⏱ ~3 min reading
On Sunday morning, Ivanko woke up in the mood to go for a walk. Not just like that — but with someone. All day long. He ran to the phone.
I called Nazar - his mother said he was at his grandmother's in the village.
I called Tymoshkov - he's sick, lying down with a fever.
I called Bogdan — we went fishing with my dad.
I called Sofia - she had a children's party.
Ivanko hung up the phone. He sat down on the carpet in the hallway. He looked at his slippers.
“What, son?” Mom came in from the kitchen.
"Nobody can. Everyone is busy.".
— Well, it happens.
— And I wanted to…
Mom sat down next to me. Her hair smelled like chamomile shampoo.
— And try to spend the day alone.
"How is that? It's boring.".
"Maybe not. Look at what makes you happy. Without friends.".
Ivanko shrugged. What made him happy? He didn't know. He always liked to play with someone.
I got up, went to my room. I stood in the middle of it. I looked at the shelf with toys. I looked at the table with papers. I looked at the window - the sun was shining outside the window.
«"What do I love?"»
The question was strange. He wasn't used to asking it.
Ivanko sat down at the table. He took a pencil. He drew a small circle. Then another one. Then a sunny face, similar to his friend Tymoshka. Then a house in which a pet dragon would live.
Time passed. Ivanko drew. He liked it — the lines obeyed more than ever. The sun from the window fell on the paper in a stripe.
When mom came in, there were already five drawings on the table.
"Wow. You're an artist today.".
— I didn't know how to do that.
"Because I've never tried. And today I tried.".
After dinner, Ivanko found an old book on the shelf — about pirates. He had started it once, then abandoned it. He opened it again. He began to read on the sofa, with his feet on the pillow. The cat came, lay down next to him, and purred. The cat was usually afraid when there was noise in the house. Now there was no noise. The cat was happy.
An hour later, Ivanko was on the seventh section. The sun was already setting lower.
Then he went to the kitchen — mom was baking apple charlotte. Ivanko helped — cut three apples. It smelled of vanilla and warm dough.
When dad came home from work, Ivanko was already sitting at the table drawing another picture - a pirate on a ship.
— Ivanka, did you have a good day?
Ivanko thought for a moment. He was about to say "no," but somehow the word wouldn't come out.
"Dad. I've been alone all day.".
- And how?
— Not sad.
In the evening, lying in bed, Ivanko thought. He was not used to being alone. Usually he ran - now to one, now to another. And today - the day is alone. And not empty.
He was with him himself. It turned out that this was also a company. Quiet. Interesting.
Nazar called in the morning.
— Ivanka, shall we go for a walk?
— We're walking. And you know, I was drawing yesterday. I drew pirates.
— Will you show me?
— I'll show you.
A sparrow was singing outside the window. The day began with a friend. But Ivanko now knew: if there was no one else around, he too had a friend. He was himself.
💡 Being with yourself is also good.