A hundred years ago, in times immemorial, Zhenya bought a used stroller for her daughter, who often broke down and asked for almost daily thorough repair. And once Zhenya took her to the specialists, but they were skeptical about the rusting iron, shabby leatherette, bald rubber wheels and advised to demolish this prehistoric rubbish without regret.
Zhenya saved up money for a new stroller for more than a year, but, having accumulated it, she couldn't buy it in any way - the deficit in those years in the country was total, and the shops were amazed at the emptiness and unexplored space of buyers who were dumbfounded by the unexpected freedom. What to do with freedom in the absence of food former Soviet citizens did not know. And Zhenya did not know exactly where and how to buy a new pram for her daughter, while even the pyramids of ubiquitous condensed milk disappeared from the groceries, and the most important products, such as buckwheat or vegetable oil had to be bought on cards.
So Zhenya and eventually learned to repair the eternally breaking antique unit, which made it possible to take the girl to the yard every night. They did not have long walks, and could not be - the subway, buses and trolleybuses in the capital are not adapted for people with problems, so Lika and studied the whole life of the surrounding children's playgrounds, sandboxes and benches for old ladies ... however, and it was a living world, different from the backward space of their orphan one-room apartment ...
And now Ashot Gurgenovich said to the girl: "You will dance!" and disappeared somewhere without warning and even without repentant "goodbye" ... More than a month he was gone, and Zhenya thought that some circumstances interfered in her relationship with a good man, - called him, but the phone was silent. She even cried at night, thinking that Ashot Gurgenovich, somehow, being ashamed of these relations, decided to suddenly and suddenly leave her to her fate, and most of all felt sorry, of course, not for herself, but for the girl, and so deprived of too much in this unpleasant life ...
Zhenya also called the Philharmonic, where she was politely told that the Ethnographic Ensemble had left for Germany on tour; it calmed her down a little, but also puzzled her: why didn't Ashot Gurgenovich say goodbye while leaving?
Anyway, a month later he came back. It turned out that he instructed the deputy who remained at the office work to call him before leaving, but he forgot about the day of his return, and Ashot Gurgenovich did not want to inform his wife and Lika about the day of his return and did not want to surprise her.
He was wonderful, this surprise, shining with nickel or maybe chromium, matte-lighted with an intact leather substitute seat, had an electric motor and a strange joystick, had insurance belts and even a warm hood for a walk in the rain. Ashot Gurgenovich received well-deserved kisses from Zhenya and Lika and was very pleased with the impression he made...
The ensemble received the girl with restraint, but indifferent rather than hostile. Rehearsal was difficult for Lika, she lacked movement and strength to move. The teenagers, seeing how she overcame her illness, began to slowly help her - and not only in dance, and after a short time their attitude to her became truly brotherly-sisterly.
Ashot Gurgenovich staged the dance quickly, and its premiere was already scheduled in one of the nearest programs.
On the eve of the counterstamp was solemnly handed over to Zhenya, and she was already estimating what dress she would wear and what jewelry would fit to this dress... "Well? Is it ready? Can't we hurry up?
- Let me tell you something difficult: what are you going to wear, a pearl thread or an emerald crescent?
- My diamond crown"... And she chose a beautiful pearl thread, given to her by her mother in adolescence, who died a long time ago, in the year when Zhenya was finishing school in her small Siberian town. And except for the necklace, she had nothing but cheap costume jewellery. It was so common that the pearls were family pearls, because my mother got them from her mother and she got them from hers, and then the traces of them were lost in the twilight of time.
The concert was scheduled for Sunday and, just waiting for the solemn day, Zhenya put on a dark green dress with a neckline, on the open chest of her beautifully placed pearl necklace, and complemented the elegant outfit deep, olive-colored shoes, in her hands, she held a small purse in the tone of shoes and dress.
To be continued on the next part