Roman Antonovich had just put his catch in the basket and was heading towards his hut when he suddenly stopped. It didn’t seem like an illusion to him—the scream came again. It was a young woman.
The wind was scattering her words, but the meaning was clear: she was calling for help. There was someone else with her. Without thinking, he dropped the basket, quickly took off his coat and trousers, and dived resolutely into the water.
The wind was driving large, billowing waves ahead of him. Swimming was more difficult than he had expected. In the middle of the river, the young woman was visible, sometimes sinking, sometimes rising to the surface.
The young man who had apparently called for help had already reached the other bank, taken an inflatable boat, and was running quickly to the shore, not turning back.
By the time Roman Antonovich reached the spot where the woman was struggling, her screams had already died down and she had drowned. Taking a deep breath, he dove in, found her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and with one powerful movement swam back.
When he brought the lifeless body to shore, he immediately began to provide first aid and prepared a place to warm her.
He pushed the fire aside, built a makeshift hut out of stones and branches, placed it on top, and covered it with his overcoat.
Then he dressed, gathered up the scattered items, and sat by the fire, stretching out his frozen hands. It was not easy to warm up from the cold water. The woman was still unconscious—the cold and shock had done their work.
But Roman Antonovich knew it was only a matter of time. He looked up at the gray sky that had been covered with clouds. No stars, no moon—just a single gray shadow.
This sight brought him back to another, dark night, many years ago. At that time, he, his wife Angelina, and their young son had gone fishing. He had left them in the tent and had taken the boat out onto the river.
“Stay here, I’ll bring fish to make soup!” he said cheerfully, waving them off before he left, even though his wife shouted at him to be careful.
He only smiled—after all, he knew this part of the river like the back of his hand. But as soon as he was in the middle of the river, a strong wind arose, the sky darkened, and a heavy rain broke out.
The boat drifted and the oar hit something sharp, quickly losing air. Trying to keep his balance, Roman Antonovich slipped and then a cramp in his leg seized him.
The next minute, the river swept him away. He woke up three days later in a strange hut. No one was there.
When the door opened, an old man appeared—thin, stooped, with slow, rusty steps. “You woke up?” the old man growled. “Drink some of the herbs, eat some porridge, or you’ll never get back on your feet.”
“Where am I?” Roman muttered, realizing that he was far from his home. The old man shook his head: “The hunters found you. The river took you well. I healed you, but it wasn’t easy.
You can’t walk to your city. Rest, you’re bleeding. You’ll need time to recover.” “How can I tell my wife that I’m alive?” Roman wondered, worried about how they might mourn him.
“What can you tell her? There’s no town or village here. This is an isolated forest. We talk to nature, but people don’t find us,” the old man growled.
“I’ve been here for twenty years. In the winter I gather herbs, mushrooms, nuts, berries. Hunters sometimes get lost and come here to warm up, but otherwise…” He shrugged.
“Go to sleep, you need strength,” he muttered and lay down under his blanket in the corner of the hut. A little later, he began to snore.
Roman looked into the flame, his heart clenching with thoughts of his family—his son and Angelina, who had surely lost him. He remembered the rain that day, and the feeling of unrest grew within him.
The days passed slowly and painfully, but every movement he made brought him a little joy. It took him a long time to recover, as the old man had predicted. When he finally felt ready to leave, the old man suddenly fell ill.
“I cannot accompany you as I said,” the old man said. “I got you back on your feet, now I must rest.” “But how are you surviving here alone? Come to the city! There is medical care!”
