Chapter 78 Matthew checks on Vasily

The next morning began for Matviy with a cup of strong coffee, a call from his wife wishing him a good day, and a quick look at the route schedule. As planned, he was supposed to check on Vasyl, the second driver who worked in tandem with Maksym. Maksym had just finished his three-day cycle, and it was time for another “watch” for Vasyl.

Matviy did not arrange show-off inspections. His style was different — he preferred to know everything from the inside, to see not only the external discipline, but also the internal attitude of the drivers to their work, to the passengers, to the minibus — as if to a living organism. His enterprise of the minibus service between Rivne and Lviv was not just a business for him, but a matter of life.

The first flight is the most responsible. People go on business, to work, to the doctor, to clinics, to relatives. Therefore, Matviy decided to personally check this morning route. Vasyl is an experienced driver, he has been working for more than seven years. Passengers knew him by sight, and dispatchers spoke of him as a calm, balanced, and reliable person.

Matvey was at the ATP before dawn. The bus was parked, as usual, in the garage, covered with a thin layer of morning dust. Vasyl had already undergone a medical examination by Svitlana - both his blood pressure, pulse, and general condition were normal. The technical inspection also passed clearly - headlights, brakes, signal, ramps - everything was in order. The bus shone, and it was clear that the driver treats the car with respect.

- Vasyl, how are you in the mood? - Matvey asked, getting into the front passenger seat.

- As always, fighting! The passengers are waiting.

The departure was calm. The first stop was classic: several pensioners, a young mother with a child, a student with a backpack. The cabin was silent, occasionally interrupted by whispers of conversation, as if at morning prayer. Vasyl drove the minibus smoothly, like a boat on a smooth lake.

But when they approached the village of Kozyn, something happened that was not in any of the instructions. A man ran up to the bus with a German shepherd on a leash, but without a muzzle.

“It’s Lesya, she’s good, don’t worry,” he said, gripping the leash strap in his palm.

All the passengers fell silent. Their eyes turned to the driver, waiting for his decision. And at that moment the real test came. Not a formal one, but a humanly complicated one. Because according to the rules, it is forbidden to transport animals in public transport without a muzzle. But exposing a person to the cold, in a village where there is no other transport, is also inhumane.

Vasyl turned to the passengers and said:

— Yes, listen to me carefully. A good dog is good, but rules are rules. Sit here, next to me, hold on tight. If she barks or attacks even once, you get off with her at the next stop. Agreed?

— Agreed, — Lesya’s owner quickly replied.

The bus moved on. The dog behaved calmly — it lay at its owner’s feet and didn’t even look around. From time to time, the passengers in the back glanced ahead, but later calmed down, feeling that everything was under control.

Matvey sat and watched silently. He didn’t interfere, didn’t pretend to be a boss. But in his heart he noted: this is the line between rules and humanity. Vasyl did the right thing. He didn’t disregard the instructions, but he didn’t dismiss the life situation either.

— Well done, Vasyl, — said Matviy at the end of the trip, when almost all the passengers had already got out, and the bus was approaching the final stop. — And with respect for the rules, and with respect for the person.

Vasyl smiled modestly:

— Well, people are leaving… We don’t carry stones.

Matviy remembered this phrase. And it was for such words and actions that he valued his employees the most. That day he was not just satisfied. He was proud that his business was run by such people.