Tatiana and Pavel got married while they were both in college. They enjoyed each new day, were young and careless, so when Tanya became pregnant, they decided to abandon the child for now.
— We have neither our own housing, nor the time, nor the money to educate him, Paul said. And you and I are only a year and a half away from graduation, are you going to drop everything? No, I have to finish my studies. What’s school going to be like with the kid?
— Yes, I understand, – sighed Tanya, – I am not ready either, just a pity.
— Tanya, a child is not a kitten, he can not just give milk and let him grow. But if you want, please give birth. Just don’t complain that I’m not helping you, I’ll tell you right away, I won’t have time for this.
— I get it all…
Three days later, Tatiana returned from the hospital and did not go anywhere for almost a week, lying, facing the wall.
Paul looked at her with sympathy, but he did not regret what she had done. He courted his wife, proved his love to her, and she gradually thawed away. Life is back on track.
The couple finished their studies, settled each in their own specialty, and began to arrange their own lives. At first, they worked to buy their own housing, then they needed to live for themselves, go on vacation, buy a car, but what else did the young couple want?
Years passed. Tatiana and Pavel were used to comfort and believed that they were very lucky in life. They have been abroad many times, allowed themselves lunches and dinners in restaurants, and tried to spend the weekend on interesting trips.
The thirtieth anniversary of Tatiana decided to celebrate in nature, so invited guests to the dacha, where everything was equipped for recreation. The holiday was fun, but Tanya noticed with what pleasure Paul raced the ball with the young sons of friends, how he laughed at stories about the tricks of the kids and generally devoted more time to strangers’ children than her, his wife.
Resentment overwhelmed the woman: he did not allow her to give birth, after the first paid for two more abortions, and now has fun with the children. Anya, the mother of the youngest of the children, smiling, wiped the sweaty face of her son:
— Kiryusha, are you thirsty? Pour some water?
The boy got drunk and threw himself into the game again, diligently taking the ball away from Paul.
— How old is Andrews?
— Recently turned three, somehow confused Anya answered and moved the conversation to another topic.
The next day, Tatiana spoke to her husband about her own child.
— Don’t you think it’s time we thought about the baby?
— Oh, that’s a surprise. And, however, I do not mind, let’s try, – Paul answered without much enthusiasm.
For two years Tatiana tried to get pregnant. She became nervous, shabby, constantly broke down on her husband, he also did not remain silent and discontent with each other grew like a snowball.
Tanya now often lay in hospitals, restoring women’s health, spent a lot of money on all kinds of procedures and, in the end, was successful.
When the long-awaited pregnancy came, she was just in seventh heaven with happiness. Paul supported his wife, bought everything that was necessary, tolerated her whims, visited her in the hospital when she went to stay, but one day he could not stand it:
— Listen, Tanya, I’m tired of living like this. Anyway, I’m leaving you.
— How do you feel? she wiped her tears.
— Simple. I’m filing for divorce. I don’t want to live with you anymore.
— Pasha, what are you saying? You and I have lived so many years!! Have you stopped loving me? And the son?? You wanted a son so much! We’re gonna have a boy! Pasha!
— Tanya, I already have children. And I go to them. Do you remember Anya, she was at your anniversary and little Kiryushka? That’s my oldest. A year ago, Anyuta gave birth to Ilyusha. And I want to live with them. Besides, I filed for divorce a long time ago, the papers will come soon.
— What? What did you say??? — Tanya started a real tantrum. You lied to me, you lied to me, while I had abortions, did you have children on the side??? Bastard, scoundrel!!! Get out, get out! Out!!
But as soon as Paul moved to the exit, she rushed after him and begged him to stay, and then, shouting sharply, grabbed her stomach.
Help me! Help…
— Stop breaking comedy, I hate your antics! Paul turned away from his wife, but as soon as he closed the door behind him, he heard the body fall. He came back and quickly dialed the ambulance. Tatiana gave birth to a premature, weak boy.
Paul looked at the wrinkled creature, remembered the beautiful blushed sons, took a piece of paper, and wrote a rejection of his son, who in his opinion was so weak that he would hardly have survived. And then he left without even seeing his wife.
Tatiana sobbed all the days she was in the hospital. Her milk burned out almost immediately, the baby was not brought to her, he needed constant monitoring of doctors, so she was discharged alone.
She visited her nameless son for several days, and then she also signed a waiver.
— What do you call your son?
— I don’t care, I won’t take him. He ruined my whole life.
— You fool! How can a child ruin your life? Look at him, you little wretch. First, my father refused him, then my mother, why are you not ashamed?
— Well, if you were teenagers, they have no mind, and you are adults!!!
— My husband left me…
— Well, spit on him, don’t leave the boy, regret it!
— I don’t want to.
Tatiana’s gone. Aliens named the child Ivan and took care of the baby, giving him their care and attention.
As it turned out, Vanechka really wanted to live. In his thin body were hidden incredible natural forces, and he struggled with death the first month of his life, the fight endured and quickly began to gain weight.
The pretty boy easily recognized Andrei Andreyevich, the doctor who observed him and when it came time to transfer him to the baby’s house, he simply could not find a place for himself.
Andrew himself could not adopt the baby. He was a fifty-year-old childless widower, and therefore the chances that Vanyushka would be given to him were very small. He did not leave the child and constantly visited him. And then the orphanage, where Vanya was brought up, was transferred to another city and their traces were completely lost.
Difficult fate fell on the lot of the boy, he was adopted twice, but the first time when he was only three years old, he was returned back — the native children of the adoptive parents did not want to take the baby and insisted that father and mother get rid of him.
In the second family, a five-year-old boy lived for a year, and then escaped on his own. There were already about ten children in this family, and it was not much different from the orphanage. The family lived in the village and simply used child labor and received money for all the adoptees. The children were often beaten and punished and one evening Vanya went outside and left, never to return to them.
