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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
At the door, the knocking grew increasingly insistent. Lena hastily wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and ran to answer. Because of the sound of the running water, she didn\u2019t immediately hear the ring.<\/p>\n
Standing on the doorstep was Lyosha, her husband. He was holding full bags\u2014bags that had prevented him from using his key to open the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy the delay? You had to ring so loudly; it probably woke Egor,\u201d he said anxiously, glancing toward the children\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
At that hour, one-year-old Egorka was having his nap.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, he\u2019s asleep,\u201d Lena replied, carefully peeking into her son\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you so late? You were supposed to be here two hours ago,\u201d her husband chided, as his wife sorted through the bags.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stopped by Mom\u2019s,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd how is she doing?\u201d Lena asked\u2014more out of politeness than genuine interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow? \u2026 Well, there\u2019s another payment due soon, and she doesn\u2019t have a single ruble to her name,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one forced her to take that damn loan,\u201d Lena remarked thoughtfully, folding the now-empty bag and tucking it under the sink in her \u201cbag of bags.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to live within your means, or you\u2019ll end up drowning in loans, and then she\u2019ll come running to us. Besides, we haven\u2019t yet learned how to print money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I can\u2019t exactly tell her that\u2026 Anyway, we talked, and she needs to get off maternity leave; Mom has to pay for her car loan,\u201d her husband stated calmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd have you, by any chance, forgotten that we have a child? Our turn for kindergarten isn\u2019t for another year, and my salary isn\u2019t nearly high enough to pay for a nanny,\u201d his wife said, squinting at him.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, Lena had been considering going back to work herself, but not just to help pay for her mother-in-law\u2019s loan. The money she\u2019d saved during her maternity leave was evaporating like ice under the spring sun.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom will gladly watch Egor, so we\u2019ll even save a bit,\u201d her husband reasoned.<\/p>\n
Lena looked at him in disbelief. Saving that way was hardly enough. Half of her salary would go toward her mother-in-law\u2019s loan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d easily have enough saved if your mother didn\u2019t dip into our wallet so skillfully!\u201d she reminded him irritably.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what do you suggest\u2014take her car away?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, why would I? But let her go by herself\u2014or rather, roll herself\u2014to work. After all, she insisted on buying the car, not me. She\u2019s still young; she\u2019d be gladly hired as a cashier somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mother-in-law had retired early. Like many women in their small town, she had cut short the required period for an early pension in a hazardous work environment and had been enjoying her well-deserved rest for a year.<\/p>\n
Sending Marina Leonidovna back to work, in Lena\u2019s opinion, was the right decision. Only, her husband and even his own mother had their own opinions on the matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom spent her whole life suffering for my sake. Don\u2019t you remember she gave us that apartment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a lovely gift!\u201d Lena exclaimed. \u201cAnd don\u2019t you remember we gave her all our wedding money\u2014which would have easily covered the down payment for a new mortgage in a modern apartment?\u201d<\/p>\n
When her mother-in-law proposed such a swap, the newlyweds agreed. The three-room apartment seemed like the pinnacle of their dreams. And they wouldn\u2019t even have to pay a mortgage.<\/p>\n
Lena, however, had no idea that the apartment was located in a godforsaken area\u2014and that it was in terrible condition.<\/p>\n
She and her husband had spent six months renovating that panel apartment before moving in.<\/p>\n
After celebrating the housewarming, the couple began discussing having a child. They approached the impending maternity leave with utmost responsibility.<\/p>\n
They had been saving money for several years. The total amount was supposed to be enough to maintain their financial stability.<\/p>\n
Lena had long known that her mother-in-law dreamed of sleeping and imagining herself behind the wheel of a brand-new car.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it beautiful? Twenty minutes and you\u2019re at the other end of town. Meanwhile, on the bus\u2014with transfers through the center\u2014it takes nearly an hour and a half. And that\u2019s if you manage to get a seat. And if you have to stand?\u201d she sighed.<\/p>\n
Lena silently nodded in agreement. Personally, she wasn\u2019t eager to take the wheel. In their family, Alexey drove, and that suited him just fine.<\/p>\n
The daughter-in-law had missed the moment when her mother-in-law managed to get her driver\u2019s license. In truth, she hadn\u2019t been keeping close track of what was happening in her husband\u2019s mother\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
Lena was ironing diapers when Marina Leonidovna appeared at their apartment door.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook out the window,\u201d the woman declared, shining like a polished samovar.<\/p>\n
