That night, Pyotr Andreyevich couldn’t sleep—the radiculitis flared up again, and a piercing pain immobilized his body. He tried all possible remedies, but nothing brought relief except one—a miraculous ointment from his neighbor Agafiya Vasilyevna. Only thanks to it could he move at all. By morning, the pain had subsided enough to allow him to get out of bed. Approaching the window, he was not surprised by the view outside: the radiculitis always warned him of bad weather. Outside, rain poured, intensifying and washing away the forest paths.
The forester stepped away from the window and filled a bowl of water for Kamal—his faithful companion. A year ago, he found this dog in the forest on the brink of life and death. In a fierce fight with a predator, the dog had sustained a serious paw injury, which practically immobilized it. Pyotr Andreyevich took it in, nursed it back to health, and now Kamal had become not just a pet, but a true friend. The dog turned out to be incredibly perceptive: it could find any animal, perfectly followed its master’s commands, and became the only living being with whom the forester shared his solitude among the endless forests.
The man had lived alone for many years. His wife Maria Leonidovna had passed away from a heart attack ten years ago, and his daughter Nadya had long lost contact with her home. She always dreamed of leaving the village and finding a rich life in the city. As soon as she turned eighteen, she left, abandoning her parents, and never returned. Her dream came true—she married a wealthy man, but the marriage soon fell apart. After that, a series of events followed: new marriages, divorces, a pregnancy, an abortion… Nadya could not find her destiny and grasped at every chance. All this time, Pyotr Andreyevich and his wife tried to support her financially, though they were not wealthy themselves. Maria Leonidovna often cried, worrying about her daughter, and her heart could not take it. When she died, the daughter did not even come to the funeral, despite the urgent telegram. She did not call, did not send a single word. This deeply wounded Pyotr Andreyevich, and he stopped trying to make contact. Thus, he remained completely alone in his small cabin, but the work of a forester brought him joy and meaning.
One evening, unexpectedly, someone knocked on the door. Visitors were extremely rare, so the man was surprised. Opening the door, he saw three men. One of them was the local police officer Kirill Maksimovich, accompanied by a distinguished middle-aged man—clearly a city official. Behind them shyly stood a lanky young man with a dimmed gaze. Pyotr Andreyevich immediately understood that he had recently been released from prison, but the question remained: why had they come to him?
The forester invited the guests to the table and offered them tea with lingonberry jam. The police officer eagerly accepted the treat, the city official politely declined, although it was evident that his refusal was dictated by arrogance. The young man, embarrassed by the attention, did not dare to take a cup of tea.
The police officer spoke first: – Pyotr Andreyevich, we have a special matter for you. We’ve decided to send Timur Alexandrovich Kolesnikov to you for reeducation—a former convict. His punishment was related to youthful indiscretion under a relatively harmless article. He was released a year ago but has shown no desire to reform.
The important official added that he represented a social aid foundation and was appointed as a mentor for people who had lost their way in life. The foundation helped orphans, the homeless, and those recently released from incarceration, providing them with an opportunity to start a new life. For this purpose, they were sent under the guardianship of conscientious citizens engaged in useful activities. Now it was Pyotr Andreyevich’s turn. For his participation, the forester would receive an additional reward to his pension.
Pyotr Andreyevich enthusiastically accepted the offer: finally, his solitude would be interrupted, and Timur seemed to him a soulful and sincere person.
However, the beginning of their life together was not smooth. Timur was reserved and unsociable, and Pyotr Andreyevich did not rush to ask intrusive questions. Time passed, and the forester gradually involved the young man in work. Eventually, Timur gained confidence and found his place. Kamal also accepted the new resident—the dog instinctively felt good people. She joyfully played with Timur, slept at his feet, and always accompanied him during walks.
One frosty winter morning, they went on their usual patrol of the territory. Suddenly, Kamal’s alarmed bark rang out. The men hurried toward the sound and froze at what they saw: a young she-wolf was stuck in a trap. Her condition indicated that she had been struggling for her life for a long time.
– Damned Makarov! – Pyotr Andreyevich gritted through his teeth. – That poacher set his deadly traps all over the forest, and how many innocent animals have perished because of him!
Makarov Dmitry was a local poacher, whose lawlessness knew no bounds. His traps had become a real scourge for the forest inhabitants.
– Timur, keep your distance. She is weak, but she might attack. Kamal, quiet! – the forester warned.
