З життя
Суботній ранок.
Ранок суботи. Олена відключила всі будильники й телефони. Молода жінка вирішила нарешті виспатися, адже за спиною залишився дуже важкий тиждень, впродовж якого в її житті відбулося багато чого.
У Олени була чорна смуга в житті. Кажуть, що після чорної обов’язково буде біла… Але наразі була лише чорна…
У вівторок Олену скоротили з роботи. Вона віддала кілька років задля розвитку компанії. І тут, як гром серед ясного неба: “Вибачте, але штат компанії скорочується вдвічі. Ми не зможемо продовжити з вами контракт”.
Це здавалося їй нічним кошмаром. Олена сподівалася, що все це сон і вона прокинеться, щоб усе стало на свої місця.
Раптово її вивів із заціпеніння крик ворони. Птах каркав так пронзливо і голосно, що хотілося заткнути вуха. Непомітно глянувши у вікно, вона побачила його… Ворон сидів на гілці і дивився прямо у її очі.
“Чортівня якась!” — прошепотіла Олена, вибігаючи з офісу. Того ж вечора до неї прийшов Мирослав. Вони зустрічалися вже кілька років і планували одружитися.
– Таке діло… Не буду ходити колами, я скоро одружуюсь. Вибач. Так вийшло.
І знову той крик пролунав у кімнаті. Олена здригнулася і поглянула у вікно. Ворон сидів навпроти і пильно дивився. “Ну чого тобі від мене треба?” — закричала вона в істериці.
– У тебе все добре? — налякано запитав Мирослав.
– Так! Забирайся звідси! — вказала жінка на двері колишньому нареченому.
За один момент вона втратила і роботу, і кохану людину. “Спати! Потрібно відпочити. Потім розберуся з усім іншим”. Але виспатися їй не вдалося. Її знову розбудив крик ворони. “Кар-кар” — лунало на всю округу.
Глянувши у вікно, вона знову побачила цю настирливу птицю. Складається враження, що ворон нікуди не відлітав і весь час провів на тій гілці. “Чого тобі надоїло?” — вигукнула вона. Ворон ігнорував її крики і продовжував тривожити всю округу. На годиннику було 6-та ранку. Виспатися так і не вийшло…
Через пару годин зателефонувала мама:
– Як ти, доню? Давно не дзвонила.
– Все дуже погано! — Олена заплакала і, як у дитинстві, усе розповіла матері. Про ворону теж не забула згадати.
– Це він тебе в дорогу кличе! Ти потрібна десь…
– Мам, що за нісенітниця? Яка дорога? Кому потрібна? Мене всі виключили зі свого життя!
– Милечко, приїжджай до нас. Завтра Різдво. Відсвяткуємо по-сімейному!
– Тільки вам зіпсую настрій. Мені потрібно побути самій.
Олена поклала слухавку і пішла на кухню, щоб приготувати собі каву. Тільки-но вона увійшла, як знову почувся каркання. “Він точно вирішив мене звести з розуму”, — подумала вона.
Ближче до обіду зателефонувала давня, шкільна подруга:
– Оленочко, нарешті застала тебе вдома. Мобілки твоєї в мене немає.
– Привіт, Надійко! Скільки років, скільки зим!
– Ось! Саме з цього приводу й дзвоню. Збирайся й дуй до мене на дачу! Ми вирішили зібратися в мене всією нашою компанією. Буде Юля, Віра, Юрко…
– В принципі, мені нічого кидати. Це мене всі покинули… Гаразд, давай адресу!
Олена їхала, дотримуючись навігатора. До місця залишилося ще 15 кілометрів. Спочатку автомобіль їхав добре, але на півдорозі двигун заглох, і машина зупинилася.
Олена схопилася за мобільний телефон, але зв’язку в лісі не було… “От халепа! Що мене потягнуло їхати машиною!” — розгублено вимовила жінка. “Кар-каррр!” — почувся крик над головою.
“О Боже! І ти тут? Чого від мене хочеш?” — звернулася вона до ворона. Той розкинув пір’я і мовчки спостерігав за нею. Тим часом починало темніти. У відчаї жінка почала сигналити, сподіваючись, що її хтось почує.
“Що робити? Іти пішки? Але я не знаю дороги!”
