The cactus blossomed only in my duty

Tamara Krylova

About translation of this article: We was used Goggle Language Tools. We understand, that a machine translation can't compare to a man-made translation, but we suppose that any translation is better than nothing for non Russian readers. Thank you for your understanding.

Took out dust in the garbage container, and there; someone has thrown out the big cactus, dusty, grey, wrinkled, such unfortunate, to nobody necessary. Became so it is a pity it; - after all it live still! A stick has gone in a bucket of this "hedgehog", has brought home, and has grasped for work in the morning. I then worked at faience factory of the senior worker on gardening, and we had a hothouse economy.

My Women-workers were indignant, what for I have brought the such "frightened". Without paying attention to their sneers, has washed up the foundling under a water stream, has planted in a pot in the good earth, has put on a rack. To grow! And so here it was pleasant to it! He began to recover quickly: the top has become green, edges became elastic, prickles - shining... A month later on edges buds began to appear, then the first flower, a light-violet large record player with thin pleasant aroma has blossomed. The life of each flower is short-lived: will reveal in the morning, day flaunts, and by the evening will be curtailed, will wither. But buds was so much that all new and new flowers every day were dismissed! Very soon someone from women has paid attention to strange law: the cactus opened the next bud when I was on work.

In the days off we under the schedule were on duty in a hothouse. In my watch the flower was dismissed, as usually. But when someone was on duty another, ready the day before just about to be dismissed the bud faded and was not dismissed till Monday. At first thought that it is accident, and then have become interested, began to notice, compare... If among a week I left in business trip or at me a compensatory holiday - the cactus detained flowering and when came for work, he smiled to me the next flower! But after all it is dismissed early in the morning, and I can come not at once to a hothouse, to be since morning somewhere in shop or in factory territory. How he "learnt", what I today on work? Here in what a secret, and an unsolved riddle! After all it happened time and again, not two, and with an enviable constancy! All the spring long. Any special care of it was not. However, I often approached to it for a minute: I will praise, I will tell thanks or something tender. It seemed to me that he understands me!

By then i already was the pensioner, but continued to work. Got tired. Health began to bring. Once from work has hardly risen on the fifth floor so feet were ill, and pressure was such low that forces at all were not. Also has solved: "Will suffice, has fulfilled!". Has written the application and next morning has paid off. Has arranged small "party" in the brigade. For many long years teamwork all of us became, as if native. Has collected the books, has said goodbye...

Month one and a half I felt, as in holiday, enjoyed freedom, excitedly worked on a summer residence. On factory at all did not pull. But the cactus has recollected. How it there? Has visited factory and the brigade in the autumn. There much has changed. The new foreman. And, as it is known, "the new broom in a new fashion sweeps". My "hedgehog" I have not found also lemons too. To me have told that when I have left, my flower "has begun to miss", has ceased to blossom, has decayed absolutely, and it have thrown out. To me became suddenly so sadly, in a shower as if something has broken. As though I have lost a close, native being.

I am more in a factory hothouse was never.