Locker room

In a small locker room of the orphanage No. 7 on a short bench sat a boy of about four. Nearby were two adults fussing: a young woman and a little older man.

They nervously pulled wet boots, a jumpsuit and a knitted hat from a child. Then the woman deftly squeezed him into a miniature jeansuit, and the man tried to put on his sandals. Yes, everything is on the wrong foot. The boy meekly substituted one or the other ...

- Well, here's the topic! - the lady rumbled incessantly. “There, you guys have already sat down to dinner!” Lets go faster...!
The boy slowly raised his head and looked straight into her eyes:
- Le-on! he whispered, barely moving his lips. - When will you pick it up? BUT...? After sleep ...!?
- Well ... again you! The man finally buttoned his sandals. - How much to talk! Today will not work. We will not be in the city.

- And when! - the boy looked at him. - When will it work?
- We must rearrange the car! - the man fussed and disappeared in the doorway. - Lena! Hurry up, for God's sake! The plane will not wait! he shouted from the doorway.

Just a moment ago, a lady who was too fussy was immediately limp and crouched, as if she had lost her strength. Her hands fell limply to her knees. The boy clung to her with a small warm body and closed her hands behind him.

A few minutes passed.
- I love you! he whispered.
- Well, what are you, Subject? What are you...
The woman pressed the boy to her and gently stroked his slender back.
- We are not for long! And here you will stay with the guys for three or four days! And we will call you ...!
- A gift! the boy looked into her eyes again. - They didn’t forget about the gift, if all goes well.
- Both a gift and a gift ... of course! the woman pressed him even tighter. The first tear slid lazily down her cheek.

- What are you, Lena? - the boy began to smear the tears that had already run in thin streams. - Three days ...!
- Three days! Three days! - the woman shook her head and pushed the boy into the common room.
He walked in slowly, falling a little on his right foot, looked around and sat down at a free table. All sixteen children stopped rattling with spoons and immediately turned on him.

An elderly woman in a white coat put a plate with the first in front of him. On the second - navy pasta. Nearby stood an already filled glass of compote.
- He returned ... Styopa? - She moved his hand a little his blond silky hair.
- For three days in total! - the boy mumbled with his mouth full. - In three days they’ll take!
And buried a spoon in the soup.
- Yes of course...! Three days...! - whispered the nurse, went into the locker room and closed the door behind her.

A long-standing man appeared from the corridor. Nearby stood a voluminous suitcase on wheels.
- Here! - the man has looked on a suitcase. - Things are different ...!
- Here! - the woman repeated after him. “We bought ... everything!” Where are they going?

- We have lockers ... you see for yourself! - muttered, not looking into their frozen faces nanny. - The most necessary, take the rest!

- But where are we ...!? - the man was confused. “Why should we ... now?”

- I do not know! I had to think! Before you buy ...

The man put the suitcase on the bench, unzipped the zipper. The woman hastily, confused in children's clothes, began to shift things into a locker. He quickly filled to capacity, the doors did not close.

- Well ... we went !? the man spoke strainedly. - The plane is with us!

- Fly! - the nurse waved her hand. - ... Flyers ...!

The couple hurried to the door. At the exit, the woman turned around:

- You can’t! You shouldn't ... like that! A year in hospitals, sleepless nights, injections, droppers ... these terrible attacks! We tried...! Not everyone is given!

And when the man came out she added in a whisper:
- ... I’m afraid of losing my husband! ... He says ...! I cant...!

The nurse silently pressed her whole body, trying to close the cabinet door. Finally she did it.
- About three days ... - In vain it! she looked out the window. - It will wait, take a minute! In vain ...! This is not humanly!

- We couldn’t, right away ... from the shoulder! the man croaked already from the corridor. - We ..., as taught, gradually. Three days later we’ll call, they say, we are late. Then ... something else!

- I’m not a judge for you, we decided so! What now? Yes, and late already. The director signed the order. Your Styopa is accepted back, put on contentment and all that!

- He is used to ... Subject to respond!

- Stepan according to the documents! What a name to distort. ... fly already! And ... don't call! Do not! The sooner he understands, the better it will be! Fly, the plane will not wait!

The man and woman, without saying another word, without even saying goodbye, quietly left. The front door creaked a little, the noise of a moving car was heard and everything was quiet.

The locker room door opened slightly. The nurse turned around. The boy silently looked into the crack.

- Why are you Stepan!

- Left ...?

- Left! Eat !? Go baby, go undress. Quiet hour is coming soon!

The boy returned to the group, undressing slowly, carefully hung his clothes on the back of the chair and climbed into the crib. Two hours passed by in an instant. He did not fall asleep, he just lay looking at the ceiling. The bell rang.
The children rode around, pulled on suits and dresses, made noise, mischievous. The boy stood after them, dressed, again went to the doors leading to the locker room and looked into the crack.
Then he opened the door a little bigger, even wider, and finally he opened it wide open.

- Subject! - the woman exclaimed. - Well, how much can you sleep !?

- We’ve been waiting for you! - the man rattled with a suitcase.

- ... And three days !? - the boy could only say.

- The flight was canceled! - the man and woman exclaimed in unison.

- The weather is non-flying! We won’t fly anywhere! ... Without you ... nowhere!

- Nowhere ... mom !?

The nurse, turning her back to them, hurriedly transferred things from the locker back to the suitcase. Her shoulders trembled finely ... 

Igor Hudz