And you left everything to them?” Katya saw how her friend looked at her with a confused expression.
“You won’t go to the notary and assert your rights? Katya, come on, what are you doing?”
Katya shrugged.
“Natulchik, what rights? Sergey and I were never officially married. So nothing belongs to me,” Katya sighed. “Nothing at all.”
“But you did fix up the summer house for him and bought a lot of things for the house,” Natasha persisted.
“Yes, I did. And I bought a lot for the house too. But basically, the apartment isn’t mine, it’s his. The summer house isn’t mine, it’s his. And Sveta said I can take whatever I want.”
“Well?” Natasha urged.
“I took the painting. The one I bought when we were on vacation at the sea.”
“And that’s it?”
“That’s it! Who needs all those other trinkets? They won’t bring Sergey back…” Katya lowered her eyes. “I told him, begged him not to work so much. But he just laughed, saying, ‘It’s not work, it’s a vacation.’ What vacation? Constant nerves…”
“Kaate… I’m really sorry…”
“It’s okay. Now I need to move on,” Katya tried to encourage herself.
“And what do you plan to do?”
“I’ll move back to my apartment. Good thing I didn’t sell it, just rented it out. And good that Sveta let me live here. I’ll fix it up. And I’ll look for a job. Now there’s no one to take care of me,” Katya began to tell her.
“Do you have any money?” Natasha asked.
“A little. I didn’t save up on purpose, but I should have. Oh well, everything will be fine!” Katya tried to smile through her tears.
A few weeks later, Katya stepped again over the threshold of her old small apartment. She brought in her things, collapsed onto the hallway bench, and cried. Not because she never wanted to return here — no. Katya cried because her beloved Sergey wasn’t by her side and never would be again. And if there, in front of everyone, she held herself together, here, in her own place, she could express what she really felt.
Then she wiped her tears, went into the room, and ordered groceries.
Katya sat on the couch, listening to the ringing phone. Someone was calling both her apartment and her personal number. Katya guessed who the caller was but could not bring herself to answer.
Taken from Yandex.Images
“Leave me alone…” she whispered softly. And, miracle of miracles! The calls stopped. The silence lasted about two minutes, then the doorbell shattered it again. And the phone started ringing again.
Katya clasped her head in her hands.
“Leave me alone!” she shouted into the emptiness.
But the calls showed no sign of stopping.
Finally, Katya mustered her courage, got up from the couch, and took small steps toward the front door. She didn’t know how long she walked like that. But the ringing! It would stop and start again. Katya felt that if she didn’t get up and open the door, it would never end.
Here was the door…
Katya flung it open, and Natasha stormed in.
“Well, who else?”
“Are you out of your mind?” Natasha yelled. “Why don’t you answer the calls? Why?”
Katya shrugged. Natasha looked around and realized Katya hadn’t unpacked the things she moved from Sergey’s apartment. Then she went to the kitchen and saw that Katya had ordered groceries, the courier had delivered them, but they were still sitting next to the fridge, probably already spoiled…
“What, you haven’t eaten all this time? Oh my God!” Natasha wanted to say more but waved her hand.
“Okay, I’m going to sort everything out here and cook something. I’ll stay with you for a while.”
“Why?” Katya was surprised.
“Just because. Consider me a poor relative who begged to stay with you.”
After some time, Katya felt better, and Natasha moved out.
“Katya, start looking for a job. Update your resume. Understand?”
Katya nodded. Of course, she understood, especially that Natasha was right: she definitely needed a job, or else her money would soon run out.
Katya updated her resume and even applied to every possible vacancy and waited for an interesting job offer. But employers were not lining up.
“Who would’ve doubted it would be like this, Katya?” Natasha said.
“You had such a long break from work! Surely, things have changed now. You need to register with the employment center.”
“Employment center? Are you joking?”
“Not at all. Of course, they probably won’t offer you a decent job there, but you can take free courses. Update your knowledge,” Natasha explained.
“Katya, promise me you’ll definitely register there,” Natasha put her hands together like in prayer.
“Alright,” Katya grumbled and sighed deeply. “Although my gut tells me I don’t belong there.”
