Marinochka, could you please weigh two kilograms of green apples for me,” asked a short, blonde woman addressing the saleswoman.
Marina smiled at her regular customer and quickly weighed the juicy, ripe apples, then handed the woman a bag, saying:
“Here you go, Inna Petrovna. These apples are very tasty, you will definitely like them.”
“Thank you, dear. You are always so attentive to me. By the way, my son loved the plums you recommended last time. My Oleg is picky about food, but you really know your stuff. Oleg is an experienced diver. He has to dive deep and uses a lot of energy, so quality nutrition is very important for him.”
“What an interesting profession your son has,” the girl was amazed.
“Interesting, but dangerous. It requires a lot of courage. Fortunately, Oleg is not one to be scared easily.”
Soon after taking her purchase, Inna Petrovna left. Marina watched her go, thinking about the son of her regular customer, whom she had never seen. Inna Petrovna lived nearby and often stopped by the store where Marina worked to buy fresh produce and never missed an opportunity to praise her son and boast of his accomplishments. Marina was curious to see this person, and fate soon gave her the chance.
One evening, a handsome thirty-year-old man dressed in sportswear entered the store. With a flattering smile, he greeted Marina and picked up some bread, quickly paying for it. Marina was about to close the store, so she hurried to serve the last customer. The man politely thanked her and left, and the girl quickly checked everything, put things in their place, and, locking up the store, prepared to head home.
“Miss!” Suddenly, behind Marina’s back, she heard the voice of the man who had just bought the bread.
Marina started. She turned around and looked in confusion at the last customer standing before her with the bread in his hands.
“Are you still here?” Marina was surprised.
“I can’t allow such a sweet girl to walk home alone. May I escort you?”
Marina nodded, and they walked together. It turned out that the last customer was Oleg, the son of Inna Petrovna, who regularly visited Marina and proudly spoke about her talented diver son. Marina listened with interest as Oleg talked about his unusual job and the adventures he frequently encountered. She enjoyed the young man’s company. The following evening, Oleg offered to walk her home again. Their meetings became more frequent. Soon, the young people decided they needed to be together and, two months after meeting, they got married.
Marina glowed with boundless happiness—she now had a real family, but she did not yet know how quickly the state of her soul would change. Family life turned out to be not as joyful as Marina had imagined. Her mother-in-law showed the young bride who was the boss in the house on the very first day.
“Marinochka, I understand you have studies and work, but you are now a married woman and must manage everything at home. Oleg has been surrounded by attention and care since childhood. He must always come first. I told you my son is picky about food. I will closely monitor what you cook for him. And the salary should be spent wisely. Since I am older than you, and therefore more experienced and wiser, I will manage the money in the house. Your entire salary should be on my table on the day you receive it.”
Marina was shocked by her mother-in-law’s words, but she could not and did not want to argue. The girl had no parents. She grew up in an orphanage, so she did not yet know what family was. She sincerely believed that she would never be in need.
Now, Marina was torn between her studies, work, and family. In the morning, she quickly prepared breakfast for everyone, and then, without even having time to snack, ran to her studies. From school, she returned home to cook lunch and again hungry rushed to work in the store. Sometimes, she did not bring a piece of bread to her lips all day. On Saturdays, Marina did a thorough cleaning of the house, and on Sundays, she went to the village, where she had a small house, which she received from the state after graduating from the orphanage. She loved gardening and staying alone all Sunday. Marina grew fresh vegetables and brought them to the city. This was her only escape from marriage.
A year later, Marina’s family grew by one person. She gave birth to a daughter. Her life became even harder after the birth of Anechka.
“I will not allow spending child benefits on toys and trinkets. You are not yet wise enough to freely manage this money. From now on, you will give all the money to me, as the head of the house,” Inna Petrovna ordered, two months after her granddaughter’s birth.
Marina found herself in a difficult position. The mother-in-law did not give money for children’s needs. She had nothing to buy diapers and clothes. Marina was glad that God had given her the opportunity to breastfeed her child and thereby save on baby food.
“Oleg, I need to go to the hospital today, please stay with Anechka,” Marina asked her husband on the phone when she was sick.
“I don’t have time. You’re the mother, so take care of your child,” her husband dryly replied and hung up.
Marina cried every time, shedding tears of hurt and disappointment. After all, this was not the family life she had dreamed of. Oleg was constantly missing either at work or with friends, and he did not care about family worries and problems.
One evening, when the whole family gathered at the table, Oleg said something that outraged his wife:
“We need to do renovations in the apartment. The wallpaper is old. It needs to be changed, and this sofa can be thrown out without regret. We need to buy laminate and also update the bathroom.”
“Oh, son, of course, but where will we get the money for all this?” Inna Petrovna sadly replied, “There’s no money in the family. We live on what you earn. You can’t tear yourself apart. You need to take care of yourself.”
“You’re right, mom,” Oleg supported Inna Petrovna, “There’s only one way out. Let Marinika sell her old house in the village, and we’ll have money for the renovations.”
