Today, for Sonya, was steeped in a profound sense of oppression and sorrow. Having worked as a nurse for several months, she simply couldn’t shake off the suffocating atmosphere of her ward. Each day felt like a dreary photocopy of the last. Monotonous, uninspired duties, gray routines, and the constant suffering she witnessed day in and day out. Instead of a sense of purpose in her work, she was consumed only by emptiness and a gnawing weariness. And her colleagues? They were a perpetual source of irritation.
Their conversations revolved around things Sonya found utterly trivial. Money, designer labels, silly gifts. Their limited interests barely touched upon compassion, empathy, or, heaven forbid, matters of the soul or morality.
This evening, Sonya had stayed at work later than usual. Utterly exhausted, she hurried home, once again dreaming of the day she’d find a fulfilling job, where she could feel like an organic part of a team brimming with genuine warmth and understanding.
Outside, late autumn reigned, cold and bleak. Thick, gray clouds smothered the entire sky, and a similar grayness had settled in her heart. The last bus had long since departed, leaving her no choice but to take the subway home.
Suddenly, on the grimy steps of the underground passage in downtown Chicago, her gaze landed on a thin, utterly worn-out figure, clad in filthy, threadbare clothes. The young man, looking utterly lost, simply stood against the wall, extending a trembling hand, silently begging passersby for any help. Seeing him, Sonya didn’t immediately grasp why her attention had fixed on him.
“Just another drifter,” flashed through her mind. Yet, her own memories of a tough childhood, when her mother had raised her alone, endlessly juggling three jobs to provide even minimal comfort, resurfaced with renewed intensity. And this young man stirred a deep sense of empathy within her.
His face, though emaciated, struck her as kind. Sonya moved closer and saw him more clearly. For a second, she even thought she was looking at her ex-boyfriend, Edward.
She had loved him for a long time, and their breakup had been a real blow.
— Eddie? she called out, her voice barely a whisper.
The young man seemed to lift his head, then quickly lowered his gaze again.
«It’s definitely him!» Sonya thought. «He’s just embarrassed to be in this situation!» She had secretly hoped all this time to run into him again, and here it was. Sonya loved Edward, but her mother had decided otherwise.
Her mother’s constant disapproval, her endless reproaches, had simply worn Sonya down. “He’s not for you, a penniless nobody with no future!” her mother would always tell her. Eventually, Eddie, hurt by everyone, simply left. And now, the same guy stood before her.
Or was it not him?
— What a reunion! I recognized you and I’m so glad to see you! Sonya exclaimed.
— Ma’am, you’ve got the wrong person! My name’s Paul, the young man mumbled uncertainly, turning his face away.
Sonya continued to stare at him, lost in thought.
«What if I take him home with me? Just to spite Mom! Tell her he’s my fiancé, and he’ll be living with us now? Maybe then she’ll stop meddling in my life and pushing her own candidates on me?» The idea, of course, was insane, but Sonya was already picturing the monumental argument that would erupt at home. For some reason, tonight she was in such a foul mood that she wanted to do it, no matter what. She bought him a coffee and a donut from the nearest Dunkin’, handing them to the drifter.
The young man thanked her shyly and began to eat ravenously. Sonya, seizing the moment, struck up a conversation.
— Paul, how did you end up here? Why aren’t you working? Where’s your home?
The young man, blushing and clearly uncomfortable, replied.
— Things just went south, I don’t really wanna get into it. My mom drinks pretty heavily. Constant beatings, and then they kicked me out too.
— Now I just drift around. No ID, and without that, no job. I crash wherever I can – sometimes at Grand Central, sometimes by a steam pipe in an alley, the young man said with a sad smile.
Sonya suddenly felt an unexpected wave of pity for this poor soul, who by twist of fate had hit rock bottom. Without a second thought, she offered.
— Come home with me, I’ll get you some dinner, you can shower and get some sleep.
— There’s just one condition. We tell my mom you’re my fiancé. Otherwise, she won’t let you in. Just play along with me. If you don’t like it or get tired of it, you can always leave. Nobody’s holding you here. You help me, and I’ll help you. My mom won’t let me date anyone. Nothing’s ever good enough for her. She dreams of me bringing home a millionaire.
