After the Factory
The summer heat clung to the city, even as the sun dipped behind the rows of brick terraces, and the air grew lighter. Windows were thrown wide open, a bowl of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers resting on the sillthe apartment smelled faintly of the market. Outside, voices tangled together: an argument by the front steps, children chasing a football across the tarmac, muffled laughter drifting from next door.
Lyudmila Sergeyevna, an engineer with twenty years at the plant, sat at the kitchen table and stared at her old phone. Since morning, the towns chat groups had buzzed with one question: What would happen to the factory? Rumours swirledsome spoke of layoffs, others of a potential sale. But today, the unease sat heavier than usual. Her husband, Alexei, silently sliced bread. He was never much for words, especially when it came to work.
Do you think theyll really shut it down? Lyudmila kept her voice steady, but it wavered anyway.
Alexei shrugged. He couldnt lie, not even to ease her mind.
If they werent planning to close it, theyd have said so by now. The delayed wages werent for nothing
Lyudmila caught herself counting the days between pay slips. A month ago, theyd been talking about renovating the bathroom. Now, the house hummed with worrywould there be enough for groceries? How would they cover the bills?
That evening, the children came home: their eldest, Irina, back from her shift at the chemists, and their son, Kostya, whod recently returned from studying logistics in the city centre. He carried bags of shopping and a folder of papers.
The job centre says if the factory closes, theyll run retraining courses for people like us. Theyre already making lists
Lyudmila felt a prickle of irritation at *people like us*. As if theyd all be lumped together now, forced to learn how to live again.
The kitchen grew crampedeveryone talked over each other. Irina complained about rising prices at the chemists, Kostya mentioned a new warehouse hiring stock clerks. Then the local news jingle played. Everyone fell silent.
The council leader appeared on screen.
The factory is suspending operations. Plans are in place to convert the site into a logistics hub
The rest blurred into a dull roar in Lyudmilas ears. She saw only her familys facesAlexeis lips pressed thin, Irina turning to the window, Kostya frozen with the folder on his lap.
A door slammed in the stairwellnews travelled faster than official announcements.
That night, Lyudmila tossed and turned. She remembered her first shift at the factoryhow nervous shed been at the machines, how proud shed been of her *excellence in production* badge. Now it felt like another life.
At dawn, she gathered her documentsengineering diploma, employment recordand went to the job centre. The June heat was already thick, the air heavy with cut grass and road dust.
The queue was full of familiar facesformer foremen, the accountant from the next building over. They joked about *starting fresh*, but their eyes were all equally tired.
Theyre offering retrainingwarehouse work, logistics, some IT courses if youre interested, one man said, loud, as if convincing himself.
Lyudmila signed up for logistics. Not because she wanted tobut because staying idle at home was worse.
Alexei came back that evening with a leaflet: *Pipeline construction workrotational shifts.* The pay was nearly double the factory wages. But two weeks home meant a month away.
Dinner turned into an argument.
Im going up north! Theres nothing left here! Alexei raised his voice for the first time in years.
We could try the new project together. The towns changingKostya says they need people for the hub! Lyudmila forced calm into her words.
How many projects have come and gone? We need money *now*.
The children exchanged glancesIrina sided with their mother, Kostya tried to explain the opportunities. The family split down the middle, right there at the table.
Late that night, the windows stayed open. The smell of fried potatoes drifted from nearby flats; teenagers laughed in the street below. Lyudmila sat by the balcony with her phone, wanting to call Alexeibut hed gone out, walking alone through the estate.
A wall stood between them now. Alexei was set on the north; she, for the first time, considered staying for the hub. Neither would back down.
Three days later, Alexei left for his shift. The evening before, he packed in silence, glancing now and then at the balcony where Lyudmila stood, watching the estate. Kostya helped him fold a thick jacket and work boots, though the heat hadnt broken. Irina joked about *new beginnings*, but her voice was tight. On the table lay bus timetables, an invitation to the logistics hub, job centre forms.
At dawn, Lyudmila walked him to the coach. The square was crowdedsome boarding the same service, others seeing family off. Alexei hugged her, awkward and firm. His eyes were tired but certain.
Hold things together here. Dont vanish on me, was all he said.
The coach pulled away. Lyudmila watched until it turned the corner. Walking back on the hot tarmac, she felt the hollownessnow, each of them lived in their own time.
The house was quietthe children busy, Lyudmila rereading her retraining papers. The course was full of former machinists, storekeepers, even a chemist from the plant next door. The tutor explained electronic invoices; some took notes, others fumbled with the job centres tablets.
At first, it all felt alienwarehouse terms jumbled in her head, the pace too fast for those used to factory rhythms. But within a week, her hands steadied on the keyboard. She even helped the woman beside her with the stock program.
At home, evenings were quieter without Alexei. Kostya brought updatesthe hub had secured funding, small orders were coming in from nearby towns. Irina took extra work, processing invoices for chemists shops.
The windows stayed open latethe warm air carried the scent of barbecues, neighbours chatting on benches. Lyudmila listened. Some grumbled about *the good old days*; others plotted delivery services, repair businesses.
Two weeks later, a message came from Alexeia short clip from his portacabin up north: low sun over marshland, a construction site beyond a chain-link fence.
Its alright here. Hard work, but decent people.
Later, he calledthe line crackled with wind and generator noise.
Maybe after this rotation, Ill try finding something local. If the hub works out for you
His voice had picked up the northern workers lilt. Lyudmila listened, and for the first time, the ache in her chest loosenedjust a little.
The hubs work was slowthe town was learning. Mistakes piled up: delayed shipments, wrong addresses in the system. But neighbours helped each otherformer colleagues shared advice, even meals after shifts.
One evening, Kostya suggested a meeting for their streetto explain the hub, retraining. Lyudmila hesitatedshed never liked speaking in front of people. But Irina backed him. Together, they made notes, invited neighbours.
More came than expectedwomen brought tea in flasks, homemade cakes. Kids played near the benches, their shouts blending with talk of jobs, the towns future.
Lyudmila spoke plainlyno promises of easy money, just the fear shed felt a month ago, the relief of her first small successes.
We have to stick together. Its all newbut if we help each other, this place could change.
After, the street stayed out latediscussing bulk orders for the hub, medicine deliveries for the elderly, even a summer fete.
A month later, Alexei returnedthinner, tired, but different. He listened to their storiesthe hubs first steps, Irinas clumsy attempts at stockkeeping. That night, they sat around the table againarguing, laughing, no longer pulling apart.
Alexei offered to try the hub himselfnot rush back north.
I could help with the equipment. Its all new anyway. If it doesnt work out, Ive still got the construction job.
The children agreed. Lyudmila felt the weight lifttheir choices werent a battle anymore. They could find a way, step by step.
The next day, the street prepared for the summer partypaper lanterns strung between trees, tables laid out, boys hauling water for the saplings along the path.
In the evening light, the town seemed alteredlaughter rang from the gate to the far end of the estate, kids ran barefoot through the grass under the watch of older women on the benches.
Lyudmila noticedthe talk wasnt just about the factory anymore. They spoke of lorry routes, bike repair shops, pooling orders for the hub.
When full dark fell, her family sat by the open window, listening to the hum of the townthe laughter below, the childrens voices.
They knew the road ahead wasnt certain. But the fear had eased, replaced by something quieterthe patience to meet the next day together.
