We all want our children a better life and painfully experience each of their dubious steps. Assessing their actions from the perspective of our life experience, we are sure that we know how they should live. And they don’t think so, and only time will judge who was right.
When, at the age of five, my son said that, having matured, he would definitely marry the teacher Ksenia Sergeevna, my husband and I just laughed. The spouse recalled that as a child, he also dreamed of marrying a nurse who injected him with antibiotics in a hospital. He said that solely for the sake of this slender blonde in a white coat and a high starched cap, he was invigorated and did not cry from painful injections that turned his soft spot into a solid blue-green hematoma.
The teacher was, as expected, forgotten by her son right after the kindergarten graduation. But this year, at the school graduation, my husband and I had a “surprise” – the son said that he fell in love with his teacher of the Russian language and moved to live with her, because he decided to marry her. Ironically, her name is also Ksenia Sergeevna.
Over the years of my son’s studies, I saw a potential “daughter-in-law” at school several times, when she came to parent-teacher meetings with other subject teachers. She made a pleasant impression on me: she is competent, self-possessed, speaks to the point. Her appearance is ordinary, completely unremarkable, and her figure is not the most impeccable, slightly floating in the waist area, like many women who have given birth. She was married to a physical education teacher from our own school, but he got confused with a young intern while his wife was on maternity leave. This story received wide publicity, and Ksenia Sergeevna was amicably pitied by teachers, students, and parents. Her husband was forced to leave school, and she, after leaving the decree, continued to work, becoming even more restrained and laconic.
That Kostik fell in love, I guessed pretty quickly – he suddenly began to pay a lot of attention to his appearance. If earlier he literally had to be shoved into the bathroom so that he brushed his teeth and changed his T-shirt and socks in time, now the son has become extremely scrupulous in matters of hygiene. The husband laughed that a shower three times a day causes irreparable damage to his natural microflora, and the scent of perfume, which Kostya was watered with without measure, stings his eyes. We were sure that the son hit on classmate Katya Malyshkina, whom he liked from elementary school. “The guy is growing!” – the husband grinned, and I understood that everything was going on as usual.
His hobby also did not cause me to be wary, because there were no problems with academic performance. Kostik always paid much more attention to his studies than his classmates. Exact sciences were easy for him, but with the Russian language everything was much less radiant: it seems he reads a lot, and teaches the rules, but the spelling still suffers. In the eleventh grade, he announced that he had agreed with a school teacher and would attend additional classes in the Russian language. My husband and I were all for: ahead of the USE, which must be successfully passed in order to enter the chosen university. These classes were not cheap, but we did not skimp – is it possible to save on the education of an only child? I should know then for what services of the teacher we pay …
Kostik always dreamed of becoming a doctor and was preparing to enter the medical academy. He said he would be a sports surgeon. However, in the last six months of his studies, he began to withdraw from talking about his future profession. Like, the question is serious, but he still has time to think. To our questions about the alternative to sports medicine, he answered in monosyllables: “I am thinking about it.”
… My husband and I went to the solemn meeting dedicated to the presentation of certificates as if it were a holiday. The reason for parental pride was serious: the son brilliantly passed the exams, received very high USE scores, and the doors of almost any university were open for him. Therefore, I did not understand the tense look with which Katya Malyshkina’s mother met us in the school lobby. This is out of envy, I decided, because Kostik turned out to be the only XNUMX-point student in the whole parallel (he got the highest mark on the Unified State Exam in chemistry). Adjusting her hair in front of the mirror, I saw in the reflection how the elder Malyshkina was heading towards me with a mournful look.
“Good afternoon! – she said in the tone that is reported about an incurable disease. – I congratulate you, Katya said that Kostya passed the exams the best in parallel. Which, in fact, is not surprising – from the first grade he was one of the strongest students. But who would have thought that an intelligent boy from a good family would be carried through life like this! I really sympathize with you. I think when the hormones subside, everything will fall into place and the guy will take his head. “
“Excuse me, what are you talking about? – It seemed to me that an agitated woman was confusing me with someone. – Are you talking about my son, about Kostya Zagorovsky? To be honest, I don’t quite understand where he has taken him in life. “
The woman looked at me, puzzled, as if we communicated with her in different languages. “Ah-ah, so you, apparently, do not know anything! She finally exclaimed. – However, I also found out about this by chance, I just heard how Katya and her friends were whispering at our house. I did not overhear: the girls were discussing this news so violently that it was hard not to hear them. “
“What, in fact, are we talking about? – my heart was beating often and echoingly in my chest from a premonition. “What is so important that I don’t know about my child?”