Раптом у вікно хтось постукав. Від несподіванки жінка підскочила. Вона побачила чоловіка бальзаківського віку в тулупі з рушницею.
– Хто ви? — злякано запитала вона.
– Семен. Місцевий лісник. Вам потрібна допомога? Я правильно зрозумів?
– Так! Я застрягла. Може, підштовхнете мене? — в надії запитала вона.
– Пані, ви серйозно? Тут потрібен трактор. Інакше вашу машину не витягти.
– Так викликайте! У чому проблема?
– Проблема в тому, що скоро ніч. У темряві сюди ніхто не приїде. Ходімо до мене. Вранці викличемо допомогу.
Їй нічого не залишалося, як піти за лісником. Вона звернула увагу на ворона. Той мовчки пішов за ними. “Хоч каркати перестав. Можливо, охрип?” — з усмішкою подумала вона.
Невдовзі вони прийшли до будинку лісника. У печі тихо потріскував вогонь, у кімнаті було дуже тепло й затишно. Семен приготував нехитру вечерю, заварив чай із травами.
– Давайте повечеряємо. Потім відпочинете, а завтра зранку подзвоню за допомогою. Спробуємо звільнити вашу “ластівку” зі снігового полону, — сказав чоловік.
– Що з погодою сталося, не зрозумію? Звідки взялася така хурделиця?
– Та звідки? Сьогодні ж ніч перед Різдвом! Ви знаєте нашу місцеву легенду про цей день?
– Ні звісно. Звідки мені знати? — здвигнула плечима жінка.
– Розповісти вам? Дуже цікаво!
– Розповідайте… усе одно робити нема чого.
Чоловік розпочав розповідати дуже гарну то чи легенду, то чи казку. Олена зачаровано слухала його, не перебиваючи. Головним героєм у цій казці став чорний ворон. Він займався доброю справою: шукав людей із самотніми серцями і сприяв їх зустрічі…
На найцікавішому місці жінка заснула прямо в кріслі. Семен дбайливо вкрив її м’яким пледом і вийшов на вулицю.
“Сидиш?” — звернувся він до ворона. “Дякую, саме про таку жінку я мріяв!”
“Каррр” — відповів ворон і зник із виду.
Вранці, поки Олена спала, Семен викликав підмогу і витягнув її автомобіль.
– Приймайте роботу! — посміхнувся чоловік. — Зараз поснідаємо, і я проведу вас до місця призначення. Їдьте за мною!
– Дякую! Семене, я вчора заснула, так і не дізналася закінчення легенди… — промовила жінка. Їй дуже не хотілося залишати цей затишний дім.
– Ви можете залишитися в мене, я обов’язково розповім вам кінець. Тим більше, сьогодні Різдвяна ніч!
– Уговорили! Не залишати ж вас одного! — усміхнулася Олена.
“Кар – карррр” — ворон закружляв над ними і відлетів. Він був задоволений своєю роботою. Сьогодні йому знову вдалося з’єднати два самотніх серця…
“We’ll Stay at Your Place for a While Since We Can’t Afford to Rent a Flat!” – My Friend Announced At 65, I’m a lively woman, never letting age stop me from exploring new places or meeting fascinating people. I look back at my youth with both joy and a touch of sadness. Back then, you could holiday anywhere you fancied! From seaside trips to camping adventures with friends, even sailing down any river you chose—all for just a little money. Sadly, those days are behind me now. I always loved meeting new people—on the beach, at the theatre, anywhere really. Many of those acquaintances became lifelong friends. One summer, I met Sara while staying at the same B&B. We parted as friends, keeping in touch with the occasional letter over the years. Then one day, I received an unsigned telegram: “The train arrives at 3 a.m. Please meet me!” Puzzled about who had sent it, my husband and I stayed put. But at four in the morning, our doorbell rang. To my shock, there stood Sara with two teenage girls, a grandmother, and a man, all surrounded by heaps of luggage. My husband and I were baffled but let these unexpected guests in. Sara exclaimed: – “Why didn’t you meet us? I sent you a telegram! Besides, that’s not cheap! – Sorry, we didn’t know who sent it! – Well, you gave me your address. So here we are. – I thought we’d stick to letters, nothing more!” Sara explained that one of the girls had just left school and decided to go to university, so the whole family came to support her. – “We’ll be living with you! We can’t afford to rent a flat or stay in a hotel!” I was stunned. We weren’t even related—why should we let them stay? We had to feed them three times a day; although they brought a bit of food, they cooked nothing and ate ours. I was left to serve everyone. After three exhausting days, I asked Sara and her family to leave—I didn’t care where to. That sparked a row. Sara smashed crockery and screamed hysterically. I was appalled. As they packed, they even managed to steal my dressing gown, a few towels, and somehow my large cooking pot vanished too—no idea how! That was the end of our friendship—and thank heavens! I’ve never heard from her since. How could anyone be so cheeky?! Now, I’m much more wary when I meet new people.
