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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Denis, did you get the chocolate roll?\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 No, you said you bought it to treat the girls at work. I didn\u2019t touch it,\u00bb reported the husband while peeking out from the bathroom.<\/p>\n
\u00abNika spent half an hour rummaging through the kitchen, unable to find the roll she had purchased last night.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 That\u2019s exactly it. I meant to take it to work, but I left it at home this morning, and now it\u2019s nowhere to be found.\u00bb
\nThe girl looked confused at the open kitchen cupboard.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Maybe you did take it?\u00bb the husband doubted, also peering into the cupboard.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 I\u2019m still with my wits about me, and I clearly remember leaving it on the table when I left the house. But now it\u2019s gone\u2026\u00bb
\nThe spouses looked at the dining table. It was completely empty.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 It\u2019s all clear now! We\u2019ve been robbed,\u00bb Denis smirked as he looked at his wife. \u00abWe need to call the police immediately, get some witnesses, and make a complete inventory of all the missing items.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 You\u2019re joking!\u00bb grumbled Nika as she patted her husband on the shoulder. The thing was, she actually worked in the police. \u00abI\u2019ve already checked everything; nothing else is missing.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 I know!\u00bb exclaimed Denis, mischievous sparks dancing in his eyes. \u00abCarlson flew in, the one who lives on the roof!\u00bb<\/p>\n
Nika smiled.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Then I must have checked in the wrong place. We need to count the cookies in the cupboard and the jam jars!\u00bb
\nThe spouses laughed a little more and soon forgot about the mysterious disappearance of the roll.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 Denis, you\u2019ve got some nerve. I took that bubble bath foam for myself, and you drink it like water!\u00bb Nika complained one evening. \u00abBesides, it has a feminine scent\u2014if you need foam, just say so, and I\u2019ll buy you a bottle.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 I\u2019ve never touched your foam in my life. Besides, I mostly take showers, so why would I need your foam?\u00bb replied the husband.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Then where is it disappearing to?\u00bb the girl was puzzled. \u00abI used to get enough from one bottle for several months, but now it doesn\u2019t even last a month, even though I\u2019ve taken at most about five baths with it.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 It\u2019s the house spirit!\u00bb declared the husband, hugging his wife.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Denis, that\u2019s not funny!\u00bb Nika got angry. \u00abAfter that incident with the roll, I started noticing other strange things. I leave the glasses in the kitchen cupboard in one order, but when I come home, they are arranged completely differently. And also, the groceries seem to be running out a bit faster.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 I\u2019m telling you, the house spirit is playing tricks,\u00bb Denis said, no longer as confidently. He knew his wife was not one to panic.
\n\u00ab\u2013 And also, for a whole week I couldn\u2019t find my chiffon scarf and the gold earrings with diamonds that you gave me on our wedding anniversary. I looked in the jewelry box every day\u2014they were gone\u2014and then last night I opened the box and they were back in place! How do you explain that?\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 And you found the scarf too?\u00bb inquired a completely flustered Denis.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Just imagine! It wasn\u2019t lying where it usually is\u2014it was hanging in the hallway on the coat rack!\u00bb Nika announced ceremoniously.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I don\u2019t know what to say. Somehow, all this doesn\u2019t really look like the work of thieves,\u00bb the man said, shaking his head.
\n\u00ab\u2013 That\u2019s exactly what I\u2019m saying!\u00bb Nika declared triumphantly.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 Deniska, let\u2019s go to the movies today,\u00bb Nika said, pressing the phone to her ear with her shoulder while simultaneously searching for her keys to the building and her apartment in her purse.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Wow, did they let you leave work early?\u00bb her husband rejoiced.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Yes, can you imagine? The boss softened up. He allowed me to leave early in memory of the festive overtime.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Alright, it\u2019s settled. I\u2019m heading home now. In the meantime, you boil the kettle,\u00bb he said, giving valuable instructions before disconnecting the call.
\n\u00ab\u2013 There they are!\u00bb the girl exclaimed happily, finally pulling out a keychain from her purse.
\nNika hurried up the stairs. In her head, she ran through a list of things she needed to do before her husband returned.<\/p>\n
When Nika opened the door, she froze. It was obvious that someone was in the apartment. But who? Her husband was still at work. She had just spoken with him, and there was no one else\u2026
\n\u00abCould it be burglars?\u00bb a troubling thought flashed through her mind.<\/p>\n
She carefully inspected the lock. It had not been forced.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Strange, would a burglar have our keys? I distinctly remember locking the door.\u00bb
\nNika looked around. The apartment was in perfect order, with no signs of a break-in.
