— Vasyl, is that you?
— Yes, mother!
— Vasylko, why so late?
— Mom, I was at Dima’s, we were studying together.
— Until it was dark outside?
— Forgive me, mom, for keeping you up.
— You weren’t visiting a girl, were you?
— No, mom, don’t say such nonsense.
— But you’re a good-looking young man, you must have someone!
Vasyl was not married. And he was far from handsome. Short, hunchbacked, with long arms that nearly touched the ground, and a large curly head.
Vasyl and his mother Halyna had moved to the village permanently a long time ago. Back then, he was just a little boy, resembling a small monkey.
— Your Vasylko won’t make it, — old woman Taya used to mutter.
But he did survive, growing stronger, as if gripping the earth with his short legs. For Halyna, he was her only comfort, as she had no one else left. She had worked as a baker all her life, a hard job that wore down her health, and one day, she fell ill.
Vasyl cared for her as best he could, but soon she passed away.
After his mother’s death, the villagers supported the young man. Over time, boys who were interested in radio engineering started gathering at his house. Vasyl himself worked at the local radio station. Eventually, girls began visiting too. They had long conversations over tea—nothing improper.
One day, Vasyl noticed that one girl stayed longer than the others. One evening, when everyone else had left, he asked her:
— Why aren’t you in a hurry to go home?
— I have nowhere to rush to, — she replied sadly. — My stepmother, three brothers… For now, I live with a friend. My father drinks, and my stepmother doesn’t care about me at all. Here, with you, at least I don’t think about the bad things.
— Then stay here for now. My mother’s room is empty, you can live there. I won’t ask anything from you in return.
And so, Arina stayed with Vasyl. At first, people gossiped, but then they quieted down. The girl was beautiful, but Vasyl was a human being too. As they say, looks aren’t everything. Besides, Vasyl was a skilled and intelligent man.
Soon, Arina gave birth to a son. The whole village wondered—who did the child resemble?
The boy grew up, calling Vasyl his father. The man became deeply attached to little Denys. Arina took care of the house, kept everything tidy, and often advised Vasyl to find himself a wife. He would wave it off, saying:
— You’re like a sister to me! First, I’ll find you a good husband.
And such a man was found. They had a grand wedding, and Arina moved in with her new husband. One day, Vasyl met her and asked:
— I want to ask you something: let me keep Denys.
— Why should I give him to you?
— I know better, Arina. When you have your own children, Denys won’t be needed. Let him stay with me. I’m not taking him away completely—you can visit him anytime.
— Alright, we’ll ask Denys himself, — Arina replied wisely, then turned to her son and called him over:
— Denysko! Come here! Tell me, who do you want to live with—Vasyl or me?
The boy approached and asked:
— Can I live with both, like before?
— No, that’s not possible.
— Then I choose dad! And you, mom, come visit us, — the boy replied.
And so, Denys stayed to live with Vasyl. Arina visited, cooked, and did laundry for them. One day, she announced that her husband was being transferred, and their family would soon move.
— But I want to take Denys with me, — Arina said.
Suddenly, the boy burst into tears and clung to his father.
— I’m not going anywhere! I’ll stay with dad! — he cried.
The young woman couldn’t hold back and revealed that Vasyl was not his biological father.
— I don’t care! I’ll run away to dad! — the boy sobbed.
And so it happened. They tried to take Denys away from Vasyl several times, but he always returned. Eventually, Arina gave up and stopped trying.
A neighbor of Vasyl’s lost her husband—he drowned in the river. They had no children because he often abused Masha, drinking and beating his unfortunate wife.
Vasyl often went to her for milk and helped around the house. That’s how they grew closer.
Arina wrote them letters, telling them that Denys now had a little sister. Vasyl invited her family to visit, and the following year, they came with little Diana. Denys couldn’t leave his sister’s side, taking care of her.
— Son, maybe you’d like to come with us? We have a circus and theaters in the city, — his mother suggested.
— No, I won’t leave dad. I’m happy here, and I’ve grown fond of Aunt Masha, — the boy replied.
Time passed, and Denys went to school. When his classmates boasted about their fathers, he always had something good to say about his own.
One day, Masha and Vasyl told Denys that they were expecting a baby.
— You won’t kick me out, will you? — the boy asked fearfully.
— What are you saying, Denys? You are like my own child. How could you even think that? — Aunt Masha scolded him. — I’m happy to be your mother.
— Son, how could you think that? — Vasyl was surprised. — Everything is fine.
— I was just afraid that I wouldn’t be needed anymore, — the boy admitted.
A few months later, Masha gave birth to Slavyk. Denys was overjoyed and proud to have both a sister and a brother!
Arina continued to call her son to join her, but he refused to leave his father.
Years passed, and people forgot that Denys wasn’t Vasyl’s biological son. The gossip stopped. Denys told his own children and grandchildren what a wonderful father he had.
During big holidays, children from both Masha’s and Arina’s families gathered at Vasyl’s house. They spent time together, sharing stories about Vasyl and his mother Halyna, who had raised a kind-hearted son.
— We had the best father! — the grown children agreed, raising a finger to the sky. — If only everyone had such a father! May he rest in peace.
