The Daughter-in-Law with “Baggage”
“Olga, did your son get married? I saw him with a woman and a little boy. Did he take one with ‘baggage’ or something?” Olga’s neighbor asked.
“He isn’t married yet, but I would only be happy if he did,” Olga replied in surprise.
The news was completely unexpected. Her son Andrei lived with her and, as far as she knew, had no plans to get married.
“Son, someone told me they saw you with a woman who has a child. Are you dating someone?” Olga asked when she came home.
“Oh, those nosy women! They have to know everything and run straight to report it. I didn’t want to tell you. She has a child, so there can’t be anything serious between us. Lena is a widow. Her husband died two years ago, and she’s raising her son alone.
“We met through work, and somehow things developed between us. Don’t worry, though. I definitely won’t bring her home.”
“Oh, and here I was already getting excited. The fact that she has a child isn’t a problem.”
“No. I’m not going to raise someone else’s child. I want children of my own.”
“She can give birth to your child too. You’re already thirty-four. How long are you planning to remain a bachelor?”
“I’m still young! What’s wrong with you, Mom? Do you wish something bad on me?”
“How is starting a family something bad? It’s happiness, son.”
Andrei owned an apartment of his own, but he preferred living with his mother. He rented out his apartment and saved the money for a new car.
His mother cooked for him and washed his clothes. It was very convenient. Besides, when the women he dated discovered that he lived with his mother, they were rarely eager to marry him—which was exactly what he wanted. They would have some fun and then go their separate ways.
He never told anyone about his apartment. He either met women at their homes or rented a hotel room. He was perfectly satisfied with that kind of life.
One day, Olga was walking home from work when she saw her son with the woman. They were strolling slowly along the sidewalk. She was short, with long dark-blonde hair, and quite pretty.
So that was her. Olga wished she could meet her.
Soon, the opportunity presented itself. Olga accidentally ran into the woman while leaving a shop.
“Excuse me, are you Elena? I once saw you with my son, Andrei. My name is Olga.”
“Hello. Yes, I’m Elena, and I know Andrei very well. It’s nice to meet you, Olga Ivanovna. Andrei told me he lives with you.”
“Would you like to sit somewhere and talk? Perhaps in a café?” Olga suggested.
“All right. There’s a nice place nearby. They make delicious coffee.”
Olga could see that Lena felt awkward, and she felt slightly uncomfortable herself. It was as though she had forced herself into the young woman’s life.
They found a table and placed their order.
“Andrei told me you have a son. How old is he? What’s his name?”
“My son is five. His name is Vladik. My husband died in a car accident two years ago. I live with my son in a one-room apartment. After my husband’s death, his parents sold the apartment where we had lived and threw us out onto the street. The apartment was registered in my mother-in-law’s name. My former mother-in-law’s name, I should say.
“I don’t have parents. I’m an orphan. My grandmother raised me, but unfortunately, she passed away. She left me an old little house in a village. I sold it and took out a mortgage on an apartment in the city. The money from the house was just enough for the down payment.
“I work as a sales manager in a shop. So, that’s my brief life story.”
Olga listened attentively and realized that she liked Lena. She had green eyes framed by thick lashes and a small, neat nose. She was a very pleasant woman, and she spoke calmly and thoughtfully.
“Unfortunately, Andrei didn’t tell me anything about you. I would have been glad to meet you sooner.”
“Perhaps he was afraid to tell you that I have a child. Many people have a negative attitude toward women with ‘baggage.’ Or perhaps he simply isn’t ready for family life. I’m not pressuring him. We’re happy together, and that’s what matters.”
“Lena, why don’t you come to our home with Andrei and Vladik? I would be very happy to have you!”
“If Andrei agrees, we’ll come with pleasure. I’m glad we met!”
That evening, Olga announced to her son:
“Andrei, I’m expecting you, Lena, and Vlad to visit us on Saturday. I won’t accept a refusal. Lena has already agreed. We met by accident on the street. I had seen her with you before, so I approached her first.”
“Mom, why are you interfering in my life? Now you’ve invited them over too. I don’t even know what to say. I’m not sure I want to marry her. I’m satisfied with things as they are.”
“Son, don’t be angry. I’m not forcing you to marry her, but I would be happy to spend time with Lena. I liked her very much. She’s a sweet woman.”
Andrei muttered something unintelligible and went to his room.
He was exactly like his father. He had the same explosive temper.
Olga’s husband had left her three years earlier. He had started an affair with a colleague. Olga had let him go without making a scene. You couldn’t force someone to love you, and their relationship had not been good for a long time anyway.
Yevgeny liked to drink and frequently went away on business trips. At some point, Olga realized that they had become strangers.
Andrei remained in contact with his father and sometimes told Olga things about his life, but she was not particularly interested.
Lena, her son, and Andrei came to visit. Vladik looked very much like his mother. He had the same hair and eye color. He was a quiet, calm boy.
Olga did everything she could to please Lena and Vlad. She offered them different dishes and pastries she had bought from the shop.
The visit passed in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Even Andrei behaved differently than usual. He joked and looked happy.
As Olga watched them, she thought, “I wish they would get married and give me a granddaughter. I would be so happy.”
From that day on, Lena and Vladik became frequent visitors at Olga’s home. Lena sometimes came even when Andrei was not there. Olga constantly invited them over.
She loved talking with Lena about different subjects. Sometimes they drank wine or went shopping together. Olga sincerely hoped that her son would propose. She could not imagine a better wife for him.
Then, for several days, Lena stopped answering Olga’s phone calls.
“Andrei, is something wrong with Lena’s phone? I can’t reach her. Do you know anything?”
“We broke up. Don’t ask me anything.”
“What do you mean, you broke up? Why? Everything seemed to be going so well,” Olga said, deeply upset.