\nIn the bathroom, water was running and the entire apartment smelled of foam\u2014the very foam that had been disappearing at an alarming rate over the past few months. The TV was on in the kitchen and the clatter of dishes could be heard. It was clear that an uninvited guest was right there.<\/p>\n
\nTrying to be as quiet as possible, Nika took off her shoes and went into the kitchen. She cautiously peeked around the corner and froze\u2026<\/p>\n
Elena Fedorovna, Denis\u2019s mother and, by extension, Nika\u2019s mother-in-law, was nonchalantly brewing tea in a glass. A vase with cookies and a saucer of sandwiches were on the table. She was so absorbed in the television that she hadn\u2019t heard the hostess approaching from behind.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Hello, Elena Fedorovna,\u00bb Nika blurted out, now entering the kitchen without fear.
\nThe elderly woman squeaked in fright and sat down abruptly, clutching a small plate of sandwiches with her elbow. Seeing her daughter-in-law standing in the kitchen doorway, she straightened up with a sigh.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Have you completely lost your mind? My heart nearly stopped!\u00bb the mother-in-law exclaimed indignantly, waving her hands at the girl.
\n\u00ab\u2013 If you\u2019d stop wandering through other people\u2019s kitchens, your heart might stay in one piece,\u00bb Nika chided in a moralizing tone. \u00abDidn\u2019t they slice the sausage too thickly?\u00bb she added with a smile, eyeing the \u201corphaned\u201d sandwich.
\n\u00ab\u2013 By the way, what are you doing here?\u00bb Nika suddenly asked, her smile fading completely as she stared at her mother-in-law.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Well, it\u2019s just that\u2026\u00bb the uninvited guest\u2019s eyes darted about.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I see, you decided to take a bath and have a snack,\u00bb Nika replied on the woman\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 You\u2019ve always been rude. I told Denis not to marry a girl who works in the police. They\u2019re all cynical and have no respect for their elders,\u00bb the mother-in-law chided, regaining her composure.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Can you please stick to the topic? Otherwise, I\u2019ll have to put my professional skills to use on you,\u00bb Nika retorted.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Don\u2019t shout, you owe me your thanks,\u00bb the mother-in-law rebuked her daughter-in-law. \u00abI saved you from a proper robbery.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 What do you mean? You came in and ate all the best stuff yourself so that the thieves wouldn\u2019t get anything?\u00bb Nika asked with a smirk.
\n\u00ab\u2013 You\u2019re always so sarcastic! But I had a strange premonition today. I was walking past your house and decided to drop by. I approached the door, tugged at the handle, and found it open\u2026\u00bb the mother-in-law recounted, staring at her daughter-in-law as if she\u2019d caught her sneaking candy from the cookie vase.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I clearly remember locking the door with a key,\u00bb Nika couldn\u2019t believe her ears. Laughter was the last thing on her mind now.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Well, I won\u2019t make things up. You just say something and don\u2019t babble. How else would I have gotten into your apartment?\u00bb the mother-in-law pressed. \u00abI don\u2019t even have a key. That\u2019s why I couldn\u2019t lock it, so I decided to sit and wait for you, and to keep things interesting, I made some tea and filled the bath.\u00bb
\n\u00abCould it be that I actually forgot to lock the door?\u00bb Nika fretted.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Elena Fedorovna, forgive me, I don\u2019t know what came over me. Honestly, I don\u2019t mind the cookies and sandwiches. And the water and foam too\u2026\u00bb
\nThe mother-in-law spoke so convincingly that Nika began to doubt her memory.
\n\u00abMaybe that\u2019s why she was coming around our house? And my foam has long since started disappearing along with my other things.\u00bb Her memory also reminded her of the missing chocolate roll and the earrings with the scarf.
\nSomething was off\u2014something the mother-in-law wasn\u2019t telling, but what?<\/p>\n
\u00abNikaa!\u00bb
\nThe girl heard her husband\u2019s voice. She shuddered and turned her head. They were returning from the movie theater. It was already dark outside.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Why have you been so out of it all evening? I asked you at least five times how you liked the movie,\u00bb Denis asked, puzzled as he looked at his wife.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Ah, the movie? It was good,\u00bb she replied, trying to appear nonchalant.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Come on, spill it. What happened?\u00bb Denis couldn\u2019t hold back any longer.
