Some people didn't like her, they called her old pshechka behind her back. But mostly people and even local government officials called her "Pani Wanda." Those who still had a little conscience understood and knew that it was precisely because of this very power that Mrs. Wanda lost everything: her huge household, her husband, and her sons. And if it hadn't been for one of the maids who used to work in the lady's house and remembered her kindness, she would have starved to death without a piece of bread. The woman accepted the old mistress and did not take money from her and did not expect any thanks. The man had a kind heart-that's the main thing.
Even before the arrival of the Bolsheviks, Mrs. Wanda was no longer young, and then the last few years brought her so much grief... She was taciturn and lived quietly. She sat silently on a bench by the fence in the large garden, trying not to make eye contact with passersby. And it was only with her savior that she had short conversations, and then mostly in winter, when she was constantly in the house.
But there was another creature she talked to and even smiled at, and was always affectionate, a cat. The lady loved her, and the animal reciprocated her feelings. Mrs. Wanda took the cat with her from her ruined house when she was just a kitten. A cat and a few old dresses are her entire treasure trove.
The kittens that the cat brought, she asked not to drown. And the kids, after living in the yard for a while, went to other farms. And only the old cat always stayed with Mrs. Wanda, never got off her lap...
It was in the spring. The hostess returned and saw that everything was as usual: Mrs. Wanda was on a bench in the garden, and a cat was lying on her lap. It was only when she greeted the lady, but she did not respond, that she sensed something was amiss. And so it is-Wanda is dead. Quiet and alone. After collecting some money, people all buried her together. The lady found her rest at the local cemetery, which was very close, two houses away.
At the funeral, many people noticed that a cat was sitting motionless next to the grave.
She did not move, stared fixedly at the coffin in which her mistress lay, and was not even afraid of the children who were fussing around.
The people from the cemetery left, but the cat stayed. She did not come to the village the next day either. Mrs. Wanda's former maid, who was busy with daily chores, only remembered a week later that the cat had not returned. I went to the cemetery and saw her there. The cat was sitting on a grave that was all trampled by her paws.
In her arms, the woman brought the cat home, fed it, and the animal immediately disappeared from the house. I found her again in the cemetery, but now the cat wouldn't let go. The whole village was trying to catch her, but she seemed to have gone wild, running from people. They brought her food and milk, and tried to bring her home.
I can't even remember how long it lasted. But one day people found this cat dead on the grave of its owner. After consulting with the priest, they buried her very close to the place where the old noblewoman lay for some, and for others just Pani Wanda.