When will dinner be ready?
Well, itll be ready when you make it. The motherinlaw slipped off her glasses.
Mykhola, does your wife want me to stand at the stove? Or will she just lie there?
Natalia, ignoring her, grabbed a few items and headed for the hallway, followed by the motherinlaw.
Whats going on? Where are you off to?
On vacation! Bye!
She set the heavy bags down with relief.
Im home!
A low muttering drifted from the bedroom, then the source emergeda man about forty, give or take. He wore a tracksuit and slippers.
Natalia, why are you shouting? This isnt your village. Behave yourself.
Actually, you could have greeted me; you know the salarys in, we need to buy groceries.
The man let out a loud sigh.
Goodness! What groceries?
He turned and walked back into the room. Natalia exhaled heavily, fed up with everything.
She works two jobs to keep the house afloat, while her husband, encouraged by his mother, has been writing some mythical book for a year now. The first was dismissed because nobody gets art.
She undressed, carried the bags to the kitchen. Starting tomorrow she has a vacation and plans to clean, wash, iron, and reorganize the whole apartment under her motherinlaws watchful eye. Shes exhausted.
Svetlana Pavlivna peeked into the kitchen.
Natalia, why are you spreading out? Are you going to feed the husband? Hes worked all day and now has to wait!
Did he earn a lot?
Natalia couldnt grasp how the question slipped out. Once she had looked at a budding writer with awe, thrilled by his promise of fame.
She trembled at her motherinlaws glance and tried to please her, then fell silent out of guilt, remembering how the motherinlaw had supported the family while Natalia was on maternity leave.
Svetlana Pavlivna, about to leave, abruptly turned:
What did you say?
I asked if he earned a lot. People usually bring money home when they work.
How dare you! Mykhola spent the entire day plotting the next chapter! How could you understand that? You dont know what its like to work with your mind!
The woman snapped and left. Natalia suddenly thought:
What am I doing here? Her son is already at his parents place in the village, making noise, playing, and disturbing Mykholas concentration for yet another pointless masterpiece.
She snapped back to arranging the groceries from the fridge, this time stuffing them into a large bag. She had received her salary and vacation pay, intended to bring home tasty food and buy a gift for her son on the way.
She stepped into the corridor, dropped the bag, and fetched something else. Mykhola, still glued to the TV, asked:
When will dinner be ready?
Well, when you cook it, then itll be ready.
The motherinlaw removed her glasses.
Mykhola, does your wife want me at the stove? Or will she just lie there?
Natalia, ignoring the remark, took a few items and moved toward the hallway, the motherinlaw trailing behind.
Whats happening? Where are you going?
On vacation! Bye!
She didnt wait for anything else. She grabbed the heavy bag and rushed down the stairs, trying to hail a taxi. Sixty kilometres? Fine, one time wont hurt.
Andriyko was already in bed when Natalia entered the parental house. He woke, ran to his mother, and embraced her tightly. She held him close, missing him dearly.
His mother examined Natalia closely:
Did something happen? Why did you leave Mykhola? Who will watch him?
The mother always kept a proper distance from her soninlaw. After the wedding they still visited his parents on weekends, but the motherinlaw quickly put Mykhola in his place when she saw how he spent his days.
After a few visits, Hanna Viktorivna would wake Mykhola at six in the morning and force him to work in the yard or garden, draining any desire he had for leisure.
Thats it, Mom! Im fed up. Im on a monthlong vacation!
The mother smiled warmly:
Thank God youll finally rest and be with your son.
Natalia lay with her child, staring at the moonlight, watching her boy grow, and eventually fell asleep.
In the morning a strange scent woke herfood, perhaps a pastry. Andriyko was gone. Natalia stretched, feeling content, and her son appeared beside her.
Grandma baked a whole tray of pies!
After breakfast Natalia told her mother:
What should I do now?
Have you rested yet?
Im just glad theres more work.
Go to the garden. The cabbage is overgrown, the cucumbers need weeding; I cant keep up.
Around the third row she realized she actually enjoyed gardening. She looked over the tidy, weedfree beds and smiled.
Its beautiful.
First time Ive seen someone weed with such a happy face!
