Get to work, how long can you sit on my neck?! I work like a damn slave every day, and you’re just resting at home!
And don’t tell me you’re looking after the children! Your mom helps you, the older one is about to go to school soon, there’s no need to watch him anymore.
Look for a job and finish your maternity leave already.
Dima met Liza when she was twenty, he was five years her senior. The young man had graduated from college, had a promising specialty in the gas industry, and a good job with the possibility of advancement.
Liza was in her fourth year of university, studying to become a civil servant.
The young people first met in the company of mutual friends. It was a noisy party with a lot of people, but Liza was bored on the side.
She didn’t really like such gatherings of unfamiliar people, she only came because a friend had invited her.
– Miss, why aren’t you having fun with everyone else? Let’s get to know each other, we don’t do boring here, – the young man didn’t let her spend the evening in silence. – My name is Dima, and you are?
– I’m Liza, I’m not bored, I just don’t really like all this noise and fuss.
– Honestly, me neither, but I wanted to get away a bit, as I’ve only been thinking about work, – Dima explained. – Let’s break away from the crowd and go for a walk?
The weather is great outside, we can walk down the avenue.
Liza agreed and happily went for a walk with her new acquaintance.
They spent a wonderful evening together: wandering through brightly lit city streets, eating ice cream, listening to musicians, and talking a lot.
The young people met several more times: Dima always initiated, inviting her to the movies, cafes, or just for a walk. And then, unexpectedly, he invited her to a family celebration: Liza was embarrassed and started to refuse:
– Maybe you should go without me? Your relatives will gather, and I don’t know anyone. They might say you brought someone unknown.
– Don’t worry, let’s go together. I’ve wanted to introduce you to my mom, dad, and other relatives for a long time. They all wonder where I keep disappearing to, it’s time to show my hand.
Despite a fair amount of embarrassment, Liza had a great evening. They celebrated the anniversary of Vladimir Petrovich, Dima’s father.
Margarita Semenovna, the young man’s mother, stayed close to the girl, introducing her to everyone, trying to cheer her up.
By the end of the evening, Liza was dancing with the celebrant and enjoying the cake.
Somehow unnoticed, the young people became a couple, and a year later – got married. After the wedding, they lived in Dima’s apartment – his parents had gifted him a two-bedroom upon his graduation.
The apartment had been rented out for several years, but then the newlyweds moved in. They tidied up the place, did some cosmetic renovations, and moved in.
Half a year later, Liza became pregnant, and the couple prepared for the arrival of their first child. In early summer, just after receiving her diploma, Liza gave birth to a boy. They named him Roma.
Family life went on: Dima was promoted to head of department, so his salary increased.
Liza didn’t need to work; she stayed home and raised their son.
When Roma was a little older, she enrolled him in sports and then English classes. There were enough tasks: she had to pick up the child from kindergarten, take him to classes, and also cook and clean at home.
Roma was five and a half years old when Liza got pregnant with their second child. They had long planned to expand their family, so they were happy about the upcoming addition and eagerly awaited the arrival of the baby.
One day Dima came home and stunned his wife:
– Darling, I have to go on a business trip. For a long time, about six months to a year.
– Dimka, how can this be? Our child is about to be born, are you going to leave me alone?
– Lizochka, it’s not like that at all. I don’t really want to leave you, but I simply have no choice. We are opening a branch in a small town in the north.
I need to set everything up, start the process, I’ve been appointed responsible. But the salary will be higher, I can then go for a promotion in our division!
Liza had to accept that her husband was leaving at such an important time for her – she was six months pregnant.
– And to make it easier for you to look after Roma and then the baby, why don’t you go back to your parents for a while?
Your mom will help, and you won’t be alone. And we can rent out our apartment for now, extra money certainly won’t hurt, – Dima had already thought of everything.
– Great, of course, that you’ve thought of and decided everything for me. And whether I want to go to my parents, you didn’t even ask…
Liza moved in with her mom and dad: they lived in a three-bedroom apartment, there was enough room for everyone. Despite agreeing to their son-in-law’s proposal, the parents were not too thrilled about their daughter’s return home.
They were used to living in peace, the constant company of their noisy grandson annoyed them. Moreover, a baby was soon to be born, who would be screaming day and night.
– Daughter, calm Roma down, he’s gotten really loud. Father has high blood pressure, he needs peace! Find the child a calm activity, so he’s not bouncing around the rooms like an Indian!
– Mom, the child is six years old! Of course, he wants to run and jump. Roma spent the whole day in the kindergarten trying to behave decently, now he’s letting out the remaining energy, – Liza justified.
