Dinky's fingers draw a line on his chest behind the line, while she herself - he sees - is thinking hard about something.
He is sure he knows what his Macaque is thinking so deeply about: his morning visit to the doctor did not leave them a drop of hope.
- Laziness," she calls and throws her head to see his eyes. - Remember how we dreamed of building a big, big, big house for all orphans?
- I remember," he nodded discreetly, not quite understanding what Dinka was trying to say.
He also remembers how he said that there would be no orphans left after the revolution. He made a mistake then.
- I thought... - Dinka is shy about what she doesn't have in common - we won't be able to build it, will we? - A bitter smile touches her lips. - But we could take someone to our place.
- You mean to say... - Lenka does not agree: her throat is cramping.
He hurriedly blows up, sits on the bed and moves his hand over his eyes. Dinka settles in front of him: a nightgown does not hide almost painful thinness.
In the last year, desperate, she tried a lot. And starvation, among other things.
- Yes, - she nods, filled with confidence with every word. - I want to adopt a child.
Lenka has been silent for some time without finding words. Inside it, everything turns over time, raging with difficulty suppressed feelings.
- Of course," he finally exhales. - Do you want to go right tomorrow? I will ask for a vacation from the factory.
- Lena! - She throws herself at his neck with a happy laugh, falls on pillows and quickly kisses his cheek, cheekbone, and eyes.
- She's crazy," he laughs and gently adds - Macaque...
In the morning they go to an orphanage. Dinka talks without stopping, hiding the excitement that has settled in the soul. Lenka nods intact to her, gloomy and thoughtfully looks around.
May blossoms in Kyiv. The air sparkles from the bright sun, and everything that stops at, drowning in bright colors. The lush greenery of the trees is swinging under the gentle breeze of wind, gymnasts run along the shady alleys, and their white aprons dazzle stronger than the sun.
At the gate of the orphanage, Dinka stops and clings firmly to Lenka's hand, as long ago, when she was afraid to go over a thin plate on the cliff. Only now she doesn't even have a board under her feet; there is a thin thread.
You will snap out of it, too.
But Lenka's hand confidently squeezes her palm, and he leads her along.
Dinka calms down, shakes her hair and smiles widely when the shelter's boss comes out to meet her.
Lena leaves them alone: he is not a helper or a companion in women's conversations. He goes for a walk to the playground, where the children frolic, and sits on the bench in the shade, watching the boy's running. Hard lips soften his smile when he remembers climbing the watermelon sticks with Minka and Trushka. And how he rolled out together with other gymnasts from the gates of a real school.
Forgotten by memories, he misses how a friendly fight between the guys is replaced by a fight. The teacher runs to the boys from the other side of the court, but he intervenes before her. She brings out the screaming fighters in different directions, and those clever snakes slip out of his hands.
The crowd falls to pieces and only one boy remains near Lenka. He sits in the dust and wipes the blood draining from his nose.
- So, brother, you're stiff," Lenya says amicably and leans to pick him up, but the boy falls away.
- Sobolev! What have you tripled here again? - A teacher runs up to them and angrily tantrums the boy.
- Nothing," he snaps, and Lenka's hands start to itch. - I fell down.
- Okay, - the woman waving her arms, - go to yourself. You should run less.
Lena is surprised and questioningly looking at her. Everything shows that the boy did not just fall. But the teacher calmly lets him go.
- Comrade! - When she comes to her senses, she turns to him. - And how did you find yourself here?
- I came with my wife - he barely tugged his shoulders noticeably. - She talks to her boss.
The woman's strict face is softened, and she speaks with confidence:
- If so... Oh, there is no sweetness with the boys. Especially with this. You'd better look after your girl.
- Thank you," he says in a hurry. - Well, I guess I'd better get going," he turns around and walks along the path to the side where the boy went.