Elena was sitting by the window with a cup of her favorite tea, and she was sad. You bet. After all, the parental leave was over, and I had to go to work. There was no one to leave Efim with. And he was not taken to kindergarten because the baby was very weak and often sick. And then there is the fact that Elena herself was an orphanage. She was planted in the Window of Life by a foundation. She even got her surname from a babysitter at Baby House. And Elena’s husband, who took her surname, went to another, more wealthy woman, and lived at her expense, working for pennies, only for the sake of some alimony to his ex-wife. She put an ad in the newspaper, but no one called. Apparently, she offered too little money. But she couldn’t pay more. Barbers aren’t paid much. And here…
And then there was a knock on her door. Elena, wondering who it might be, went to open it. There was an old woman in a white handkerchief on her doorstep. She said, Are you looking for a babysitter? Elena said, «Yes.» But why didn’t you call? The old woman smiled and replied, “Why?” I know where you live. «Please come in. “Can I have tea?” said Elena. Nope. Let’s get to know the baby first, the potential nanny replied. «Ethim, Ethyim!» Come here! Mom called. And a three-year-old blonde vortex burst into the kitchen!
— Mom! Mommy! Did you call? hugged her, asked the baby. Yes. Efim, meet me. It’s your nanny.
The child turned to the old woman and said, “Hello, Grandma!” Helena pulled him back: «Do not hello, but hello!» And not a grandmother, but a nanny. But the old lady smiled, Let him call it that. I’m used to it. Yefim said, Mommy! Can I keep playing? «Yes, go!» answered Elena, and she turned to the old woman herself. “Do you know the terms and the amount? Do you agree? she asked. «Yes, I’ll start tomorrow,» the old lady replied. Yes. By the way. What’s your name? «Xenia» answered the nanny.
Clear. Well, it’s like goodbye now! Until tomorrow, said the woman, and escorting Xenia, she closed the door behind her.
The next morning, Elena went to work, leaving Yefim with Xenia. Everything fell out of her hands all day, and even her colleagues noticed that she was not herself. You bet! The first time leaves the baby with a nanny, a completely stranger. The mother’s heart was anxious, and as soon as the working day was over, she immediately hurried home. And there.
And there happy and happy Efim together with the nanny painted pictures in a coloring book. Elena was surprised, because she did not have such a book at home, to which Xenia said that she had brought it with her to occupy Yefim, because the boy would make a fine artist. The mother smiled to herself (what can you tell from a 3-year-old?), but the nanny was right. She greeted the boy’s mother and asked how the day had gone. She replied that it was normal, without giving anything, that she was very worried about her son.
The nanny said to her mother, «Don’t worry about Yefimka, as long as I’m here, nothing will happen to him.» Go to work tomorrow, God help! With these words, Ksenia began to go home. My mother escorted the old lady and took care of household chores. And in the evening, before going to bed, she could not resist, and asked her son about the nanny. There was no end to Efim’s delights!! And the nurse cooks a wonderful porridge (just like her mother), and she tells fairy tales, putting him to sleep during the day. And the kid said the babysitter smelled good. Like perfume, but better. Elena thought, «Hmm, weird.» I didn’t notice. And then my son yawned. Mom put him in bed, covered him with a blanket, and sang to him his favorite lullaby, under which the baby soon fell asleep.
It happened again the next morning. Elena went to work, leaving the baby with Xenia. And so it went day after day.
One day Efim caught a cold on a walk, and coughed heavily. Mom already wanted to call an ambulance, but the nanny who came said that let her go to work, and call an ambulance is not necessary, everything will be fine. That’s what happened. Moreover, when the nervous Elena came from work, she found that the baby has almost no fever, and coughing he became noticeably less. And the nanny sat with a tired, but happy face.
She said to her mom, «I told you — it’s gonna be okay.» And the next day, after coming home from work, my mother discovered that my son was not coughing at all. And Efim in the evening told his mother that Ksyusha’s grandmother (so he began to call a nanny), somehow drew a cross on his chest, which immediately put warm and good. Mom decided to ask the nanny how she cured her son, but she forgot. A few more days have passed and now…
And then, one day, a terrible thing happened! At work, at lunch break, Elena saw the plot on television. About a fire in an old apartment building!! And in horror she recognized her own home!! Then she fainted. Colleagues brought her to her senses and asked her what had happened, to what she, stuttering, replied: «There is… my house. a fire.» Efim …» In horror, the colleagues realized that her house was on fire, and her son was home, and without her! The barbershop director immediately put her in his car and they rushed to the house!! It was over and the ruins were already burning. All the tenants of the three-story building stood in the yard in which they jumped out. But Efim was not among them!! Helena sobbed and asked if anyone had seen his son, but no one could say anything about him. Mother’s heart was ready to break with grief, and then…
A fire officer came up to her and asked if she was «Mama Lena.» Still in shock, she said yes. Then he asked her to follow him. Elena’s like a robot, followed him. Artem (and that was the name of the firefighter) escorted her to one of the fire trucks. Her son slept peacefully in the back seat!! Safe and sound!! Mom sobbed to him, took him in her arms, and began to kiss and hug! The child woke up, saw his mother and hugged her tightly. Hoping that he was alive, she began to thank Artem for saving his son, to which he replied that his merits were not there. Already sleeping baby handed him an old lady in a gray dress, and a white handkerchief. And Elena recognized the nanny from the description! But — that wasn’t all!
In the evening, in the hotel room provided to the firemen, she, dressing Efim in pajamas, found a small medallion around his neck. And, of course, she asked where he came from. The child replied that the nanny put this thing on him before going to bed, and he woke up in his mother’s arms. Then my mother opened the medallion… and in mute surprise stared at the portrait in it! That’s what the babysitter was looking at! Only around her head was a halo, and the inscription read: «Blzh.Xenia of St. Petersburg.»
And then Mom realized everything!!! And how did the nanny know the address, and the cross on the chest of the miraculously cured son? The next day, the nanny didn’t come. Fortunately, Elena was given paid leave at work, understanding her position and condition. A few weeks later, she was among the first to get an apartment in a new house, and a work colleague agreed to look after her son while she worked. After all, a colleague, it turns out, lived at home her mother, who worked all her life as a teacher in kindergarten. And finally, Elena and Yefim got better. The kid never took off that medallion, and after a couple of years, he really showed extraordinary ability to draw, and he began to attend art school. And his mother bought an icon of St. Blj. Ksenia of St. Petersburg, and for the rest of her life read to her weekly Akathist, in gratitude for the salvation of her son.
So Blessed Xenia once again showed that the saints are always alive, and by the mercy of God, come to the aid of people.
The author wishes the blessings of God to all who have read this short story.
Author: Wanderer.
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