\n\u00ab\u2013 What do you mean? Everything\u2019s fine,\u00bb she tried to dodge the question.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Tell me, did you lock the front door with a key today or not?\u00bb Nika looked at her husband challengingly.
\nHe paused for a second.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Oh yes! Remember, you asked me to hold your purse, and then you fiddled with the key for a long time, tucking it into the little pocket with the lock.\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Exactly!\u00bb Nika smacked her forehead. \u00abShe tricked me. The door was locked! Then how did she get inside?\u00bb
\nDenis looked at his wife, completely bewildered.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Nika, how are you feeling? Let me call you a taxi, and when we get home, I\u2019ll make you a hot bath with your favorite foam so you can really relax\u2026\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Ha-ha-ha. Do you really think I\u2019ve lost my mind?\u00bb
\nThe wife explained to her husband how she had encountered her mother-in-law in their kitchen earlier that day.
\n\u00ab\u2013 You see, water was running in the bath, and it smelled of my foam. But I can\u2019t figure out how she got into the apartment if I truly locked the door,\u00bb she said, staring at her husband challengingly.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Damn it!\u00bb Denis cursed, slapping his forehead. \u00abThat\u2019s because I gave my mother the keys!\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Why?\u00bb Nika asked, surprised.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Well, about six months ago we went on vacation. I gave my mother the keys to our apartment so she could look after it,\u00bb explained Denis.
\n\u00ab\u2013 And why didn\u2019t you get them back?\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Why should I? I asked her to return them, but she apparently forgot,\u00bb he shrugged.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Right, or maybe she deliberately didn\u2019t bring them back so she could drop by uninvited from time to time and take things without asking,\u00bb Nika frowned.
\n\u00ab\u2013 It\u2019s fine, don\u2019t worry. Tomorrow I\u2019ll go get them myself,\u00bb Denis waved his hand dismissively.
\n\u00ab\u2013 No, leave them,\u00bb Nika exclaimed. \u00abI want to teach her a little lesson!\u00bb
\nA devious plan was already forming in Nika\u2019s mind. After this, her mother-in-law would surely forget about coming into their apartment without permission.<\/p>\n
That evening, Nika rigged the entire apartment with cameras and streamed the footage to her phone. Even while at work the next day, she could see what was happening in her apartment.
\nHowever, she didn\u2019t go to work the following day; instead, she stayed over at her neighbor Lenka\u2019s place, quickly explaining the situation.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Are you sure you want to teach her such a harsh lesson?\u00bb Lenka asked, hesitant.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Absolutely. I\u2019ve warned the boys to work carefully,\u00bb Nika grumbled. \u00abNow she\u2019ll remember for life that she shouldn\u2019t drop by when the owners aren\u2019t home.\u00bb
\nLenka shook her head disapprovingly.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I\u2019ve told both my mother and my mother-in-law to behave as if they were in their own home. When I visit my mother, I don\u2019t ask for permission to have tea or coffee. Why should she have to ask permission when visiting me?\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 I don\u2019t hide my treats or interfere with tea time, but coming to my place when I\u2019m not home is entirely different!\u00bb
\nNika stood her ground.<\/p>\n
Elena Fedorovna didn\u2019t have to wait long. Convinced that she had completely outsmarted her not-so-bright daughter-in-law, she arrived at the apartment around noon.
\nConfidently unlocking the door with her key, she strode straight to the bathroom and turned on the water.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Aha, so you like my foam that much. Why can\u2019t you buy your own?\u00bb Nika grumbled as she watched her relative.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Oh, look, she took the sausage out of the refrigerator,\u00bb Lenka exclaimed, eyes wide as she observed the scene.
\nUnaware that someone was watching her, Elena Fedorovna continued confidently toward the bedroom.
\n\u00ab\u2013 And here\u2019s my little bracelet. I was so flustered\u2014I\u2019d been searching for it all week,\u00bb Nika announced joyfully. \u00abLook, now she\u2019s trying to snatch my brooch,\u00bb Nika commented on the screen.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Kolyunya, time\u2019s up!\u00bb Nika commanded, dialing a number. \u00abRemember, it\u2019s not real\u2014don\u2019t wreck the place too badly, or you\u2019ll have to clean up afterwards,\u00bb she said into the phone and switched back to the camera feed.<\/p>\n
Elena Fedorovna felt perfectly at home in her son\u2019s and daughter-in-law\u2019s apartment. By the time three brave young men in full gear, armed and ready, burst into the apartment, she was pouring herself some tea.
