Olivia got married at 18. She got her high school diploma and went to the registry office. She had been in love with a boy since the fifth grade, when they moved to the village and settled in the house next door.
The girl’s family was not dysfunctional, but her life didn’t get along. Her mother already had three husbands. The first one, her daughter’s father, went away to earn money and started another family there. Mom had a man, then another. Each one gave birth to a baby boy. My daughter had to babysit the little ones. She’s the oldest. She was ten years old when her little brother was born. She took care of everything. And diapers and undies. A babysitter for her little brother. Olivia was the one who heard him hum, saw his first step and heard the first word, “Mom.”
Before the baby brother grew up, his mother gave birth to another baby. Now Olivia was babysitting the two. Mom did not drink, she worked, but passed all the cares for the children to her daughter. At first she liked it. After all, she was entrusted with an important job, babysitting a small child. But then, when there were two of them, she gave up her head. How could she do everything? When could she do her homework? She did her best. Passed her exams pretty well.
A boy at school followed her around. She looked like an unassuming girl, but she fell in the boy’s heart. After graduation, he asked her to marry him. She said yes. She liked the boy a lot, too.
Her mother, upon hearing the news, began to swear. But they had already applied to the registry office. They didn’t do the wedding. They got married. Her husband’s mother sold the house and they moved to another village. Boy’s father was offered a job there. They lived there.
At first Olivia was frightened of her mother-in-law. She called her mother-in-law “you”. She was used to household chores, but two housewives in one kitchen… Her father looked and looked at the young daughter-in-law’s efforts, but she failed. He made an annexe to the house. Over the summer they built it. The young couple lived separately.
Things can happen in a family. They had a fight once. My husband even slammed the door. Olivia was sitting in the kitchen, crying. Then the door opened and her mother-in-law came in. Olivia looked up with tears in her eyes.
-What’s the matter with you two that’s making you so sad?
-Everything goes wrong for him. He picks on me, and I don’t cook like you, and I don’t clean like you. I try, but he…
-Daughter. He’s my only son. We’ve spoiled him. But he’s good. I’ll tell you what he likes, but don’t tell me I told you. You have to be more cunning to please your husband.
That’s how it’s been since then. She became my mother-in-law’s first assistant and counselor. She didn’t do anything for her daughter-in-law, but taught her everything. Olivia was glad. She did everything on her own, and her mother had no time for her. Olivia now only ran to her mother-in-law for advice. And when it was her birthday, she baked her first pie:
-“Happy Birthday, Mom!
Her mother-in-law wiped away a tear:
-Thank you, my daughter.
The years went by. The father-in-law died. Her husband had a mistress. The whole village knew. People whispered, pointed fingers at the girl. Olivia didn’t know for a long time. But good people told her.
Her husband came, silently packed his things and left. And Olivia remained standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding her sons close to her. My mother-in-law, as soon as she found out that her son had left his wife and children, she went to him. She shamed him and exhorted his mistress.
-Said I’m not coming back, period. And there’s nothing to come here. I’ll pay alimony, but I won’t live with her. I’ve fallen out of love, do you understand? I’m out of love…
My mother-in-law started helping her daughter-in-law raise the boys. One day Olivia said:
-“Mom, come live with us. You can’t keep running around with pots and pans. I’m not getting married. We’ll live together.
-Well, how come? You’re young, aren’t you?
-I love my husband…
The years went by. The boys grew up. They got families and started living separately. Olivia and her mother-in-law lived together for better or for worse.
Because of her worries her mother-in-law began to have heart attacks. She survived two heart attacks but not the third… The nurses in intensive care unit said that she called her daughter-in-law at the last minute. Afterwards they were surprised that it was not her daughter Olivia.
My mother-in-law buried Olivia, everything was done properly. The ex-husband was not at the funeral. He went away to earn money and disappeared.
Olivia was left alone. Her beloved mother-in-law passed away. She loved and respected her. She was a bright and kind person. Her grandchildren also loved their grandmother. Now Olivia tries to be that kind of mother-in-law to her daughters-in-law. And not to interfere unnecessarily, but also to help as much as possible.
