З життя
Вийшовши з лікарні, вона рушила до зупинки чекати маршрутку.
Олена вийшла з поліклініки і попрямувала до зупинки, щоб дочекатися маршрутку. На сьомому місяці вагітності було не дуже зручно їздити на інший кінець міста, але що поробиш, якщо їхню поліклініку зачинили на ремонт до наступного року. «Народжувати ж тобі цього року, не наступного», – жартував її чоловік Павло. На щастя, під час прийому лікар потішив майбутню маму гарними результатами аналізів. Тепер їй належало проїхати десять зупинок на маршрутці, щоб дістатися додому.
Коли Олена підійшла до зупинки, маршрутка саме під’їхала. Люди вже заходили, і вона стала в хвіст імпровізованої черги, щоб теж зайти в салон. Місць у старому автобусі було мало, і всі вони на момент, коли Олена зайшла, вже були зайняті. «Ну що поробиш, поїду поки стоячи, не чекати ж наступну мінімум півгодини», – подумала вона і зітхнула. Просити когось поступитися місцем вона соромилася. Хоча їй вже було більше двадцяти років, відстоювати свої інтереси вона поки так і не навчилася. Тому молода жінка вирішила, що почекає, доки у когось прокинеться совість або хтось вийде на своїй зупинці.
Пасажири тим часом ігнорували майбутню маму. Жінка, яка сиділа з дівчинкою на передньому сидінні, сподівалася, що хтось інший поступиться і нахилилася до своєї дитини. Хлопець у навушниках вперто робив вигляд, що музика йому заплющила не лише вуха, але й очі. Жінка з переноскою для кота на колінах заспокоювала свого улюбленця. Старенький дідусь куняв на задньому сидінні, а поруч з ним дві юні подружки щось жваво обговорювали, гортаючи Інстаграм. Інші пасажири теж не звертали уваги на майбутню маму.
Водій не поспішав рушати, він навіть закурив, висунувшись у вікно. Минули хвилини: п’ять, десять… Пасажири неохоче почали нервувати. Салоном пройшовся невдоволений шепіт, який ще через п’ять хвилин переріс у дружне: «Ну коли ж поїдемо, шефе?». П’ятдесятирічний водій Миколайович, який провів за кермом більшу частину свого життя і мав у цьому житті певні моральні принципи, загасив цигарку об борт автобуса, повернувся в салон і голосно оголосив: «От коли місце вагітній хтось поступиться, тоді й поїдемо!».
У цей момент усі заметушилися. Жінка з переноскою встала і поставила свою ношу на коліна дідусю з заднього сидіння, жінка з дитиною нарешті посадила доньку до себе на коліна, юні панянки, що гортали Інстаграм, заливаючись сором’язливою червоною, обоє підвелися зі словами: «Сідайте, будь ласка!». Хлопець у навушниках взагалі вийшов з маршрутки. Миколайович знову обернувся в салон, оглянув задоволеним поглядом п’ять вільних місць і сказав Олені: «Оберіть, доню, яке зручніше. І поїдемо потихеньку!».
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