The girl opened the door of her apartment. Music was blaring, happy neighbors were shouting, everyone was waiting for the approaching New Year.
-Kitty! – she called out, but the cat slipped past her feet and ran down the stairs.
-“Again!” – the girl was indignant, putting bags and packages in the corridor, – what a cat.
She did not want to go down and again pass by the open doors of neighbors and listen to the screams, but the cat had to be returned.
The girl went up the stairs and shouted for the cat.
She returned to the apartment and began to take off her boots.
The girl mentally scolded herself. She was dissatisfied again. She slightly covered the front door in the hope that the cat would return and took off her down jacket. The music and conversations became quieter. The apartment was dark and cool. I wanted to lie down on the made bed and fall asleep.
-“New Year!” – she seemed to remember, “I have to celebrate it, otherwise I will spend the next one like a sleeping beauty, and the cat ran away…
Suddenly the music stopped completely. There was a scream and approaching stomping. The girl jumped out of the chair and wanted to close the open door, when a cat jumped into the gap.
The door tensed and twitched. A flushed angry man appeared in the corridor, he said loudly:
-Give it here, this… what are you looking at? Bring your cat here!
-Quiet, I’ll take care of it, – another man, who came up after the first one, calmed him down.
He spoke calmly:
-You see, my friend wanted to propose to his girlfriend today and as if by accident put a dumpling with a ring inside, and your cat pulled the same dumpling.
-“It’s a cat,” she answered, recovering a little, “I’ll look,” and the girl closed the door to the strangers.
She found the cat, examined it, checked the floor, but there were no remnants of food or the ring anywhere.
-Nothing, if I find it, I’ll bring it to you, which apartment?
-What do you mean nothing? Mom definitely saw that your cat pulled that particular dumpling, – the groom shouted again.
The girl shrugged her shoulders and closed the door.
She celebrated the New Year with the cat, watching concerts on TV.
In the morning, when she was watching her last dream, the doorbell rang. She turned to the other side and covered herself with a pillow. But the call did not stop. The girl still got up and went to the door.
-Who is it?
-I came yesterday about the cat.
-Well?
-You didn’t find the ring?
-No, – the girl answered and started to walk away from the door, but the man continued.
-“Can I look for it myself?
She was surprised at such impudence.
-No.
-I beg you very much. My sister is beside herself. She was waiting for this proposal, and the boy’s mother convinced him that this situation happened for a reason.
-What kind of secrets do you have there?
-No secrets. Amorous affairs. May I come in?
-Good.
The boy entered, took off his shoes at the threshold and waited for her to invite him in.
-І? How is your sister?
-She’s crying.
-It’s understandable, she’s upset. And what about your future mother-in-law? How about some coffee?
-I will not refuse coffee, the guest was happy and moved from the chair to the sofa.
The conversation continued. The guy willingly shared the story of his sister. It turned out that the mother is not happy with the choice of her son and in every possible way prevents their engagement. And then the cat ate a dumpling with a ring in it.
-By the way, I didn’t notice any leftovers from the cat yesterday, maybe he didn’t steal anything from you, he was hanging around.
-“Then where did the dumpling go?” the guy was surprised.
-I don’t know, maybe the mother ate it.
-No, she wouldn’t do that, she’s not so against my sister.
-Watch the cat’s toilet, I see that you will not appropriate someone else’s, thank you, – the guy said and, saying goodbye, was going to leave.
-Do you really think he swallowed it?
-Well, I don’t know where it went.
The girl saw the guest off and took her mug to the kitchen.
She was washing dishes when some voices sounded from the floor below.
“What else is there, will they shout like that all weekend now”.
The screams finally stopped. In the evening the doorbell rang again.
She opened the door. The guy was smiling guiltily. He was holding a bouquet of flowers.
-I’m so ashamed! From the very beginning I did not believe that it was a cat that ate that dumpling.
The girl, not understanding what was happening, invited the man to come in and explain everything.
The flowers were quickly in the vase. Two mugs appeared on the table in the room. And the conversation started by itself. The mother, as it turned out, really hid the dumpling and, seeing the cat rubbing against the doorjamb, made him guilty of the disappearance of the ring.
-It was a very funny story, right?
-Yes, – the guy confirmed, stroking the cat. -You know, – he quickly and without hesitation switched to “you”, – I have had so many such stories in my life, – the guest began meaningfully.
-Yes, – she smiled.
The acquaintance with the neighbor promised to be interesting. And all because of some dumpling…
