Olivia had always been a hard-working and obliging person. She did not sit on anybody’s neck, she worked all her life and at her old age she wanted to live in peace. But her son did everything possible to turn the pensioner’s life into a nightmare, without wishing it. He showed selfishness and persistence where it was necessary to demonstrate generosity and concern for the peace of an elderly person.
When the man announced to his mother that he had met a woman and wanted to marry her, Olivia asked a reasonable question:
– Where will you live?
She was very worried that her son would bring his wife to her house, because Monica (her son’s fiancée) already had two children from her first marriage. The small two-bedroom apartment where Olivia lived was clearly not suitable for five people, but her son reassured her, saying that it was a temporary measure.
– We have nowhere to go, mom, you understand, – he said emphatically, carrying the belongings of the chosen one and her offspring.
Olivia reluctantly agreed, and soon the apartment resembled a circus. Stuff, toys, school supplies were scattered everywhere. My daughter-in-law was quite lazy: she did not work and did not want to create comfort in the house. But the untidy apartment and the empty refrigerator were only part of the problems the woman faced. The children turned out to be very noisy and after kindergarten and school they ran around the apartment screaming and shrieking.
The woman endured this outrage for some time, and then decided to have a serious talk with her son. He promised, as before, to change the situation, but nothing concrete followed.
– We’ll take out a mortgage on the apartment, but Monica has to get a job! – he explained, and Olivia waited patiently. Except that nothing had changed.
My daughter-in-law, an economist by training, tried to get a job, went to several interviews, but was rejected everywhere, because she had no work experience. Not surprisingly, she spent all her time at home. And if at first Olivia could ask her to clean or help her with cooking dinner, it took an even more unpleasant turn when Monica announced that she was pregnant. Her son rejoiced, because he had wanted to be a father of his own child for a long time, but her mother-in-law was not amused. Now the worries multiplied, because an extra mouth was to appear. And about the quietness could forget – the baby will not give a restful sleep. The parents had not even thought about how they were going to live, and who was going to feed such a big family!
– You need to move! – once again demanded the pensioner, but her son suddenly became indignant.
– Part of the apartment belongs to me, so I have a right to stay on this property! And in general, we have nowhere and nothing to move for. There is no money to rent a house! – He answered angrily.
Olivia became desperate. She understood that she could not fix the situation, at least in a legal way.
– I work part-time as a cleaner in an office, so I do my work in the early morning and then go home. But here I’m not waiting for rest, but for many hours of work shift, because I also have to clean the apartment, cook a meal, go to the store. My daughter-in-law is having a hard time with her pregnancy, she lies down almost all the time, and she’s already in her sixth month. It turns out that I have to take care of both work and home, as well as her children. My son is also “well settled in”: he comes to lunch in the afternoon and waits for a three-course meal.
Where do you get the strength to do everything? – She complained once about her situation, telling her neighbor Maria about it all. – I’m already thinking, maybe I myself moved somewhere, if my son and his family refuse? The apartment is mine, but to live like this is unbearable! And the utility bills are growing – just imagine how much money is spent on electricity, water, gas, not to mention food!
Maria sympathizes with Olivia, but she doesn’t know how to help. And what can you do in such a situation, if the adult son and his wife have no conscience? And then an elderly woman’s blood pressure began to skyrocket, and one day she ended up in the hospital. Doctors recommended the pensioner to rest more, but can you afford to rest when there will be three children in the house?
