Helping her mother with dinner in the kitchen, Svetlana again touched on a topic that was not very pleasant for her.
– Listen, Mom, well, maybe you’ll decide to move anyway? After all, Oleg and I have discussed everything, and he will be only too happy if you come to live with us.
Sitting down on a chair, Olga Borisovna sighed heavily and answered:
– Yes, no, daughter, I’m used to my places. Besides, all my relatives and friends are here, as well as work.
This conversation was not the first, and each time Svetlana was refused. But she did not give up trying to persuade her mother to move.
Three years ago, he and Oleg managed to get a good job in a neighboring city, where they soon bought an apartment. But the mother remained in the same place, not wanting any changes. Taking advantage of the vacation that she managed to beg from her superiors, Sveta, nevertheless, intended to achieve her goal and go back just the two of them. Hugging her mother by the shoulders, the daughter added:
– Well, yes, you can’t live without your patients. They are like your own children who need care. Just don’t think that I’m jealous, I just want to emphasize the fact that it’s time to think about yourself. You’ve been retired for a year now, so tell me, is money the problem? We are helping you, therefore, you can leave your job and live for your own pleasure.
Smiling, as if there was something funny in her words, Olga Borisovna said:
– Here, you see, everything is measured in money, and I have good deeds behind my eyes.
Another attempt was unsuccessful, and Svetlana decided to leave her mother alone for a while. Besides, it’s not just for this that she took a vacation to grind a hackneyed topic with her. Happily sitting down next to her, the daughter, barely breathing, said:
– I came alone on purpose, Oleg was sent on a business trip, although he also wanted to see you. So, he was promised a decent bonus for this. And where do you think he’ll spend it?
Olga Borisovna took her daughter ‘s face in her hands and whispered:
– Of course, on you, there simply can’t be any other options. I dare to assume that he will buy some expensive jewelry, am I right?
Sveta playfully shook her head and only after that said:
– Not really, he was planning a vacation abroad. We’ve been going to the sea for a long time, but we didn’t have any free time. But now the authorities will not refuse, let them just try. By the way, do you want to come with us?
And again they returned to the old topic:
– I knew it, Sveta, that you told me about Oleg’s business trip and your sudden vacation for a reason. Yes, understand, I can’t just drop everything. This is my home, I’m used to these places and I want to spend the rest of my life here. And as for my work, I am very glad that I have at least some benefit. And remember, it’s not the profession that makes a person beautiful, but his attitude towards people. Here, I work as a simple nurse, and nothing, I am respected and appreciated for my sincerity and kindness.
Svetlana even felt somehow embarrassed that they had become personal:
– Well, Mom, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry I’m meddling again. You are right to say that a person does not live by one profession. The main thing, after all, is what’s inside him, right here. – At the same time, she put her hand to her chest, and then added. – And if there is emptiness, then no status will draw sincerity and kindness. On the contrary, a person will be as stale as a cracker, and maybe even worse, akin to a stone giant.
Now Olga Borisovna saw that her daughter had not yet lost her kindness and ability to empathize. And he understands that a person has both positive qualities and not so much. But they are all so mixed up that you don’t know at what moment and how their manifestation will arise. In the case of my mother, Sveta was sure that she would never betray or let me down. And all these arguments in favor of retirement and rest, this is just an excuse to show your attitude to it. And Olga Borisovna was well aware of this, so she calmly accepted another conversation about moving.
Having finally cooked dinner, the mother and daughter had a snack in silence, and then went together to watch their favorite TV series.
In the morning, as soon as the alarm clock rang, and Olga Borisovna was already on her feet. Over the years of working as a nurse in the hospital, she used to get up early and clean herself up in a matter of minutes. And now, straightening her hair on her head near the mirror, she smiled slightly when she saw her sleepy daughter. Sveta was coming out of her room, rubbing her eyes hard from the night veil. Leaving her breakfast on the table, Olga Borisovna said:
– That’s it, I’m going to work, don’t get bored. If it’s not difficult, then go to the dacha, you need to water the flowers there.
Finally focusing her sleepy eyes at one point, Sveta answered through a yawn:
Yes, well, Mom, I’ll also look in on Nadia when I get another chance.
It was about the younger sister, who, despite Svetlana’s success, did not want to follow her path, and also, like her mother, remained in her hometown. However, during this time she managed to give birth to two children and now devotes all her time to their upbringing.
Arriving at her sister’s, Sveta could not resist:
– Well, at least you support me, otherwise Mom doesn’t agree to anything. Mind you, we don’t want to send her to hell in the middle of nowhere, but to take her to ourselves. Let him at least live freely in retirement, without any worries and troubles. What do you say, Nadia?