“That’s just how it is. I don’t need problems.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“Vlad was diagnosed with some illness. He suddenly became very sick. He urgently needs expensive medicine. Lena is panicking and doesn’t know what to do. She’s probably waiting for me to help her. But how can I help? It’s easier for me to leave her.”
Olga stared at her son in disbelief.
What was he saying?
“You abandoned the woman you love during a difficult time because you didn’t want to help her son? You’re a disgrace.”
“Why am I a disgrace? Why should I give money to someone else’s child? I feel sorry for him, of course, but there’s nothing I can do. Lena is strong. She’ll manage on her own.”
“You have money saved for a new car! You can keep driving your old one and save a child’s life instead. Didn’t that occur to you? Is a piece of metal more valuable to you than a human life?”
“Oh, Mom, don’t start lecturing me.”
Andrei left.
Olga sank onto a chair and held her head in her hands. How had they raised such a cold, heartless man?
She had some modest savings. She had put aside part of her salary, and there was also some money left from her husband. She had opened a bank deposit and reinvested the interest. She had been saving it for a rainy day.
That rainy day had come.
Olga had grown to love Elena and her son, and she sincerely wanted to help them.
Eventually, Lena called her back.
“I’m sorry, Olga Ivanovna. I couldn’t return your calls. I didn’t have time.”
“Lenochka, I know everything. I truly want to help Vladik. Tomorrow, I’ll withdraw my savings and give you the money for your son’s treatment.”
“No, please don’t. We’re strangers to you. I’ll think of something.”
“We’re not strangers anymore. Please accept my help. Andrei is a scoundrel. Forgive me for raising such a son.”
Elena did not answer.
The following day, Olga withdrew the money and brought it to Lena. Lena thanked her repeatedly and promised to repay her over time.
“Andrei, pack your things and move into your apartment. Your tenants have just moved out, so it’s empty. I don’t want to live under the same roof as you anymore.”
“Wow, what a surprise. Is this because of Lena? You’re unbelievable, Mom. You care about someone else’s son, but you don’t care about your own?”
“I’m ashamed of you. I’m terrified to imagine what will happen to me when I’m old.”
Andrei left, slamming the door loudly behind him.
Olga’s heart was heavy. He was her only son, and this was the kind of man he had become.
There was nothing she could do about it now.
A charity fund became involved and helped purchase the medicine. Vlad began to recover. Throughout that time, Olga remained in contact with them. She visited and brought gifts and food.
She still spoke to Andrei, but treated him coldly. Lena tried not to talk about him at all and never asked any questions.
One day, Olga noticed that Lena had begun wearing loose dresses and that her waist was becoming less defined.
“Lena, forgive me for asking, but are you pregnant?”
“You guessed it. Yes, I’m already five months pregnant. I hid it from Andrei because I was afraid he would accuse me of trying to force him into marriage because of the pregnancy. I simply couldn’t bring myself to have an abortion. I was planning to, but I changed my mind at the last moment.
“I’m going to have a daughter. Don’t worry. I’ll manage.”
“My God, Lenochka, I’m so happy! It has always been my dream to have a granddaughter. I’ll help you, I promise. Thank you for such a gift, my dear girl!”
Olga happily embraced Lena.
They would become even closer now, despite the fact that Andrei knew nothing.
The pregnancy went smoothly, and a healthy baby girl was born on time. They did not tell Andrei.
Olga often visited Lena, helped with her granddaughter, bought presents for the children, and brought groceries.
The girl was named Alina. She looked very much like Andrei. She had the same dark hair and sharp little nose.
“Oh, son,” Olga thought, “such happiness is passing you by. You could have lived with them and enjoyed your family.”
One day, Andrei saw his mother with a baby carriage near her building. Lena had gone to the hospital and asked Olga to look after the child, so she had brought her daughter to Olga’s home.
“Hi, Mom! Are you working as a nanny now? Are you short of money? You should have told me. I would have helped.”
“I don’t need anything from you, Andryusha. I can manage on my own.”
Andrei looked into the carriage and froze for a moment.
Had he somehow sensed that the child was his own flesh and blood?
Apparently not. He said nothing.
At that moment, Lena arrived in a taxi and got out of the car.
“Hello, Andrei. How is everything, Olga Ivanovna? Did Alina cry?”
“No, Lenochka, everything is fine. She ate, slept, and now we’re out for a walk.”
Andrei looked at them in confusion.
“Is this your child? Did you get married? But the girl is so little. Who is the father?”
“The girl has a mother, and that’s enough.”
“And a grandmother, I might add,” Olga said. “Andrei, this is your daughter. In case you’re interested.”
“Mine? And you kept it from me all this time? You women are unbelievable.”
Andrei looked into the carriage in bewilderment and then walked away without another word.
“Well, now he knows,” Olga said.
A few days later, Andrei came to Lena’s apartment. He offered her money, but she refused. Her resentment toward him was too strong.
Five years passed.
Olga suffered a stroke.
Lena and the children moved into her apartment to take care of her because Olga had difficulty walking.
Alina and Vlad helped too. They brought their grandmother food, and Vlad read books to her. They loved Grandma Olya very much and felt sorry for her.
Andrei remained a bachelor and continued living alone in his apartment. He occasionally visited his mother. He saw Lena and the children and spoke to them.
Alina knew that he was her father, but she was afraid of him.
Olga transferred ownership of her apartment to Lena through a deed of gift, so that Lena could later give it to Alina.
“Lenochka, what good fortune it was that I met you. Now I have two beloved pieces of ‘baggage’—Vlad and Alina. I’m so happy that you are in my life. Thank you for everything.”
Olga could never have imagined that this fragile woman would become like a daughter to her, while her own son would go from being family to becoming a stranger.
Life sometimes brings the most unexpected surprises.