Alisa’s life had become a routine of working long hours and spending her savings, all in the name of saving her husband, Kostya. His health had deteriorated mysteriously, and the doctors couldn’t find a clear answer. They had visited numerous specialists, but nothing seemed to work. Despite his condition worsening, Kostya refused further testing, convinced that his illness was nothing more than a passing phase.
Alisa’s mother-in-law, always skeptical of doctors, sided with her son. She insisted Kostya simply needed rest and rejected the idea of pushing him through endless tests. She often told Alisa to focus on earning more money for the family. “You should take a side job,” she’d say, “extra money wouldn’t hurt.” It was clear that she thought Alisa wasn’t doing enough, even though Alisa felt as though she had already given everything. The resentment was simmering beneath the surface, though Alisa never shared her frustration with Kostya. He adored his mother, and Alisa didn’t want to cause any friction between them.
One day, as Alisa was preparing to leave for work, she overheard her husband’s conversation with his mother. Kostya, weak and exhausted, was reassuring her.
— “Alisa, my dear, don’t worry so much. Mom will look after me. You’ll come when you can. I don’t want to burden you even more. You’re already exhausted from work, you need to rest, to sleep… And here I am, always demanding attention.”
Alisa couldn’t hold back her sobs.
— “Kostya, you’re so caring, so attentive… Everything will be okay. We’ll definitely find specialists to help. If necessary, we’ll take out a loan.”
But Kostya refused.
— “Alisochka, what loan? How will you pay it back later? You still have a long life ahead.”
Alisa wanted to protest, to tell him that she would do anything to save him, but her voice caught in her throat. Instead, she glanced at the time and reluctantly left for work.
On the bus ride into the city, Alisa’s thoughts were clouded with anxiety. She had just received another call from the hospital, where they had once again confirmed that no one could figure out what was wrong with Kostya. And yet, her mother-in-law continued to insist that there was nothing to worry about. It was all just a phase, she said, and Kostya needed time to rest.
Alisa’s heart ached as she passed the familiar landmarks. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally. She wanted nothing more than to go home and be with her husband, to make sure he wasn’t suffering alone. But her mother-in-law’s words echoed in her mind: “Get a side job. Extra money wouldn’t hurt.”
The bus stopped at a crowded corner, and Alisa stepped off, needing some space to clear her thoughts. She turned a corner and was startled by a voice.
— “Let me read your fortune, beautiful.”
Alisa looked up and saw a gypsy woman standing before her.
— “What are you scared of? Have gypsies ever done you any harm?” the woman asked.
Alisa shook her head, confused but intrigued.
— “No.”
The woman extended her hand, and Alisa, almost in a daze, complied. The gypsy studied her palm for a long moment.
— “I won’t tell you your fortune. I’ll just say one thing: soon you will find out how many people around you are deceiving you. You’ll know suddenly, but it will make you wiser. Don’t be afraid to be strict, be afraid of being naive.”
The gypsy vanished into the crowd before Alisa could even process what she had said. Alisa stood frozen for a moment, shaking her head in disbelief. “I must be losing my mind,” she thought. “No one in my life could deceive me. I’m just trying to do the best I can.”
Still shaken, Alisa continued her journey, but the words of the gypsy haunted her. She climbed onto the minibus and sat next to the driver.
— “Alisa? Is that you?” a familiar voice called.
She turned to find Misha, an old classmate from school, smiling at her.
— “Misha? No way! How are you here?” she asked.
— “I’ve been working on this route for six months. And you, I guess you don’t come here often?” Misha asked.
Alisa smiled, glad for the distraction.
— “Yes, I used to never come. I’ll be here more often now.”
As the bus rumbled along, Misha began reminiscing about their school days.
— “When I left for the army, I thought: when I come back, you’ll have grown up, I’ll marry you. But I came back, and you were already married.”
Alisa laughed, trying to shake off the dark cloud that had settled over her.
— “You would’ve grown up too. We were in the same class, remember?”
— “Really? Exactly! You used to cheat off me,” Misha teased.
Alisa rolled her eyes.
— “It was you who copied off me! Misha, it’s been ten years, and you haven’t changed at all.”
— “Why change? Life’s good.”
Alisa’s smile faded. The weight of her worries pressed on her chest.
— “Maybe. But not for everyone,” she muttered, her voice thick with emotion.
Misha noticed the change in her tone.
— “What’s wrong, Alis? Do you have problems?”
Alisa’s tears welled up once more. She shook her head.
— “Misha, don’t ask. My husband is sick. The doctors can’t do anything. He’s fading away before my eyes. He asked to stay at the summer house so he doesn’t bother me.”
Misha frowned.
— “Why at the summer house? Why not in the hospital?”
— “The doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with him… We’re just spending money,” Alisa explained, her voice breaking.
Misha was silent for a moment.
— “So, they’re saying he’s healthy?”
Alisa nodded, barely holding back the tears.
— “Imagine, no one can figure out what’s wrong with him. No one.”
Misha turned to her with a concerned expression.
— “So you’ve seen all the doctors?”
— “Yes, we’ve seen many specialists. And now he refuses treatment. The doctors aren’t prescribing anything either.”