Sergei was always different from his peers, and his father often thought about it. At the same time, Pavel Ivanovich not only loved his son, he felt a deep sense of pride for him. When his wife, Natasha, was nearby, he often asked her:
— Why do we have such an unusual son? There have never been such people in our family. Where did he come from?
Natasha only smiled in response:
— Pasha, stop it! Why do you always call Seryozha strange? He is a completely ordinary modern boy: he plays sports, is interested in different things. It’s just that poetry and drawing are closer to him than cars and toy guns. Should everyone be the same?
Pavel Ivanovich sighed heavily:
— I hoped that with age he would become more “typical” and give up these unusual hobbies.
Natasha, smiling, answered:
— Pash, not everyone understands that times are changing. But in fact, the essence remains the same. Now everyone chooses their own path. And Seryozha, he is simply special.
Pavel Ivanovich avoided discussing family matters outside the home. He tried to hide his concerns from Natasha so that she would not worry. She only knew that he worked with cars and owned a car dealership that sold both new and used cars. That was all she knew. For Pavel, one thing was important: that his family did not need anything.
When Seryozha turned 15, during a birthday celebration, Natasha felt unwell. The birthday boy was the first to notice. Approaching his mother, he asked worriedly:
— Mom, why are you so pale? Are you feeling unwell?
— No, no, I’m just a little tired, — she answered.
— Mom, why all this noise? Let’s just sit together, eat some cake, and that’s it, — Seryozha suggested.
— Seryozhenka, you’ve always been against big holidays, but 15 years is an important milestone. Besides, you have so many friends! Everything is fine, go celebrate.
Seryozha went to the guests, but before that he turned to his father:
– Dad, please look after Mom. She is pale, and there is sweat on her forehead. She says that everything is fine, but… I am not sure.
Pavel Ivanovich looked at his son in surprise:
– What do you mean?
– Just look after her, okay?
Pavel turned his gaze to his wife and realized that his son was right. He decided to send her to rest, explaining that they could handle it themselves.
Seryozha became scared not only because Mom looked bad, but also because she agreed to rest – this was not at all characteristic for her.
Later, when the guests left, Natasha’s condition worsened. Pavel called an ambulance. The doctors diagnosed a serious illness that was progressing rapidly. In three months, the disease literally devastated her. For Seryozha, this was a real blow. He watched as his father, always strong and confident, became weak and confused.
One evening, noticing that his father was drinking alone in his office, Seryozha decided to talk to him:
– Dad, it’s hard for you, I know.
Pavel grinned, pointing to the glass:
– You mean this? Yes, it’s easier for me. It helps me forget, at least for a little while.
Seryozha took a deep breath:
– Then pour me some too.
Pavel was indignant:
– Are you crazy?!
– What should I do, Dad? You found a way to console yourself, and I… don’t even have anyone to talk to.
Pavel looked thoughtfully at the glass, then poured its contents into a pot with a ficus. Seryozha froze, and then said:
– Mom would definitely kill you for this.
Unable to hold back, he burst into tears. His father came up to him and hugged him:
– Cry if you want. Sometimes it helps.
Since then, their bond has become even stronger. They have become one, like two halves of one heart.
After finishing school, Seryozha entered the philological faculty, continuing to study at the art school. Although he had already received a diploma, he still took private lessons. Sometimes Pavel Ivanovich grumbled:
– Why don’t you choose something more “serious”? After all, self-esteem comes with the money you earned yourself. Why do you need these books and pictures?
Seryozha, without taking his eyes off the painting, on which he had been working with enthusiasm for a month, finally said:
– Why does a person need a lot of money at all?
Pavel Ivanovich was slightly taken aback, but quickly found an answer:
– You can buy anything your heart desires with money.
– Really? Absolutely everything? – asked the son, raising an eyebrow.
This question made his father think.
– Well… except for health, I guess… I see where you’re going with this. Yes, there are things that money can’t buy, but everything else is quite affordable.
Seryozha looked at his father calmly and confidently:
– Dad, if the most important things in life are unavailable for purchase, then is it worth suffering for the sake of everything else?
Pavel Ivanovich stood up abruptly and began to pace nervously around the room.
– Where did you get such thoughts? You’re just used to living without unnecessary worries, thanks to my money!
