An Ugly Star

The streets of Nizhny Novgorod were bustling with activity as the sun began to rise on that October morning in 1850. Elizabeth Kemarsky, the wife of the renowned pastry chef, was busy preparing for another busy day at their bakery. But her day was quickly disrupted by the incessant cries of a baby.

‘Can someone please attend to that crying child?!’ Elizabeth shouted to her servants, growing more and more frustrated with each passing minute. ‘What is going on out there?’

The servants, used to their mistress’s sharp tongue, quickly went to investigate. But what they found was not what they expected. As the maid approached the front door, she noticed a basket sitting on the porch. And inside the basket was a newborn baby girl, crying her heart out.

‘Ma’am!’ the maid exclaimed as she ran back into the kitchen. ‘There’s no beggar out there. Just a basket with a baby!’

Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat. She rushed to the front door and her eyes widened in shock at the sight before her. She had heard of babies being abandoned, but to actually see one on her doorstep was something she never thought she would experience.

Without a second thought, Elizabeth scooped up the baby and brought her inside. The poor child was trembling and her cries had turned into whimpers. Elizabeth immediately took her to the kitchen where she instructed the cook to prepare some warm milk for the baby.

As the baby drank greedily from the bottle, Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness and anger. How could someone abandon such a helpless creature? And on their doorstep of all places?

While the baby was being fed, Elizabeth sent her maid to fetch her husband, Antip Grigorievich. As soon as he arrived home, he was met with the sight of his wife holding a baby in her arms.

‘What is going on here, Elizabeth?’ he asked, looking at his wife with concern.

‘Someone abandoned this baby on our doorstep, Antip,’ Elizabeth replied, her voice laced with sadness and anger.

Antip’s heart sank as he looked at the tiny bundle in his wife’s arms. He knew all too well the struggles of being abandoned as a child. He was found on the streets of Moscow by a kind family who took him in and gave him a home. Now, he couldn’t turn away from this abandoned baby.

‘We must take her in, Elizabeth,’ Antip said firmly. ‘We cannot leave her out on the streets.’

Elizabeth nodded in agreement. They both knew they couldn’t turn a blind eye to this baby’s plight. And so, the decision was made to raise the baby as their own.

As the years went by, the abandoned baby, whom they named Anna, grew into a beautiful young girl. She was loved and cherished by the Kemarskys, who had no children of their own. They provided her with everything she needed and gave her a good education.

But despite all the love and care she received, Anna couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. She was constantly reminded of her past, of being abandoned and unwanted. And as she grew older, she became more and more curious about her biological family.

One day, when she was sixteen years old, Anna decided to search for her real parents. She knew it would be a difficult task, but she was determined to know the truth. With the help of a private investigator, she was able to track down her biological mother.

Anna was shocked to discover that her mother was none other than a wealthy aristocrat from Moscow. Her mother, who had been forced to give her up due to societal pressure, was overjoyed to be reunited with her long-lost daughter.

For the first time in her life, Anna felt like she belonged somewhere. She was welcomed into her mother’s home with open arms and was showered with love and affection. But even as she enjoyed her new life, she couldn’t help but think about the family who had raised her and loved her unconditionally.

Anna made the decision to visit the Kemarskys and thank them for everything they had done for her. As she walked through the familiar streets of Nizhny Novgorod, memories of her childhood flooded her mind. She couldn’t wait to see the couple who had given her a second chance at life.

When she finally arrived at the bakery, she was met with open arms by Elizabeth and Antip. Tears streamed down her face as she thanked them for everything they had done for her. And in that moment, she knew that she had two families who loved her unconditionally.

Years went by, and Anna continued to visit both her families, never forgetting the kindness and love she had received from the Kemarskys. And as she looked up at the night sky, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the star that had always been considered ugly, but to her, it was a symbol of hope and love. A reminder of the journey that had led her to her true family.