Victor was steering the motorboat over the calm surface of the Gulf of Finland, while his passengers — tourists from Moscow — were eagerly casting their fishing lines. The day was going wonderfully: the clear sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the fish were biting willingly.
“Victor Semyonych, is that something floating over there?” suddenly called out one of the vacationers, pointing into the distance.
The captain squinted, peering into the watery horizon:
“Looks like a bird… No, wait, it’s something strange.”
When the boat came closer, everyone exchanged confused glances. In the water, barely staying afloat, a cat was desperately thrashing about. A ginger, wet, utterly exhausted cat.
“Well, well!” Victor shook his head. “How did he end up here? It’s one and a half kilometers to the shore!”
“Maybe he fell off a boat?” one tourist suggested.
“Or the current carried him away,” added another.
The cat meowed plaintively and tried to swim toward the boat, but its strength was clearly fading.
“All right, guys, fishing can wait,” Victor decided and grabbed the fishing net. “We have to save the poor thing.”
Catching the cat proved not to be easy — it was scared, scratching, darting side to side. But finally, they maneuvered the net under it, and managed to carefully lift the animal on board.
“The poor thing is completely exhausted,” Victor sighed, wrapping the trembling cat in an old jacket. “How long did he stay in the water?”
The cat pressed itself into a corner of the deck and looked at the people with cautious, frightened eyes. Its wet fur stuck out in all directions, whiskers trembling.
“What a handsome fellow,” said the wife of one tourist, touched. “And so young.”
“We need to show him to a vet,” Victor said worriedly. “He might have swallowed salty water.”
The vet examined the cat and reassured everyone:
“He’s healthy, though worn out. Dehydrated, scared — but tough. He’ll rest for ten days and be as good as new.”
“Maybe we should try to find his owners?” Victor asked.
“We can put up a notice. But apparently, he’s homeless. Judging by his appearance — a street animal.”
Victor took the cat home. His wife, Galina, warmly welcomed the new “guest”:
“Oh, what a skinny thing! Now we’ll fatten you up!”
For the first few days, the cat hid under the sofa, coming out only to eat. Gradually, he began exploring his new home. A week later, he was already purring when Galina gently stroked his back.
“You know,” Victor said, addressing his wife, “maybe we should keep him? His owners probably won’t show up.”
“I don’t mind,” Galina smiled. “I’ve wanted a kitten for a long time. What shall we name him?”
“Lucky,” Victor immediately replied. “Not everyone is lucky enough to survive in the open sea.”
The cat, hearing his new name, lifted his head and meowed loudly — as if approving the choice.
A month passed, and Lucky had fully integrated into the family. He greeted Victor at the door, warmed up on Galina’s lap, skillfully begged for fish in the kitchen. Only water he still avoided — even approaching his bowl cautiously.
“He probably has psychological trauma,” Galina told the neighbors. “After such an ordeal, it’s not surprising.”
“Maybe fate arranged it that way?” pondered neighbor Tatyana Nikolaevna. “He came straight to you.”
Victor gently scratched the cat behind the ear:
“Maybe it really is fate. Good thing we headed out fishing that day. Otherwise…”
The ginger rubbed against his hand and purred contentedly, as if saying: “Everything will be fine. I’m with you now. Forever.”
And Victor and Galina agreed without words.
Sometimes help given at the right moment turns into the most unexpected happiness. Sometimes salvation doesn’t come where you expect, but true luck floats right up to you. The main thing is not to miss that moment when someone needs you. Because it is in such moments that new, unexpected love enters your life. And though their acquaintance began with anxiety — the strongest bonds often arise in difficult times.
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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.