Well be staying at yours for a while. We dont have any money to rent a flat!my friend declared. I...
A Christmas Eve Miracle: How Forgetting a Gift, a Stray Kitten, and a Chance Encounter Turned the Holidays Around for Peter, Anna, and Little Masha in London
Miracle on New Year’s Eve Tom, seriously, how could you forget? Emily said, exasperated, glaring at her husband from across...
He Hated His Wife. Hated Her… They Spent 15 Years Together, Fifteen Mornings Waking Up Side by Side—But Only in the Last Year Did Her Habits Begin to Drive Him Mad, Especially One: Stretching Out Her Arms in Bed and Sleepily Saying, “Good Morning, Sunshine! Today Will Be a Wonderful Day.” What Seemed a Simple Phrase, Her Slim Arms, Her Sleepy Face, Now Filled Him with Disgust. She’d Rise, Walk Past the Window, Gaze Out for a While, Then Slip off Her Nightdress and Head to the Bathroom. Early in Marriage, He’d Adored Her Body, Its Natural Confidence That Seemed Almost Indecent—But Now, Though She Was Still Beautiful, Her Nakedness Made Him Angry. Once, He Even Considered Pushing Her to Hurry Her Morning Routine but Only Managed a Gruff: “Get a Move On—I’ve Had Enough!” She Refused to Rush or Let His Affectionless Hostility Change Her Pace—She Knew About His Affair, Even Recognized the Young Woman He’d Been Seeing for Three Years. Time Dulles the Sharp Sting of Pride, Leaving Only a Lingering Sense of Uselessness. She Forgave Him—the Aggression, the Neglect, His Need to Relive His Youth—But She Wouldn’t Let Him Rob Her of Living Mindfully, Cherishing Each Moment. She’d Made Up Her Mind When She Learned She Was Ill. The Disease Was Slowly Consuming Her; It Would Win Soon. Her First Urge Was to Confess to Everyone—To Lessen the Brutal Truth by Sharing the Burden with Loved Ones. Yet She Endured the Hardest Day Alone, Accepting Her Fate, and Then Resolved to Remain Silent. Life Slipped Away, Yet Each Day She Gained the Wisdom of a True Observer. She Found Solace in a Quiet English Countryside Library, a Ninety-Minute Walk Each Way. Every Day, She’d Hide in the Narrow Aisles Marked “Life & Death’s Secrets” by the Elderly Librarian and Lose Herself in Books She Hoped Contained Every Answer. He’d Go to His Lover’s Flat, Where Everything Felt Warm, Bright, Familiar. Their Love Affair Had Grown Wild—Three Years of Passion, Jealousy, Heartache, and Asphyxiating Desire. Today He Came With a Decision: Divorce. Why Torment All Three of Them? He Didn’t Love His Wife—No, He Hated Her—and Here, He Could Start Fresh, Find Happiness. He Tried to Recall His Feelings for His Wife, but There Was Nothing—He Couldn’t Even Remember Caring for Her on That First Day. He Pulled Out a Photo of Her from His Wallet, Tore It Into Pieces—Determined to End It. They Arranged to Meet at the Restaurant Where, Six Months Earlier, They’d Celebrated Fifteen Years as Husband and Wife. She Arrived First. He Stopped Home to Find the Divorce Papers, Ransacking Drawers in a Panic Until He Spotted a Dark Blue Folder He’d Never Seen Before. He Ripped Off the Seal, Expecting Dirty Secrets—But Found Only Medical Reports, Official Documents. His Wife’s Name on Every Page. Realisation Struck Like Lightning; She Was Ill. He Googled the Diagnosis: “6–18 Months Life Expectancy.” Six Months Had Already Passed. He Remembered Little of What Happened Next—Only the Words “6–18 Months” Looping Relentlessly in His Mind. She Waited for Forty Minutes. No Answer from His Phone. She Paid the Bill and Went Outside. The Autumn Weather Was Glorious—The Sun Gentle, Comforting. “Life Is Beautiful, the World So Wonderful, So Warm.” For the First Time Since Her Diagnosis, She Felt Sorry for Herself. She’d Found the Strength to Hide Her Secret from Everyone, Sparing Them the Pain at the Cost of Her Own Crumbling Life. After This Year, She Would Be Nothing but a Memory. She Wandered Down the Street, Watching Bright Faces Filled