From real life. “Ex-husband brings used clothes, pickled cucumbers and pumpkin jam from the allotment”: Anything instead of alimony

I can't say that my husband Witek and I divorced peacefully.

We tried to divide the estate, although we didn't gain much. We argued and reminisced about the past. I wanted to leave all my problems in the past as soon as possible.

-You filed for alimony – Witek said with contempt, taking the last of his things from my apartment – you want to skin me.

-Nobody is skinning you – I replied calmly – I inherited the apartment from my father, you can have all the appliances that we bought during our marriage.

I really didn't understand where and what else I had to give to my ex-husband.

-Yes, alimony will now take up a quarter of my salary, and you'll take a young lover.

I laughed, of course, at the thought of a young lover. Is a whole quarter really that much in my ex's eyes? I wanted to joke about it, saying how it was possible that a quarter of his salary was a lot, and three quarters of his salary was too little. But I didn't want to get into an argument with my ex.

-You understand that this money is not for me, but for your daughter – I said tiredly – you don't refuse to help her?

-Of course not, I don't feel sorry for my daughter – Witek muttered – I'm ready to dress her, feed her and entertain her.

I said I was ready for such an option. If the help was decent and regular, I wouldn't send the enforcement order to the bailiffs. Witek was happy and ran away as fast as he could. He even forgot to say goodbye to his daughter. A week later, the first “level” of parental help arrived. For our six-year-old Ania, her father brought a few old sippy cups, bottles, and snowsuits.

-What's this? – I asked in surprise, pulling a rattle out of my bag.

-Baby stuff from my sister — Witek said proudly — look through it, maybe you'll find something useful. What's the point of buying if good things go to waste?

I refused to take all that junk. I prefer not to clutter up, but rather get rid of the excess. I told Witek that I was going to sort out Ania's old things and that I could share what she had outgrown.

My ex-husband sulked, grabbed the bags and said I was “greedy”. But soon a new phase of help began. Witek brought some food from his mother. There were pickled cucumbers with peppers, lecho, canned squash and pumpkin jam – everything Ania doesn't like.

– Here you go! – Witek proudly placed all that “splendor” on the table.

-You know what, Witek – I said emphatically, shoving the jars back into his bag -maybe you'd rather use the money to solve the alimony issue?

-Money – my ex choked out – that means you still want to get money.

-No – I replied patiently -I can't make money off your pennies. The thing is, Ania doesn't eat any of it. And it's not very healthy for a child to eat pickled products.

Witek was even more offended. He puffed out his cheeks and said that I spoiled our daughter too much. He wasn't a millionaire to give her shrimp and black caviar. I was tired of listening to this nonsense and told my ex that tomorrow I would take the writ of execution to the bailiffs. He laughed unpleasantly.

-You won't get anything! – he said sarcastically. – I quit my job, I have no official income now.

He left me satisfied and didn't carry my junk any more. However, he didn't give me any money either. He just forgot that the car his father gave him was registered in his name. Therefore, after three months of no income from his neglectful father, the bailiffs issued a decision to seize the jeep.

That's when my ex-husband was caught. His father also found out that his son was hiding from his male responsibilities. He demanded the money back under threat of eviction from the apartment.

Now Ania and I live well. I earn a decent salary, and Witek regularly sends me the minimum subsistence allowance for the child. Now my ex-husband is talking about taking up official work. He understands that he cannot run away from responsibility forever.

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