The Kashentsovs

Summer is a time of adventure, new acquaintances, and carefree fun. Dania, a 19-year-old city boy, was eagerly awaiting a trip to his grandmother's village. The anticipation of freedom, green meadows, and, of course, new friends filled his heart. But his first encounter with a local, twenty-year-old, Ruslan, turned out to be completely different from what Dania had imagined.

Ruslan lived next door. Dania, full of energy and a desire to explore the neighborhood, invited him every day to go for a walk. But Ruslan refused time and again.

"I can't," the brown-eyed man replied hoarsely, and those two words baffled Danya. The boys in the village always hung out somewhere together, disappearing from morning until night, exploring every nook and cranny. Why didn't Ruslan want to join in? Wasn't he interested?

Days passed, and Danya still couldn't understand his new acquaintance's behavior. He saw Ruslan sitting by the window, watching the boys, but whenever Danya suggested another game, he'd always refused. The resentment began to grow. Danya felt rejected, even though he'd actually wanted to make friends.

One day, while passing Ruslan's house, Danya overheard his mother talking on the phone, and the words he caught made him freeze in his tracks.

“I think it will be easier for Ruslan in a new wheelchair, because the wheels on the old one can’t handle it anymore.”

Danya's world was turned upside down. A wheelchair. A refusal to go for walks. Everything fell into place. His resentment instantly evaporated, replaced by shame and remorse. He didn't know what to say or how to act. The realization that Ruslan hadn't given up playing out of reluctance, but out of physical inability, astounded him. Danya felt a strong desire to correct his mistake, to find words that could heal his own carelessness and show Ruslan that he was ready to be his friend, no matter what.