With caution, Pyotr Andreyevich approached the she-wolf, spoke soothingly to her, and skillfully freed her paw from the trap. The animal barely yelped from pain, but had no strength left to resist. The forester found two sturdy pine branches, laid the she-wolf on them, and carried her home—help was necessary. With Agafiya Vasilyevna’s famous ointment, they began treatment. Naming the she-wolf Rama, they started her recovery. The animal surprisingly quickly adapted to the new environment: she behaved calmly, showed no aggression, and after some time, Pyotr Andreyevich could feed her directly from his hand.
Rama lived with the forester until the end of winter. When the she-wolf began showing signs of restlessness—whining and howling—Pyotr Andreyevich decided it was time to release her.
– I think it’s too early to release her into the wild, let her leg strengthen, – Timur expressed his concerns.
– No, it’s time. It’s mating season, and her restlessness is exactly related to this, – the forester explained.
Two weeks later, a tragedy occurred in the village. Makarov, the same poacher, had a daughter named Veronika who disappeared. Three years ago, she left the village, found a job in the city, and met a wealthy man. In rare phone calls, she assured her mother that she would soon become the wife of a rich man. But recently, Veronika returned home pregnant. When the future husband learned about the child, he immediately kicked her out. The wealthy parents of the groom didn’t even know about this relationship—their plans for their son were completely different.
Seeing his pregnant daughter on his doorstep, Makarov flew into a rage. Grabbing a shovel, he chased after her. The frightened girl ran away, and now her disappearance was the reason for a massive search. The temperature outside plummeted rapidly, and all forces were thrown into saving the unfortunate girl. Among those who took part in the search were Pyotr Andreyevich, Timur, and faithful Kamal.
The men ventured deeper into the forest, but the search was fruitless. Twilight had already begun to fall when suddenly a familiar figure appeared before them—it was Rama, their former ward she-wolf. She looked intently at Pyotr Andreyevich, then abruptly took off, stopping and looking back every few meters as if calling them to follow her.
The forester instantly understood.
– Follow her! – he shouted to Timur, and they chased after the she-wolf.
Approaching the river, they heard a piercing scream. Veronika was struggling in an ice hole, trying unsuccessfully to get out. Timur acted quickly: he grabbed a large stick, descended onto the thin ice, and cautiously moved toward the girl, extending the improvised rescue tool. Veronika clung to the stick with all her might, and soon Timur managed to pull her onto a relatively safe area. He quickly removed his jacket, wrapped the shivering girl in it, and, supporting her in his arms, headed to the ambulance waiting nearby.
The girl was taken to the hospital, and Makarov was taken to the police for questioning. Timur was seriously concerned about Veronika’s condition and constantly inquired about her health from her mother. She reassured him, informing him that her daughter was alright and would soon return home.
Two days later, Timur could no longer endure the separation and went to the hospital. He returned not alone—together with Veronika.
– Pyotr Andreyevich, may Veronika live with us for some time? She has nowhere to go, – he asked.
It turned out that Makarov was released—his mother convinced Veronika not to file a complaint against her own father, explaining it as a temporary clouding of judgment. The girl agreed, not to exacerbate the situation, but now Makarov continued to live as if nothing had happened.
Pyotr Andreyevich joyfully accepted Veronika into his home. However, that same evening he decided to pay a visit to Makarov. Confronting the poacher, the forester directly stated that he knew the whole truth: about the traps, the illegal hunting, and the sale of wild animal meat to restaurants. He warned Makarov to leave Veronika alone and stop threatening her, otherwise all the information would end up with the police. The poacher merely sneered in response.
Meanwhile, warm feelings developed between Timur and Veronika. They spent all their free time together, and Pyotr Andreyevich immediately understood that their romance would soon lead to marriage. And so it happened: in the spring, Veronika gave birth to a charming girl, and soon after, Timur proposed to her. For Pyotr Andreyevich, this became a true gift of fate—his lonely home was filled with new life: children’s laughter, conversations, and joy.
As for Makarov, fate taught him another lesson. One day during another “hunt,” he got so carried away chasing a wolf that he himself fell into one of his own traps set a month earlier. A piercing pain shot through his leg, and he realized he was stuck. For several hours he tried to free himself, but all attempts were in vain. Preparing for the worst, he heard familiar steps. It was Pyotr Andreyevich, conducting his evening patrol of the territory. Seeing the suffering man, the forester did not hesitate to help him: he skillfully freed him from the trap and carried him to his home, where he called an ambulance.
This incident fundamentally changed Makarov. He personally toured the entire forest, dismantled all his traps, and never set them up again. Some time later, he came to Pyotr Andreyevich’s home, sincerely asked for forgiveness for his actions. They accepted him with understanding and even introduced him to his little granddaughter, giving him a chance to correct the past. Now Makarov became a different person, and life in the forest management continued its harmonious course.