Bring Joy to People

By Marina Kochetova

May your mind be kind,
And your heart be wise.
(S. Ya. Marshak)

How often, when parents are asked about their children’s future, “What would you like your child to become?”, they reply: “What difference does it make? The most important thing is that they grow up to be a good person!”

But what does it really mean TO BE A GOOD PERSON? Do you remember fairy tales and films about noble heroes, and how good always triumphs over evil? Today, I would like to tell you about one such person. Except he is not from a fairy tale, but from real life — a man whom practically all Russian-speaking Ottawa knows by sight! People may not ask him for autographs, but when they happen to meet him on the street, they greet him warmly, and when they speak of him in his absence, it is always with kind words.

People respectfully call him Sasha, although he left his youth behind long ago. Who has not fallen under his charm! Many people would come for years simply to talk with him, remember the past, exchange impressions about the present and joke about the future... You may be thinking that he is a hypnotist or clairvoyant. Not at all! Sasha is the former owner of the beloved Lakomka grocery store. He is a former owner because several years ago he sold the business and retired. Yet even today, people still call Lakomka “Sasha’s store.”

Always neat, smiling, friendly and gallant, with a subtle sense of humour and genuine goodwill — these are qualities without which it would probably be difficult to open your own store and build its steadily growing reputation.

Alexander Rovt and his family moved to Canada back in 1991 from the small town of Mukachevo in Transcarpathia, near the Hungarian border. According to Sasha, throughout all these years no one has ever told him that Canada was not his country. From the very beginning, hospitable Canada treated him kindly, although nothing was ever handed to him on a silver platter. He had to achieve everything himself — learn the language, look for work, adapt to new circumstances and gain experience. Sasha’s first impressions of Ottawa in the early 1990s were its cleanliness, calm pace of life, orderliness and the friendliness of its people.

There were European stores in the city, but only one Russian grocery store, and it was tiny. Sasha decided to open a food store offering popular products from the countries of the former Soviet Union — familiar tastes that reminded people of childhood. The idea did not become a reality immediately, but only several years after his arrival in Ottawa.

Since then, the selection of products and the size of the store — not to mention its popularity — have continued to grow. Sasha, his wife Valentina and their two grown daughters worked together in harmony for many years, serving a multinational clientele and providing highly professional service in Russian, English, Ukrainian, Hungarian and Polish. Their philosophy of life has always been simple: bring joy to people.

They did not become millionaires, nor did they ever strive to. But what rich souls they have! They live with dignity, with love and trust toward others, always ready to offer help in difficult moments.

The great Omar Khayyam wrote: “Treasure is not in gold, but in wisdom.” And wisdom combined with deep decency — together with the ability to do good and bring joy to others — remains one of the most important principles and guideposts in life for each and every one of us, even in the twenty-first century.

Valentina and Alexander Rovt are still welcome guests at Lakomka. Their creation is in reliable hands, but naturally their hearts remain attached to it. From time to time, they still help in the store and offer advice on purchasing and customer service. And in his own garden, Sasha lovingly grows flowers for his wife and berries for his daughters.

Congratulations, dear Valentina and Alexander, on 35 years of life in Canada’s capital! Happiness to your home! Thank you for giving the Russian-speaking community so many years of sincere friendship and warm communication.

(Based on materials from the author’s collection “Gallery of Destinies”)