Adult evening

"Adult" evening (based on the story by A. Aleksin)

One day, dad invited Alyosha to a festive evening at the hospital where he worked.The literature teacher often asked that all her students be "bright individuals." That evening Alyosha was like this for the first time in his life: he paid attention. individuality, all my dad's colleagues paid attention to him
Now we will talk about the best people of our hospital! said the head doctor of the hospital. We invited our former patients here. Let them say... A young man came to the center, and everyone at different ends of the hall said:

- This is Seryozha! Seryozha! -Does everyone here know him? Alyosha asked one man. -Certainly! He was completely weak. No one believed that he would be healthy, but your dad believed and cured him. - I am working! - Seryozha said loudly and joyfully. - I play hockey! But because there are such people in the world... There is such a person... And everyone looked at Alyosha's dad. Two more former patients said that
with his help they were "born a second time."Alyosha and dad were about to go outside when he approached dad
a man in a white robe said something quietly to him.But dad quietly apologized and repeated:

-I can not dance.Alyosha would like to forget that he is only eleven years old, but that evening each of dad's colleagues always asked:

- How old are you?Then Alyosha saw how he and his dad were talking: as warmly as close people talk to each other.Seryozha looked the healthiest in the room.He danced the most, laughed and talked the loudest.Alyosha didn't understand.Eleven, Alyosha answered...