Tessie* is 38. She’s been a widow for almost 3 years now. At 38, she has no profession, no field of expertise, no definite interest, no group of friends, and no idea what’s going to happen to her in the near future.
She ran away with Jim when she was just a 19-year old Radiology student. Consequently, she didn’t finish her college education, a fact which was soon overlooked as she was married to a successful businessman 10 years her senior.
Since her husband could well afford to support her all by himself, Tessie was never required to work nor to consider any means of earning money. That served just fine by her because she was well provided for. What’s not fine, however, was the fact that her husband never took her nor their children to the office, nor introduce them to other people, employees and clients alike. Tessie and the children never attended any business gathering held in their own company. She never met any one, never stepped on the office and never knew how any thing in the office operates. When she tried to ask his husband why that was, her husband simply answered “There’s no need for you to go there.”
Tessie kept quiet. That was, after all, TRUE. And since she never left the house except to shop for grocery, she never owned a decent dress. When she told her husband about it, instead of giving her money, Jim bought a dress himself and presented it to Tessie. Needless to say, she never owned a single penny.
No money, no friends, no exposure, no freedom. Tessie held her own. But what broke her heart was the extension of Jim’s oppression to her children.
When Jim died of aneurism, Tessie tried to take over the management of the company. But without any loyal employee left to trust, in addition to her ignorance of its operation, the company inevitably collapsed leaving Tessie no choice but to sell it except for the building that used to house it. She was saving it for her children.
She had it rented and the rental was enough to support her and her 2 children. After 3 years, nothing has changed. In absence of any skill and any professional experience in any field, Tessie was not able to find any job. She knows she has to do something instead of wait for a day to pass after another, but she doesn’t know where and how to start.. :(
*Not real name
*Not real name
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