The year 196... from Christmas.
We, humans, are so arranged that we do not remember everything that happened to us in early childhood. Only occasionally do we remember some fleeting memories. Childhood ... is an unrealistic, soul-stirring dream. We all want to go back to it, even if it wasn't always happy... and I don't remember it at all. But two cases from my early childhood intentionally crashed into my memory and remained their bright pictures forever. In both cases, the relentless and merciless Death, like, touched me with its black shroud and only a small fraction of it showed itself. "I am! I am for everyone. And for you, too," she whispered silently, filling me with the coldness of nothingness for a moment.
I was about four years old then. I lived with my parents in a small village in the south of our vast country, somewhere in the Rostov region. My parents, these young builders of communism, from the northern and ever-cold outback, where they were born and grew up, to the hot south by fate.
Summer was in full swing. Every day from the early morning until late at night, the sun shone in all its southern power, and there was no rain in sight, and only occasionally a weak breeze brought a light, so desired coolness. It was impossible to sit at home in the daytime, in four heated walls. The streets, gardens, and vegetable gardens were waiting for us and beckoning us, the "trifle of the belly," as we were then called rudely and gently by everyone. Adults who didn't know what new and unpredictable things could be expected from us again only managed (if they had time) to make sure that we didn't do something extra or that nothing bad happened to us. But what could have happened to us, apart from the abrasions and bruises - the eternal companions of childhood.
Everything was in the village: there was no one to be afraid of and there was nothing to be afraid of. What kind of maniacs or rapists are there? These words: "maniac", "pedophile", "rapist" at that time could be found only in thick, all-knowing encyclopedias, and not in all of them. All of us little tomboys had naive childhood serenity in their heads. When you are only four years old, what serious fears can be in your head?
Days flew by unnoticed. In the morning, my friends and I were going to meet a big vantage and played our simple games: "warrior", "Cossack robbers" or "spots". There were a lot of other interesting live games, and the first computers, which nowadays have fully selected all the children's time, were still being invented. Sometimes we used to chase various flying, running, jumping and other domestic animals in all yards with reckless passion... But sometimes there were a lot of them in every yard...
But sometimes it was quite the opposite: this very animal was chasing us. And how much I persecuted you! Since then, I remember: geese bite and dogs should not be angry. Though it's trifles... Often we built something: either strange houses or incredible, fantastic machines - we created a new one. However, usually the next day everything built was broken down - we destroyed the old ones. In general, we had as much fun as we could. As they say, no matter what the child is laughing, no matter what, they wouldn't cry while their parents were doing their adult business. There were still many of us, small ones, and together we were always interested and happy. We were not bored - childhood in all its glory!
And if suddenly, I was alone (and this sometimes happened), then, without wasting time, I went to explore the neighborhoods, to know the big unknown world. What is not the future great traveler?!
And once again, when my father left in the morning in a service car somewhere in the area, and my mother, as always, was busy all the long, summer day on his farm, I stayed in the care of my grandmother. My grandmother wasn't interested in me either - she used to be a housekeeper: to water the garden, to offend cattle, to cook dinner - all day long household chores.
And I... As always in such cases, I was left to myself. A person's independence will grow up quickly, even if he is four years old. Probably, having decided that since I was now a completely free person, I picked up the smallest kitten in the yard (a small, fluffy and harmless lump), and as a real great traveler, went to discover a new world - the surrounding area. Why with a kitten? Yes, probably, not to be afraid, not lonely was a great traveler in a large, slightly frightening its unknown world.
I must have discovered something that day...
To be continued in the next episode