⏱ ~4 min reading
On a May morning, Marinka, Sofiyka, and Ulyana decided to have a picnic in the park. Marinka took an old red plaid. Sofiyka took a basket of cookies and apples. Ulyana took a bottle of compote and a few paper napkins.
The weather was such that the girls' noses were tingling with happiness. The sun was coming out from behind the clouds, peering at the ground, and coming out a little more. The grass smelled fresh, as if it had just been cut. White candles were opening on the chestnut trees.
The girls spread a blanket under the old linden tree. They set out a basket. They unwrapped the cookies from the paper and poured the compote into three small glasses.
“Here’s to spring!” said Marinka, raising her glass.
“For spring!” shouted Sofiyka and Ulyana.
They clinked glasses. The compote was sweet, with a berry flavor.
They ate for a long time, talking quietly about dreaming and about the new cartoon that Sofiyka watched yesterday. They ate so many cookies that afterwards they lay on the blanket and looked at the sky. Ulyana pointed with her finger - that cloud over there looks like a giant hare. And this one looks like a walnut with legs.
When the sun rose higher and it was time to return home, Ulyana got up.
"Okay, let's go. Mom said before dinner.".
Sofiyka also stood up. Marinka looked around. There were cookie wrappers on the blanket. There were compote crusts in the grass. There were apple bits near the bag.
"Wait," said Marinka. "We still have to clean up.".
Sophie turned around.
— What to clean?
"That's all," Marinka pointed with her hand. "Paper, corks, bits of food.".
Ulyana shrugged.
"Why? Everyone leaves it. There's already so much trash in the grass.".
Marinka thought about it. It was true—there were bags, glasses, and wrappers lying around in the park. Someone had already eaten and drunk there and hadn't cleaned them up.
"So what," Marinka said quietly. "I'm not 'everyone'." I'm Marinka.".
She bent down and began to collect the pieces of paper. She took them one by one and put them in her palm. She collected the crusts with her fingers - two small ones, like buttons. The apple bits - in a paper napkin.
Sofiyka looked. Then she leaned over too. She picked up the cookie wrapper.
— I will help.
Ulyana stood with a basket and watched.
"I don't understand," she said. "What are you doing?"
"Because it's beautiful here," Marinka replied without raising her head. "And I want it to stay.".
Ulyana stood up. Then she sat down too. She found a small tube of juice — probably from someone else.
"And these are brothers too?"
"Take it. You don't need someone else's, but you can take this little one. It doesn't spoil a good deed.".
They put everything in a paper bag. Marinka went to the trash can by the alley and threw it away. The girls were waiting for her by the blanket.
When Marinka returned, there was clean, clean grass lying on the blanket. Not a single piece of paper.
"You see," said Marinka. "How it was.".
The girls nodded. They rolled up the blanket.
As they walked down the alley, an old man with a cane passed them. He paused for a moment, looking at the spot where they had just had their picnic. Then he looked at the girls.
"Were you sitting here?"
Marinka nodded.
"It's nice after you," the man said simply. "Thank you.".
He walked on. The girls looked at each other. Ulyana laughed softly - with happiness.
— Marinka, I feel warm for some reason.
"It's when you do good that it warms you up," said Marinka. "I know. Mom told me.".
On the way home, the girls walked and noticed every piece of paper in the grass. Not all of them picked it up — it wasn't theirs. But each one thought to herself: at her own picnic — they would have picked it up.
At home, Marinka told her mother. Mother was sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea.
"Mommy," said Marinka. "We cleaned up after the picnic today. By ourselves.".
Mom smiled broadly.
"Well done. Do you know what it's called?"
— How?
— Leave a place a little better than you found it. That's what real people do.
"What if no one sees?"
"Then we need even more. Because it's clean where the place is taken care of even without witnesses.".
Marinka nodded. She drank tea with her mother on the balcony. The twisted pansies were blooming on the balcony - her mother had already planted them in the spring.
A small, warm feeling fluttered in Marinka's chest. She didn't know what to call it. She only knew that tomorrow, when the garden needed to be swept of leaves, she would do it too. Without being asked.
Because there are people who leave behind trash. And there are those who leave behind a little better than it was. Marinka already knew who she wanted to belong to.
💡 Clean where the place is taken care of - even when no one is looking.