A grandmother was thrown into an icy river; it was a boy coming home from school who found her
Nikos, a ten-year-old boy, hurried home after school. His mother had strictly forbidden him to linger. During the night, their cow had given birth, and Eleni, the mother, had spent the whole day caring for Zora and her newborn calf.
The boy had to warm up the meal, wash the dishes, and finish his homework. However, it wasn’t the desire to do chores that rushed him, but the desire to see the little calf. Newborns are so fragile, so adorable; they drink from the bottle with such gentleness—how could he miss that moment?
He happily hopped along the river, where the ice had completely disappeared and young grass was sprouting on the banks. Approaching, he saw an old lady, soaked and shivering, tears in her eyes.
“Hello! What happened to you?” he asked, noticing a pile of wet rags beside her. “Did you fall in the water?”
“Oh, my boy, no, I was pushed!” the grandmother sobbed, trembling from the cold. “I thought I could reach the village and find shelter, but a terrible cramp pinned me down; I can neither move nor breathe!”
“Don’t move, grandmother, I’m calling for help!” Nikos shouted as he ran toward the village.
Eleni had just returned from the barn, washed up, and was resting. Zora refused to be milked, jealously protecting her calf, Mike, named for being born in May.
Eleni didn’t want the little one to get too close to the mother, fearing it would make milking harder later.
From the open window, she heard the conversation between her mother and son. Her rest was interrupted by the sharp noise of the door slamming.
“Nikos, is that you?” she asked. “Why are you slamming the door like that?”
“No fire, mom, worse! An old lady is by the river, soaked and unable to move. I’m going to get something warm!”
“My God, what a tragedy!” exclaimed Eleni as she searched feverishly in a cupboard. “Take your father’s sheepskin and a shawl. Wait, we’ll also take the milk cart, it might help!”
Nikos grabbed the four-wheeled cart from the shed. Eleni covered it with sheepskins, then rushed to the river.
The old lady could no longer sit; she was curled up on the grass, shivering. Eleni quickly covered her, gently lifted her, and placed her on the cart. The woman was as light as a child. She opened her eyes, tried a weak smile.
“Don’t be afraid, grandmother, everything will be fine,” Eleni assured her, bringing the old lady home with Nikos.
Once warmed by a bath, fed, and given hot tea, the woman, named Asya, thanked her rescuers emotionally.
“God bless you for your kindness,” she said to Eleni and Nikos. “Thank you for raising such a caring son!”
“Don’t say that,” replied Eleni, “anyone would have done the same.”
But Asya insisted:
“No, someone really pushed me into the river!”
Curious, Eleni invited Asya to tell her story. She sent Nikos to play with the calf and sat beside her.
“I lived with my eldest son, in a big house. As long as his first wife, Lara, was there, everything was fine. She was a doctor, took care of me, made sure I had my medicine. After her illness and departure, my son hired a caregiver, then took her to a hospice. Six months later, he came back with a new wife, Mila, a young and beautiful model. This woman never loved me! She watched me, criticized every move:
‘Mom, where are you going all the time? You only bring dust here!’
I tried to explain I needed fresh air, but she sneered:
‘Do you think you’ll live to be a hundred?’
I cried, was stressed, took tranquilizers, and she shouted:
‘What a smell of old house! You poison everything with your pills!’
One day, she even threw away all my medicine. I endured everything to avoid fighting.
When my son went to a forum, she became even worse, forbidding me to leave my room. Fortunately, I had a bathroom of my own. Finally, I asked her to take me to my other son, in the countryside. She first refused, then reluctantly agreed. She even replaced my suitcase with a paper bag.
At the bridge over the river, she stopped:
‘Here, this is where you get off.’
I got out, stood by the edge, saying the village was on the other side.
And that’s when she pushed me into the water, with my bag…”
➡️ The full story can be found in the 1st comment 👇👇👇‼️‼️‼️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Nikos, ten years old, was coming home from school eager to see the newborn calf of their cow Zora. His mother, Eleni, had forbidden him to hang around outside. She had just spent the day caring for Zora and the calf Mike, born in May.
Walking near the river, where the ice had melted, Nikos saw an old woman soaked, shivering, sitting at the edge. “Hello! What happened to you?” he asked, worried.
“I was pushed into the river!” she sobbed. “I thought I could reach the village, but a cramp paralyzed me; I can’t move or breathe.”
“Don’t move, I’m going for help!” Nikos shouted as he ran.
Hearing the door slam, Eleni asked, “Nikos, is that you? Why are you slamming the door?”
“No fire, mom, worse! An old lady is in trouble by the river, soaked and unable to move! I’m going to get her something warm!”
