Fyodor Petrovich had long dreamed of visiting the cemetery to see his son. However, his health had prevented him from fulfilling this wish for a long time. The paint and tools had been prepared in advance, and today he woke up feeling better. After breakfast, he began to get ready. Two months ago, he noticed that the fence on his son’s grave had become slanted and the gate was hanging unevenly. This was not surprising, since almost ten years had passed since he buried his boy. In fact, Sasha was not his biological son. Fyodor Petrovich and his wife had lived together for 20 years, but they had no children. After much thought, they decided to take a child from an orphanage. There, they immediately noticed a skinny five-year-old boy who looked at them sadly. Fyodor Petrovich felt his heart squeeze.

Why is this boy sitting alone?” he asked.

“Sasha is special to us,” they answered. — His mother brought him here six months ago. It was a difficult scene. He cried, did not want to part with her, and our hearts were breaking. Since then, he has lived on his own, cannot forgive and understand this betrayal. No matter how hard we try, he does not want to contact.

Fyodor Petrovich and his wife immediately decided that they could help Sasha believe that life is not so gloomy. While they were filling out the documents, they took him for walks. Sasha did everything that was offered to him: ate ice cream, rode the carousel, but his eyes remained empty.

It took a whole year for Sasha to start looking at them without fear. Only after a year, he came up to Fyodor Petrovich one evening and asked:

— Will you really never leave me?

— Never, I promise you.

Little Sasha clung to him and cried. From that moment on, they forgot that Sasha was not their biological son. The boy made them happy in everything. He studied well and after school he entered a military school. They lived in a small village, and few of the boys continued their studies after school, so his parents were incredibly proud of Sasha. On holidays and vacations, he came not to rest, but to help his parents. Everyone in the village was jealous, seeing how reverently Fyodor Petrovich and his wife treated their son.

Sasha stayed to serve. His parents were worried, especially when he did not get in touch. They knew that he was in dangerous places. Later, he was written off for health reasons. Sasha became sad and fell ill two years later. The doctors just shrugged their shoulders. The disease was discovered too late.

Soon after the de.at.h of his son, his wife d.ied, and Fyodor Petrovich was left alone…

He went out into the yard, and an old dog named Buyan ran up to his feet. The dog was already getting on in years. If you translate it into human age, he was the same age as Fyodor Petrovich.

— Well, Buyan, shall we go to Sashenka? Let’s go.

The old dog seemed to understand his master’s words and happily wagged his tail.

They closed the gate and headed along the dirt road. The cemetery was at the other end of the village. They had to go through the entire settlement, and then cover another kilometer.

— Good afternoon, Fyodor Petrovich! Where are you and Buyan heading? — Marya Stepanovna called out to him.

— Hello, Marya Stepanovna. I’m going to my son and wife. The fence needs to be repaired and painted.

— Oh, what about you yourself? You’re sick, aren’t you? Is there really no one to ask?

— God didn’t give you grandchildren, and asking a stranger… You know yourself, he’ll take the money, and then you’ll have to redo it. These are the times now…

Fyodor Petrovich and Buyan continued on their way. At the entrance to the cemetery they met a man, clearly not from here. He passed by without saying hello. Fyodor Petrovich was surprised: in their village everyone says hello, even if they don’t know each other. And then…

The cemetery was in disarray. A week ago there was a strong wind that broke the branches. Fyodor Petrovich sighed…

– Oh, how much work we have to do, Buyasha.

The dog growled.

– Why are you angry? Didn’t you like that passerby? Neither did I. But what does that matter to us…

When Fyodor Petrovich had already collected the branches, Buyan suddenly began to dig the ground right next to the fence. The earth flew to the sides. The dog dug, barking and squealing at the same time. Finally, he stopped and barked loudly.

Fyodor Petrovich approached the hole and froze. In the hole dug by Buyan, the corner of a cardboard box was visible. It had obviously been bu.ried recently, since the cardboard had not yet had time to soak through from the damp earth. Perhaps that same stranger had hidden it. Fyodor Petrovich cleared the earth around the box, which turned out to be quite large, and pulled it out with difficulty.

And then something began to move in the box. He began to tear the cardboard, and Buyan spun around, barking without stopping.

– Quiet, quiet…