Chapter 5

- Alena, if I didn’t know you and your stubborn character, I would give advice to give up this idea. Well, okay, one or two sections, well, three ... But tell me, how are you going to pull five? You still have a full-time job at our school and a small child. Your Andrey grows like Mowgli, spends all the time with you and hangs on your leg. He probably learned to skate before he could walk normally, right? Ryabov scolds me like a girl. If you don't think about yourself, think about the child!

My gaze stays on the principal's desk as he paces back and forth around the office, which makes me terribly unnerving. I came to ask for advice, I have enough lectures and lamentations from Lasky. She says the exact same thing.

“I always think about Andrey, Yuri Stepanovich,” I say as firmly as possible. - The child has a normal childhood. And we not only know how to work with him, but we are going on vacation in a couple of weeks. You have already signed the order. Just before that, I want to solve the issue with the sections. You are aware that I am not alone in this business, but with your pupil? Ulyanova helps a lot. Yes, and you do not quit. You have acquaintances among sponsors, and we only need five hundred thousand ... - I quickly chatter, but Ryabov interrupts.

- Only? Yuri Stepanovich frowns.

“It is primarily about helping children. Who want to go in for sports, participate in competitions, but do not have the opportunity to step over social levels. Their parents don't have enough money. Yes, there are different reasons. I have the strength and desire to organize their leisure time, my team and I help the children to do what interests them. We raised three sections from scratch, I’ll bring two more to mind and stop. Honestly. But in the initial stages, we need a push. And money…

There is a long silence. Yuri Stepanovich nervously rubs his chin with his hand.

“Oh, Alena,” Ryabov sighs. - There is no free money at the school now, but I have one option ... Let's try ...

He walks over to the window and pulls his phone out of his trouser pocket. With a thoughtful expression on his face, he calls someone and agrees that tomorrow I will approach a certain Galina Vladimirovna with my business plan and we will discuss with her all the details of my project. Well. Already something.

“I did my best, Alyona. This is one of the assistants to the director of the Make-A-Wish charity foundation. For a long time he not only sponsors medical institutions where sick children are treated, but also leads projects like yours. If the fund is interested in your idea and you are convincing, as with me, then everything will work out. For now, go to training, but leave your creations, - Ryabov nods at the folder that lies on my lap. “I'll take a closer look again. He slams his hand on the table.

The soul sings with happiness. Ryabov agreed to help and even put in a good word for me in front of the leadership of the charitable foundation. And I can convince. And Tanya Ulyanova's tongue is well suspended. Let's break through.

Thank you very much, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Of course, it’s hard to shoulder such responsibility, but in a year or two I definitely won’t regret this decision. I did not regret with the previous three sections. Yes, there is little time to lead projects, but my team is growing. Tanya does an excellent job with her duties, assistants are catching up, and I am always on the hook. In our sections, children can study for free and organize their leisure time. Tomorrow I will ask Ulyanova to take the documents to Ryabov's friend and I will wait for them to be interested in our project. I have long prepared a speech for this matter.

The workout goes without a hitch. Andrei behaves surprisingly very quietly and calmly. Thanks to my foresight. Firstly, I woke him up early today and left the car far from the school, we walked for almost fifteen minutes at a brisk pace. The way back is also not easy. But Andrei is already very exhausted: out of the corner of my vision I notice how listlessly he moves his feet in skates and yawns. Fine! Now we get to the car and he will pass out in the child seat. Probably before tomorrow morning, if you're lucky. Then we'll get home, I'll take him to bed and fall asleep myself.

I go up to Laska and Andrey, who are sitting on a bench and waiting for me.

- I'm everything. Driven home?

“Well, finally,” Laska mutters, rising to her feet.

- I'll just take the documents from Ryabov. Get ready for now, - I nod at the bag.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of us walk to my car. Andrei nods and halfway asks for his arms. He starts to whimper and whimper. I give the folder with documents to Laska and hold out my hands to Andryusha.