“My God, what a tragedy!” exclaimed Eleni. “Take your father’s old sheepskin, a shawl, and the milk cart. It might be useful.”
They returned to the river where the old woman was curled up, shivering. Eleni covered her, gently lifted her, and placed her on the cart. The woman opened her eyes, looked around, and gave a weak smile.
“Don’t worry, grandmother, everything will be fine.”
They brought her home. After a warm bath, food, and tea, Asya, the grandmother, thanked them:
“God bless you for your kindness, my children! Thank you, Eleni, for raising such a caring son.”
“It’s nothing, Baba Asya. Anyone would have done the same.”
“Don’t say that, someone really pushed me into the river!”
Curious, Eleni invited Asya to tell her story. She said she lived with her eldest son, Vitalios, in a big house. His young and beautiful model wife, Mila, did not love her:
“Mom, where do you keep going? You just bring dust here!”
“I just wanted some air.”
“Do you think you’ll live to be a hundred?”
She shouted, threw away her medicine, forbade her from leaving her room. When her son went to an economic forum, Mila got worse:
“You stay in your room!”
She asked to go to her other son, Vitya, a farmer in Lozova. Mila reluctantly agreed, but at the bridge over the river, Mila stopped:
“This is it.”
She pushed her into the water with her bag. Asya managed to get out, but her bag tore and floated away.
“That’s how my daughter-in-law got rid of me…”
Eleni wanted to call the police, but Asya refused:
“May God judge her. I won’t file a complaint.”
“Where will you live now?”
“With Vitya, in Lozova.”
Nikos returned, covered in grass.
“What have you done?” Eleni asked.
“I went to see Maïkos, the calf. I lay beside him; he licked my face!”
“Remember, we have guests on Saturday?”
“Yes, we rehearsed.”
Eleni told Asya:
“Stay here until Saturday; then we’ll take you to your son.”
“I don’t want to trouble you… Maybe I can go to Lozova on my own?”
“No, you’ll stay, rest, and we’ll give you clean bags.”
“I’m causing you work with laundry…”
“Don’t worry, the clothes dry quickly in the sun.”
Asya got up:
“I feel better. I could help Nikos with his lessons; I was a teacher.”
Nikos showed her to his room and spread out his books. Asya emotionally recalled many teachers she had trained.
“How do you remember so many names?” marveled Nikos.
“I loved my job and the children. It’s a pity Vitalios isn’t interested in his grandchildren.”
Three days later, elegant Asya took care of her hair. Eleni found her beautiful.
“My hair has turned very white…” she said. “Vitalios went to seek fortune in the city.”
At the school’s tenth anniversary ceremony, Vitya Rudkovski, a famous philanthropist, arrived. He congratulated the teachers and gave flowers. A teacher announced:
“Here is Asya Petrovna Rudkovska, the first teacher of many professors here!”
Encouraged by Eleni, Asya went on stage:
“What a joy to see my former students who became professors!”
Vitya gave her a bouquet, and they warmly hugged.
“What a surprise! I was told to bring an extra bouquet, but you’re the one I didn’t expect to see!”
“I’ll tell you everything at home. Without Nikos and Eleni…”
The next day, Vitya knocked on the door with a huge bouquet:
“Hello, Eleni! My mother and I invite you and Nikos to dinner tonight at 7 pm.”
“Thank you, but I just had a baby; I can’t.”
“Another time then. Why do you milk by hand?”
“One cow, no need for a machine.”
“I’ll bring you one today.”
In the evening, Vitya came with a milking machine and toured the barn:
“Why this gift?”
“To preserve your health. Your son is growing, maybe there will be other children.”
Later, he returned with fruit and a bike for Nikos.
“For me? Forever?” asked the boy.
“Of course! For your adventures.”
Nikos threw himself into his arms, delighted.
Asya brought a pie:
“Eleni, I’ve decided to resume old habits. Let’s have tea; I miss you!”
Vitya came often, interested in the farm and offering help. One day, he said:
“Eleni, I’ve grown fond of you. You’re a real support.”
“Me too… You probably guessed.”
At the end of June, they married. Vitya moved the farm to Lozova and rented their house to vacationers. Nikos was enrolled in a new school. In July, they celebrated Viktor’s birthday, while Eleni had just given birth to a second son, Stephan.
Soon after, Vitalios arrived. His young wife had had an accident, thrown into the river, bedridden with a spinal injury.
“Were you surprised by mom’s disappearance?” asked Asya.
“Mila told me she was with Vitya; I wasn’t worried.”
Nikos happily rode his bike to see friends and buy medicine for his grandmother. He felt useful and joyful in this new life.