With Hope Of Winters and Springs Yet to Come—As If the Future Were Theirs To Shape. She Would Never Know That Feeling Again. Bitterness Swelled and Burst Forth as Tears She Couldn’t Stop… He Paced the Room. For the First Time, He Felt The Swift Passage of Life as a Physical Ache. He Remembered His Wife Young, Full of Hope When They First Met—He’d Loved Her Then. In That Moment, Fifteen Years Vanished: Happiness, Youth, and Life Still Ahead. In Her Final Weeks, He Became Devoted, At Her Side Every Hour, Overcome by a Joy He’d Never Known. He Was Terrified She’d Leave—He Would Have Given His Own Life to Save Hers. Had Someone Reminded Him Of His Hatred Just a Month Ago, He’d Have Sworn: “That Wasn’t Me.” He Witnessed Her Battle to Say Goodbye, Weeping Secretly at Night When She Thought He Slept—He Understood No Punishment Was Worse Than Knowing Your Days Are Numbered. He Saw Her Fight for Every Moment, Grasping Even the Smallest Hope. She Died Two Months Later. He Covered the Path from Home to Cemetery in Flowers. He Wept Like a Child as Her Coffin Was Lowered—He Felt Centuries Older. At Home, Beneath Her Pillow, He Found a New Year’s Wish She Had Written: “To Be Happy With Him Until My Last Day.” They Say All New Year’s Wishes Come True—Perhaps They Do, For That Year He Wrote: “To Be Free.” In the End, Each Got Exactly What, It Seemed, They Had Wished For…
He loathed his wife. Loathed her. Theyd spent fifteen years togetherfifteen whole years in which he saw her each morning,...
My Father-in-Law Was Speechless When He Saw the Shocking Conditions We Were Living In
My father-in-law was speechless when he saw how we were living I met my husband at a wedding of a...
The Grey Mouse Is Happier Than You
Emily, honestly, are you kidding me right now? Jessica stared at her faded cotton dress with a look reserved for...
She Got My Mother-in-Law Back on Her Feet—Yet I’m Furious Because I Didn’t Weed the Vegetable Beds — “What are you doing here?” Standing in the middle of the swan-shaped flower beds, my mother-in-law shouted, “There’s never been such disgrace here before! I had seven children—never a single weed!” Her shriek drew the neighbours, who clung to the fence like crows and immediately dissected everything they heard. Seeing her audience, my mother-in-law took great pleasure in performing. I stood, speechless, as she went on. At last, worn out from shouting, she drew a breath and said loudly enough for all the neighbours to hear: I didn’t say a word. I walked calmly past my mother-in-law, holding my child even closer. Once inside, I divided up, in a special box, everything my mother-in-law was to take that evening and the next morning. Without folding anything, I tossed my son’s things and mine into a bag. I left without saying a word. Three days later, my mother-in-law called: “What did you do with all those things the professor gave her? I asked the neighbour to buy a few, but she said one jar is very expensive. The ones with foreign labels, well, we don’t use those or exchange them. So what am I to do? You left, offended for some reason, and here I am, about to meet my maker!” I didn’t reply. I turned off my phone and took out the SIM card. That’s it. I can’t go on—I have no physical or emotional strength left. A year ago, just before my son was born, my husband lost control of his car on an icy road. I vaguely remember saying goodbye for the last time, the ambulance taking him away, and waking up the next morning as a new mother… I didn’t care about anything. The world felt empty and pointless without my beloved husband. I nursed and rocked my son like clockwork, because that’s what I was told to do. A phone call snapped me out of my stupor. “Your mother-in-law is in bad shape. Apparently, she won’t last much longer.” I made my decision at once: after settling things, I sold my flat in London. I invested some of the money into building