A little orphan was sent to the orphanage, and to comfort him, he was given a keychain. Later, this small object led to an unexpected meeting.

— Mom, don’t worry. Everything will be fine for me! — Yulia reassured Zoya Romanovna as she left for the hospital.

— Oh, something tells me something will happen… — murmured Zoya. — May God protect you and may your delivery go well.

The forty-year-old woman was taken to the maternity ward, while her mother stayed home to prepare the dowry for the future grandchild. The bonnets, the cardigans — everything was ready.

Yulia was pregnant and alone. Her boyfriend had categorically refused the baby.

— I don’t want to take care of a newborn at my age, — he justified himself. — I thought a forty-year-old woman doesn’t change diapers.

He packed his bags and went to live with his mother. Zoya Romanovna warned that Kolya was not looking for love, just a convenient arrangement, but Yulia didn’t listen. The ex-husband was unsuitable, she had no children, and now here was a gift from fate — a baby. She was happy and had even chosen a name: Ilyousha.

But Yulia did not survive childbirth. Too much stress after the breakup. Her blood pressure fluctuated, and she died giving birth. Her mother suffered for a long time. If this grandchild had not needed her, Zoya would not have held on. Ilyousha grew up: an active boy who constantly demanded attention. Fortunately, his grandmother, retired, and the neighbor helped. She loved her grandson dearly, bought him everything he needed, delicious little meals. In her heart, she thanked Yulia for giving her this joy at the twilight of her life. They often went to the mother’s grave, and Zoya covered it with flowers — even in winter.

At three years old, the grandmother took Ilyousha to kindergarten, dreaming that he would thrive among other children. Everything was going well, and the future seemed bright.

Then one day, he waited for his grandmother at the exit… she did not come. The teachers called for her in vain. Lyudmila Konstantinovna, the teacher, offered to take him home.

Upon entering, they saw Zoya unconscious on the floor. Five-year-old Ilyousha shouted:

— Grandmother! Wake up, please!

Lyudmila Konstantinovna placed her hand on Zoya’s wrist and looked down.

— Come with me for now, — she told the child, not wanting him to see the ambulance arrive. Ilyousha didn’t understand everything but sensed that misfortune was near.

Then aunts and an uncle arrived, representing social services.

— Are these the people coming to take me? — he asked, pointing at the visitors. Suddenly, he remembered the movie they watched together — an orphanage. Zoya sometimes called him “my little orphan.”

— I don’t want to go! — he jumped towards Lyudmila. — I want to stay with you. Please!

Lyudmila looked at him helplessly.

— I’m sorry, Ilyousha. I can’t — I already have three children, — she apologized as they opened the door to the newcomers.

— So, who do we have here? Ilya Sinitsyn? — the lady in blue asked cheerfully.

— I don’t want to go to them! — he screamed, throwing himself at Lyudmila: — Please, don’t let me!

Despite his screams, he was taken and placed in the back seat near a blonde-haired lady.

— Let me go! — he said, trying to open the door. The blonde lady took his hand and slipped a pretty shiny keychain into his palm.

No photo description.

— Here, — she whispered kindly. — I wanted to give it to my son, but you need it more. My name is Aunt Lyuba, my boy is Alyosha.

The boy calmed down and wiped his tears. His heart beat fast as a gray, gloomy three-story building appeared in the distance. He knew he would never see his grandmother again. A new, different, and worrisome life was beginning…

— Sinitsyn Ilya? — sneered his roommate. — I’m Vovka Trunov. What’s that you’ve got? Show me.

Ilyousha opened his hand, and the keychain sparkled.

— Will you lend it to me? — Vovka said, pursing his lips.

— I’ll play with it first, then we’ll see, — Ilya replied proudly and went to the window.

Lyuba returned home, where her six-year-old son, Alexei, was already waiting.

— Mom, did you buy me the keychain? You promised, — the boy said greeting her.

— My darling, sorry. I had to give your toy to another child, — sighed the mother. — His name is Ilya. Today, he was taken to the orphanage. He no longer has his grandmother.

— And he really, really has no one? — exclaimed the boy, imagining the orphaned child.

— Really no one, — Lyuba said, crouching to hug him.

— Well, — Alyosha said, waving his little hand. — Let him keep the keychain. You’ll buy me another… Nobody else would give him such a beautiful toy.

— You’re so understanding! — the mother said, kissing her son.

— Just like you! — the boy proudly answered, looking into her eyes full of tenderness. — And like Dad, of course.