The woman fell silent again. “It turns out that I become the messenger who brought bad news,” she said quietly. – My daughter likes your Kostya since the first grade, like all the girls in the class, and she is now very worried about what is happening. But her problem compared to yours is a mere trifle … “
“Listen, don’t weary you already! – I did not notice that my voice switched to falsetto, from which all those present in the lobby shuddered. “What did my son do wrong?”
“It was not he who committed the illegal act, but the teacher of the Russian language,” Katya’s mother said, lowering her eyes. – She’s having an affair with Kostya. They hide their relationship, but you can’t hide anything from the girls. “
“Don’t the girls confuse anything? – my heart relieved. – No one, of course, is guaranteed against the mistakes of his youth, but my son is not such a crazy man to be carried away by a woman twice his age, and even with a child. Probably, these are typical girlish insinuations from unrequited love for a boy. “
The elder Malyshkina looked at me as if I was blessed, shrugged her shoulders and, muttering something like “Sorry” under her breath, hurriedly walked into the assembly hall. My husband and I, silently listening to our conversation, followed her. I did not believe a single word of this gossip, but the mood was ruined. “All this nonsense, utter nonsense!” – I said, turning to my husband, but he said nothing in response, only squeezing my elbow tighter.
In the hall we sat in the last row: in front everything was occupied by those who came earlier. As we made our way to the empty seats, I caught a few sympathetic glances from the other parents and felt my cheeks flush. “It is not true!” – I continued to persuade myself, realizing in my heart that I could not be completely sure of this.
The presentation of certificates and diplomas to the winners of school Olympiads turned into a real benefit performance for Kostya. Still: not one of the graduates has collected such a rich harvest of merits. “Kostya Zagorovsky, you are our pride! – touched the headmaster of the school, handing him a certificate. – I understand what joy your parents feel now, looking at you. They really have something to be proud of! And we will be proud of your future successes in the medical field, because we have no doubt that you will make a wonderful doctor. “
“Thank you very much! – Kostya’s voice, to which so much attention was drawn, broke with excitement. “I’m not sure that medicine will be my life’s work, but I also hope that in the direction I have chosen I will be able to become a real professional and will not let my teachers down.”
The headmistress, who clearly favored the best graduate, shook her hands in a picturesque way: “How so! You have been saying since the first grade that you want to become a doctor! With what direction have you changed medicine? “
Kostya was even more embarrassed – he clearly did not expect such attention to his person and his plans. “Medicine is still very interesting to me,” he finally said. “But medical education can not be obtained either in the evening or in the correspondence department, and studying in the daytime is not included in my plans.”
Not only the headmaster, but my husband and I were dumbfounded. The director voiced the question that was spinning in our language: “What are your plans for the near future? Military service?”
“My immediate plans include creating a family,” said Kostya, fixing his eyes on my husband and me. “And the main thing I want to become is a good husband and father.”
The headmistress froze with her mouth open, and then began to mutter that the family is certainly a good thing, but first you still need to get an education. Kostya stood on the stage with his head thrown up like a partisan under interrogation and looked at us with a frank challenge. And together with him, a good half of the parents of the graduates who were sitting in the hall turned towards us. There was so much unhealthy interest in their looks that I could not stand it, got up from my chair and began to hurriedly make my way to the exit. My husband followed me.
At the exit from the assembly hall, I almost fainted: I caught my breath, my eyes darkened. My husband literally dragged me to the window in the corridor and opened the doors so that I could breathe fresh air. At that moment, the door creaked behind us – a flushed Kostya came out of the hall.
