Liza thought her son had fallen asleep. As soon as she got up from the bed, the baby woke up, crying and moving his fingers near his mouth. “Son, endure a couple more days. Mom will get some help and buy food.
You’re a grown-up, please be patient,” tears rolled down Liza’s cheeks. She took the child and went to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator with hope, she found a small piece of bread. Liza sat the child on a chair, dipped the bread in warm water, and handed it to him. He started eating with pleasure. Liza checked all the shelves but found only a handful of vermicelli. “I’ll cook tomorrow, with the last onion.”
The whole table was in crumbs; she gathered them and ate. Then she poured warm water for herself and her son, and they went to sleep. “Thank goodness we have an apartment, and
I receive assistance, 13 thousand. They won’t hire me for work. There’s no place for a nurse with a red diploma, it’s outrageous,” she complained.
The next morning, she went out to throw away garbage while her son slept. Old Leonid Vasilyovich approached, a neighbor living a floor below whom Liza knew well. “Let me help you, hold the