Shaking her head like a pendulum, she replied:
– Yes, you won’t succeed, you’re just wasting your time. I’ve told her about it too, and more than once, but to no avail. You know that our mother is not a nomad and will not travel all over the country. If she has settled down in one place, she will not go anywhere else. You’d better visit her more often so that Mom doesn’t feel alone.
Sveta looked at her reproachfully, but immediately realized that the next question would be inappropriate. It was clear that Nadia also had enough worries, and she could not physically be with her mother all the time. But Sveta has not yet got children, although she has been living with Oleg for 4 years. But, as they say, if you hurry, you can make people laugh. So Sveta is in no hurry to become a mom, all the time, putting it off for later. The sister caught the notes of discontent and immediately shifted the topic to another direction:
– I rarely leave the house now, you can see what I’m doing. I don’t have time to roll around. It was you, a free bird, who wanted to take a vacation and rushed to the ends of the earth.
The conversation about the mother’s move gradually faded into the background. And that’s right, because you shouldn’t stir up something that will obviously turn out to be a failure. Visiting Sveta’s sister, I felt some relief:
– Here, you won’t believe how good I feel here. Yes, I have a great job, a loving and caring husband, but I lack simple spiritual communication. To be honest, we also see Oleg late in the evening, when it’s time to go to bed, or on weekends, but even then he finds a job. In general, one routine, from which there is no escape.
Meanwhile, Olga Borisovna had already put things in order in several wards, and then went to the one next to the operating unit. And then she heard a strange conversation between two patients:
– Go, no one will see, hide it under your jacket and carry it quietly.
Clearly, the hospital guests decided to profit from something. And it’s even scary to assume that they were going to carry into the territory of a medical institution. In Olga Borisovna’s head, the signal “we need to follow up, otherwise there will be trouble” instantly went off. Without thinking for a long time, she took the bucket to the utility room, and then quietly went down after the patient who came out of that ward. Without bothering himself much, he slipped to the shop that was located behind the fence. He was gone for a few minutes, and when he appeared, he was carrying a black bag with a bulging bottle neck, which even if you don’t want to, you’ll still notice. The nurse did not stop him immediately, but waited until she returned to their ward.
A little later, Olga Borisovna, as if nothing had happened, came to wash the floor. And at that moment, those same two patients were emptying the bottle they had brought. As they say, there is no point in twitching and everything secret becomes obvious. Taking the glass container from them, the nurse poured the contents into the sink, and then said:
– I forgive you for the first time, and if you get caught again, I will inform the chief doctor.
And who would have thought that one of the patients would show impudence.
– I didn’t get it, what was that? Has someone decided to teach us life here? You’re just a nurse, so dry the floors in silence.
At these words, he took a rag from the bedside table and threw it at her feet. Flashing her eyes like searchlights, Olga Borisovna came closer and uttered only three words:
– We’ll meet again!
It was obvious that the patient was shaking from her words, but he pretended that nothing was happening. Naturally, they filed out of the ward and did not enter there until the nurse finished her work. With her head held high, Olga Borisovna went out and, flashing her eyes again, added in the direction of these two scoundrels.
– March back and just try to get drunk.
They flew into the ward like a bullet and even closed the door behind them. Glancing in their direction, Olga Borisovna, laughing, whispered:
– Wow, but only two days ago I couldn’t get out of bed.
It turns out that one of the patients was brought here in a state of severe hangover syndrome. He couldn’t even talk properly, let alone walk. But the doctors tried and somehow brought him back to normal. And here, on you, he took up old habits again, as if there were not enough problems, I wanted to add more. Olga Borisovna, of course, did not say anything to the chief physician, but she took note of these unfortunate patients. The fact is that they will be treated for another two weeks, and she does not need any extra trouble in the department. That’s why, so that trips for strong drinks to the store would not be repeated, she warned a familiar nurse on duty about it. She treated her well and promised that she would follow everything and, most importantly, would not say anything to the head of the department. It seems that the problem has been solved, but the way the patient treated her, did not leave her head for a long time. It seems like he thinks he’s the most important person in the neighborhood and he should get away with it. On the other hand, Olga Borisovna had no moral right to succumb to provocations. It is clear that the patient is not himself, probably, the consequences of the drinking festivities have not yet worn off, so he carries whatever he gets. Hugging her head in her hands, Olga Borisovna said to herself:
– Don’t worry, Olenka, there will be enough such patients for your lifetime.
Indeed, if you pay attention to each of them, then there won’t be enough nerves. This was the strength of her character and the wisdom of her reasoning. And what her daughter offered her did not fit at all. It can be said that the nurse has become attached to her work with her soul. She lived with these patients, was glad for their speedy recovery.
When she returned from her shift, she pulled herself together so that her daughter would not guess anything. But Sveta understood everything anyway.
– What, Mom, as always, heavy and restless patients?
