Чудоба, или Приключения Алочки и Васи

– Be careful, Volodya, it’s cold outside. Perhaps, we’ll do without a Christmas tree? And Katushka’s parents will take her home soon, – said Baba Galya going into the husband’s study, but after having seen the enthusiasm in his fi eyes, she understood that her real-life thoughts hadn’t found any support. – Do you know at least where can you buy Christmas trees? – uttered Baba Galya petting cherishingly the back of her husband.

– I do! – there was the sound of the short answer. Grandpa struck the hands together, collected his sheets of paper, arranged them carefully on the shelves,

and rushed to get dressed.

– I also want to buy a Christmas tree! Ba, can I? – whined Catherina.

– Wait, Katush, it’s very cold today, and after all, we don’t know how much time he will be looking for a tree… I’d better pull out our old toys and garlands, and we’ll decorate the flat, – said Baba Galya to her irrepressible granddaughter. – Katya, could you help to get to the entresols?

Granddaughter took thought at a loss. To walk with grandpa was very joyful, but the entresols under the very ceiling were something very magic and tempting. There were a lot of old things that she’s wanted to see for a long time. And now she got the chance!

While granny was persuading her to stay at home, grandpa was already ready waiting at the door.

– Well, girls. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon! – he blurted out inspired by the idea of cutting loose and cheering up his granddaughter.

It turned up to be super interesting in the entresols: there were carefully put old carpets, books, magazines, a stack-stand for a Christmas tree in the form of a huge snowflake, boxes with garlands and Christmas toys. That was a fund of unexplored things which she was pulling out and studying.

In order to distract her from throwing about this home junkyard which there was many, Baba Galya said,

– Katushka, let’s drink some tea with sweets, and I’ll tell you a story about my brother and me, how we went to look for a Christmas tree.

– But I’ll go up there again, okay? – descending the ladder answered the girl, she adored the Granny’s stories.

The kettle made a noise and turned off. Granny got a bag with multicolored sweets.

– Guess what color this sweet is? – asked lively Grandmother Galya putting her hand into a bag with multicolored sweets.

– Green! – granddaughter answered playfully.

– You haven’t guessed, you haven’t guessed! – smiled granny, – Now this sweet is mine. Guess what color this sweet is?

– Maybe red? – Katya asked hopefully.

– Attagirl! This sweet is yours! – said Baba Galya giving “Red poppy” to her.

Katushka unwrapped the chocolate sweet with joy, bit off a piece and took tea with an appetite.

– Now I want to make play, – said granddaughter taking the bag. – Guess what color this sweet is?

– Yellow!

– So cunning you are, Baba! I won’t have sweets so if you play like that! Well, here you are! – and she gave “Pineapple” sweet to her grandmother. – Listen, Ba, you wanted to tell me how you had gone to get a Christmas tree with brother…

– Ah,…yes! – pronounced Baba Galya chewing her aromatic sweet.

Whengrandmotherstaredtellingaboutherchildhood, Katusha was narrowing her eyes and imagining that little Galochka – Alochka –is a girl from nursery, that they often walk holding their hands, that they’ve been friends for a long time and they share the most intimate secrets. And everybody says: surprising the way Katusha and Alochka are alike: their smiles, figures and vivacity of characters!

Lookingatthesparklinginterestinthegranddaughter’s eyes, grandmother continued.

It was winter in one small village in the Urals where was located my grandfather’s military base. Dad was at work, and we with my brother Vasya and mother were preparing for the New Year. I was about ten years old, Vasya – about fi Well, we decided with my brother while mum was cooking lunch to go and fetch a Christmas tree. Of course, we said nothing to our mum, we just took our skis, dad’s handsaw and headed towards the forest that was next to us – over the fi We went from one tree to another and couldn’t possibly fi an appropriate one.

– Do you like this one? – Alochka asked her brother once again.

– Nope. It’s clooked, – answered scrupulous Vasya mispronouncing the sound “r”.

– Well, you’re right. Let’s move on, – sighed Alochka. – And this one, look, is it good? – asked sister hoping to win his approval.

– That’s is too small, Petka has a bigger one! – answered one meter tall chief having bent the brows.

– Petka, Petka! And how long are are we going to climb snowbanks? Do you know that the sunset is soon? Maybe, mum is already looking for us, and we haven’t chosen a tree yet, – elder sister started to resent, – but what tree do you want? You don’t know yourself! I’ll cut down the first available tree and we’ll go home, you see! – said Alochka almost switching to yelling.

– With cones, – grumbled Vaska.

– What?

– With cones, downy and big, – lisped younger brother strictly specifying the necessary qualities for the tree.