Three months later, Liza gave birth to a girl, they named the baby Mashenka. Dima even managed to come and pick up his wife and daughter from the maternity hospital.
When he appeared at the door with a huge bouquet of roses, Liza was very happy, hoping that her husband would no longer leave and they would live together as before.
However, dreams were not meant to come true:
– I came just for a week, to meet you, see the daughter. Then I’m returning, not everything is done yet.
After her husband’s departure, the same monotonous days flowed by, almost devoid of rest and fun moments. Despite living with her parents, Liza did not see much help from them.
She had to run to the kindergarten in the morning to take Roma there, and in the evening, bring him home. All this, with little Mashenka in a stroller.
It was good that it was spring outside and there was no need to spend a lot of time dressing and undressing the baby.
And at home, Liza faced the usual female chores: laundry, cleaning, cooking. After her daughter returned home, her mother gradually withdrew from performing these tasks.
– It’s hard for me to cope. Since you’re living with us again, please take over the household.
At Liza’s timid explanations that it would be difficult with two children and a baby in her arms, no one reacted. She had to manage on her own, occasionally complaining to her husband on the phone about how hard it was for her without his help.
When Mashenka was three months old, mom and dad began persuading their daughter to go to work:
– You can put the girl in the nursery, I heard they opened such groups. They take babies from three months: they feed them, change them, and develop them.
Roma is already a big boy, he’s going to school. We’ll enroll him in after-school care, he’ll be there all day, the teacher will help him with his lessons. And you’ll be earning money, how long can you sit around doing nothing! – said the mother.
– Mom, don’t you understand? Mashenka is still a baby, she needs me, not some strangers from the nursery!
Despite all Liza’s protests, her parents stood their ground, convincing their daughter that children grow up, they need money to support them, so she should go to work.
The woman hoped that her husband would support her, defend her before her parents, but his call completely threw Liza off:
– Enough, wife, stop sitting on my neck! The daughter has grown up enough, you can definitely put her in the nursery. Your mother-in-law and father-in-law called me, telling me that they can’t convince you to go to work.
– Dim, what are you talking about?! I’m breastfeeding Mashenka, how can I leave her in the nursery and go to work all day! Have you all lost your minds?
You earn well, why do I need to put my daughter in the nursery and go to work right now?
– Exactly, I’m the only one bringing money home. Your maternity benefits are not visible at all, so stop lazing around, go work! – the husband cut off.
Liza tried to seek help from her in-laws, but they agreed that the husband was right and it was time to end the maternity leave:
– Lizochka, look, you’ve been sitting at home for over six years, since the birth of Roma. You haven’t worked a day since university.
And where will the money for the pension come from? No, that won’t do, your parents and Dima are right, agree, – the mother-in-law persuaded the woman.
Only a friend supported Liza:
– Have they gone mad, what? What nursery, have they even seen what conditions are there?
There are only two caregivers for a dozen babies in the nursery, what can they do, how carefully can they look after the children?
And Roma will go to school, he will also need help: take him and bring him home, do homework.
Forget that after-school care, the child will already be tired at school for half a day and will want to go home, and they suggest keeping him there until the evening, monsters! – Lena was heated.
– Lenochka, what should I do?! Dimka and parents, in-laws: everyone is pressuring me and just pushing me to work, – Liza cried.
– It’s only up to you to decide, you know I’m an independent person, I wouldn’t tolerate such treatment myself.
My opinion is this: if your husband says such things, sends you to work when the child is still an infant, then you’re not really needed by him.
Perhaps he’s already found someone up north, that’s why he doesn’t know how to get rid of his wife and children! Think about it, how would he sit there without female affection for more than half a year!
Liza’s mind pieced together all parts of this puzzle: indeed, Dima had not come home for a long time, he was restrained in phone conversations, not affectionate. He did not talk about love, did not say he missed her.
«It seems it’s really time to start living independently, to take care of myself and the children,» Liza decided.
That same day, the girl started looking for rental housing: she moved out from her parents, not wanting to live with those who did not support her in anything. With the child benefit she had saved and not spent, she managed to rent a studio apartment near her friend.
Lena helped her several times to pick up Roma from school or to watch the little girl.
Liza filed for divorce, and also for alimony and her own maintenance. Her husband, as if, was not surprised, did not even pretend to be offended.
Later, mutual acquaintances told her that he really had a new woman by the business trip, Lena was right.
It was tough living at first, there was catastrophically not enough money. But, thanks to alimony, Liza endured this ordeal.
She found herself remote work, and when her daughter turned two years old, she put her in the nursery and went to work.
