« Who needs you with five trailers? » – the mother kicked the widow out into the wilderness, not knowing that an inheritance and an overnight guest awaited her in the old house.
— Mine. The master gave them to me when I pulled him out of the ice hole. It was a long time ago… I saved them. I knew they would come in handy.
« Grandpa, I’ll sell them! » Nadya perked up. « At least I’ll buy some medicine. It’s silver, after all. »
The old man grinned into his beard.
« Don’t be so quick to sell it for next to nothing. There’s a trick there. Master Bure was a joker. Take a thin needle and press gently under the lid, where the hinge is. There’s a false bottom there. »
He stood up.
– Well, goodbye, Nadezhda. You have a good name. Don’t be sad.
« Wait, at least have some tea! What’s your name? » Nadya rushed to the stove.
– They call Prokhor.
She turned around with the teapot in her hands—and the room was empty. The door was bolted. The children were asleep. Only the faint scent of incense and baked bread hung in the air.
Nadya didn’t sleep a wink all night. In the morning, as soon as it was light, she took out her watch. She found a sewing needle. Her hands were shaking. She felt the microscopic hole near the hinge and pressed it.
Click.
The back cover, seemingly solid, popped off. Inside, in a recess, lay a folded bill and a coin. A gold one, heavy. Not like the ones you find in pawn shops.
Nadya unfolded the paper. « I hereby certify that the bearer has the right… »—the rest was hard to make out, with yati and hard signs.
She traveled to the district center by stagecoach. She found an antique shop. The owner, a plump man with a keen gaze, looked bored at first.
— Well, it’s silver, 84th assay value. I’ll give you about five thousand, the case is worn.
“Look at this,” Nadya put out a coin and a piece of paper.
The antique dealer took the magnifying glass. His eyebrows rose. Then he turned pale.
— Where did you get this?
— It was left over from the inheritance.
“Woman…” He took off his glasses. “This is a Constantine ruble. A trial edition. There are only a few of them in the world. And the paper is a deed of gift with the Grand Duke’s personal signature. I can’t buy it. I don’t have that kind of money. You need to go to Moscow, to the auction. This… this is a fortune.”
Vanya received medical treatment a month later. The best specialist, the best clinic. Nadya sat in the room and watched her son’s cheeks turn pink. The money was more than enough. Enough for a new house and education for all five of them.
Returning to the village, Nadya’s first stop was the cemetery. She searched for a long time, raking through the dry grass. She finally found it. A crooked cross, a plaque almost erased by the rain: « Servant of God Prokhor. 1888-1960. »
Nadya laid flowers on the grave and bowed low.
– Thank you, Grandpa Prokhor.
She built a new house. Large, bright, with gas and all the amenities. The locals respected the young widow—hardworking, strict, and keeping her children clean.
Galina Petrovna showed up six months later. She arrived by taxi and stepped out, looking important, holding a cake. She surveyed the new two-story cottage and the well-kept yard.
« Well, hello, daughter! » Her mother opened her arms, as if she hadn’t sent her out into the street. « Did you hear you’re up? People are saying you’ve found treasure? That’s a clever girl. I told you—everything works out for the best! I’m a bit ill, and my pension is small. Maybe you could help your mother? You have plenty of rooms… »
Nadya stepped out onto the porch. The older children stood behind her, looking askance at their grandmother.
“Hello, Mom,” Nadya said calmly.
« Well, what are you standing there for? Come on in! » Galina Petrovna had already placed her foot on the step.
– No.
« What ‘no’? » The smile slid off the mother’s face.
« There’s no place for you here. You made your choice when you kicked us out. »
« You… I’ll sue you! I’m a mother! You have to! » Galina Petrovna’s face turned red.
« Give it to me, » Nadya turned toward the door. « And for now, go away. It’s nap time, Vanya needs to go to bed. »
She closed the heavy oak door. The lock clicked.
From the other side, she could still hear cries of ingratitude and « five trailers, » but Nadya no longer listened. She walked into the kitchen, where the smell of pies filled the air, and the antique clock on the wall steadily ticked away the hours of a new, happy life.
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