead? Wait a minute.”
He took out his phone and called Galya. He told her he wouldn’t be coming alone, and she agreed without any questions. She even laughed that there would be someone to eat all the food she had prepared.
“I also wanted to say that you’re the best. To say that I love you. And also, that right after the holidays we’ll get married, if you want.”
She was silent, and Boris heard her sob.
“Galya, what is it? Don’t you want to? I’m not forcing you.”
“I do want to, Borya. And I love you very much too.”
Boris hung up and returned to the truck. A few minutes later, he pulled up to a house.
“Oh, where have we come?” asked the old woman.
“Home. We’re home. It’s the holiday, after all. Where would you go?”
“Ah, what are you, young man,” the woman shook her head. “And your wife will be against it,” she resisted, nodding towards Galya, who came out onto the porch.
“She won’t be. She’s the best. You’ll like her.”
The woman looked at him in surprise, and Boris turned away. He understood that he needed to tell her everything. As soon as he realized that it was indeed her he was looking for. But he couldn’t. He was afraid. He felt like the same little, frightened boy who for so many years had forbidden himself to say the most important word for a child aloud.
“I’ll say it at home. It’s calmer there, Galya is nearby. I can say it there,” he thought as he led the woman into the house.
Galya, seeing the guest, stepped back. She smiled strangely and looked at Boris in surprise. The woman entered the house.
“It’s nice here. So cozy. You can see that there’s kindness and love in this house.”
“Borya, aren’t you going to introduce us?” asked Galya.
“Yes, of course. This is Galya, my wife. Galya, this is my mom.”
The woman gasped, looked at him, and began to slowly collapse. He managed to catch her. After a couple of minutes, she came to her senses. Galya and Boris stood next to her.
“Son, my dear boy. And I believed that I would see you. I couldn’t understand why your eyes seemed so familiar to me. My heart wasn’t mistaken.”
“Yes, when I saw you, I understood everything right away,” said Galya. “Your eyes are the same, and he looks a lot like you.”
“That’s good, son. I saw you. Now I can die in peace.”
“What are you talking about? On the contrary, we’ll start living now, as I’ve always dreamed.”
“No, son, take me back. I’ll stay there, I’m used to it already. I just wanted to see you. I won’t bother you. You have your own family, and I…”
“You’re my family too. You’re not going anywhere, you’ll stay with us,” said Boris, looking at Galya.
“Of course. You still need to celebrate at the wedding,” Galya smiled. “And you’ll see your grandchildren.”
Boris flinched and looked at Galya. She stood smiling at him.
“Yes, Galya, have a daughter for me!” he said, lifting her in his arms.
As they made wishes at the New Year’s table, each of them thought long and hard, because everything each of them had wanted had already come true.