Alexei’s Adventure

This piece was written when I was in high school, based on an assignment for my English class.

Alexei prodded the gift with his finger.

“Стоп!” His mother scolded. “Not until tomorrow!”

“I just wanted to guess, Mama.” The little boy gave his mother a pouted lip.

“No guessing.” She waved a finger at him but stopped when she saw his shoulder’s slump.

“Come дорогой.” She patted his head. “Dinner time.”

Alexei brightened and rose from the floor, hand held out for his mother to take.

She grabbed his hand, gave it a squeeze, and led him to the table.

“Prayers дорогой.” His mother reminded him as he hopped onto his stool.

“Dear God,” Alexei looked up at the ceiling as his mother bowed her head. “Thank you for the gift under our tree and the porridge we have to eat. Amen.”

“Amen.” His mother said solemnly as her son began to pile his porridge onto his spoon.

She delicately took a bite of her cooling porridge from her meager portion as her offspring continued to shovel food into his mouth.

“Slow дорогой.” She said gently.

“Sorry, Mama.” A spot of porridge dribbled its way down his chin as he gave her a gap-toothed smile.

“Oh, Little Joy, So oblivious. You don’t know, life’s perilous.” Mama sang to herself.

“Oh Dear One, light of my life, I’ll protect you, you’ll know no strife. Here in this basement, you have a childhood. Here where we’re hidden, you have your world. Outside there’s a harsher truth this world can be ruthless. But I’ll hold you near on my lap oh my dear one. You won’t be alone in your days. In my home you’re okay, life will turn out some way. Clean off your chin you look like a mess. Look at your face I love you no less. Sit up straighter, don’t tilt the stool. Put on your jacket, it’s growing cool. Here in my heart now I say a prayer. Just stay right here, the world isn’t here. Outside there’s a harsher truth this world can be ruthless. But I’ll hold you near on my lap oh my dear one. You won’t be alone in your days. In my home you’re okay. Life will turn out some way. And no matter what you say, I’ll always stay.”

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Alexei lay on his cot, listening to his mother’s hacking coughs. He frowned.

“Mama?” He asked quietly.

“Yes, Alexei?” Her voice replied hoarsely.

“Why doesn’t God fix your cough for you?”

“It’s my sickness to bear.” She coughed again. “Try to sleep дорогой.”

“Yes, Mama.” He curled up on his cot, comforted by his mother’s lack of concern.

**********************************************************************************

The building owner was standing at their table when Alexei awoke.

“Hello, Mister Leopold,” Alexei looked nervously around the room. “Where is Mama?”

“Gone.” The old man said gruffly.

“She left me?” Alexei asked.

He shrugged and headed back upstairs.

Alexei began to cry quietly, so caught up in his sadness that he didn’t notice the rattling under the tree.

The package shifted, hitting the tree, causing the tree’s brittle branches to rattle.

Alexei sat up.

The present flipped onto its back.

Alexei cautiously stood and made his way to the tee. The package twitched as Alexei picked it up.

Alexei carefully unwrapped the gift. A small wind up mouse sat in his palms.

“Well, it’s about time!” The mouse scolded him.

Alexei yelped and dropped the toy.

“Ow!” The toy complained, whirling around to glare at him.

The mouse’s beady eyes widened in surprise.

“Woah.” It squeaked. “What’s wrong?”

“My mother.” He sniffled. “She left.”

“Oh dear, we have to go find her.”

“We do?” Alexei frowned.

“Yes!” The mouse hopped on its wheels. “She could be lost!”

Alexei jumped up and grabbed his coat and cap.

“Do you want to come along Little Mouse?” He asked.

“Do I!” The mouse sped towards him.

Alexei picked up the toy and placed it in his coat pocket, snout poking out so it could see.

It was snowing outside. Alexei smiled as the cold crept through his threadbare coat.

“I’ve never seen so much snow,” Alexei whispered.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” A voice said from behind him.

Alexei spun around and found a girl his age standing on the step. He gaped at her clean blonde hair and pink coat.

“I mean between its aesthetic and the things it’s good for,” She gave him a white-toothed smile. “It’s a miracle of a thing.”

“There are many things I love about snow,” She admitted. “Snow is many things that people don’t know, see most people think snow is just cold but that’s not the story I was told. You see snow is many things, it’s like the church bell when it rings and it reminds you of a season. It’s not always there, but it’s something to believe in. So when snowball season is on first rung and you’re catching snowflakes on your tongue, build an igloo you can hide in, make snow soup and share it with a snow friend, make snow angels with big wings or have some fun sledding.”

