З життя
Забери це від мене! Я більше не витримаю! Навіть доторкнутися не можу!
Віка, забери її! Я більше не можу! Мені навіть торкатися до неї гидко! Марину трясло. Дитина на її руках плакала не в собі. Віка взяла на руки племінницю і кивнула.
– Добре. Але це твоє рішення, потім не буде претензій?
– Ні, які претензії?! Забери її, вона мені не потрібна!
Крихітка з’явилася на світ лише місяць тому. З початку вагітності з Мариною відбувалося щось недобре. Віка покладала зміни настрою на пізню вагітність. Сестра вже сім років була вдовою. Старші діти виросли й жили окремо. Поїздка на море, короткий роман і несподівана вагітність стали для всіх сюрпризом. Марина ніколи не була схильна до спонтанності. Спершу здавалося, що майбутня дитина тішить Марину. Але згодом Віка помітила, що сестра то купує одяг для малюка, шукає візочок, то раптом тижнями мовчить, наче ховається за кам’яною стіною.
Перед родами Марина раптом перестала спілкуватися з родичами. Не дзвонила ні мамі, ні сестрі, ні дітям. Занепокоїлась Віка і знайшла сестру в пологовому будинку, де та збиралася писати відмову від дитини.
– Марина, що з тобою? Чому?
– Я сама не знаю. Нічого не відчуваю. Вона чужа.
– Як чужа?! Ти що! Це твоя дитина!
– Буде не моя! – Марина повернулася до стіни.
Віка підключила “важку артилерію” і привела маму. Марина погодилася забрати дитину. Мама наполягла, щоб вона пожила з донькою у неї під приводом допомоги. Насправді ж усі разом наглядали за Мариною. Вона доглядала за дитиною, усе робила на автоматі, не затримуючись навіть хвилини більше біля доньки. Ім’я дала їй бабуся, на руках носила тітка.
– Марина, я заберу її. Буду виховувати, але мине трохи часу, і кого вона буде називати мамою?
– Мені байдуже. Головне, щоб не мене.
За тиждень оформили документи, і Віка стала офіційним опікуном своєї племінниці. Марина виїхала до іншого міста.
Маленька Олеся росла непосидючою і веселою. Рано почала ходити, рано заговорила. Маму називала Вікою. Минуло дванадцять років.
– Мам, сьогодні трійка п’ятірок, а завтра ми з класом йдемо в кіно, – дзвінкий голос заповнив квартиру.
– Це вона?
– Так, Марина, вона. Я прошу тебе…
– Добрий день! Я Олеся, а ви?
На порозі кухні стояла великими очима висока дівчинка й дивувалася, переводячи погляд з жінки, яка сиділа за столом, на маму, яка, біла як крейда, стояла біля вікна.
– А я… Марина. Я твоя мати, Олеся.
– Я ж просила! – Віка обурено подивилася на сестру і крокувала до доньки. – Олеся! Я все поясню!
– Не треба, мам. Давай послухаємо. І що? От ви кажете, що ви моя мати. І?
– Я приїхала за тобою. Хочу, щоб ти жила зі мною.
– Навіщо?
– Ти моя донька.
– Ні, не ваша. У мене одна мама, ось вона стоїть. І іншої мені не треба! А вас я бачу вперше й, сподіваюся, востаннє в житті. – Олеся обернулася і вийшла з кухні.
Віка, не маючи сили, опустилася на стілець.
– І чого ти досягла?
– Поки нічого. Але досягну, будь певна. Знадобиться, навіть через суд.
– Навіщо тобі це все? Ти ж сама віддала її, не хотіла її бачити. Ніхто не розумів чому і навіщо ти це зробила. А зараз, стільки років потому ти з’явилася і хочеш, щоб вона тобі на шию кинулася? Вибач, Марина, давай ти зараз поїдеш до мами, потім поговоримо, мені треба до доньки.
– До племінниці! – Марина підвелася.
Віка лише зітхнула. Закривши двері, вона пішла до кімнати Олесі.
– Олесенька…
– Мам, зачекай. Перш ніж почнеш щось пояснювати, я хочу сказати. Я все знаю. Рік тому, пам’ятаєш, ми у бабусі прибирання робили. Я знайшла документи на опіку. Спочатку була жахливо злою, що ви мені нічого не сказали, потім хотіла з нею зустрітися, щоб запитати – чому? А потім зрозуміла, що мені це не потрібно. Ти моя мама! Інша мені не треба!
– Олеся, дівчинко моя! Я тебе нікому не віддам.
– Я й сама себе не віддам, – розсміялася Олеся. – Пам’ятаєш мого однокласника Богдана? Зателефонуй його мамі, вона юрист, спеціалізується на сімейному праві.
– Ну знаєш, доню, не поспішай занадто швидко дорослішати. Все вона вирішила. Я поки ще тут головна і мама, на хвилинку. – Віка розсміялася у відповідь і обійняла дівчинку. – Зателефонуємо, звісно, все вирішимо.
Далі було багато нервів, розглядів, але суд залишив усе як є. Врахували думку Олесі, яка категорично відмовилася жити з рідною матір’ю та визнавати її.
Сестри стояли біля будівлі суду.
– Ну ось і все, нарешті цей жах закінчився. – Віка з полегшенням видихнула. – Що далі робитимеш?
– Поїду, Віка. Я не буду заважати. Допомагатиму, не відмовляйся. На Олесю давно рахунок відкритий, документи у мами, я залишила.
– Навіщо це все було, Марино, і чому ти тоді її залишила?
– Не було ніякого роману, Вік, нічого не було. Був темний парк, пізній вечір.
Віка ахнула.
– І ти мовчала?! Стільки років і все в собі?
– Виправити вже було нічого не можна. Тому мовчала. Я взагалі не зрозуміла одразу, що вагітна, списала на ранній клімакс, а потім було пізно. Олесі не розповідай. Нехай не знає. Це не її життя, моє. А мене вона, можливо, колись пробачить.
Віка обійняла сестру і обидві поглянули в ту сторону, де з бабусею стояла Олеся.
– Іноді найстрашніше може перетворитися на найпрекрасніше. Вона така красива! – Марина витерла очі, і Віка вперше за багато років побачила на обличчі сестри усмішку.
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