З життя
Коли партнер забрав усе, свекруха стала моїм рятівником
Ой, слухай, я тобі розповім історію, яка мене дуже вразила. Чоловік пішов, забравши все. А врятувала мене… свекруха.
Коли я залишилася сама з піврічною донькою на руках і порожнім гаманцем, думала — це кінець. Він не просто пішов — втік, забравши всі наші заощадження, щоб влаштувати собі нове життя. Залишив нас у найманій квартирі, без підтримки, без пояснень. Я навіть не знала, з чого почати.
Не чекала допомоги ні від кого. Рідна мама відмахнулась: «У нас місця немає». У неї вже жила старша сестра з дітьми, і її слово було законом. Я лишня. Покинута. Самотня.
А потім — дзвінок у двері. Очіма не вірила, коли на порозі побачила… Ганну Миколаївну — свою свекруху. Жінку, з якою в нас роками були складні стосунки. Чекала насмішок, докорів, а вона лише різко сказала:
— Збирайся швидко. Їдеш з дитиною до мене.
Я оніміла.
— Ганно Миколаївно, я… Дякую, але, може, не варто… — почала було я, але вона мене перебила:
— Годі! Ти ж не з вулиці, ти мати моєї онучки. Поїхали.
І взяла малу на руки, заглянула їй у вічі і ніжно промовила:
— Підем, сонечко. Бабуня тобі казку розкаже. Будемо гуляти, косички заплітати… А мама поки збереться.
Я стояла роззявлена. Та сама жінка, яка колись казала, що я «загнала її сина в пастку дитиною», тепер гладила мою доньку по щічці і говорила з нею, як рідна. Я автоматично склала речі. Не вірила, що це взагалі відбувається.
Ганна Миколаївна віддала нам із донькою велику кімнату у своїй хаті, а сама перебралася в маленьку. Я спробувала заперечити, але вона махнула рукою:
— Ти мати. Дитині треба місце. Скоро повзати почне. А я і на кухні жити можу, не вперше.
На вечерю вона приготувала тушковані овочі та варене м’ясо.
— Ти ж годуєш грудьми, — пояснила. — Могла б і смаженого зробити, але це краще і для тебе, і для дитинки.
У холодильнику стояла ціла упаковка дитячого пюре.
— Треба вже прикорм вводити. Не підійде — купимо інше. Не соромся казати.
Я не витримала і розплакалася. Ніхто й ніколи не проявляв до мене стільки тепла. Я пригорнулася до неї, як дитина, і крізь сльози прошепотіла:
— Дякую… Якби не ви, не знаю, де б ми з донькою опинилися.
Вона обійняла мене:
— Тсс, доню. Чоловіки вони такі — куди вітер повіє, туди й біжать. Я сама одного сина виростила. Його батько пішов, коли тому було вісім місяців. Не дозволю, щоб і моя онука росла в біді. Все налагодиться. Ти сильна. Беремося разом.
Ми стали жити втрьох. Рік пролетів, як сон. На день народження доньки ми втрьох задували свічки на торті: я, мала і та, кого я колись вважала ворогом. Ми пили чай, сміялися, і в той момент я відчувала себе не самотньою матір’ю, а частиною родини.
А потім — знову дзвінок у двері.
— Мамо, — почули ми голос мого колишнього чоловіка, — я хотів би тобі де кого представити. Це Вікторія. Можемо пожити у тебе пару місяців? Я не працюю, знімати квартиру поки немає за що…
Я зблідла. Всередині все заледеніло. Боялася — раптом вона їх впустить? Адже це її син.
Але Ганна Миколаївна навіть не кВона лише холодно глянула на нього, зачинила двері перед носом і обернулась до мене зі словами: “Ти моя доня тепер, а ці — ніхто”.
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