«Go to work, how long can you sit on my neck?! I’m working like a dog every day, and you’re resting at home!
And don’t tell me you’re looking after the kids! Your mom helps you, the oldest is going to school soon, you don’t need to watch him.
Look for a job and finish your maternity leave already.
Dima met Liza when she was twenty, he was five years older. The young man had graduated from university, had a promising specialty in the gas industry, and a good job with growth opportunities.
Liza was in her fourth year of university, studying to be 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.
«Girl, why aren’t you having fun with everyone else? Let’s get acquainted, we don’t do boring here,» the young man wouldn’t let her spend the evening in silence. «My name is Dima, and yours?»
«I’m Liza, yes, I’m not bored, I just don’t really like all this noise and fuss.»
«Honestly, me neither, but I wanted to get a little distraction, otherwise, it’s just work on my mind,» explained Dima. «Let’s break away from the group and go for a walk?»
The weather outside is great right now, we can walk along the avenue.
Liza agreed and gladly went for a walk with her new acquaintance.
They had a great evening together: wandering through the brightly lit city streets, eating ice cream, listening to musicians, talking a lot.
The young people met several more times: Dima was always the initiator, inviting her to the movies, to cafes, or just for walks. Then he unexpectedly invited her to a family celebration: Liza even got embarrassed and started to refuse:
«Maybe you should go without me? Your relatives will gather, and I don’t know anyone. They’ll say you brought someone unknown.»
«Don’t make things up, 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 reveal the cards.»
Despite a fair amount of embarrassment, Liza had a great evening. They were celebrating the anniversary of Vladimir Petrovich, Dima’s father.
Margarita Semyonovna, 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 already dancing with the celebrant and enjoying the cake.
Somehow unnoticed, the young people became a couple, and a year later – they got married. After the wedding, they lived in Dima’s apartment – his parents had given him a two-bedroom as a graduation gift.
For several years the apartment was rented out, and then the newlyweds moved in. They tidied up the place, did some cosmetic repairs, and moved in.
Six months later, Liza became pregnant, and the couple was preparing for the arrival of their first child. In early summer, Liza, having just received her diploma, gave birth to a boy. They named him Roma.
Family life went on its course: Dima was promoted, now he became the head of the department, so his salary increased.
Liza didn’t need to work; she stayed home and took care of raising her son.
When Roma grew a bit, she enrolled him in a sports section, then in English. There were plenty of things to do: picking up the child from kindergarten, taking him to classes, and also cooking and cleaning the house.
Roma was five and a half years old, Liza got pregnant with their second child. They had been planning to expand their family for a long time, so they were happy about the upcoming addition and eagerly awaited the birth of the baby.
One day Dima came home and stunned his wife:
«Honey, I have to go on a business trip. For a long time, about six months to a year.»
«Dima, how can this be? We’re about to have a baby, are you really going to leave me alone?»
«Lizonka, it’s not like that at all. I really don’t want to leave you, but I simply have no choice. We’re opening a branch in a small town, up north.
I need to set everything up, get the process started, I’ve been appointed responsible. But the salary will be higher, I can then go for a promotion in our department!»
Liza had to accept that her husband was leaving at such a crucial time for her – she was six months pregnant.
«And to make it easier for you to look after Roma, and then with the baby, why don’t you move back with your parents for now?
Your mom will help, and you won’t be lonely. And we can rent out our apartment, the extra money will definitely help,» Dima had everything planned out.
«Great, of course, that you’ve thought of everything and decided for me. Did you even ask if I want to go to my parents’ place…»
Liza moved to her mom and dad’s: they lived in a three-bedroom apartment, there was enough space for everyone. Despite agreeing to their son-in-law’s proposal, the parents weren’t too thrilled about their daughter’s return home.
They were used to living in silence, the constant proximity to their noisy grandson irritated them. Besides, soon there would be a baby who would be crying day and night.
«Daughter, calm Roma down, he’s gotten too noisy. Father’s blood pressure is up, he needs peace! Find the child a quiet activity so he doesn’t bounce around the rooms like an Indian!»