\nSeeing this masked masquerade, the startled woman sank to the floor in fright.
\n\u00ab\u2013 The alarm panel has been triggered!\u00bb announced the leader.
\n\u00ab\u2013 What panel? What security?\u00bb shrieked the dumbfounded mother-in-law.
\n\u00ab\u2013 You\u2019ve broken into someone else\u2019s apartment; you\u2019ll have to come with us until we sort out the circumstances and your identity,\u00bb declared the commander.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I\u2019m not going anywhere! This is my son\u2019s apartment. He gave me the keys, see!\u00bb With trembling hands, the woman produced a keychain from her purse.
\n\u00ab\u2013 So you do have the keys after all!\u00bb Nika triumphantly declared as she entered the apartment.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Was that you!? Was all this your doing?\u00bb the mother-in-law blushed with anger and frustration.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I only wanted to catch the thief who was pilfering sweets and my valuables from our cupboard. Who would have guessed it was you?\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 And you found the scarf too?\u00bb Denis asked, utterly dismayed.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Imagine! It wasn\u2019t lying where it usually is\u2014it was hanging in the hallway on the rack!\u00bb Nika had announced with great ceremony.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I don\u2019t know what to say. Somehow, all this doesn\u2019t really look like the work of thieves,\u00bb Denis said, shaking his head.
\n\u00ab\u2013 That\u2019s exactly what I\u2019m saying!\u00bb Nika declared triumphantly.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 So, give back the keys and, while you\u2019re at it, the bracelet,\u00bb Nika ordered.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Who needs your bracelet? I\u2019d wear it for a few days and then put it back in its place,\u00bb grumbled Elena Fedorovna as she rummaged in her purse and pulled out the ornament.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Thanks, guys, you really helped! See you at work,\u00bb Nika said to the boys, having frightened the uninvited guest.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Call us if you need anything, Veronica Nikolaevna,\u00bb responded Commander Nikolai as he left the apartment.
\n\u00ab\u2013 I always knew you were a rude, uneducated brute,\u00bb snapped the mother-in-law.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Look at you\u2014so polite and well-mannered. A true model to follow!\u00bb Nika retorted.
\n\u00ab\u2013 By the way, Denis gave me the keys himself. I\u2019ll tell your son all about how you nearly gave me a heart attack!\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Look, Elena Fedorovna. Denis and I have installed an alarm system in the apartment. So if you ever feel like having some tea again or luxuriating in the bath, do it in your own home, alright?\u00bb
\nThe mother-in-law lowered her gaze and nodded. Five minutes later, she departed.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2013 Son, you know your wife really outdid herself, right?\u00bb his mother shrieked into the phone as soon as she left the daughter-in-law\u2019s place.
\n\u00ab\u2013 What did she do?\u00bb Denis couldn\u2019t understand.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Dinya, your wife nearly roasted me! I\u2019m practically on my way to the hospital\u2014I nearly had a heart attack from those pranks\u2026\u00bb
\n\u00ab\u2013 Mom, judging by your energetic voice, you\u2019re fine. But lying is not good!\u00bb Denis chided in a didactic tone.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Oh, mother, so you think I\u2019m lying, while your wife is the one who\u2019s brilliant! Son, do you even have a spare mother?\u00bb
\nElena Fedorovna expected a completely different reaction from her son. She thought he would immediately rush home and \u00abteach Nika a lesson,\u00bb but things turned out differently. He even scolded his own mother.
\n\u00ab\u2013 Alright, now your mother won\u2019t be calling for at least a month and a half,\u00bb Denis smirked as he returned home that evening.
\n\u00ab\u2013 It\u2019s okay. Maybe she\u2019ll start thinking for herself and realize she acted wrongly,\u00bb Nika grumbled.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Elena Fedorovna did not disturb her son and daughter-in-law for a long time afterward. She soon forgot all about her secret visits to their apartment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Denis, did you get the chocolate roll?\u00bb \u00ab\u2013 No, you said you bought it to treat the girls at work. I didn\u2019t touch it,\u00bb reported the husband… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n