The rich life of the poor man

The recurrent fine morning. Waking up, you start to cook your day – when and what you should to make, and how not to forget about everything. Seemingly being the adult person it’s not so difficult to turn over the heap of deed for a day. And the life in a megacity becomes more interesting every day – yesterday we had terrorism and everyone was gathering on war, today – crisis, and tomorrow – nobody knows what we’ll have tomorrow!!! And only small pleasures distract from a hopelessness of eternal bustle … My dog. What can be finer than possibility to have the loyal friend and to return to it your own love??? As usually we go out of doors in park with my star dog for a jogging. The green trees, running children from sports school, sleepy masters with the pupils … and it seems you still sleep … The neighbour’s girl, I call her “Swallow”, having caught sight of us, joyfully runs up to greet and play with my dog. Children are always madly happy about animals in spite of the fact that many children are afraid of them. Especially happy that children who don’t have any pet. The girl joyfully starts to dream aloud about the same dog and how would it be wonderful for always playing with such cheerful and devoted friend!!
- And why don’t you ask it for your parents? – I asked her.
- I have only mum and the older brother. – She is confused. It means her mother alone brings up two children… and I look knowingly, but I am afraid to ask about where is her father. – Mum works hard and she has no time to look after the pupil, and we are not able yet. – here is, seemingly, the usual pretext of parents but judging by her clothes I understand just this family has no money for buying and the maintenance of a dog … Oh My God I’d like greatly all children would have the high-grade childhood – with both parents, pets, with lullaby before a dream and hot chocolate in the mornings …
The idea – if I can’t present a dog to the child we’ll see more often!
The Saturday morning! The most wonderful morning in the world! One thought about distant walk in a wonderful park with roses, various trees and bushes, small river and fountains, and without any soul, always make me to put on as a soldier! Even my dog is happy! Such really heavenly spot you can’t find in every city!
We rush towards park and we face with my Swallow!
- So, what are you doing here the early hours of Saturday morning? – I am perplexed.
- I wake up usually early. I’ve just decided my mum should have a good sleep. – She answered sadly.
- And where are your friends? – I am not stopping.
- My friends have parted with parents to have a rest. – And only here I understand if I didn’t leave for a walk with a dog, the child would go on empty sleeping streets in loneliness!
- Would you like to walk with us in a park? If certainly your mum will not worry about you…
- With pleasure! She never worries about me; she knows that I’m already big!
And we both satisfied go to the park! I hardly had a time to seize Swallow flitting round a dog to pass a road! The sun shines so bright that make you forget about everything in the World and this fresh green light of life’s trees stretches on a face the broadest smile of happiness! Swallow chirps effortlessly with a dog and here I remember we are walking more than hour!
- Did you have a breakfast already?? – I scaredly asked her. – Probably your mum has already baked to you a lot of pancakes! How do you think? … My mum always baked pancakes on Saturdays and I burst them with chocolate cream! Does your mum bake in the Saturday mornings pancakes, doesn’t she?
- No. Usually we have nothing to do it’s …
- Really? Don’t you have milk?
- No.
- And what about eggs and a flour?
- Nope.
- And what do you eat for a breakfast? –I asked her without the least hidden motive.
- A bread and butter and jam when mum has money…

What the silly woman I am!!! How I could I forget about ours, let not big, a financial position inequality??? What for do I torment the child??? I’m trying to restrain my tears and to use mine brains. Probably her mother is simply lazy woman wasting the small incomes for the requirements of her own internal egoism?
- And mum, what does she usually cook for you and your brother?
- Mum usually cooks some food for all week on Saturdays-Sundays and then my brother and me complete the food cooking whiles her at work among a week.
- And how old are your brother?
- He is 14th.
- And you?
- I’m 8 years old and I’m already big one!
- So that means you are on a cheerful summer school vacation??? And your motto is summer, park and ice-cream! – I have tried to change a theme in a pleasant direction for any child.
- Oh yep! I love summer very much!!! I can walk all day long with my friends before twilight, play with a ball and eat an ice-cream. The daddy of one girl buys to us the big bucket of ice-cream and all of us together eat it. I remember my first time ice-cream taste last year and then I have asked my mum she shouldn’t buy to me anything except an ice-cream!!! She was laughing for long time, and then has told that it even better that she didn’t buy it before, otherwise I would grow white and absolutely cold! – Swallow has laughed!
And I was past laughter! Her easy attitude to their difficult life has touched me on the raw. She lives now that part of life where the child still trusts everyone and doesn’t understand the true reasons of deprivation. May be Swallow’s mother is right – you have to be accustomed to a lack for a long time but you get used to good quickly …
- Do you like a zoo? – I’ve asked a question in expectation of the eloquent story about a campaign in a zoo and the detailed description of all animals.
- Certainly I do! Truly I don’t remember … I was about 2 or 3 years when I was in a zoo! Mum says zoo animals suffer for hunger and that’s why frightening children. But I think, mum was in another … a terrible zoo … Don’t you know where I like to look animals?
- No, I don’t… May be in books? – I’ve joked.
- Nope!!! On the TV! – She has informed mischievously but she’s lost her smile at one stroke. – Only it’s not frequent… when we are playing at my friend’ house. We don’t have those channels about animals, mum tells they cost too much. Do you know why everything costs so much? – She asked me with interest of the scientist. And how could I give her the reply, if her mother couldn’t allow even to buy an ice-cream to the child, not to mention paid channels, good food and beautiful dresses …
We went long and stirred with this already not so small child who has life differs so much from my own childhood… Later I’ve got acquainted with Swallow’ mother, she looked like the pleasant young woman but tired a little bit. She worked on two work places. Although she was a widow but she didn’t hardened from the life difficulties. Probably it would be better if she was «the iron lady», in any case it would be easier to live in our ruthless world. Insight of the eyes of this clever and soft woman I have read thirst of human dialogue, and in any way internal egoism I expected to see.
I was walking around for a long time and trying to find an idea how can I help the poor but family who has not lost self-respect and hope in better life. After all they never will accept money and even vice versa to turn away from me! But when I’ve looked more close on the way Swallow’ mum used to spend money I’ve understood what should I do!!! I ought to teach her to operate the expenses!!! My experience obviously didn’t suffice … I’ve dug a weight of the information on the Internet and piles of financial reviews… and when I has tried to read all of it… immediately has understood the woman who has any higher education never settle in a head such load and you never see the positive result! My friends have helped me! They have simply given the link of a site (www.d-zimmermann.com) where it is possible to take some council in simple human language.
I can’t tell that I am proud of myself, because I’ve just poked in a movement direction! However soon I’ve learnt something really amazing! Swallow’ mum has found the money to study and has changed her job for more profitable!
Recently I saw the Swallow in new beautiful ear rings in fresh pierced ears. But whether earrings were not qualitative, whether earrings sparkled not as bright as magnificent eyes of the heavenly Swallow …