- Let me? Nastya suggests. - You just recently had an operation and are again dragging him ...

“I want to be with my mother,” Andrey pushes Laska away and sleepily buries his nose in my neck, hugging my shoulders.

- It's okay, Nastya. I didn't have a cavity done. And yes, he was very tired. Well, I drove you today. I'm sorry. I didn't think the workout would be long.

- It's OK. But we will all sleep like the dead. Weasel also yawns and hugs the folder with documents, hugging her. — By the way, what did Ryabov say? Will help?

“Yeah,” I say with a satisfied smile. - Cool guy. As I thought, he wanted to help. The main thing is to correctly communicate your goals and desires to people. Now on the way to Tanya we will drop by. I will leave her documents, she will go to the center tomorrow, to the sponsors. If they are interested in our project, then, consider it in the bag and you can agree on renting a skating rink, launch advertising.

“Super,” Nastya nods, raising her thumb up.

I seat Andrey in a child seat, Nastya is located nearby, and we go home, handing over the documents to Ulyanova along the way. I collapse from exhaustion and mentally look forward to the last push - to get to the apartment, and then to the bed. It's been a crazy day. But fruitful.

I hope tomorrow will be calmer. Although, as always, there are a lot of plans: first I’ll look at a travel agency and pick up our trips with Andrey, and then I need to go to Lyubertsy to agree on renting a skating rink and knock out a more or less decent price. Mentally and physically I am wildly tired. In the depths of my soul, I can’t wait until I go to the sea with my little prankster.

Having squandered the next day on business, I again go home at dusk. Already approaching, I call Ulyanova and demand a detailed report on how she went to the charity fund. Tanya reports that she handed over the documents to Galina Vladimirovna, received her wonderfully, and assures her that she has a good feeling about our sections.

- Fine. Keep me informed. You are a big guy.

I park my car near the house, but I'm in no hurry to get out. I put my hands on the steering wheel and take a breath. This is necessary because I am wildly tense.

“Yeah, well done, of course,” Tanya retorts. You should have seen this organization...

"What's wrong with her?" I ask, looking in the rearview mirror.

For some reason, Janis's car has been constantly imagining lately. It would be better if Goncharov did not call anyone. I understand intellectually that Bagdasarov is not so repulsed that he can find out something about me and just appear on my horizon, but you can’t escape from these thoughts. They are firmly planted in my head.

- Solid. Serious. If they take us under their wing, then our business will definitely go uphill, ”Tanya says with feeling.

“Then let's hope they take it,” I answer and reach for the glove compartment to pick up our and Andrei's tickets.

Tomorrow I will tell him that in a few days we will fly to the sea. There will be joy and squealing! If you're lucky, then Dimka will join us. Although this is hard to believe.

We discuss our sports news with Tanya a little more, and then I sit in silence for a long time, considering my immediate plans. With a schedule like that, supervising five sections is, of course, homicidal. But training and work have always helped me stay afloat and not lose faith in my own strength. Unplanned motherhood also added color to life and shifted the focus to other values.

So, by the way, about the values and safety of nerve cells. If Laska leaves for two months, then another assistant must be found. And as soon as possible. While I can not imagine how I will cope without Nastya. Although she whines that Andrei is an unbearable boy, they get along very well. And you won't get help from Dima. If only financial. But I can make money myself. Sometimes I take offense at my brother for leaving us. Sometimes, in a fit of fatigue, I even saw him harshly for this. However, Dima fully deserves these moralizing.

Leaving a note on the phone for tomorrow - "Call the agency" to find us a reliable assistant, I write another one: "Call the garden." Taking Andrey there is like catching a new infection. And I want to fly to the sea, go to the beach and relax, and not treat the snot of a little weirdo. Let him stay at home for now.

A new day flies by in routine worries, and late in the evening Ulyanova calls and happily informs me that I can make a wish and get ready for an interview with the director of a charitable foundation, who decided to lend a helping hand to our small organization. And this is really good news!

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