The nurse finished all the manipulations and sat down at the table. Linda cried – she suddenly remembered her childhood. Though some 40 years had passed, Linda decided to tell the girl about that terrible day.
June. Her mother held little Linda’s hand and told her a story. Suddenly, a tractor jumped out from behind a curve. And then darkness. When the girl came to, her mother was already dead. She naively opened her eyes with children’s fingers and begged her to wake up. The children’s screams were heard by the neighbors, and they witnessed this terrible picture.
Then a last kiss with her mother, which Linda did not dare for a long time. And so began her orphan life. Her older sisters constantly drove her away. She had been her mother’s favorite, but now no one wanted to be bothered with her.
Her mother really wanted a fifth child, but her father would send her to an abortion. She trembled with fear when her husband waved his fists in her face, but she did not dare to kill the child. And so Linda was born, beloved by her mother and persecuted by everyone.
Two months after the funeral, the father came into the children’s room and nervously said:
– “Linda, pack your things, we’re going into town.
– And why? – Linda answered joyfully in anticipation of adventure.
Grandmother at this point, crying, hugged the little girl and called her father a monster. And he threatened her with his fist and said he would take her to “town”. Little Linda did not understand why her grandmother was so angry, she trustingly took her father’s hand, said goodbye to her sisters, although they did not even go out into the yard, and left.
Her father took Linda to the orphanage. Before entering, he patted her on the shoulder and said:
– “Well, Linda, don’t be naughty, listen to me. I’ll be back soon.
Linda cried out in fear of the unknown. But Daddy didn’t even turn around. She stood in the dark corridor for a long time, until the old nurse took her in her arms. That’s how she grew up among those gray walls.
Her father sometimes came and took her home for a couple of days, but no one was happy to see her. The boys called her an orphanage girl and shunned her. Grandma was gone, so no one defended Linda.
But she was lucky with her husband – she met him at a dance school. He did not mind that Linda was an orphan, he immediately asked her to marry him. The husband’s relatives warmly accepted his wife. She finally found out what a good attitude. And soon gave birth to her husband’s two sons – now the boys are adults.
Forty years have passed. Linda was remembered by her sisters. They sent her a telegram: “Father is dying, come here.”
She and her husband bought tickets the next day and drove to their home village. Linda thought all the way about how her sisters would receive her, how her father would react. And there it was, the hometown. The sisters stood on the doorstep, with their sleeves rolled up, and watched what kind of car the orphanage girl had arrived in. Their envy just tore them to shreds.
– Dad’s in the room,” my sister said without even saying hello.
– I’m sorry, daughter,” he cried.
The sisters interrupted her father, saying something about the will and how Linda shouldn’t count on anything.
– You can, a ruined latrine to take. That’s all the orphans get,” the older sister quipped.
– I’ll take my father, I’ll share the house with you,” Linda smiled.
Peter insisted that Linda take her father with her. He recovered over time, now every day asks his daughter’s forgiveness. Linda hired a nurse to take care of him. And he will remember his visit to his father’s house for a long time to come.
