Double motif

I was mortally offended. Robert, of course, pretended not to notice. He'd drive me crazy someday. A vacation with his mom in the countryside, unfortunately, wasn't the pinnacle of my dreams. He didn't even ask my opinion! He came home from work and announced that we were going away for two weeks to spend some time in nature. As soon as I get the chance, I'll do everything I can to make him regret it.

"We're almost there. Don't look so grumpy because Mom doesn't like it!"

I snorted contemptuously. Did he even realize that I didn't care what his mom liked or disliked!? I was completely indifferent.

He stopped the car in front of the gate, and of course, I had to get out and open it.

"Unpack your bags, and I'll go say hello," he said, and ran toward the house without even looking back at me.

I gave him a deathly look and put on a belligerent face, but it was a useless effort, because his eyes weren't on me for a single second. I gritted my teeth and grabbed my bag from the trunk. I left the rest behind.

I gave my mother-in-law a perfunctory "good morning" and went upstairs. I hated that attic room. We'd lived there for two years after our wedding, and I didn't have any fond memories of that time.

"But I'm tired. I need to change. Where did you put my things?" I hope they weren't all crumpled.

"They're in the car." At my words, he first froze, then became scandalized, and finally smiled.

"But, honey, I asked you. It's your duty," he scolded me gently, while a wild fury rose within me. "We want to have a good marriage. You know perfectly well that as an exemplary wife, you should take care of me and all my belongings. Please, fix your oversight now and unpack my things.

I was planning to truly relax during my vacation, and I certainly wasn't dreaming of a vacation with my mother-in-law." I definitely didn't like this idea, and that's why I was completely fed up with how Robert was treating me. I had something to say, too.

I didn't want to start an argument just yet, so I went downstairs and headed for the car. On the way, however, something occurred to me.

"Mom, Robert asked me to help him carry this upstairs. His bags are incredibly heavy." I smiled sweetly and handed my mother-in-law one large suitcase.

When we finally reached the attic and stood before my husband, I thought I would burst out laughing. He was simply stunned. But he didn't say anything, seeing my far from cordial smile.

Unpacking those hellish suitcases, I was filled with admiration. My husband took a hundred times more things with him than I did. It was probably a phenomenon in the country.

To my growing irritation, Robert remained lying on the bed, casually watching me. When he repeated for the sixteenth time that I should hang his pants and shirts neatly, I felt the urge to throw a crystal vase at him. It would be easier than admitting I was deliberately arranging his clothes in disarray.

"Iza, you can't just haphazardly arrange my undershirts; I won't have anything to wear tomorrow. Try harder. You know how important this is to me.

" "Honey, you know you're the best at this, so why don't you take care of it yourself?" I asked casually, but he didn't reply.

"Besides, you've upset me and Mom again. How could you greet her so coldly? When you're done, please come downstairs and fix it. You haven't forgotten how kind she was when we lived here.

It was the worst time of my life. I'll certainly never forget it." Why did I let myself get dragged into all this? Robert was intelligent, sensitive, romantic… Yet he ignored all my desires, demanded perfection from me in every area, and always spoke to me in that gentle, scolding tone of his. I had to be a submissive wife, understanding of his individualism. This was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Izunia, once you apologize to Mom, help her make dinner. You know she should have you on hand at all times. She needs someone to take the pressure off her."

I didn't say a word, as that would have been a very rude remark. I'd had enough. I was tired too, and despite everything, I'd hoped I could relax during my vacation. Robert, however, had a different idea of ​​the perfect vacation. All I could do was sit quietly and wait patiently.

Once, as my husband requested, I'd done the dishes and served coffee, I could take care of myself for a while. Considering how much he had to tell his mother, it might have been a long time.

I decided to go for a walk. I hated that house and was happy to be as far away from it as possible. Walking along the dirt paths, I wondered if I could survive two weeks. The sound of my name snapped me out of my reverie.

"Iza. Iza!"

I turned and saw a tall, dark-haired man getting off his bicycle.

"Don't tell me you don't remember me," he began teasingly.

"Marcin?" I said, surprised. "How could I forget? What are you doing here?