«Mom, he’s six years old! Of course, he wants to run and jump. Roma spent all day in kindergarten trying to behave decently, now he’s just letting out the remaining energy,» Liza defended herself.
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 doorstep with a huge bouquet of roses, Liza was overjoyed, hoping her husband would no longer leave and they would live together as before.
However, her dreams were not to come true:
«I only came for a week, to meet you, see the daughter. Then I’m returning, it’s not all done yet.»
After the husband’s departure, the same routine flowed, almost devoid of rest and cheerful moments. Although Liza lived with her parents, she didn’t see much help from them.
She had to rush in the morning to kindergarten to drop off Roma, in the evening to pick him up. All this, with little Mashenka in the stroller.
Fortunately, it was spring outside, and there was no need to spend much time dressing and undressing the baby.
At home, Liza was awaited by usual female chores: laundry, cleaning, cooking. After the daughter returned home, the mother gradually withdrew from performing these tasks.
«It’s already 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 arms, no one responded. 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 turned three months old, mom and dad began persuading their daughter to go to work:
«You can send the daughter to daycare, I heard such groups have opened. They take babies from three months: they feed them, change them, develop them.
Roma is already grown up, he’s going to school. We’ll enroll him in after-school care, he’ll be there all day, a teacher will do homework with him. And you will be earning money, how long can you sit idle!» – said the mother.
«Mom, don’t you understand? Mashenka is still just a baby, she needs me, not some strangers from the daycare!»
Despite all of Liza’s protests, her parents insisted, convincing her that children grow up, and money is needed for their upkeep, so she should go to work.
The woman hoped her husband would support her, defend her in front of her parents, but his call completely knocked Liza out:
«That’s it, wife, enough sitting on my neck! The daughter has grown up, you can definitely send her to daycare. Your in-laws called me, told me they can’t convince you to go to work.
«Dima, what are you really doing?! I’m breastfeeding Mashenka, how can I leave her in daycare and go to work all day! Have you all gone mad?
You earn well, why do I need to send my daughter to daycare and go to work right now?
«Exactly, I’m the only one bringing money home. Your maternity benefits are barely visible, so stop loafing around, go work!» – the husband snapped.
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:
«Lizonka, look, you’ve been sitting at home for more than six years, since Roma’s birth. You haven’t worked a day after university.
And where will the pension money come from? No, this won’t do, your parents and Dima are right, agree,» persuaded the woman her mother-in-law.
Only a friend supported Liza:
«Have they gone mad or what? What daycare, have they even seen the conditions there?
Yes, in the daycare there are only two caregivers for a dozen babies, how can they take care, how attentively will they look after the children?
And Roma will go to school, he will also need help: to take and bring him home, do homework.
Forget about that after-school care, the child will already be tired from half a day at school and will want to go home, and they suggest keeping him there until evening, the savages!» – Lena was heated.
«Lenochka, what should I do?! Dima and parents, in-laws: everyone’s pressuring me and just pushing me out 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.
My opinion is this: if the husband says such things, sends you to work when the child is still an infant, then you’re not really needed by him.
Probably already found someone there, up north, now doesn’t know how to get rid of his wife and children! Think about it, how could he have stayed up there without female affection for more than half a year!»
Liza’s mind put all the pieces of this puzzle together: indeed, Dima hadn’t come home for a long time, he was reserved in phone conversations, not affectionate. He didn’t talk about love, didn’t say he missed her.
«It seems indeed, it’s time to start living independently, to take care of myself and the children,» Liza decided.
That same day, the girl began looking for rental housing: she moved out from her parents, not wanting to live with those who didn’t support her in any way. On the child benefit, which she had saved and not spent, she managed to rent a studio apartment next to her friend.
Lena still helped her several times, either to pick up Roma from school or to look after the little one.
Liza filed for divorce, as well as for alimony and her own maintenance. The husband, as if not surprised, didn’t even pretend to be offended.
Later, mutual acquaintances told her that he indeed had a new woman on his business trip, Lena was right.
The first time was tough, money was catastrophically lacking. But, thanks to alimony, benefits, Liza withstood this ordeal.
She found herself remote work, and when her daughter turned two years old, she sent her to daycare and went to work.