Alexei’s father, Oleg, worked as a security guard at a shopping center. He often had to work extra hours because of an unreliable colleague. Oleg never complained: for him, it was a chance to earn a little more. He lived happily with Lyuba. Their parents helped them, both with deeds and advice. They never argued over trifles and made up quickly. Some considered their family a model. But one thing saddened Lyuba: after Alyosha’s birth, she had never become pregnant again, even though they dreamed of having three children.

Time passed. Ilya did not forget his grandmother. With her, he had been happy. But here, at the orphanage, he was bored and melancholic. Nothing pleased him. Even the gifts recently given by the institution’s patron, Ignat Vassilievitch, brought him no joy. There was a remote-controlled car, a toy helicopter, and a super tablet. Ilya put everything away in his closet and went outside.

— Ilya, where are you going? — asked the supervisor, raising her eyebrows. — Stay here. It’s not time for a walk yet.

But Ilya didn’t want to listen. As soon as Anna Efimovna looked away, he slipped away.

He walked along the fence, searching for a way to escape and get to the other side.

— What are you looking for there? — Ilya jumped, called by a voice. An old man wearing a checkered cap approached.

— You want to run away? — the old man said, squinting. — Go inside, or I’ll turn you over to the supervisors!

Reluctantly, Ilya returned to the porch. He didn’t want to be punished and entered quietly.

— Where were you? — his roommate asked, seeing him come in.

— Nowhere, — the boy growled before throwing himself on the bed. A feeling of sadness overwhelmed him. He just wanted to cuddle his grandmother and forget this sad life. In the one year spent at the orphanage, Ilya had shed many tears. Only his pillow bore witness. Surely, his grandmother from heaven saw how much her grandson suffered without her. Ilya often silently asked her to help him get out of there. He looked with melancholy through the window at the adopted children, their faces shining with happiness. He hoped that one day he too would be adopted and waited, heart pounding, for his parents to come for him, even forgetting to play…

It was a sunny May day. Today, little Alyosha was finishing his first year of primary school. He held in his hand the keychain his mother had given him and thought of only one thing: that his parents would finally give him the dog promised at the start of the school year. Their apartment was spacious enough to welcome a four-legged friend. What joy for Alyosha to hear his father say that evening:

— Now that you’ve finished your class, we can think about a gift for you, son!

The next day, they went together to the shelter to choose their future companion. The boy’s gaze fell on a small mixed-breed dog. It gently wagged its tail behind the bars, watching the visitors.

— But he’s a mutt, — Oleg said to his son.

— So what? He’s still beautiful. White dogs bring luck. I’m going to call him Bamboul.

His father burst out laughing:

— What a funny name!

— Dad, I don’t want another dog. I want that one, — Alyosha whimpered. The father gave in.

Soon after, they returned home. Alyosha proudly held the one-year-old white puppy in his arms, settled on the backseat. The animal yawned and fell asleep peacefully on his new master’s lap…

That day, Ilya finally found a way to climb over the orphanage fence. After making sure the teachers were busy and his group was napping, the boy silently sneaked toward the emergency exit, rarely locked. Within minutes, he wandered in the city park, savoring his long-awaited freedom.

Night fell quietly, and the child saw an open cellar in a house. He entered without fear and stopped short. Two pairs of eyes watched him.

— Who are you? — a woman whispered. Ilya understood: she was a gypsy.

— Ilya, — he whispered, glancing at a little girl about three years old.

— I’m Youlia, — the woman said. — And this is Karina.

— My mom was also called Youlia. Is she your daughter?

— Not really. I found her. Now I take care of her.

— Why do you live here?

— I’m afraid to go back to the camp. The baro promised to beat me for disobedience. And you, what are you doing here?

— I ran away from the orphanage. I don’t want to stay there anymore. It’s sad. I want a mom and a dad.

The gypsy burst out laughing:

— You know, sometimes it’s better to wait, they would have come to get you sooner!

Ilya shook his head stubbornly.

From then on, Ilya lived with Aunt Youlia and sometimes called her “mom.” But she was often absent, leaving Karina and him alone in the cellar. One day, Youlia did not come back.

— Where is she? — Ilya whispered, looking outside. — Three days have passed…

He checked the provisions.

— We have enough food for another week, Karina. And after? If mom doesn’t come back? I thought I finally found a mom… and now she’s gone.

