In the depths of the picturesque village, among the snow-capped fields and old apple trees, there is a house with cracked walls and a creaking porch. For some, it is just a forgotten hut, but for Marfa Ivanovna it is a whole world where her best years have passed. Everything here is full of memories.
The walls remember the first steps of her daughter, the branches of the apple trees, the warm summer evenings. But what to do when the daughter insists that it is time to leave everything behind and finally move to the city? The familiar world simply collapses, and so does Marfa Ivanovna’s heart. However, at the most difficult moment, as if demonstrating her reluctance to move, her beloved cat disappears right at the station.
This is not just a story about the house. This is a story about how difficult it is to let go of the past, especially when it is all you have. I am Mark Yesenin, and we are starting our intriguing story today.
This evening, Marfa Ivanovna was sitting on a stool in the middle of the room. Things were put in neat stacks, but her hands still did not rise to reach the suitcase. She looked closely at Masya, who peacefully curled up on the windowsill, as if nothing had foretold the changes.
— Mom, are you ready? Vera entered the room, holding an empty box in her hands. — We should finish already. It’s early to leave tomorrow morning.
— It’s ready! Marfa Ivanovna replied quietly, not taking her eyes off the cat. Vera took a deep breath. She knew this tone, a kind of agreement, but without a drop of enthusiasm.
— Mom, I understand that it is difficult for you, but it will be better for you in the city. Lariska can’t wait to help you with the pressure, and Petya even made a rocking chair for you. — Yes, I understand everything myself.
Marfa Ivanovna finally looked at her daughter. — But how can I leave everything here? Is this a house? A yard? Where should I take the cat? She will feel very bad in the city. — Masya will go with us.
She will get used to it quickly, Vera said confidently, hiding her worries. Marfa Ivanovna shook her head. — You are used to running everywhere, and I… I’ve been here all my life! Vera knelt down in front of her mother and gently took her hands.
— Mom, I just want you to feel good. Do you understand? The old woman nodded silently, but everything inside resisted. How can you get together in one day and leave your whole life behind? All night Marfa was spinning in bed, unable to sleep.
She lay listening to the sounds of her house. A branch of an old apple tree was rustling outside the window. And Masya gently jumped on the bed and curled up at her feet.
— And how can I leave all this? — Marfa Ivanovna whispered in the void, stroking the cat’s soft fur. Her thoughts were taken back to the past. Here, in this room, she was holding a newborn Vera in her arms.
Here, after a shift at the collective farm, she was sewing a dress for her graduating daughter. Every crack in the walls, every scratch on the floor reminded her of the years she had lived. Marfa Ivanovna looked involuntarily at the old chest of drawers by the wall, where a black-and-white photograph of her husband was framed.
Nikolai looked at her from the photograph as he did on the day of their wedding. He was tall, shoulder-tall, with a cunning frill and a simple bouquet of field flowers in his hands. She got out of bed and approached the chest of drawers.