Im no longer your servant!
Im no longer your maid!
Hello, darling! I have a big surprise for you! Could you make your special roast for dinner tonight?
Whats happened? Mary asked anxiously.
Everythings fine! Ill tell you all about it this evening!
The call ended, and the woman glanced doubtfully out the window. It was a damp and chilly October. Her husbands call hadnt lifted her moodafter twenty-five years of marriage, he was hardly the man for surprises, let alone grand ones.
The doorbell rang just as she was pulling her signature beef with secret gravy from the oven.
Evening, mistress of the house! Something smells smashing! John exclaimed cheerfully, setting a bottle heavily on the table. Set the table! The hunters home!
Whats got you so excited? Oh, hunter, are you? she gave him a wary look.
Let me just wash my hands and have a natter.
Pouring wine into the glasses, John began ceremoniously, I raise my glass to the best husband and father in the world! To us, and to a fortnights glorious holiday in the best three-star hotel on the coast.
For a second Mary even felt glad, but her husband went on:
Did you know Simon can scuba dive?
What? Mary was completely at a loss.
Oh, come now! Simon, our beloved Emilys husband.
And whats that got to do with holidays?
Well, Mary! Youve clearly been at home too long. Were all going! One big, happy family!
Mary set down her glass without taking a sip and looked at her husband, exhausted.
Who paid for this trip?
Why, I did! John replied proudly, thumping his chest.
So you dangle this paradise island in front of me, you save for it for twenty-five years, and now you want to bring our daughter and son-in-law? I see them every day as it is! They hardly cook at home since our door is always open. You even do their shopping and pay their rent. Because apparently adult stuff is foreign to them.
But its our Emily John began.
What about Emily?! I had her when I was eighteen! I used to comfort myself that Id live for myself later! And now? Im forty-five. Ive seen nothing, been nowhere. I work from home. I never leave the stove or sink.
Tears pricked at Marys eyes. She felt a lump in her throat.
Mary loved her daughter, but Simon she regarded with indifference. In her view, grown people ought to manage on their own. When she fell pregnant and married at eighteen, no one helped her. Her husband worked at a laboratory for meagre pay. Mary had learnt book-keeping and still managed accounts for a couple of firms. Often, the security of the family rested squarely on her shoulders.
Mary! Johns tone grew sharper. Whats all this fuss about? We already spend plenty of time together, but the children still need direction. Were only helping.
Have you ever once thought about me?
Of course I have! Youre coming too, arent you? So whats the problem?
The problem must be me whispered Mary, rising from the table and slipping off to the sitting room.
The next day, Emily came by.
Hi, Mum! I didnt come emptyhanded, she waved a box of frozen pizza.
Hello. Microwaves there, Mary gestured to the kitchen and sat in her armchair by the computer.
Mum, are you all right? Simons popping round soon. I thought youd make some soup and a cuppa to go with the pizza.
Kitchens there, Mary repeated, not raising her eyes from her work.
Why are you so irritable? Dad said you didnt even act pleased about the holiday.
To understand me, youd have to be me, Mary answered quietly.
Oh, stop muttering! Your daughter comes over, and you act like Im not here! I thought wed sort through my wardrobe and then pop to the shops for the trip. Thats why Simons comingto help carry the bags!
Mary couldnt help herself and stood up.
Listen, Emily, in case its not obvious, Im working. Ive been working for you all for twenty-seven years! So your father can relax on the sofa, living on hope and a threadbare wage. So my daughter can use me as a cook and a money card for shopping.
She took a deep breath to say more, but the doorbell cut her off. Simon had arrived: a thirty-something with a bushy moustache, beard, and that ridiculous scooter he always toted.
Hello, Aunt Mary! Ive brought you a present! From everyone. John pitched in too! he said, pulling a blender from his backpack. Sorry, no boxcouldnt fit in the rucksack. But Ive got all the gadgets here.
Isnt it great, Mum? You love cooking, and its just the thing for a home-maker!
Mary forced a disappointed smile and retreated to her own room.
Whats up with her? she heard Simon mutter, annoyed.
No idea. Maybe Dads done something. Lets just go.
But what about food?
Take the pizza. Eat at home.
I hate frozen pizza. I fancied fresh scones.
Then make them yourself! Emily grumbled.
When the door finally closed behind them, Mary covered her face with her hands and whispered,
Maybe I am a bad mother and wife
Troubled thoughts filled her dreams that night.
She dreamed of little Emily, suffering from tummy aches. Boys at the park picking on her, and Mary defending her daughter. Johns salary being cut, and Mary comforting him, taking on extra work. Then she dreamed of runningSimon chasing her on his scooter.
And suddenly utter calm and silence. She stood atop a hill. Below, a river twisted, and far away, mountains glimmered in the evening sun.
When Mary awoke, she knew at last what she would do.
Hello, love! Im home! How are you? Emily said you didnt want to shop and didnt like your present.
I dont need anything from the shops.
But what about a new swimsuit or hat? Shall I get shorts and shirts?
Then goall of you. Im not coming. Not to the shops, not to the beach. I have my own sea to cross. Do your shopping and planning yourselves. Dont disturb meI have real work to do.
John froze in disbelief.
And the money? Ive paid for everything, you know.
Then consider it compensation for my nerves.
John sniffed loudly, a sign of great offence. He stopped speaking to his wife. Mary rather welcomed the silence.
Two days later, she finished her tasks, packed up warm clothes and her laptop, and rang her husband.
Hello. Have you changed your mind? Im not cross anymore.
Couldnt care less, John, said Mary coolly. Just letting you know Im off on a business trip. Dont know when Ill be back. Remember to check the post and pay the rent. Goodbye.
With the call ended, Mary felt lighter, as if a weight had gone. She smiled at her reflection, grabbed her bags and left.
The long journey didnt spoil the delight of her first real adventure. Checking in at her little guest house and discovering all it had to offer was a blur.
And then! That very moment! Misty, green hills behind her, the sea winds whipping in from the coast, wild and bracing! Mary breathed deep, and watched the evening sun set the Dorset cliffs ablaze.
Elsewhere, across the world, on a sunny beach, John and Simon spent a fourth day tormented by upset stomachs. Emily nursed them as best she could, scolding the barman for her fathers stinginess. Their resort was nothing like the glamorous getaways of her daydreams. Emily gave her father an earful, and he, in turn, accused her of selfishness. Simon groaned, his stomach unsettled andof all thingshis beard terribly itchy.
Must I shave it off?! he moaned, dashing for the loo. Help me out!
What do you want me to do?
Give me some medicine!
I dont know what to give you.
Call Mumshell know!
Mums switched off her phone.
They all sorely regretted Marys absenceand especially her switched-off phone. Their holiday, quite literally, had gone down the drain.
Mary returned a month later. She was met at home, to a table of cold sandwiches and a burnt pie.
Family Games
Im moving to Dorset, Mary announced. Anyone who wants to discuss joining me, Im all ears. Everything else is not up for debate.
Umm, well just come visit, Mum Emily replied, a little prickly but letting her mother go.
John tried arguing, threatening, sulking. But Mary no longer lived in the past. Two months later, they separated for good.
Living at the edge of the world, life gained new flavour! The sting of salty wind on her face Perhaps, at last, she might discover what true happiness could be.
I Am No Longer Your Maid! — When Laima Finally Chooses Herself Over 25 Years of Serving Her Husband and Family, the Unexpected Journey to Freedom Begins