Nodding her head, Olga Borisovna replied:
– Well, if you know, then there’s nothing to ask. By the way, you watered the flowers at the dacha, didn’t you forget how I asked you?
Pointing to a dirty jacket, Sveta answered:
– There, look at it, I got it all dirty, now I definitely won’t wash it off. By the way, Nadia says hello to you, she is waiting for a visit, you, like, promised her something there.
A week has passed since then: during this time, she and her daughter once again went to the dacha, visited Nadezhda and generally had a nice time. Svetlana did not go to her mother with urgent questions. It seems that all the dots over the “and” were placed during her conversation with her younger sister. After all, she made it clear that their mother does not need a change of climate and environment. On this day, Olga Borisovna was going to work with some gloomy mood. My daughter noticed this and couldn’t resist asking:
– What’s wrong, are you okay?
Shrugging her shoulders, the mother replied:
– Yes, it seems to be, but somehow it has cooled down inside, as if the soul is not happy. Probably, fatigue makes itself felt, or maybe I’m just getting used to the lack of emotions.
And here it would have been necessary to talk in detail, but Olga Borisovna was in such a hurry that she did not even linger for a minute.
However, a surprise was waiting for her in the hospital: one of those patients who shouted at her and threw a rag, strangely disappeared. The nurses went off their feet trying to find him, but all to no avail. Well, maybe it was supposed to happen, who knows? At that moment, it seemed to Olga Borisovna that she somehow calmly reacted to the disappearance of the patient. She even became afraid that her heart was not moving and her soul was not crying. There is no spark that ignited emotions in her. Remembering who she works here, the nurse took her equipment and went through the wards. In addition to cleaning, she had to take care of and help the nurses, in general, there was no time to be bored. But this patient, of course, surprised her greatly: he did not wait for the end of treatment and left the hospital without permission.
Another shift passed in one breath, as if there were no incidents at all. Without thinking for a long time, her daughter invited her to the market to buy meat for cutlets and dumplings:
– Come on, Mom, stop being locked up, you need fresh air.
It was hard not to agree with this.
– Yes, perhaps, daughter, you’re right and we need to be in public more often.
Why she said that, Svetlana did not understand. But as soon as they went outside, the mother, for some reason, was drawn to go through the garages, bypassing the kindergarten. Although, if you think about it, there was a straight road from their entrance to the market. Following her, Svetlana tried to understand what was going on. But suddenly mom stopped and said, pointing somewhere with her hand:
– Look, daughter, it looks like a man is lying on the ground. We need to help him, in case he’s sick.
With a quick step, they reached the place where an unknown man in dirty clothes was lying motionless. Having looked closely at him, Olga Borisovna covered her mouth with her hand in horror:
– My God, it’s him, the same patient from the fifth ward. Is that really all, and he has suffered?
However, feeling for a pulse, she happily commanded:
– Call an ambulance and hurry up, otherwise they may not have time. If anything, tell me my first and last name, in the department where he should be taken, they know me well.
The daughter did so, and at this time the man began to recover and, seeing Olga Borisovna’s face, mumbled with a tremor in his voice:
– And here you won’t let me rest?
Smiling in response, she said:
– I told you we’d meet again.
Svetlana, of course, did not understand anything from their conversation, but she did not bother with questions. Soon an ambulance arrived and the poor man was taken to the hospital. He was back in the same ward from where he escaped. After going to the market, they returned home by a shorter route. The daughter was silent, realizing that now no questions, and even more so, comments, are not appropriate at all. She was waiting for her mother to start talking herself and finally explain what it was today. However, Olga Borisovna was in no hurry to open up until they came to the entrance, and she sat down on a bench. After catching her breath a little and looking inside the package again, the mother said:
– It seems that there should be enough meat, because we bought it with a reserve.
But it was clear from her daughter’s face that she was waiting for completely different words. And then Olga Borisovna continued:
– Here, you said it was time for me to retire, pension and all that, but you didn’t take into account how important it is to always be there.
Svetlana also had to sit on a bench, because the conversation seemed to acquire a special character.
– You yourself saw how I saved a person today, even if it was a complete stranger to me. My soul feels and understands everything. How did you say that the patients will do without my help? Well, now, what’s your opinion?
Sveta barely restrained herself from crying.
– I’m sorry, Mom, I didn’t think this job was so important to you. It seemed to me that in retirement you need to think about rest, and not about how to save someone.
Olga Borisovna hugged her daughter tightly and said:
– Daughter, you know your mother, I can’t pass by someone else’s trouble, I immediately rush to help, that’s my nature. Thank God I gave my daughters this ability.
Svetlana remembered her mother’s words for the rest of her life that the pursuit of money does not always bring happiness. Sometimes you need to stop and look back to understand why, in fact, you have been living and making plans all this time. Everything is possible that it is after such a reversal that a person gains wisdom and begins to appreciate his every day.
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