Little Vika (VEEka)

Our mail delivery lady, Valya, has a daughter Katya, who has a two year old daughter named Vika (Victoria).  They live in Marianivka Village too but on the other side of the river and about two km south.  Valya is a village woman with at least one cow, chickens and a large garden.  Katya, her husband and Vika live with her but Katya's husband works in the city and is not often home as he stays with his mother there rather than trying to commute.

We met Katya and Vika last spring when the three of them came to get a stray German Shepherd that we had been looking after until we could find it a home.  Vika was about a year and a few months then.  Old enough to walk and smile and that was about it.  She was a sweetheart.

Katya is our Avon and Oriflame lady and helps out her mom on the mail route sometimes.  I have been asking her to bring Vika for a visit so this morning she did, arriving about 9:00.  Vika went upstairs with me and I introduced her to LynnieC who was still in bed at 9:30 am, (rising about 1 or 2 is normal for her as she goes to bed about 3 or so in the morning).  The two of them hit it off and we could hear shrieks of laughter coming from LynnieC's room.

After lunch, Vika sat on my lap and almost went to sleep until she realized what was happening.  then she flung herself at her mother and cried.  After a bit she settled down but no way was she sitting on my lap again.  She would haul Christmas ornaments, Santa's and so forth to me, though.

I drove them home about 1:30 and she fell asleep in her mother's arms.  Katya phoned Tanya later in the afternoon to say that when Vika woke up, she ate a good lunch again, put on her boots and said she wanted to take the "Beepbeep" back to Dedushka's.  Melt my heart.