“Do I know you?” Alexei frowned at the sense of familiarity.

“I’m Vanya, your landlord’s granddaughter.”

“Oh.” He recalled seeing her in the house when they were little.

“Where are you heading?” She asked. “I’ve never seen you out of the basement.”

“I’m looking for my mother, she’s lost.”

“I-” Vanya’s reply was cut off by her mother calling for her. “Good luck.”

“Thank you.” He turned gazed at the street before him.

The lane was aglow with lights shining out of windows. Alexei peeked into the nearest window. A family was enjoying their lunch. Alexei gazed at the laden table, wondering if the turkey was as good as it looked and if it would be even better with the stuffing beside it.

Alexei turned away and continued scanning the streets, calling his mother’s name, and peeking into windows. However, with each window he looked into, he grew more distraught. He saw families opening gift after gift from under lush trees, families leaving another meal’s worth of scraps on the table after their feasting, kids reading stories by warm fires, and wondered what his mother had prepared for their holiday.

“But you have me!” His toy said, sensing his sadness. “I’m the best part of your day”

“Come, дорогой,” Alexei whispered, ignoring the comment. “Mama might be around the corner.”

“She isn’t anywhere,” Alexei said, thick tears falling from his lashes.

“Maybe she’s the next block over.” The mouse suggested.

A growling sound interrupted Alexei’s reply.

“What’s that?” Alexei whispered.

“I don’t know.” The mouse shivered in his pocket. “It sounded like a monster!”
“Baba Yaga?” Alexei whimpered.

“Probably.” 

Alexei quickly made his way back the way he’d come, quietly singing the song his mama had taught him.

“Baba Yaga come at night, little children sleepy tight, Baba Yaga eat you right…”

The growling behind him continued as he ran.

He stopped dead in his tracks. “Where are we?”

“Lost.” The mouse whimpered. “Very very lost.”

Alexei started singing again. “Looking up and down, looking all around

Still, I don’t see

Snow underfoot and everywhere I look

Where could she be?

I look down the ally, the street

And ask everyone I meet

“Have you seen her do you know where she’s gone?”

I wander down every road

Past places that I don’t know

Where she went or what I did wrong?

Still, I know I have to find her

And I have to bring her home

It’s too early in the day

To wander all alone

I leave the basement door, my bed on the floor

And try to find where she is

I look in one more window

Full of faces I don’t know

How could she leave me like this?”

The growling got louder behind them.

“Look that house has an open door.” The mouse pointed. “We could hide there until Baba Yaga leaves.”

“Wonderful.” Alexei sprinted towards the door and slammed it shut behind him.

“Hello, ребенок.” A voice said.

Alexei looked up at the woman.

“What are you doing in my house?” She asked, crouching down in front of him.

 “Baba Yaga is after me,” Alexei whispered.

“Oh dear,” The woman frowned. “That’s no good. Where is your mama?”

“Mama is missing,” Alexei whispered. “And I can’t find my home.”

“Ребенок, maybe you are the one missing.” The woman said. “What’s near your home?”

“A steeple,” Alexei remembered the tip he’d seen from the basement window.

“A steeple!” The woman smiled. “You live near the church!”

She grabbed her coat and scarf.

“Come, ребенок.” She wrapped the scarf around his neck and grabbed his hand. “Let’s find your mama.”

The streets seemed warmer as the woman led the way towards the church, stopping to ask him every so often if something looked familiar.

“There!” Alexei cried. “That’s Mister Leopold’s house!”

Alexei released the woman’s hand and ran home.

He opened the basement door and shouted “Mama!”

“Alexei!” His mother exclaimed. “Дорогой where were you?”

“Out looking for you!” Alexei said. “I couldn’t find you and then Baba Yaga chased me and I had to hide and this lady led me home!”

“Alexei, I was at the doctor then I got bread for our lunch.” She pointed to the loaf on the table.

Alexei started for the table but stopped.

“I’ll be right back.” He ran outside.

The woman was standing by the door.

“Ребенок you’ve found your home?” She asked.

“Yes,” Alexei smiled. “Thank you for helping me. Mama and I have a Christmas loaf, would you like to come in and share?”

“I’d love to ребенок, but I have somewhere to be.” She vanished.

Alexei ran inside.

“Дорогой, our bread is getting cold.” His mother said as he entered. “Let us eat. You can tell me of your adventure.”

Alexei looked back at the door, then sat by his mother and began to tell her about his trip outside.