He managed to get to the city dump, where he settled in an old rusty carriage, befriending a dog pack that lived there. Overdue products were often brought here, and Vanya ate, choosing what was still suitable.
One day beggars came to the dump and saw the child, began to drive him away, shout and swear.
— What are you doing here? Get out of here, this is our territory!
Uncle, I haven’t done anything, I have nowhere to live.
— You puppy! I’m gonna kick your ears! I’ll let it go! Everything’s bought here, okay?
But when one particularly aggressive vagabond swung at the child, an angry dog pack rushed at him, and the whole company of beggars ran away, fleeing from the burning fangs. The incident was seen by a kamazista, who brought some waste to the landfill, and came to the boy whistled:
— What are you doing here, kid?
— Alive.
— How are you? Where are your parents?
— I don’t know, Vanya waved his hand, I am a draw.
— What’s your name? — Vanya.
— Right. Here’s what, Vanya, let’s get in my cab, come with me, stay with me while we figure out what to do with you. Eck smells like you, brother!
The good kamazista’s name was Vasily, he lived with his old mother, and when she saw the boy, she splashed her hands:
— Who is this, Vasenka???
Vasily told and asked her to wash the boy well: It stinks very much from him.
Vanya lived with Vasily and his mother for a whole week. They burned his old clothes and shaved his head because he was just a breeding ground for insects, but Vanya did not regret his hair and only every night, falling asleep, begged God not to have to leave this wonderful family.
One Sunday, Vasily put the boy in his old Zhiguli and took him somewhere. Grandma put a bag of cakes in his hands and wiped her tears with the end of her handkerchief. Vanya rotated animatedly, looked around, gazing at unfamiliar landscapes with pleasure, and then, tired of the long road, fell asleep.
He only opened his eyes when the car stopped and voices were heard. Vanechka looked around and saw that Vasily had brought him to the orphanage.
— I’m sorry, brother, but I couldn’t have done otherwise!
— You, you … a traitor,» cried the boy, «breaking out of the hands of the educators who were holding him, «I begged … I asked …
Vasily, swallowing a heavy lump in his throat, looked at how Vanya was led away with force, and tears came to his eyes, and on the path there was a package with cakes that his grandmother gave the boy…
Vanya spent the night delirious, and the next day they came to him and said that they wanted to adopt him again.
— No, no! cried Vanya, don’t! I beg you, don’t! I’m not going!!!
— The astonished child turned to a familiar voice and saw the gray-haired man’s own face:
— Uncle Andrei! Uncle Andrew! – Vanya rushed to him and burst into tears.
The man also cried, embracing a thin body and pressing his small spiny head from growing hair.
— And get used to calling me daddy, if you don’t mind, of course!
— Whoa, whoa! Daddy! Honey!! Pa-a-pa!!
Twenty years have passed. Vanechka grew up and followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a good doctor. He never forgot that Andrew adopted him and just idolized Andrew for it.
Having access to the documents, Ivan found out who his parents were, saw the refusal sheets signed by them, but he did not want to meet either Tatiana or Pavel, throwing them out of his memory.
One day, while on duty, Ivan was brought in an elderly man with a heart attack, next to him was hustling and crying his wife — a poorly dressed woman with a dry, exhausted face. Ivan did everything to save the man and he succeeded. Tired, he went into the corridor and reassured the waiting woman:
— Your husband will be fine. Don’t worry, his life is not in danger.
Tatiana, and it was she, glanced at the young doctor, and then looked at him with a long, attentive look. He reminded her of someone, no, she had seen him somewhere before. And it was only when Ivan turned and went away that she got colder: the whole figure, the gait and, of course, the face – a copy of her young Paul had just stood in front of her.
Tatiana covered her mouth with her hand, holding back a tearing cry: Was it her son??? How old was he when she left him? Yeah, it seems like it all coincides… Tatiana burst into tears, standing at the window and looking at the leaves that were falling, ripped off by gusts of autumn wind.
After Paul left her, Tanya lived alone. She was left with everything: an apartment, a dacha, all her possessions, and she lived there as a watchman, receiving no pleasure from the luxury surrounding her. And every day was like one another.
Three years ago, Paul came to her and asked her to come back. When he became ill, his children and wife did not need him. And they put it out, and then they sued and took the cottage and the apartment, changing it for a smaller area. The Tatianas bought an old two-piece, where Paul came later.
Tanya forgave him. She no longer wanted to live alone. But Paul’s eldest son, Kirill, decided not to let his father live in peace. He constantly demanded money and drove his father to a heart attack.
Tatiana sighed how hard it was on her soul. And is this young doctor their son? But how do you know? And Ivan went to the resident’s room and, standing at the window, thought that he had now saved his biological father, but nothing shook in his soul. And the mother… she looked at him like that… Ivan grinned sadly. Where have you been before???
When Pavel was discharged and Tatiana took him away, they saw Ivan in the hospital yard. He stood with his beautiful wife and held his son in his arms. Having lowered her head, Tanya passed by, and then suddenly asked Paul, not wanting to carry a terrible secret:
— You know who treated you? Your son. The one you and I gave up. And this is his family. Didn’t you recognize him??? He’s just your copy…
— What-oh? What did you say? exclaimed Paul, turned and quickly went to Ivan. He stood a step away from him and looked at him.
For a minute they were looking at each other, and Paul realized: this guy knows everything, knows everything, and Tatiana is right, it’s him!!
— Son… Ivan sighed:
— You were wrong, sorry. I have another father. — And he added: — Get well!
He hugged his wife and walked away. And Paul stood and looked after them, hearing Tatiana’s squeezing behind his back.
The Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Orthodox stories from life
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