Katya filled out a form, took a ticket, and sat opposite the consultant.
“You had a long break in work!” the consultant said.
“Is that bad?”
“Of course! We can’t offer you anything in your specialty.”
“Do you have any training programs?” Katya looked at the consultant meaningfully.
She nodded.
“Yes, of course. After me, go talk to that girl over there,” the consultant pointed. “She’ll tell you everything. But keep in mind all programs start only after the new year.”
“Too bad…” Katya said.
“Now that you’re registered, here’s a list of vacancies for the week you should apply for,” the consultant handed Katya a paper.
“What does ‘apply’ mean?” Katya was surprised.
“You need to call, arrange an interview, and go. If they like you, you get the job; if not, come back in a week,” the consultant smiled.
“Okay, thanks,” Katya stood and moved away. She looked at the list and realized none suited her. First, they offered cleaning jobs, and second… no one would work for such wages, not even a cleaner.
Katya sighed and went outside.
Katya cautiously entered the dispensary. Actually, she was unhappy. Fine, they only offered cleaning jobs, but here she would have to work among sick people who might infect her. And all for peanuts!
“You suit us,” they told Katya in HR. She shrank…
“Honestly, I’m afraid you don’t suit me. Your salary isn’t enough to live on.”
“Alright, then I’ll write that you didn’t suit me,” the HR girl looked regretful. Katya was glad: if they all rejected her, she could manage until the new year.
The next place was a social center. It was far away, near a railway station in some industrial zone. On the way, Katya met many men of a homeless appearance.
“How do they walk here?” Katya wondered. Indeed, how? It’s only light in the evenings in summer, but in autumn, winter, and spring it’s dark…
That was half the trouble.
When Katya entered the social center, a stench hit her nose so strongly it almost made her sick inside. How she found the right office and convinced them to write a refusal, she didn’t know. But after visiting the center, she realized this job wasn’t for her.
Then there were job offers in a nursing home, then a hospital, then somewhere else…
After visiting all those places, Katya felt sad. Maybe in a regular hospital or nursing home, she wouldn’t mind cleaning floors, but not for such a salary.
“That’s probably why there’s high turnover in those places,” Katya thought. “People go there out of desperation.”
Then New Year came. But it brought no hope for Katya because the training she wanted to take was canceled, and her money was running out fast.
Katya wandered the neighborhood aimlessly. She didn’t know why, but her intuition wouldn’t let her stay home. She entered a store and heard they were hiring. Maybe she should try? What did she have to lose?
A small interview with the director — and “you’re not suitable.”
Katya realized it was because of her age.
“Not that I really wanted it,” she muttered.
Then she went to a branded store in a mall, also rejected — not the right look.
Then somewhere else… and more rejections.
“Well, being a cleaner isn’t the worst option,” Katya decided. And like magic, she saw an ad for a cleaner in a commercial company and boldly walked in. For some reason, she was sure they would take her.
And 20 minutes later, she called Natasha.
“Natasha, congratulate me. I found a job. Not in my specialty. What, as what? Cleaner, of course. But the pay is higher than the other vacancies I was offered. I start tomorrow.”
Time passed. Katya not only got used to work but actually started to like it. Think about it: isn’t it great when you’re free all day and only come at the end of the shift? Your job is just to wash dishes if there are any, dust, and mop floors. It’s nothing! Especially when you just maintain cleanliness.
That day, as usual, Katya entered the office, greeted the receptionist, and went to change. She didn’t want to attract attention, so she always wore dark, simple clothes, and a headscarf.
All employees reacted differently. Some smiled and greeted her, some just passed by, others looked down on her with disdain. Katya understood many thought cleaning was a “shameful” job. She found it funny — everyone does this work at home.
Zhanna snorted:
“Oh, here comes our cleaner.”
She tore a sheet of paper into tiny pieces and threw them on the floor.
“Here, clean this up.”
If Katya were young, she would have been outraged and argued, but now, as a mature woman, she didn’t care. Torn and thrown… no problem. She still had to clean that room.
“Zhanna, you’re behaving terribly!” Katya’s colleague Marina said loudly.