a home, so my son will have something of his own when he grows up. And I went to save my mother-in-law. This past year, I haven’t really lived—I’ve just existed. I had no time for sleep, caring for both my mother-in-law and my baby son. The baby was restless, and my mother-in-law required round-the-clock care. At least I had the money. I called in the best specialists from all over the UK; I bought every medication prescribed. Eventually, my mother-in-law returned to normal life. At first, I wheeled her through the house, then around the garden. By the end, she was strong enough to walk—on her own—as if nothing had happened… I don’t want to know her now, or hear from her ever again. Let her work out everything she needs for her recovery herself. At least I was wise enough not to spend all the money on her recovery. My son and I moved to our new flat. I never imagined it would end like this. I wanted to be close with my husband’s family, since I am an orphan myself. But now it’s just me. I need to teach my son: not everyone deserves kindness. Some people care more about a tidy vegetable patch.
I managed to get my mother-in-law back on her feet. But honestly, Im fuming because I didnt get around to...
For Two Years, Maria Was Just the Carer for Her Mother-in-Law Maria Managed to Marry a Very Distinguished Gentleman: All Her Friends Were Jealous. Her Husband Owned His Own Business, a Gated Luxury Home, Several Cars and a Cottage in the Countryside, All by Thirty-Two. Maria, Having Just Graduated and Worked as a Teacher for a Year, Married Him That Summer. After the Wedding, Her Husband Said There Was No Need for His Wife to Work for Peanuts. He Asked Her to Stay Home and Prepare for Children, and Maria Did Not Object. The First Year of Marriage Felt Like a Fairy Tale: Maria and Her Husband Travelled, Creating Memories and Buying Expensive Things. Yet Maria Had Nowhere to Wear Her New Clothes—Her Friends Were Busy Working and Spending Weekends With Their Families. Her Husband Often Partied Without Ever Inviting Maria. Maria Was Bored. Unable to Have Children, Her Feelings for Her Husband Faded. After Finishing Her Household Tasks, She Roamed Room to Room, Wondering About Her Future. A Year Passed. Her Husband Was Rarely Home, Often Returning in the Evenings, Exhausted and Irritable, Claiming His Business Was Struggling. First, He Told His Wife to Spend Less. Then He Demanded She Account for Every Purchase and Expense, Calculating and Insisting They Could Live Just as Well for Half the Amount. Maria Grew Worried. She Wanted to Work, But Couldn’t Find a Teaching Position. She Decided to Enrol on a Course, But Then Her Mother-in-Law Fell Ill, and Maria Had to Take Care of Her for Two Years. Her Husband Moved His Mother In. Maria Did Everything, Caring for the Sick. Her Husband Came Home Even Less. When Her Mother-in-Law Passed Away, Her Husband Grew Even More Distant—Barely Speaking to Maria, Withdrawn, Spending Most of His Time at Work and Seldom Returning Home. Maria Couldn’t Understand What Had Happened Until She Visited Her Mother-in-Law’s Old Flat, Where She Hadn’t Been for Ages. Behind Closed Doors, She Heard a Child Crying. Surprised, Maria Rang the Bell. A Young Woman Opened the Door—Maria Learned Her Husband Had Started a Second Family Before His Mother’s Illness, and Then Installed Them in His Mother’s Flat. For Maria, It Was a Shock. She Realised She Couldn’t Save Her Marriage. She Left for Another City, to Her Aunt, Practically With Nothing but a Small Bag—Not Wanting Anything Reminding Her of Her Marriage or How Badly Her Life Had Turned Out…
For two years, Emily was nothing more than a nurse to his mother. Emily managed to marry a man who...
My Husband Brought a Colleague to Our Christmas Eve Dinner—So I Asked Them Both to Leave
Where have you put the napkins? I told you to get the ones with the silver pattern; they match the...