A woman leaves home

She spotted it from a distance, she shuddered, a part of her life was there, waiting for her. She rang the bell, an old woman she didn't know opened the door. She said to her, "Are you Mrs. Marta?" she nodded, looked around, everything was the same, but older and sadder, she thought JUST LIKE ME. She went up to the bedrooms, her mother sitting in a rocking chair by the bed smiled, "You finally came back home."

She didn't answer, so many years of stolen meetings, cafés, with the children so they could meet their grandparents. Luckily, it had already been a while since they'd started coming to the house on their own, they weren't under their father's ban, "No one is to go to that house, they shut the door on your father. And that's the end of it!"

After a long talk with her mother, she went to her bedroom, it was the same. She showered, went down to the big reception hall.

There she settled into an armchair to watch the film of her life.

The mischievous girl, rebellious, spoiled by everyone, her birthdays, the whole town there to celebrate, clowns, presents, cake, kisses, so many kisses, how she missed them now.

Her fifteenth birthday, dancing with dad, she floated, she dreamed and suddenly she saw him, her friend Mariana had invited him because she'd asked her to bring friends, there weren't enough boys to dance with.

The rest of the night, she saw no one else, she danced, she twirled in Carlos's arms.

The next day, Mariana warned her. Careful, he's no good for you, he lives on air. She thought, jealous, she can't stand to see me happy and she's my best friend.

Carlos wrapped her in beautiful words and thrilling caresses. Her parents opposed it, He has no future, and you're still very young.

He convinced her, one night she left her house and they went to live together in a run-down boarding house. The good girl had to learn all at once what poverty was. She started looking for work, she wasn't prepared. She took a job minding children in one house and then in a preschool. How she would have liked to leave everything and go back to her parents' house!!!! But her pride…..

Carlos never promised her more than love, and that she never lacked. She got pregnant and they moved to a small apartment.

Behind Carlos's back she would meet with her parents and her friend Mariana, and she'd bring her son to meet his grandparents (who always had some gift for him). Then the little girl came, and life went on monotonous, without surprises, without joys, without progress, routine.

She raised her children with her family's quiet help and her own work. She managed to give them a profession. Carlos never wanted to notice, or truly believed she had managed it all on her own.

Today the kids live on their own and she was finally able to find the courage. She left a note, "I've already done my part as wife and mother. Now I'm going to do my part as a woman. I'm leaving, I'm leaving the house."