Sasha went to beach vacation and sent his pregnant wife – Lika to the village to her mother-in-law to dig a vegetable garden. And when he returned…
“Lika, come on, you know I need a break too,” he said while tossing his swim trunks and sunscreen into a bag.
“And what about me, Sasha?” Lika stood in the doorway, her hand resting on her rounded belly. “I’m six months pregnant, and you’re sending me to your mom’s place… to dig in the garden?!”
“Mom will help. Fresh air’s good for you,” he waved her off while zipping up his suitcase.
Lika didn’t argue. She knew that once Sasha made up his mind, there was no changing it. He always put himself first.
“Bet you wore your husband out, so he ran off for a break,” her mother-in-law muttered, handing Lika an old shovel.
“No, Aunt Nina, I agreed to this,” Lika quietly replied.
The heat was oppressive, the air thick with the scent of earth. Lika dug, even as her back ached and her legs swelled. When it became unbearable, she would sit on the edge of the garden bed and gently rub her belly.
“Hang in there, baby… just a little longer…”
In the evenings, she would overhear her mother-in-law gossiping with a neighbor.
“She’s lazy! Women used to give birth in the fields and go right back to work! Now look at her — acting like a queen!”
The Return
Sasha came back tanned and full of cheer.
“Hey, Lika!” he said casually, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, not noticing how hollow it looked or how dull her eyes had become.
Lika stood silently as he kept rambling.
“The beaches were incredible! Shrimp, cocktails… Next time, we’ll go together—”
Suddenly, she cut him off.
“Sasha. I’m leaving.”
He froze.
“What?”
“I said: I’m leaving.”
He laughed.
“You’re serious? Lika, stop being ridiculous. You won’t make it without me.”
For the first time in a long time, she smiled.
“Well, Sasha… I guess I’ll find out.”
She turned and walked away — feeling truly free for the first time in her life.
Freedom