Automatically, the daughter-in-law looked out. There was nothing unexpected there: mud, slush, and a parking lot full of cars.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you see that little red one over there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marina Leonidovna seemed poised to burst into dance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s mine!\u201d she announced ceremoniously, shaking a key in the daughter-in-law\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations,\u201d Lena said, not attempting to feign any extra joy or excitement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know how to stretch a maternity leave; every penny counts, and yet someone buys a brand-new car,\u201d the daughter-in-law thought irritably.<\/p>\n
After a month, her mother-in-law\u2019s enthusiasm faded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSon, help me out\u2014lend me some money for the loan. I had no idea a car was such an expensive pleasure: you pay the insurance, get it serviced, and now you even have to buy new wheels for winter. When I saw the prices, my eyes nearly popped out. And what choice do I have? You won\u2019t be riding it in the summer,\u201d the newly minted car lady sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe a bus isn\u2019t so bad after all?\u201d Lena thought sarcastically, but she held back.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, I\u2019ll give you the money,\u201d Alexey declared, readily opening his wallet.<\/p>\n
Lena looked at him with disapproval, but said nothing. Fine\u2014she would have to tighten her expenses; she couldn\u2019t just abandon someone in trouble. Somehow, they would manage.<\/p>\n
When the same exact situation repeated the following month, Lena decided to voice her displeasure.<\/p>\n
\u201cLyosha, is your mother really going to keep draining money from us for her loan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not taking any; come on, she\u2019s helped twice,\u201d her husband replied without looking away from his computer. \u201cAre you feeling sorry for her or what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine this! I had been saving money for two years for her. It was meant to be our safety net,\u201d she grumbled.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s my mother\u2014I can\u2019t abandon her,\u201d Lyosha said, finally looking up and staring at Lena.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd couldn\u2019t your mother have waited a few more years to buy the car? At least until I\u2019m off maternity leave,\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, come on\u2026 You only say that because you\u2019re jealous,\u201d her husband smirked. \u201cWomen are always envious of one another.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lena stared at him as if he were an alien. He clearly didn\u2019t know his wife at all if he was blaming everything on envy.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd besides, Mom isn\u2019t getting any younger. How long do you expect her to wait for you to come off maternity leave? And what if you immediately rush into a second child?\u201d<\/p>\n
Initially, Lena had indeed planned to work a little after her maternity leave and then promptly have another child. But with this new twist of events, she might as well at least finish the first.<\/p>\n
A few months later, when the savings meant to cover a year\u2019s expenses had completely dried up, her husband declared:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll have to go back to work; otherwise, we won\u2019t be able to handle the payments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLyosha, have you lost your mind? And who will take care of Egor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom will gladly do it. Besides, you always complained about being cooped up at home and wanting some social interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I didn\u2019t return to work because of Mom\u2019s loan. And what if, after buying the car, she wants to renovate the apartment, then needs a seaside vacation, and then comes up with something else\u2014leaving us, like two genies, fulfilling all her wishes?\u201d Lena could no longer hold back.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t shout\u2014you\u2019ll wake the child,\u201d her husband snapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever mind, let the child know that his father is pushing his mother to work because of his grandmother\u2019s whims.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t talk nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lena resisted as best as she could, but eventually, she had to go back to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, everything with Egor will be just fine,\u201d her mother-in-law cheerfully reassured her while holding her grandson and seeing her daughter-in-law off to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the way, the clean diapers are on the dresser in the bedroom, fresh porridge is on the stove. In the fridge, there are some purees\u2014but let them sit on the table for about an hour so they\u2019re not cold when you feed Egor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, just go already,\u201d her mother-in-law chided, ushering her out the door.<\/p>\n
Lena didn\u2019t want to go back to work, but she had no choice.<\/p>\n
Her first day at work went better than she had expected, and she returned home in a buoyant mood.<\/p>\n
The first thing she saw upon opening the door was a scattering of toys in the corridor. A glance into the room made it clear that a proper rest after work was out of the question.<\/p>\n
Clothes from the closet were piled on the sofa; books and boxes lay mixed with toys on the floor.<\/p>\n
Lena kicked off her shoes and went into the kitchen. There, Marina Leonidovna\u2014having climbed onto a stool\u2014was rummaging through the top cupboard, while Egor stirred his porridge with a spoon.<\/p>\n
Chaos reigned in both the room and the kitchen. On the tables were jars of cereals, pots, a mountain of spices, and other miscellanea\u2026 Lena was horrified as she realized that her mother-in-law had thoroughly ransacked all the kitchen tables and cabinets\u2014places Lena herself had never managed to tidy.<\/p>\n