He lowered his head, ready to burst into tears, when Karina ran to him, hugged him, and whispered:

— Don’t be afraid, little brother! Everything will be okay.

Every day, Ilya watched for Youlia’s return by the entrance, but she never came back.

— She abandoned us, — he said sadly to Karina as he lay down on the mattress on the floor. — Luckily, it’s warm, or we would have frozen.

He began to cry softly thinking about his grandmother and fell asleep.

He was awakened by something licking his cheek. He opened his eyes and saw… a white dog.

— Where did you come from? — Ilya smiled. — And your master?

Karina giggled looking at the ball of fur.

— You belong to someone, — the boy said, petting the dog. — You even have a collar. We’ll call you Flocon. But we have to save food. You don’t eat much, huh?

The dog wagged its tail and barked joyfully.

— Perfect! Give me your paw.

To his surprise, Flocon gave his paw. Karina burst out laughing.

Days passed. The children sometimes went out to play but returned quickly to avoid being seen. Ilya didn’t want to go back to the orphanage.

One day, he horrifiedly noticed there was nothing left to eat.

— What to do now? — he said to Karina, petting Flocon. The dog suddenly disappeared. He did not return all day.

— He left us, — sighed Ilya. — We’re going to starve.

Karina no longer even asked to play. She looked at the empty bowl crying: “I’m hungry!” They fell asleep on empty stomachs.

The next morning, Ilya was awakened by breathing. Opening his eyes, he saw a stick of sausage placed before him, and Flocon watching him.

— Karina! — he shouted joyfully. — Flocon brought us sausage!

He shared the food equally.

— You’re our savior, — he said, attaching a small keychain to Flocon’s collar. — Here, for you.

The dog disappeared again during the day.

— Aha! So you’re the one stealing my sausage! — a voice shouted at the market. — Ivan! Catch that white dog!

The dog ran off with a sausage in his mouth. A seventeen-year-old boy chased after him. Just before being caught, the dog slipped through a gap between two walls.

— Did you get him? — asked the seller.

— No, — he panted. — He escaped me.

— Next time, catch him and send him to the shelter! — she grumbled. — He’s taken a liking to sausage, that thief.

Flocon returned to the cellar, still carrying his booty. Two stray dogs blocked his way. They attacked him to steal his food. Injured, Flocon crawled to a corner and fell asleep, exhausted…

— Mom, do you think he’ll come back? — Alyosha asked, eyes fixed on the window.

— He’s probably lost, — sighed Lyuba.

— Even with the announcement, no one called, — the boy sobbed.

— We have to contact the services. Maybe someone found him.

— We should have written the number on the collar!

— Sorry, my son… I didn’t have time.

They did not find Bamboul at the shelter. In the evening, sitting on a bench, Alyosha shouted:

— Mom, I see him!

The little white dog limped, panting. Alyosha took him in his arms, then jumped:

— Look, mom! He has a keychain like mine!

Lyuba recognized the object. She had given it to a boy who had lost his grandmother… How had he come here?

The next day, she called the orphanage. Learning of Ilya Sinitsyn’s disappearance, she understood: their dog had met him.

— How’s our Bamboul? — the vet asked.

— Better, — said Alyosha.

— Give him these vitamins. He is weak.

In the evening, the dog was better.

— You’re healed, — Alyosha said tenderly. — Mom, Bamboul wants to go out!

— In a moment, — Lyuba replied.

All three went outside. The dog kept pulling on the leash.

— Where do you want to go? — Alyosha asked.

Suddenly, Bamboul escaped and ran at full speed. They followed him to a cellar.

— Mom, I’m scared…

— Let’s see where he led us, — said Lyuba, entering after him.

Ilya jumped at the sight of them.

— Mom, is that you? — he whispered. Karina shouted with joy:

— Mom is back!

Seeing the dog, Ilya understood.

— How did you get here? — Lyuba asked, discovering the hungry children.

— Is he the boy you were talking about, mom? — asked Alyosha.

— Yes, my darling, — she replied.

— You won’t send us away? — Ilya begged.

A few months later, Lyuba celebrated her 40th birthday.

— Alyosha, Ilya! — called Oleg. — Ready?

— Yes, Dad! — they replied. — Karina doesn’t want to get dressed.

— Why not?

— She doesn’t want to go to the circus without Mom.

— Mom has to stay at the hospital to save your future little sister.

Karina finally agreed. They left together. In the car, the boys cuddled Bamboul, while Karina secretly took out her crunchy cereals to share with their beloved dog.