She turned her eyes to a familiar figure:
Zhenya! Where have you been?
The woman ran to hug her husband, who had come from the yard.
I just stopped by my fathers to ask for a key, and they told me Natalia had arrived. I couldnt just leave.
Yevhen was her neighbor. When she was ten, she fell for him instantly, following him everywhere. He was already a teenager, fifteen, but she didnt mind. He gave her sweets and looked after her. After he went to serve in the army, he returned to find Natalia grown into a woman. She looked at him shyly, making him embarrassed. He later married, moved to the city, and they hadnt seen each other for about ten years.
Natalia asked:
Why are you here?
You wont believe itI came to my mothers. I divorced a month ago.
Seriously? Well thats none of my business.
In the evening Yevhen and his mother invited everyone over. They grilled kebabs, chatted about everything, and Natalia felt so at ease she could barely put it into words. No need to hold back, no need for dramajust live.
Two weeks later her mother sat down with her.
Natalia, dear, what do you think? Are you coming back?
I dont know, Mom. How do I live? I have a job but no place to stay.
Maybe you could rent something? Or stay here. Well find you work. And Zhenya have you seen how he looks at you?
Mom, whats he looking at? Its just a echo of my childhood.
I dont know Yevhen is good, reliable. He says his city job is very important.
Natalia stared at her mother, surprised.
Mom, are you trying to set me up?
The woman blushed.
Whats wrong with that? I see you two would be happy together.
Natalia laughed. Mom really does
Yevhen left for a week for work. Natalia missed him so much she even scolded herself, like a child in kindergarten. Mykhola kept calling and texting.
At first he chastised her, calling her ungrateful for taking him out of the village, then threatened to evict her and the son from their apartment. Natalia even laughed at that.
It was odd that after all these years he still hadnt figured out how to move out. Then his mother called, saying that because of ungrateful Natalia she felt pressure and if Natalia didnt return immediately, the consequences would fall on the daughterinlaw.
The last few days grew quiet, oddly enough, which was a relief. In the evening Yevhen arrived, brought a huge car for Andriyko, and again invited everyone over. Mother gave Natalia a meaningful look, and Natalia felt so happy to see Yevhen that she wanted to jump.
Grills were still sizzling when a car stopped in front of the house. A young woman leapt out and hurried to Zhenya.
Darling, how long will you hide from me? Thats enough fun. Lets go to the city.
Oksana, why are you here?
Natalia understood instantlythis was Zhenyas wife, an ex, not important now, but clearly an unwanted presence. The woman took Andriykos hand and they quietly walked toward their house, but they didnt get far before a taxi pulled up.
From the taxi stepped Mykhola and his mother.
Look at her! Shes strolling around, doesnt even care about her husband.
Why did you come?
Natalia pressed her lips together, now fully aware how unpleasant these people were.
Already rested? Get home quickly! Whats this? A husband needs to work, not just stand around! No cooking, no cleaning!
What, did the husband get a job?
The motherinlaw was about to lose it, but Mykhola began:
You know Im writing a book! Its not like Im shifting steel at a factory.
Mykhola Ive wanted to tell you for ages that youre a total failure, you dont live like a man. What have you done for your family? Money? Teach the son anything? No, you sit on my neck with your mother and I wont return. Ill take everything you bought over the last ten years!
Natalia walked to her gate and, to her surprise, saw Yevhen smiling.
Wow, evenings here. You did well, as expected.
They watched Mykhola and his mother arguing with Oksana, waving their arms.
Natalia didnt stay in the village. After she and Yevhen signed the papers, she and Andriyko moved to the city with her new husband. He insisted she change jobs, saying a woman shouldnt work in a factory. Now Natalia sits in an office filing papers. At first she felt ashamed because the salary was small, but Zhenya was genuinely surprised.
Your salary is your salary. Buttons and pins are fine. The man should provide for the family.
Mykhola didnt stay single for long either; he married Oksana. Now his mother has to support two freeloaders. Meanwhile, Natalia heard that she quickly convinced her son to forget the book and go work at a plant.
Overall, everything that happens ends up for the best. One thing broke, another appeared.
Feel free to like and leave your thoughts in the comments!