Sitting on the chair by the window was Lyosha, watching the scene unfold.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see this mess?\u201d his mother grumbled, pulling a jar from a distant corner of the cupboard. \u201cOne would have torn their hands off!\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached deep into the cupboard once more and pulled out some little bag of cereal\u2014something Lena had long since forgotten about.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should at least control how your wife manages the house, son. Otherwise, she lets the entire apartment go to waste. And after sitting on maternity leave for over a year, what did she do? Just lounge on the sofa? When I was on maternity leave, my house was in perfect order.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen am I supposed to keep an eye on you?\u201d Alexey protested. At that moment, he saw his sulking wife standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you scared me,\u201d his mother-in-law exclaimed, noticing the daughter-in-law who had suddenly appeared in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you forget in my cabinets?\u201d the mistress of the kitchen demanded angrily.<\/p>\n
\u201cForgot what? I went to get some oatmeal for porridge, and there was such a mess. So I decided to help tidy up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd why did you turn everything upside down in the room? What were you looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking for the child\u2019s pants\u2014you never said they were on the dresser in the bedroom. So I had to rummage around,\u201d her mother-in-law said indignantly, spreading her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, what a loving wife you are\u2026,\u201d her mother-in-law clicked her lips meaningfully. \u201cAnd how does Alexey tolerate all of this? He\u2019s used to order and cleanliness\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, son, support me before I fall,\u201d the woman pleaded as she got down from the stool.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems that during all the time we\u2019ve lived together, your son hasn\u2019t really cared about keeping the house clean. He tosses his socks in the corners, not to mention the dishes. Since he\u2019s such a neat freak, why doesn\u2019t he help out? After all, you\u2019ve seen how I fuss over the child,\u201d the daughter-in-law immediately defended herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cA man isn\u2019t supposed to crawl around with a rag on the floor. That\u2019s a woman\u2019s duty,\u201d her mother-in-law added grumpily, placing her hands on her hips.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen take care of it in your own apartment. Why did you bring your own standards of cleanliness into our home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI only wanted to help. Of course, I\u2019m used to living in a mess, but I just can\u2019t stand it\u2014I\u2019m a perfectionist. I need everything to be clean and orderly,\u201d the woman declared, lifting her chin. \u201cLook at all these useless things you\u2019ve found.\u201d<\/p>\n
She waved her hand toward the sink. Lena looked and was dumbfounded. On the floor lay bags of dried herbs that her mother had given her at the end of summer\u2014her own collection, gathered and dried by her.<\/p>\n
Nearby, a heap of glass jars stood where Lena used to make homemade yogurts. But what upset her most was the enormous cast-iron duck roaster set aside for disposal\u2014a relic passed down from her grandmother.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d even have thrown out that old dinner set,\u201d her mother-in-law declared, unaware that her actions were already jeopardizing her already fragile relationship with her daughter-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave everything in its proper place,\u201d the irritated daughter-in-law snapped each word.<\/p>\n
Marina Leonidovna looked at her in surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, well. I had no idea you were such a hoarder,\u201d her mother-in-law muttered with self-importance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho asked you to meddle in my cabinets in the first place?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lena climbed onto a stool and, under disapproving glares from her mother-in-law, quickly put everything back in its place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho asked her to stick her nose into my cabinets at all?\u201d Lena fumed, as Marina Leonidovna, picking up her coat and wrapping a scarf around her neck, departed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee, Mom was right\u2014you really let the apartment go to waste,\u201d Lyosha declared in her defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Mom was right?\u201d Lena fumed.<\/p>\n
She looked at her husband, barely recognizing him.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Lena, forgive me. Of course, I was wrong yesterday,\u201d her mother-in-law cooed the next day, smiling saccharinely as she saw her daughter-in-law off to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cForget it\u2014but please, no more meddling in the cabinets. I\u2019ll manage the cleaning myself. And the child\u2019s pants are on the dresser!\u201d Lena declared sharply.<\/p>\n
Lena soon immersed herself in work. Marina Leonidovna dutifully performed her role as grandmother. Every evening when her daughter-in-law returned from work, her mother-in-law would report on how the day had gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, by the way, I sat hungry all day,\u201d the woman once declared with pursed lips. \u201cI went to work and left the empty pots behind,\u201d Marina Leonidovna said reproachfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are dumplings in the freezer and plenty of meat. You could have cooked something,\u201d the daughter-in-law retorted.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow am I supposed to cook with the child in my arms?\u201d protested Marina Leonidovna.<\/p>\n
