Leha was the right kid. After the PTU, he covenanted on construction sites, he was not a fool to drink and fight, but he helped his mother and sisters with money.
He was already well in his thirties when Sych appeared in their construction team. More precisely, Konstantin, but the laborers soon called him Sych. He was a weird guy. Tall, dense, with hair gathered in a tail at the back of the head, always gloomy.
Refused smoking and wine, drummed something under his nose and did not tolerate male conversations about the female sex — blushed, paled, or even went away.
He was difficult to communicate with, and even harder to work with, because he worked honestly. The whole team is in a hurry to somehow finish the object and get away from the site, and because of Sych you have to work before sunset — because he according to the rules mixes the solution and waits for complete drying. The monster tried to beat, but fights somehow failed, he always managed to avoid showdowns.
Beasts, the brigade went to the foreman Mikhalych with a demand to remove this miracle Yudo. It’s not ours at all, and it works badly. But Mikhalych shrugged off: “Stop drinking, guys!” Kostya is the most correct of you, just a misfortune he has. Bad luck to the guy … and all these, if they’re wrong, priests.
Lehu was shocked by this news. What kind of ass, what nonsense? It’s just that Sych’s head is not okay. But still he burst into flames about these priests to learn more, to pull his story out of Bones. Why? And then the whole crew laughed.
So it would have remained in the plans, but the case turned out on its own. It was Bright Week (which none of the hardworkers thought about) — and then suddenly Sych came to the object with gifts! Each in the brigade he handed a cake and a pair of dyed eggs, and in addition sang something church. That’s where it got rusted. Only for a short time he saw his eyes darkened with anger. The owl changed instantly. He started screaming, calling them blasphemers, and then suddenly burst into tears. He knelt down, said, «I’m sorry, brothers, I’m damned!», wiped tears with his sleeve and ran to the exit. And the men were sitting like bruises.
That’s where Leha realized: We need to save the owl! A man, pity him!
And he started acting. I took the address of Kostya in the office of Mikhalych — he, it turned out, did not have his own housing, rented a room at the cemetery guard. In the gatehouse Lekh Sych did not find, but talked with the guard. His name was Zhenka, he was an elderly uncle, a big fan of giving. Leha put a drink — and a glass of wine learned a lot of interesting things about Costa.
Turns out he’s a haircut. What does this mean, Leha did not fully understand, even thought, do not hunt for Sych cops? According to Zhenkin, Kostya came from somewhere from the Kostroma region, spoke little about himself, read more and more books, especially the one in black binding and with a cross. I was always praying and crying. And then all of a sudden he was giving in, he was going to some mess he was thinking of marrying. Then he disappeared for a few days, and again in a circle: prayers, books, a glass… I went to church too, but occasionally.
While stunned Leha digested this information, Kostya-Sych himself came. He sat down, silently poured himself a pile, and a long conversation began. The guard Zhenka, however, quickly passed out, and Leha and Sych sat until the morning.
He believed in God, really, seriously. Since his youth, he dreamed of becoming a monk, and he became — received the blessing of his confessor, at the age of 18 he went to a monastery near Kaluga, was a worker, a novice, and at the age of 25 he took tonsure. And all for the time being was well with him: he prayed, worked like everyone else. And then something happened to him. “Bes confused,” explained Kostya. He began to dare the abbot, the brethren, missed services. Once escaped from the monastery and went to the girl of easy behavior. He spent the night at her place, returned to the monastery. There the abbot punished him, and it seemed to work, Kostya came to his senses, and all was well for the whole year. And then things went new. After a wild scandal with the abbot, he said he no longer wanted to be a monk. He was given time, a lot of time, the elders talked with him, but Kostya expelled them, insulted them. They prayed for him, but it didn’t help. And then he got his hair cut. He ceased to be a monk and could no longer remain in the monastery. He was given money for the road and a prayer book, and Kostya went into the world. And the world is wrapped up. Not a day without booze and women. Not a day without tears when hops come down and conscience wakes up.
Kostya began to travel to various monasteries, asked to be a novice, he was accepted — but after a couple of days he either had to be expelled, or he left himself. Then, he became a merciful man, and he became a merciful man. A haircut is like a stigma. He didn’t know how to live with it. He did not enter the world, nor did he enter the world. He could earn money, he could acquire property, housing — but gradually began to realize that he did not need it too much. The time he spent in monasticism did not pass for him without a trace. He also saw miracles performed through the prayers of the elders – how alcoholics were healed, how children were born to childless parents. He saw a lot. Deeply believed. And betrayed.
Leche was curious to hear all this, especially about miracles. I wish I could meet such old men, he thought suddenly. Then, perhaps, he would have stopped drinking, and found a better job, and got a family. And he remembered different things: the late father, who beat his mother in a drunken battle, the partying of his older sister, the eternal search for money for booze. It became bitter for him — and then he cried himself, as recently Sych.
And he began to console Lehu, rummaging something. They hugged like drinking companions and both fell asleep. In the morning, Sych was not in the gatehouse — Zhenka said that he went to the city, to the temple. Leha nodded and went to the construction site.
But things were already wrong. Fragments of night conversations with Sych did not leave his mind, and this was noticed in the brigade, they began to joke: did the Sych not spell you?
It’s been a few days. Leha, having sobered up, tried to talk to Bones, but he did not talk, and soon even announced that he quit his job and went away.
And here Lehu was prompted by something: he asked Sych for company, and he, a strange thing, did not refuse.
They went to Valaam Island, which Lech had no idea about before. Set up in the monastery as workers. It was very unusual at first. On the one hand, delicious food, pies with mushrooms and berries. On the other hand, and this was very stressful for Lehu! — no guilt. Little by little, though, he got involved.
Some other life began for him. They took away the potatoes, helped in the kitchen, the work was not to raise an eye. But the feelings after this work were quite different than before, at the Sabbaths, where he made a lot of money. And here it is free, but somehow joyful. Near the forest, the beauty is indescribable. Monks, young and old, with good faces, are always ready to help. It’s like a family!
But it wasn’t right with Bones-Shit. He always came out of the temple in tears and could not be comforted. Lehe became so sorry for him that he went to the old monk, who was called a visionary. He told him everything he knew, and asked him how he could help. Why don’t we go back to the monks to avoid suffering? The elder smiled into his beard, and then seriously said, “You should not think about Sych now, but about your sins.” And Konstantin, thank you for revealing yourself to you. And pray for him. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy, like the apostle Peter. Everything is possible for God.”
Leha realized one thing: Sych will not be accepted back, and began to object: how is it so? A man is dying. And then the old man said sadly and firmly, “He left Christ himself, son.” No one can be brought to Christ by force.”
Only here to Lehi reached the horror of the drama Sych. He lost everything. All alone. You can’t leave him! What can we do? The old man told me to pray, but how? Leha is not a monk, he does not know…
It’s been two years. Together with Sych Leha worked in the monastery, learned to pray in the morning and in the evening, went to church services, confessed and communed … and somehow suddenly realized that he wanted to become a monk and stay here on the island. He could not return to his former life. He was blessed to receive monastic tonsure, but not on Valaam, but in another monastery, in the outback, where Leha soon left.
Now he is no longer Leha, but the monk Leonid.
As for Sych, he remained a laborer on Valaam, although, perhaps, he is no longer there. A few months after his departure, the monk Leonid received a postcard from him, which read only «Thank God, I am alive.» What does that mean? Perhaps he was forgiven and worked somewhere for the glory of God? It is not for nothing that God brought him together on the path of life with Leha.
Author: Vera Evtukhova
The Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Soul investment!
Orthodox stories from life