– Dad, if we didn’t have any of this, but had Mom, would we be any less happy? – Seryozha continued softly.
The pause in response stretched out for several seconds, after which Pavel admitted:
– Probably, yes… But that’s a completely different story.
– No, Dad, you’re wrong, – his son objected.After the funeral, it turned out that Pavel had sold the company three days before his death. No one even suspected it. His father’s deputy, an old family friend, was shocked by this decision and asked Seryozha more than once where the money had gone. But the son was completely helpless:
— I don’t know what happened to the company. I always stayed away from my father’s affairs. Why should I know the answers now?
A month later, it became known that Pavel had sold all his property. The family friend came to his home again, carefully hinting at a possible young mistress. Seryozha only shook his head — although he guessed why Regina was crying so bitterly.
The same friend was present at the reading of the will, carefully watching Seryozha. When the notary announced that the only inheritance was an old house in a remote place, the existence of which the son did not know, the friend cursed so loudly that the echo carried throughout the entire room, and left. Seryozha sighed heavily, but inside he felt a strange lightness: life in the village seemed quite acceptable to him.
—
The new owners of the city house turned out to be friendly people. They were in no hurry to evict Seryozha and even allowed him to take everything he needed. Until the will was read out, they did not show up at all.
The next day, Seryozha boarded the train. Anxiety was mixed with a feeling of liberation, as if he had finally found his way. When he reached his destination, dusk had already fallen. Having put down his suitcase, he decided to leave the rest of his things in the storage room, checking the address and a photo of the house.
The house was exactly the one he was looking for. However, as he climbed over the fence, he noticed an expensive car in the yard. Such a car clearly did not belong to the locals. Who could it be? Coming closer, he saw a light in the window and looked inside. The world around him began to spin, and Seryozha lost consciousness.
He came to from a sharp shaking. Opening his eyes, he met the gaze of a man. Seryozha wanted to fall into oblivion again, but the man spoke in a voice that was impossible to confuse with someone else’s – it was his father’s voice:
“Don’t be afraid, everything is fine, it’s really me,” the man said.
“You… You can’t be my father! I lowered the coffin into the grave with my own hands!”
“Are you sure it was me?”
“What?! How do you understand that? You just can’t be alive!”
“Listen, stop repeating the same thing! Explain why you are so sure it’s impossible?”
“Okay… If you really are my father, what did Mom call you when she was angry?”
“Carlson! Do you believe me now?”
“Dad… Is it really you?”
Seryozha burst into tears, but he was not ashamed at all. They sat down in the yard, drank tea, and his father began his story:
“When the situation became really dangerous, I decided not to wait until I was eliminated. Sold everything, transferred the money to another name and disappeared from the radar.
– And if the truth came out?
– Who would look for me here, in such a remote place? After our conversation, it became obvious that this house is the perfect place for a new life. Here I can take up farming, start all over again. No one will find us.
Seryozha smiled through his tears.
– Everything, as I dreamed… Only my mother is missing. By the way… Did something happen to you with Regina? What does she have to do with this?
At that moment, a pale Regina appeared outside the gate.
– Sorry… I came for Seryozha. I was afraid that he would be unhappy here. I wanted to offer him to stay at my apartment. There is enough space, and here… Sorry, I will not disturb you.
She turned to leave.
Seryozha looked at his father:
– What, are you sitting there like a dead man? She will leave now!
Pavel Ivanovich blinked in confusion:
— But… she’s…
— Dad, if you want her to stay, go for it! You don’t get a chance like this every day.
Regina was already approaching the gate when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she met Seryozha’s gaze, who nodded to her, confirming that everything was fine.
The man stood up abruptly and ran after Regina. Seryozha, who by that time had already begun to doze off due to the long conversation, woke up from his father’s voice:
— Seryozha!
Opening his eyes, he saw Regina standing next to his father; her face expressed a mixture of anger and irritation.
— You were right! We decided to get married, — Pavel announced with a wide smile.
— Not “we”, but you alone decided this! — Regina snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.
— Okay, me. But you agreed! — Pavel objected, trying to remain calm.
— Of course, she agreed! How can I argue with your stubbornness? — she answered, but there were notes of warmth in her voice, revealing her true feelings.