“Oh, someone decided to defend the cleaner?” Zhanna’s voice was mocking. She tore another sheet, scattering pieces on the floor.
“Get out of the office, I have floors to mop,” Katya said deliberately harshly.
“See! Our cleaner thinks I’m fine,” Zhanna stuck her tongue at Marina, turned off the computer, grabbed her bag, and flounced out.
“Ignore her,” Marina’s voice was upset.
“It’s okay,” Katya waved her off. “Not everyone appreciates a cleaner’s work when they’re young. Understanding comes later.”
“Yeah, sure. I get it,” Marina nodded and left. Katya was left alone.
Katya cleaned the office, then finally went into the director’s office. She took a rag and began wiping dust, putting things on the desk in order. Then she picked up a contract and decided to wait a little for the desk to dry. By inertia, she began reading it — after all, she had been a lawyer long ago, and reading contracts was part of her job. Then Katya found a pencil and underlined the “slippery” parts of the contract that she wouldn’t have approved. Then she snapped out of it, threw the contract aside, and continued cleaning.
Time passed. Katya read the contracts left in the director’s office several more times, underlining parts she didn’t like. The last contract was perfect, and she drew a smiley face on it with her pencil.
In the evening, Katya came to work as usual. She took off her coat, tied her headscarf, and took the mop, cloths, and bucket.
“Ekaterina Andreevna,” the secretary stopped her.
“On Friday we have a corporate party, and you’re invited. Here, take the invitation.”
“Thanks,” Katya smiled. She put the invitation in her pocket absentmindedly and went back to cleaning.
She didn’t intend to go, but Zhanna, as usual, teased her and disparaged her work, throwing things on the floor and even spilling some tea on her desk. Marina also tried to calm Zhanna.
Then Katya decided she would definitely go to the party and show everyone that cleaners are ordinary employees and deserve respect like everyone else.
Katya fussed around the mirror.
“So, Natasha, how do I look?” she asked.
Natasha smiled.
“Pretty good. Just remember, Zhanna is 26, and you’re 53. Youth wins.”
“I don’t want to outshine her or anything… I just want to show that even a cleaner can look good. Just like our chief accountant, who’s about my age. Like a couple of managers around 50. I’m just like everyone else,” Katya tried to explain.
“Katya, forget about Zhanna. Just go and have a good time,” Natasha said.
Katya quietly entered the hall and sat at the back. The director gave a speech and at the end called some employees up to give them certificates and gifts for excellent work. To Katya’s surprise, she was called too, and on shaky legs, she went on stage.
“I don’t understand what for?” she quietly asked the director.
“What for?” he was surprised. “Of course, for work. We couldn’t do without your cleaning,” he said softly.
Zhanna didn’t get a certificate or gift. Katya didn’t know if it hurt her, but passing by Zhanna, she unexpectedly stuck out her tongue at her. Yes, childishly, but Zhanna blushed.
“You even got a bonus,” Marina whispered, sitting next to Katya.
Katya nodded. Then the formal part ended, and everyone moved to the banquet hall.
“You go, Marina. I’ll catch up,” Katya said. She didn’t want to go to the banquet for some reason.
Marina disappeared, and Katya headed for the exit.
“Ekaterina Andreevna!” she suddenly heard a voice behind her and turned around — it was the director himself.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Home,” Katya confessed honestly.
“Home?”
“Yeah. I don’t really like the banquet part of parties,” Katya said.
“Maybe we could stop at a café and have a cup of tea?” the director suggested.
“Me and you?” Katya was surprised.
“What’s the harm? We have things to discuss,” the director shrugged. “Like someone reading contracts in my office…” he looked at Katya meaningfully.
“Dmitry Igorevich… I didn’t mean to. Really.”
“You’re a lawyer?” Dmitry Igorevich asked.
“Yes. But I haven’t worked in my specialty for a long time, and I’m near retirement age…” Katya shrugged.
“You don’t look your age. So, how about tea? Are you in?”
“I’m in,” Katya nodded and smiled. She didn’t know where this meeting would lead or what would happen to her, but she felt changes were coming. And her intuition had never let her down.