" "I live and work.

" "How long have I been?

" "Less than two years," he replied, amused by the questioning.

Two years… That's since I moved out. It's hard to forget a man like him. I almost succeeded. Four years of marriage to Robert left me without the time or energy to think about anything beyond my husband's life and career.

I met Marcin when I was in my second year of university and he was in his fifth. We were a couple for a while, but he graduated and moved away. Our friendship ended. We never met again, but I often reminisced about the pleasant times we spent together.

"Now it's your turn. What are you doing here?

" "I'm on vacation," I sighed.

My words terrified him. I was nervous, so I exaggerated certain facts, and unfortunately, I realized too late that he considered my marriage dysfunctional. I definitely didn't want that.

We continued walking for a long time. There was so much to tell. Only when darkness began to fall did I realize how much time had passed. I ran home as fast as I could, ignoring Marcin.

Robert, of course, was disappointed in me, disillusioned by my attitude, and deeply hurt. I couldn't simply listen to him, but I also had no other choice. I wasn't at home to slam the door and go anywhere.

The next few days passed without much emotion. I had to agree with my husband and help his mother at every turn. I dreamed of a real vacation. One where you could truly relax and have time for yourself.

Robert was constantly taking work calls. Of course, I wasn't allowed to hear a word of those conversations. Besides this absorbing activity, he had several other things to do. Among them, visiting old friends and spending long hours on his laptop.

"Hi. Where's your husband?" Marcin greeted me after he'd found me in the grocery store behind the house. "I wouldn't want to run into him," he added.

"Don't worry. He's probably catching up with some old friends somewhere," I replied sourly.

"I wanted to invite you to a barbecue because I thought you should get away. It's an offer you can't refuse."

I hesitated for a moment. Robert could have returned at any moment. I could have waited and gone with him. Marcin, however, didn't let me dwell on it any longer, for which I was grateful.

A few of his friends showed up. I easily found common ground with them. The party was in full swing. The sausages and pork neck roasting on the grill smelled delicious. The conversation and jokes were endless. That was exactly what I needed.

It was quite late when everyone left and we were alone. I didn't feel like going home. I helped Marcin clean up, and then we sat down in the living room. It was impossible not to notice a large framed photo of a smiling, petite blonde.

"Wife?" I asked, intrigued.

"Fiancee. Klaudia. She's gone.

We were just a couple of old friends, and yet somewhere deep inside I felt an unpleasant twinge. It could have been my photograph hanging there... But it didn't spoil the wonderful atmosphere of that evening. We had so much to talk about, so much lost time to make up for.

I returned home a few minutes after midnight. My mother-in-law was still awake. Her gaze was unkind, to say the least. I wasn't too concerned.

It was Robert's absence that completely stunned me. Where could he have been? I hadn't even realized how tired I was until I went to bed. I decided to postpone thinking about my husband until morning. Besides, I could be sure he wouldn't tell me where he was anyway. He never offered any excuses. The best solution was to pretend I hadn't even noticed anything.

I slept like a log until ten o'clock. Only some suspicious sounds coming from the yard roused me from my blissful state. I shrugged off Robert's absence.

I got dressed and went downstairs. As it turned out, my husband had been missing since yesterday afternoon, as my mother-in-law had informed me. She spoke in such a tone that I should immediately fall to my knees and start beating my chest, because instead of sitting and waiting patiently for him, I was wandering around at night.

As if that weren't enough excitement, I also had to go to the fields to rake hay. I hated it. Haymaking at home was enough for me. If it weren't for Robert, I would have had a different approach to everything.

To avoid being teased by my mother-in-law, I started shoveling a mound of hay on the opposite side of the meadow. I moved the fork mechanically. Only after a while did I realize it had caught on something. I thought it was string or some plastic. I pulled harder, and my husband's body appeared before my eyes.

For a few seconds, I stood still, as if unable to comprehend the situation. But what I had seen quickly dawned on me, and I began screaming hysterically. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law immediately rushed over, speechless. Zugmunt took me by the arm, led me a short distance, and sat me down on the ground. I was unable to move. I uttered broken, nonsensical sentences, my hands were shaking, and tears were streaming from my eyes.

