The secluded life of our grandfather unfolded before us like an old book with fascinating pages, leaving warm echoes of semantic revelations in the heart of the reader. Memories of his wife, gone forever, began to intertwine with the lively activities of the children, who, like sparkling birds in the sky, tossed about in their vain cares.

Lost in the shadow of his domestic routine, his grandfather found solace in collecting bottles and in caring for a faithful dog, a dog that became his reliable companion. Once a month, he settled into his solid Moskvich, filling it with metal, paper, and glass containers. Through the windows of the dilapidated car and through the dusty lenses of the glass, he met the ghostly shapes of the past and the future.

An old driver’s license, forgotten by time, spoke of many decades of caring service to his grandfather. Insurance seemed like alien territory, an invisible wall between him and the world of extreme situations. Never before had the police crossed his path because he moved slowly, as if life were dragging along the streets of eternal silence. But one fateful day, flying through the fingers of time, luck turned away.

He was standing peacefully unloading the car when one bottle, as if sent by an evil spirit, shattered into smithereens. He carefully cleared the pieces, put the dog in the front seat, and set off, following his traditions. The direction was familiar; the drop-off point was located right on the banks of the river, where the old man stopped to enjoy the natural world. His thoughts float with the flow of time, remembering his departed wife and distant children.

When he returned, thinking hard about something, the Lexus crossed the road between two close events. The bumper of an expensive foreign car, crumpled and mutilated, is a terrible nightmare for an ordinary person. But the grandfather’s car remained invariably intact after this unfortunate collision.

The driver of the foreign car, getting out of his car with aggressive determination, went to his grandfather, demanding a settlement. He asked if his grandfather had insurance, to which he replied in the negative, mentioning his modest pension, which was barely 10,000 rubles. The businessman continued to inquire, and the grandfather tried to explain that he only carefully collects bottles, helping his children. However, in response to this sincerity, the man began to threaten his grandfather, grabbing him by the jacket.

In the shadow of what was happening stood an observer, Katerina Ivanovna. Taking advantage of the moment, she approached the owner of the Lexus, trying to draw his attention to the life realities of her grandfather. She whispered to him, “Don’t be a fool, young man. For him, even replacing the bumper is not a problem. What if it was your father? You imagine?” Suddenly, like a turning point, the businessman began to understand, and he burst into tears. Grandfather, realizing the importance of this moment, hugged the young man, asking what had happened to him.

“My father disappeared when I was only 5 years old,” muttered the businessman. “I have been looking for him all these years, and I myself became what I became; I was looking for my own path in life. You look so much like my dad, and I’m because of the bumper… Forgive me! Everyone in the audience looked at each other, imbued with this deep scene of conflict resolution.

However, the story didn’t end here. Two days later, the businessman returned to his grandfather’s house. In his hands were food, medicine, and hope. He left his grandfather his number, wished him well, and left, leaving behind the imprint of an inextricable bond. The grandfather and the businessman began to communicate, revealing their stories to each other and becoming true friends in this journey through times and lives.