“Mom, is it possible without theatrical hysterics? – I’ve never heard so much metal in my son’s voice before. – What is this circus without clowns? Or did you absolutely need to attract attention to yourself? “
“If anyone started the circus, it’s you, my boy,” I could hardly rest. – Where did these hasty matrimonial plans come from? And isn’t the Russian language teacher preparing to become a happy newlywed? “
“Wow, what comprehensive information! – Kostya laughed sarcastically. – Yes, that’s right, I love Xenia and I’m going to marry her. Therefore, immediately after graduation, I will take my things and move to live with her. I do not pretend to your financial assistance and square meters, I can handle everything myself. Hopefully, over time, you will understand me and take this situation for granted. Moreover, there is nothing extraordinary in her, since our age difference with Ksenia is only 14 years old and does not go beyond the physiological norm. “
“How long have the norms been defined in this matter? – the husband nervously grinned. – I understand, son, that your tower was demolished from the joys of first sex. As the saying goes, the groom has grown up, but the thinker slows down. And if everything was in order with the smart girl, then you would understand that now is the time to run not to the registry office, but to the admissions office of the university. Determine your priorities without hormones if you can. “
“I’ve made up my mind,” Kostya said firmly. – We love each other and want to be together. And I will definitely get an education, only a little later. Ksenia is pregnant, so now she is not up to school. I will definitely go to study, but only to the evening department, so that I can work and support my family. “
“This is news! – from the shock experienced, everything jumped in my eyes. – I’ll go now and talk to the headmaster of the school and tell her about the moral character of the teacher who corrupted his student. I hope that your beloved Ksenia will not only be fired for this, but also brought to criminal responsibility. “
“Nothing will come of it, Mommy,” the son calmly retorted. – Ksenia cannot be fired, because she has not been working here for three weeks. She resigned on purpose so as not to be the highlight of the prom program. There is also nothing to attract her under the article: have you forgotten that due to bilateral pneumonia, I went to school a year later than my peers and I am already eighteen? But most importantly, if you bring this issue up for general discussion, you can consider that you do not have a son. Therefore, I suggest that you and your dad calm down and accept what you have. I am grateful to you for everything that you have done for me, but this does not mean that I am ready to listen to the recommendations of my parents all my life, with whom and how I should live. “
Kostya turned around and went to the doors of the assembly hall. Already grasping the doorknob, he stopped, hesitated and said, without turning to us: “Just don’t consider me the last moral monster. After all, I understand that I hurt you and did not live up to your hopes. I have long wanted to tell you about Ksyusha and me, but I still could not muster the courage, and now I am paying the price for my cowardice. Forgive me if you can, but I have already made a decision and I cannot act differently. ” And after these words I went into the hall.
My husband and I trudged home. Rather, I was trudging along, and my husband struck a step as if on a parade ground. His gait always becomes harder when he is preoccupied with something. We got to the house in complete silence. I dripped myself some valerian, wrapped myself in a warm blanket and huddled in a large armchair. I was chilling, although it was a stiflingly hot June evening outside the window. My husband continued to measure the apartment with decisive steps, flickering before my eyes. Finally he stopped and said: “This is what I think about this: whatever one may say, but you and I raised a normal guy who knows how to be responsible for our actions. And what happened in the end? He did not fall ill with an incurable disease, did not sit on a needle, did not get involved with the criminal world. And he really has the right to dispose of his life at his own discretion. Even if he now makes a mistake, this will be a lesson that he will certainly analyze and draw the necessary conclusions. Well, what if this is really the only love in your life? Do we have the right to prevent this? There is one Frenchman who married his teacher – and he has been happy for many years, he even became president. And the most famous couple of our show business with an age difference of two generations also lives on the envy of spiteful critics, raises twins and does not blow a mustache. Our guy is not without a king in his head, everything will be fine with him in the end. And you and I do not need to wring our hands, but pray for him. Kostik is right, anyway we will not go anywhere and will have to put up with it. Yes, not everything is going the way you and I wanted, but no one promised a lifelong idyll. So do not become limp, dear, you and I really need strength – soon the grandchildren will go! “
… Six months have passed since that evening. They passed for me as in a fog: to this day I cannot accept the position of my husband and look at the situation philosophically. The son works as a nurse in the ambulance, from day to day he will have a daughter. Sometimes he runs over to us, shares how things are going with the repairs, which he and his wife started on the eve of the replenishment in the family. It’s hard for me to realize that instead of a carefree student period, he took on the routine chores of an adult, early ahead of his years. Yes, the son is realizing his own scenario of life, which does not fit in with mine. Not such a fate I wanted him, but after all, no one really promised a lifelong idyll …