"Perhaps there is a watchman here," thought Matilda, "I don't need to run into him."

She tried to find some place in the fence to penetrate the territory of the kindergarten. Then she went to the gate. The gate, was like a fence, was made from a forged rods. She slipped her hand through the bars and pushed back the bolt, and then closed the wicket behind her.

"I need to sleep somewhere until the morning," thought tired Matilda and headed to the playground. She climbed into the small hut on the chicken legs, sat down on the wooden floor and fell asleep.

Matilda woke from the cold, she was trembling violently. It was already six in the morning. She got out of the hut and went back to her house. Usually at seven in the morning the neighbors were already awake. Matilda went into her porch, and without taking off her backpack, she began doing squats to keep warm. After a while, the chill went away. She no longer shook, but Matilda needed to keep warm.

"Yes," she thought, "a cup of hot coffee would not hurt." Continuing to do sit-ups, Matilda waited seven in the morning. She had no hours, and from time to time she left the entrance and looked at the neighbors' windows. The light caught fire in the window of the old woman Zina. Matilda went up to her apartment and rang the doorbell.

"Oh!" exclaimed the old woman Zina, "Matilda, what's the matter with you? Come on, come inn. My old man is still sleeping. Come into the kitchen, I'll make you tea," said Zina and led Matilda to the kitchen.

"You did not spend the night at home! Neighbors said you were taken by cops to the orphanage. Poor little soul! Did you escape? What happened with your arm?"

At tea Matilda told how she managed to escape from the orphanage and that there was only a small cut on her hand.

"Now I'll prepare for you another sandwich. Do you want me to warm up the soup?"

"Thank you, Zina! I'm already full. And can I have some hot tea?"

"Tea is not food. Now I'll warm up the soup on gas quickly. Hot bouillon is very salutary," said Zina, took out of fridge the pan with soup and put it on the stove. "My old man still sleeping, yesterday watched football to midnight. If you want, stay with us. Only don't show yourself to neighbors. Evil tongues can inform cops. You'd better not see cops. And my old man does not like these cops, he calls them garbage!"

The old woman Zina fed Matilda by hot soup. She spoke without stopping. It was her professional quality – in her younger years she worked as a teacher.

"Let me bring you a dressing gown, and I'll wash the dress. The blood just can’t be washed."

"Thank you, Zina, but I have to go."

"Where will you go, my dear?"

"I'll go look for work."

"Where will you sleep? Come to us."

"Thank you, Zina, but really I shouldn't appearance here. Okay, shall I go? Is good?" said Matilda, got up and headed for the door, "thank you for not allowed me to freeze."

"Wait, do not go away, I'm right now," said Zina, and went out into the room. Matilda stood and waited for her at the front door.

"Here, take some money, you'll need it. We're old, and no need money," said Zina, and slipped several bank notes into Matilda's hand.

"But there are many, I would have enough only to travel around the city."

"Take it, take it."

"Thank you, Zina. I will refund the money when I will can. But when – I do not know."

"Don’t worry. We have money with my old man. We wait for you in this evening, come to sleep here. Wait, I'll bring a shawl now."

"Why should I have a shawl?" Matilda asked, but Zina went out to the room again.