I had no idea where I was or what was happening to me. More and more people were milling around, but I couldn't even make out their faces. The words seemed to come from a distance.

"Iza! Iza! Look at me! Iza!" Marcin grabbed my shoulders and shook me vigorously. Only then did I look at him soberly. "I'll take you home."

He took my hand and pulled me towards the car. Nothing registered except the fact that Robert was dead. An Arab sheikh could have kidnapped me, and I wouldn't have said a word. It didn't matter to me.

"Lie down and sleep. I'll talk to Czarek so he won't question you for now."

He left me alone and drove away. I lay motionless, my husband's corpse in my mind. I couldn't shake the image. Finally, I fell asleep, sobbing into my pillow.

When I opened my eyes, it was already evening. I looked around, disoriented. Only after a moment did the events of the day come flooding back. Tears welled in my eyes. I knew I should get up, eat something, take a shower, get some fresh air, but I couldn't. I fell back onto the pillow and tried to imagine my life without Robert.

When I shook off the several-day apathy, I realized I wanted to be as far away from that place as possible. All my bad memories were tied to this house. If we hadn't come here, I certainly wouldn't have become a widow.

I knew perfectly well that my husband would have wanted me to stay and be his mother's footstool. But why would I go through all this trouble? I had a unique opportunity to spite Robert.

I packed my things and carried them to the car. It was the first energetic action I'd taken since that tragic event. I said a cold goodbye to my mother-in-law and left the house.

I decided to check on Marcin. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to cope with everything that had happened to me.

"Iza, you want to go home like this? Alone? I don't have to tell you I remember a time when you looked and felt much better.

I definitely wasn't at my best. Sunken, dark circles under my eyes, greasy hair, an unnatural pallor, and shaking hands. I was at the end of my rope.

" "Come in for a moment. Don't think I'll let you drive." I'll take you back.

Strong coffee with a touch of cognac put me back on my feet and at least somewhat cleared my mind.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I couldn't shake the thought of driving in the opposite direction just a week ago with my husband. The memory was so fresh…

"We're here," Marcin smiled brightly, gathered my things, and even opened the staircase door for me.

I wasn't used to so many gallant gestures at once. Climbing to the third floor suddenly felt like a feat beyond my capabilities, and if I'd complained louder, Marcin would have given me a piggyback ride.

"I'll make dinner, because if I leave you here alone, you won't touch a thing."

"I think you're going to run into some difficulties," I said, smiling weakly as he peered into the fridge.

"I'll go do the shopping. Wait for me," he said with a smile, disappearing through the door.

By the time he returned and prepared dinner, I'd managed to take a bath. Refreshed and full, I regained my ability to think.

"What exactly were you doing there?" I asked, and Marcin, despite all the generalities I'd used, immediately understood what I meant.

"Czarek called me to certify death.

" "What?!" I almost choked on his words. "If I remember correctly, you're a veterinarian. Have you retrained?

" "No. We just sometimes have staff shortages. Certifying death isn't heart surgery, after all," he smiled disarmingly, and I followed suit.

"Does anyone know anything about what happened?

" "Your husband was shot with his own gun. So it looks like he tried to kill someone." I'll call Czarek tomorrow and tell him you're here. He'll definitely stop by.

"Except, as usual, I'm clueless. This whole thing has overwhelmed me.

" "You need to rest. I'll go now.

" "At this time? You've got to be kidding. I'll make you a bed on the couch." This time, I didn't accept any objections.

Marcin was irreplaceable. He served me breakfast in bed this morning. He also made sure I went for a walk. Then he notified the appropriate authorities of my availability and left. A man like that is a treasure. I regretted not being able to keep him around longer.

I was sitting in front of the TV when the policemen visited me. They hoped they'd learn something useful from me. I didn't have the heart to remind them of their mistake. But in the end, they understood.

"Did your husband have any enemies?" they asked hopefully.

"I don't know.

" "Did he have any debts?

" "I don't know.

" "What was his relationship like with his coworkers?

" "I don't know.

" "Did he receive any strange phone calls?

" "I don't know."