Kindness

Two Years later

Mila

 

“Hey, get up!” Something poked me in the side that had gravelly voice. I blindly batted at the object but it was as persistent as the voice. “That’s my spot, blondie!”

 

I blinked my eyes open, swàllowing the groan as my neck hurt from the awkward angle I had dozed off in. God, running was difficult. And that’s not just a morning run, I was referring to the literally running from one city to another. The ragged face that peered down at me has me scrambling up to a sitting position. “Who are you?!” I questioned in Russian, in the last four months since I came to this foreign country I had picked up more words and sentences than I was taught back at home for emergencies but I never paid much attention, now I wish I should’ve. I even tried the translating dictionary but it wasn’t as much help as talking to people.

His hands pawed at my clothes. “You were sleeping at my spot, I deserve the rent, blondie.”

“No… No!” I slapped at his hands and pushed him away as his hand slipped into my pocket where the last of my three hundred roubles were. Not having any choice, I bit his hand and without wasting a second jumped to my feet when he cried out from pain. I’ll be damned if I let some homeless man steal from me after I have spent almost two years running from one city to another that was not to add after leaving my home country behind. I turned around and kicked him in the stomach when he tried to grab my leg.

Fuck. I didn’t have anywhere to go. Last night I had taken a train to the capital city, but it had been too late and not that I had any options so I had decided to spent a night beside a dumpster outside the station. And now here I was. In the capital city of Russia called Moscow. Hopefully, here I’ll be safe from my family who has its roots deeply embedded in Italy and wouldn’t come knocking at the devil’s door. Looking at the sky, it told me that it wasn’t even morning yet. The loud groan from behind me signalled me to run away before I decide my next step.

I stumbled out of the alley and looked around at the traffic filled road and crowded footpaths. Until now, I had been hiding in small and mostly forgotten towns but somehow every time I settled they found me. I don’t know how it was happening. But finally I decided to take the risk. Now, I only have to hide from not only one but two royal mob families. May be, a city this big would be able to hide me.

 But now… what do I do now? I have only three hundred roubles in my pocket and the clothes on my back and nothing else. And I doubt that unlike small town, here any restaurant or any shop would hire me for help even for minimum wages.

I heard the footsteps behind me and decided that getting the hell away from this place was the priority for the moment. I took left considering nothing was going right in my life. Few miles into walking with empty stomach and not to forget the looks all the passers-by were giving me. I decided to do something about both things. Looking around I cursed the fact that all the shops looked more than fancy, and I on the other hand looked like someone that even beggar will take pity on.

 Fortunately for me, as I rounded the corner I spied another lane with little shops on either side of it. I made my way toward it, walking down a cobblestone street. There were many shops, all selling different types of things— clothes, jewellery, pet shop. I located the one that looked smallest and empty, tucked back in a corner looking cozy and somewhat cute. I climbed the steps to the store and pushed the door open. 

The little bell above it jingled as I entered and my eyes found an old ones looking at me from behind the newspaper.

 Thankfully unlike the people out on the street he didn’t look at me with disdain but instead he waved his hand at me and asked, “Come on in, tell me how can I help you?”

“Well… I need clothes.” I said in Russian and then quickly added, “I have money to pay for them.”

“Good to know.” He nodded, a smile on his face. “Go on…. Look around.”

I licked my dry lips as I stepped further into the shop. My eyes catching on the coffee cup on the counter. As I watched, a dark finger pushed it out. “Have it. You look like you need it.”

I swàllowed. “No. Thank you.” I started to turn away but his next words stopped me.

“You won’t have to pay for it.” The old man said. When I hesitate, he said, “May be, you don’t need it after all.”

He started to wrap his fingers around the cup and picked it up. But the way my stomach clenched in hunger, the word was out before I even thought it. “Wait!” With a grimace of shame I went to the counter and took the cup. The first sip of the hot brew was like nirvana to me after nine hours of empty stomach. After spending almost all of my money in the initial months, I had finally grasped how to live on bare minimum and how to save money. Somewhat. “Thank you.” I said to the old man.

He didn’t say anything just smiled and got back to reading his newspaper. Sipping the now warm brew I quickly started to look through the racks and shelves of clothes to find myself some clothes that’d suit my budget and in which I’d look less of a homeless person.

The store wasn’t much bigger but there were many different types of clothes. And as I reached the back I realised that there was a door that must be leading to another part.

 After about twenty minutes of checking and looking through the tags I took my selected items to the counter where the owner was sitting. He looked at me and then at the clothes. “Is that it?”

“Yes.” I nodded. I had selected a pair of jeans and a trouser. And one jacket that had looked out of fashion, thinking it’d probably cost less.

The man didn’t log in to his computer and didn’t add it to the register as he bagged it for me. And then he said, “It will be hundred.”

Surprised I looked up at him, he just stared back at me. I licked my lips, tasting the remnants of coffee and said, “You don’t have to—”

“YA upravlyayu etim magazinom pochti sorok pyat' let, mne ne nuzhno poluchat' pribyl' ot vas.” He spoke so quickly and with his gruff voice I almost didn’t understand him, but I registered the key words and felt my face flushing. ‘I have been running this shop for almost now forty five years, I don’t need to earn my profit from you.’

Feeling the warmth spreading through me at his kind gesture I nodded jerkily and fished out the money to give. When I was about to turn away with my bag, he stopped me as he said, “I might not need a profit, but I could use the rent money.” I turned to look at him. He shrugged. “I have a spare room, upstairs. And I don’t charge much, tell me if you know someone that could use a place to stay for a while.”

 

 

To Be Continued...