An Old Friend

“An Old Friend” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Daniil Zaika, Lozova Gymnasium, Ukraine.

An Old Friend

This story happened not so long ago. There was a beautiful village in a faraway country. A lot of people lived there. All of them were smart, kind and hardworking. They lived in awesome houses and had everything they needed. It was only one unusual thing in that place. When the night came, all the objects indoors got alive, but people didn’t know about that.

One local family had three phones: a mobile, a radiotelephone and an old disk phone. When the owners went to bed, they liked to gather in the kitchen for a cup of tea and discuss the latest news, who heard what. Once the mobile phone said to the disk one: "I do not understand why the hosts tolerate you, they would have thrown you out long ago! There's no sense from you, you're lying in your closet on the top shelf, you just take a place, and you’re dusty! We do not have anything to talk to you about, you just listen to us, and there's nothing to say. I, for example, need owners so much that they always take me with them".

The radiotelephone was picked up: "Can you at least remember when you were last included?" Children do not even know how to use you, and they do not need it. It would be completely out of life if we did not tell you about what is happening in the world! Of course, the owners feel sorry for you, served to the glory! But if you had conscience, you would leave this house ... "And the mobile interrupted: "Just like that, until they threw you out with the old trash to the dump and break your pipe or disk!" For a long time two more new phones scolded the old disk phone, and they did not notice how he hung his head, touching quietly his plastic trunk and left in tears, which were seen in his eyes.

In the house no one noticed the disappearance of the disk phone. Life went on as usual. Now there were two phones in the kitchen. And, although they did not have a grateful, enthusiastic listener in the company, they did not admit to each other something strange. Several weeks passed. The rainy autumn days came. Every day it rained and the wind blew. One morning the strong wind raised so strong, that by lunchtime it turned into a wild hurricane. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, the rain poured without stop.

The trees were tumbled down and the electrical wires were torn off. Because of this, the whole village became completely without electricity. Urgent repairs of power lines were required! How to tell the city that they need help? Because of bad weather, cellular communication refused to work, and without additional electric charging, mobile phones soon were disconnected. Radiotelephones also did not work without power. Downpours blurred the road - the passenger car from the village could not escape.

And then the family remembered that somewhere in the pantry they had an old disk phone. Now they would turn it into a special outlet for a telephone plug, call in the city and report that they need help. Specialists from the city would come on a big car, they would repair everything, and there would be light and communication in the village! Yes, there it was. The hosts began to look for the phone. The whole house was rummaged, no phone. They began to say loudly how they needed a disk phone, which was so good! He had worked at least for twenty years and looked like a newcomer. And what a joyful color he had - orange. And they lamented, didn’t they throw it away? Who could do this? Was there any fool?!

Meanwhile, the disk phone, when he was offended, did not go far. He hid under a low table on the porch and all this time he sat there. But when he heard how everyone needed him, he did not become proud, and showed his bright body. The hostess immediately saw him and exclaimed: "Well, at last, you are found, my dear!"

They called to the city. Soon, the lights caught fire in the houses, the technique started working. All the villagers were grateful to the telephone and said" Thanks" to the wise family.