Marina gasped, hearing her husband’s statement. Rage engulfed her instantly. The cottage in the village was the only place where Marina felt happy. Working in the garden, she could distract herself from everyday problems. She eagerly awaited Sundays to go to the village. The mother-in-law refused to register her daughter-in-law and granddaughter in her apartment, so Marina registered Anechka in the village house. Marina’s face burned with stifling anger and unbearable offense for herself and her daughter.
“I will not sell my house,” Marina declared categorically, gathering all her inner strength.
Inna Petrovna flew into a rage after the daughter-in-law’s statement. She jumped to her feet and, slapping her hand on the table, began to shout loudly, frightening the child.
“What an ungrateful woman you are! We accepted you into the family, made you a person, surrounded you with attention and care, and you, a selfish orphan, dare to contradict?! Who needs you with your crumbling old junk in that uncivilized village? Go to hell!”
The next day, after Anechka turned six months old, the mother-in-law called her daughter-in-law to her room and ordered her to go to work.
“Money is tight in the family. My poor son is straining to ensure your child lacks nothing, and you are cooling off at home. Enough! Go out to work and bring money home. No more idling, hiding behind your daughter. Anechka is big enough. I’ll take care of her, and you work.”
Marina’s heart bled from the realization that she had to leave her little daughter with her mother-in-law and go to work, but she had no other choice. It was useless to argue with Inna Petrovna. She decided everything in the family. A few weeks after going to work, Marina suddenly felt ill in the store, and the owner let her go home early. Imagine her surprise when she entered the apartment and heard the enraged mother-in-law shouting at Anechka. The child cried loudly, sitting in a high chair.
“Eat, I said. Swallow quickly, or you’ll get this spoon across your forehead. What a nuisance you are. A copy of your low-grade mother. Nothing but trouble with you two.”
The next morning, when Inna Petrovna went to a friend’s house across town and Oleg went to work, Marina quickly packed her things and, calling a taxi, left for the village with Anechka to be as far away as possible from the domineering, cruel mother-in-law and the indifferent, self-absorbed husband, who disappeared every evening and weekend, nowhere to be found.
But in the village, Marina faced another sorrow. It turned out that a hurricane had recently raged in the area, completely destroying the roof of Marina’s house. It was impossible to enter. Marina sat on a bench and sobbed desperately, holding her sleeping daughter in her arms. An elderly neighbor, who came out to hang washed laundry, saw her.
“Marinochka, my dear, why are you crying?” the old woman was concerned.
“Anfisa Alekseevna, look at my house. There’s nothing left of the roof. What am I supposed to do now? Where do I run with a child in my arms?” Marina replied, choking on tears.
“Don’t cry, child, you’ll scare the baby. Don’t just sit there with the baby! Come here. You’ll stay with me for now. Time will tell.”
Marina had to agree and stay with Anfisa Alekseevna for the time being. While Anechka slept, she tried to tidy up the house, but soon realized that her efforts would not change anything. In the evening, Anfisa Alekseevna’s grandson Roman arrived with treats. After dinner together, the grandmother began to tell her grandson about the problems of her young neighbor and the situation she was in. Roman promised to help with the repairs. He worked and lived in the city but came to Anfisa Alekseevna’s every weekend. Roman, as promised, fixed the roof of Marina’s house and put everything in order. Marina was immensely grateful to him. She grew fond of the quiet, reserved, but well-mannered and smart young man.
The next time Roman came to his grandmother’s, he planned to repair the old fence destroyed by the hurricane. The man brought everything necessary for this. Marina played in the yard with Anechka, and Roman repaired the fence when a familiar car pulled up to the house. Oleg. The man jumped out of the car and rushed to his stunned wife, piercing her with a harsh gaze.
“How dare you steal my child and run away? Pack your things immediately and get in the car. We’re going home.”
Marina was frightened and, grabbing her daughter, stepped back from her husband. Her knees shook with fear, and her throat instantly dried up. Marina held her breath. She knew that her husband, in a fit of anger, was capable of much, so she was afraid to even move.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Marina whispered faintly, holding her crying child to her chest.
At that moment, Roman intervened in the spouses’ conversation. He approached the enraged man and said in a threatening tone:
“Marina made it clear that she is not going anywhere, so I advise you to get back in your car and return to the city alone. I hope you don’t want trouble.”
“Are you threatening me? Who are you anyway? I’m talking to my wife,” Oleg flared up even more.
“I don’t care who you are to this woman. The important thing is that she doesn’t want to go anywhere with you. And I won’t let you take her away by force. Don’t even try. It will end badly.”
Oleg was a hot-headed man, but he lacked courage in such situations. Realizing that Roman would not allow him to carry out his plan, he, burning with fierce anger at his wife, got in the car and left. Marina thanked Roman for saving her. From that day, he became her frequent guest. He gladly repaired everything that was broken and helped her organize the household and put everything in order. In the evenings, they sat together on the veranda and drank tea.
Gradually, Roman and Marina grew closer. Anfisa Alekseevna, who always spoke well of Marina, was sincerely happy about the tender feeling developing between the young people. She took Anechka to her place and gave the lovers a chance to be alone with each other. Several months later, Oleg and Marina divorced, and she married Roman, whom she loved with all her heart. She and Anechka moved with Roman to the city, and they spent every weekend in the village. Finally, Marina felt that she had found the family she had long dreamed of.