Lena was thoroughly exhausted by her mother-in-law\u2019s daily tirades. Every evening, she had to listen to her complain that her cooking was unappetizing, that her place was dusty and cluttered, and that the house felt uncomfortable\u2014claiming that she could have done a better job taking care of the apartment she had given them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough,\u201d Lena suddenly exclaimed. \u201cInstead of saying \u2018thank you,\u2019 you manage to heap more criticism!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what for \u2018thank you\u2019?\u201d her mother-in-law asked, genuinely surprised. \u201cI\u2019m doing you a favor, you know: I get up early, travel across the city, and sit with your son.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lena listened in disbelief. She couldn\u2019t believe her ears\u2014she hadn\u2019t expected such a turn of events.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarina Leonidovna, do you not remember who needed the car and for whose loan I was forced to go back to work?\u201d Lena shrieked.<\/p>\n
Her mother-in-law, not expecting such a turn, was momentarily stunned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere would you go with your help and your car, you know where?\u201d Marina Leonidovna glared at her daughter-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you know?!\u201d the woman finally protested, once she had recovered a bit from the shock. \u201cThen stay home with Egor yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n
She grabbed her coat and prepared to leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem, and you handle your own loan somehow,\u201d the daughter-in-law retorted with a touch of sarcasm.<\/p>\n
For a moment, her mother-in-law paused in the doorway, looked at Lena, and then bolted out\u2014slamming the door so hard that the plaster fell off.<\/p>\n
Lena\u2019s anger was boiling inside. For five months, her mother-in-law had been watching Egor; for five months, Lena had endured daily complaints that she was a terrible housekeeper, that she didn\u2019t watch her son properly, and that her husband was starving her\u2026<\/p>\n
What angered her most was that Lyosha knew perfectly well how his mother tormented his wife\u2014and yet he did nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell her to leave me alone,\u201d Lena demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow am I supposed to tell her? Besides, it\u2019s your fault\u2014Mom is right,\u201d her husband declared.<\/p>\n
Lena picked up her son\u2014the very reason she was willing to work tirelessly and lose sleep at night.<\/p>\n
A plan had already formed in her mind\u2026<\/p>\n
She rolled a suitcase into the middle of the room and calmly, methodically began packing her things. Why should she stay with a husband who couldn\u2019t even protect her from his own mother? Better alone than with someone who didn\u2019t respect her.<\/p>\n
The phone wouldn\u2019t stop ringing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you want to answer?\u201d her mother asked tiredly, looking at her daughter. Lena had been living with her for a week now. Although it was a long way to get to work, there was no other option.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Lena replied quietly but firmly. She stood by the stove, cooking a little soup for her son. She knew her husband was calling, but she wasn\u2019t planning to speak with him.<\/p>\n
There was another ring at the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaughter, come here,\u201d her mother called from the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarina Leonidovna?!\u201d Lena was expecting to see her husband at the door, but she hadn\u2019t anticipated her mother-in-law\u2019s appearance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I come in?\u201d the woman asked in a subdued voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, of course,\u201d Lena replied, not expecting anything good from this visit.<\/p>\n
She led her mother-in-law into the kitchen and poured her some tea. The older woman sat silently for a long while, clutching a glass in her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must go back home,\u201d she finally said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see you\u2019ve gotten into the habit of telling me what I should do,\u201d Lena said bitterly with a wry smile.<\/p>\n
Marina Leonidovna lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry\u2014I didn\u2019t mean to offend you. Please, go back home,\u201d she pleaded almost in a whisper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d Lena asked. \u201cYou and Lyosha are perfectly fine without us and Egor. You take out loans as much as you want, and let your son pay for everything. I\u2019ll provide for our needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lena was still angry at both her mother-in-law and her husband. She wasn\u2019t going to work her whole life for Marina Leonidovna\u2019s whims; she had her own goals and plans. Sure, she could have meekly waited until her son grew up and then shifted all the burdens onto him\u2014but Lena was not willing to do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cLena, forgive me. I don\u2019t even understand what came over me\u2026 Go back to Lyosha, he\u2019s waiting for you\u2026 You know, I have started working again,\u201d her mother-in-law added, looking at her daughter-in-law with genuine emotion.<\/p>\n
Lena placed her hand over her mother-in-law\u2019s and looked her in the eyes. Outside, the wind sang its own tune, and the leaves whispered. Their eyes met, and everything was understood without words. At last, complete mutual understanding arose between them.<\/p>\n
Lena returned to her husband. Soon after, the couple decided on a second child and were immeasurably happy.<\/p>\n
Marina Leonidovna, as promised, no longer asked her son and daughter-in-law for money. In fact, she got a job. Six months later, a significant event occurred in her life\u2014she met a man with whom she formed a strong relationship.<\/p>\n
The woman realized one important thing: you can\u2019t ease one person\u2019s life at the expense of another\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At the door, the knocking grew increasingly insistent. Lena hastily wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and ran to answer. Because of the sound of the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n