style="font-size:15px;"> Maina (almost cheerfully). You mean the parents?
Callista (with interest). Yeah. How did they let you go? To be honest, I didn't really hope, I thought I would have to go alone.
Myna (deliberately indignant). Doubted me?
Callista, Maina (together, playfully, meaningfully). Mmm…
Callista (with interest). I didn't doubt you. But in your parents… Well, judge for yourself who will let her daughter go to a remote forest for a few days. You have a full-fledged family, and full-fledged views on life. In theory– they shouldn't have let you go. How did you persuade them?
Maina (with intrigue). It is necessary to be able to resort to female cunning. In order for your parents to give you their consent to something, it is enough to convince your mother of this. And she, in turn, will influence both her father and everyone else, if there are others and if they need to be influenced. Well…, Petrukha is still small, and his grandmother has him now. There is no need to influence him. And so in general – keep it in mind, girlfriend.
Callista (surprised). That's it, then?
Myna (complacently). Yeah… Well, she lied, of course. She said that we were going camping with the boys from a neighboring village, that you know them well, and so do I. Young people, movers, back and forth… Everything is like that… And so (he spreads his hands quite, claps, and rubs his palms) – Ala result!
Myna snaps her fingers pretty!
Callista thinks about it.
Callista (with interest). And what … is it true, like this, through mom, you can easily solve all the issues?
Myna looks at Callista somewhat ironically, but then quickly pulls herself together.
Myna (somewhat guiltily). Oh, yeah, sorry. I didn't think. You don't have a mom, how do you know.
Callista (retreating into memories). I don't remember my mom very well. Saves only a snapshot of an old non-color photo.
Callista takes out a small shuffled photo of her mother, looks at her with great warmth and love, and tremblingly passes the photo to her friend.
Callista (retreating into memories). How old was I then? I just learned to walk, as my father told me later. Mom sat with me for a long time, like all mothers with children at such an early age. And as soon as I got back on my feet, my mother asked my father and her friends to go to the forest for a while, to unwind a little… So none of them came back.
Maina (after a short semantic pause, sadly). It's strange that you, though a little, but still remember Mom. So many years have passed. Usually children do not remember anything from their early childhood. I don't remember anything from my childhood at all.
Callista (sad, measured). Strange, I agree, but I remember a little. I remember her eyes, nose, cheeks… But the outlines are already blurred. In the photo, she looks a little different than in my memory… This is ten or twelve years before I was born, she was filmed by her uncle. He was fond of photography.
Callista looks with warmth at the photo in her friend's hands.
Callista (tremulously). She's still very young here… Such as you and I are now about. I remember her a little differently.
Mina looks at the photo and gives it back to Callista.
Callista takes the photo, looks carefully.
Callista (sad, measured). And so… All these years I have been living with one thought that never leaves me – to find my mother. Thank you, Mina. Thank you so much for supporting me in this decision. It would be much more difficult for me alone, at least emotionally.
Maina (after a short semantic pause, sadly). Girlfriend, I will honestly tell you that I am ready to support you in everything and always, just like now and today. But I'm sorry, I don't believe we'll find your mom. Well, judge for yourself, if she were alive-wouldn't she have come back? After all, her beloved child and beloved husband are waiting for her at home. Who wouldn't come back in her place? I think that our campaign with you is doomed to failure, and, nevertheless, I am here with you. I'm sorry…
Callista warmly hugs her friend, she reciprocates.
Callista (with warmth). Thank you so much, Mina. How grateful I am to Heaven that God sent you into my not too easy life. Without you, I would have been lost long ago. Thank you for your support, for your shoulder and for your faithful friendship …
He pauses a little, lets go of his girlfriend, the girls sit down again as they were sitting.
Callista (with warmth, quietly). And about Mom… It's hard for me to explain it, but I'm not what I believe… I can feel her, you know? I feel like she's alive! I can't describe this feeling myself, it's very strange, not like it was before, with my mother. Something has obviously changed a lot, but she is alive – I know it somewhere deep inside for sure. She's alive!
Callista looks cautiously at her friend. Myna is being cautious. Of course, she doesn't believe in all this nonsense, but she doesn't want to offend her friend either. She nods her head vaguely and shares with her friend the provisions that have been born again from the backpack.
Maina (changes the subject, cheerfully and aggressively). Listen, how did you ask the folder off? I'm an uncle… or grandfather Ermolai, as it is correct, I can not decide in any way. I'll call him that way or that way. He's not offended, like?
Callista (with warmth, quietly). Yes.., I'm late at the folder. He was already over fifty when I was born. And my mother was thirty-two then. There was an age difference, needless to say. Call it as convenient. The folder is not offended, he understands everything. Now he really is, just like an old man. I suffered so much pain because of that loss. One of them picked me up…
Myna (with interest). Yes… the whole village is aware of this. Well, that's what I'm talking about. I know him well, he would never let you go. And here (pointing to Callista) – you're here! How is it?
Callista (sadly). You're right. He had already lost his wife once, and he wouldn't have agreed to lose his daughter to boot. And no persuasion would have worked and no deception would have had any effect.
Myna (with interest). Well??
Callista (sadly). I ran away.
They maintain a small pause in the dialogue.
Myna (with understanding). It probably wouldn't have worked out any other way.
Callista (briskly). I've been preparing for two weeks. First, I looked for a place in the hallway for a backpack, then I repaired the backpack myself. He's old, he's still from my grandfather. I cooked things, put food in little by little. And everything is covered while the folder is not at home, or is sleeping yet. So this morning, I fluttered out while he was in the toilet.
Myna (with understanding). Yes… When he understands what's what – oh and upset, grandfather Ermolai. Well, and then, of course, when we come, they'll pay us all. That's for sure.
Callista (busily). Let's see.
Myna (with interest). Do you really think he didn't notice anything? Surely he guessed. You don't know how to lie. Everything is written on the face.
Callista (sadly). He's been asking me for the last few days why she's so gloomy. But I refused.
They
