З життя
«Свекруха запросила в гості, але діти втомили її за день»
Було це давно, але досі пам’ятається, немов учора… Свекруха запросила нас на вихідні до свого дому за містом, але у мене, чесно кажучи, не горіло бажання їхати. Наші стосунки завжди були… скажімо так, прохолодні. Ми не сварились, але й теплоти між нами теж не було. Вона дзвонила рідко, лише щоб дізнатись про онуків, і я була рада, що спілкування обмежувалось короткими розмовами. Але після виходу на пенсію Ганна Миколаївна раптом вирішила стати “бабусею року” і побачити дітей. “Приїжджайте на шашлики, повдихаємо свіжого повітря, відпочинемо!” — запрошувала вона. Ну що ж, якщо чоловікові це не важко, а дітям буде цікаво — я погодилась.
Чоловік навіть відпросився з роботи раніше. Приїхали, влаштувались, шашлики допікаються, дітлахи тішаться, погода чудова. Нас поселили на другому поверсі — затишно, просторо. Вечір минув добре, свікор налив синові пару чарок, вони розбалакались. Я тим часом клала молодшого сина спати, а старший залишився у дворі з бабусею та дідом — ще й сусіди підійшли. Через пару годин повертаюсь, а свекруха вже зі скривленим обличчям: “Забирай його. Він у мене всі сили витяг! Носиться без кінця!”
На ранок я встала раніше, пішла готувати сніданок. Молодший був зі мною на кухні, старший прокинувся пізніше та вийшов у двір гратись у м’яча. І раптом у кімнату вривається Ганна Миколаївна, вся на нервах: “У тебе син зовсім невихований! По сходах бігав, кричав, а тут гості ще сплять!” Та тільки ніхто не спав — було вже майже дев’ята. А мій син не бігав, а йшов обережно. Але її вже не переконати — якщо онук шумить, значить, я погана мати.
Пізніше старший знову пробіг по сходах, коли всі були на дворі. “Ось! Знову бігає! Ніякого спокою!” — з перебільшеною долею драматизму зітхнула вона й театрально притулила долоню до чола. Я стрималась, але всередині вже кипіла: “А навіщо ви нас кликали, якщо вам заважають власніте онуки?!”
А потім молодший син розревівся — у нього різались зубки. Почалась істерика. Свекруха схопилась, наче її струмом ударило: “Ой, усе! Я так не витримаю! Їдьте сьогодні! Ще день — і в мене з головою буде біда!” — скрикнула вона з виглядом мучениці. Чоловік спробував заперечити: “Мамо, я ще вчорашнього не виспався, мені за кермо не можна!” Вона миттю схопилась за алкотестером. Так, ви не помилились — вона що півгодини міряла рівень алкоголю в крові сина, щоб знати, коли можна нас виставити.
До обіду ми вже збирали речі. Попрощались холодно. Чоловік досі спілкується з батьками, а я більше не беру слухавку. І не збираюсь. Нещодавно вона знову подзвонила — запросила зустрічати Новий рік у її заміському “раю”. Я відповіла рішуче: “Ні. Мені вистачило одного разу. Вашого гостинства — понад усе”.
A Sold Friend: Grandad’s Tale And He Understood Me! It Was No Fun – I Realized What a Foolish Idea It Was. I Sold Him. He Thought It Was a Game, Until He Realized I’d Truly Sold Him. Times, After All, Are Different for Everyone. For Some, All-Inclusive Isn’t All That Generous, While Others Just Dream of Fresh Bread and Sausage. That’s how we lived – each in our own way, with all sorts of ups and downs. I was little back then. My uncle – Uncle George – gave me a shepherd puppy, and I was over the moon. The pup bonded with me, understood me at a glance, looked into my eyes and waited, waited for my signal. “Lie down,” I would say after a pause, and he would lie, gazing up at me loyally as though ready to die for me. “Serve,” I commanded, and the puppy would clamber up on chubby legs and freeze, swallowing anxiously, waiting for a reward – a tasty treat. But I had nothing to spoil him with. We were barely managing ourselves. Times were tough. My uncle, Uncle George, my mum’s brother who had given me the puppy, once said to me: “Don’t be upset, lad. Look how loyal he is! Sell him, then call for him, and he’ll run back to you. No one will see. You’ll have some money for a treat for you and your mum, and for him too. Trust me, I’m telling you something useful.” The idea sounded good to me. I didn’t realize then how wrong it was – an adult suggested it, and besides, it’d just be a joke, and I could get a treat. I whispered into Loyal’s warm, furry ear that I’d give him away, then call him back, so he should come to me and escape from strangers. And he understood me! He barked, as if to agree. The next day, I put on his lead and walked him to the station. Everyone sold things there – flowers, cucumbers, apples. The crowd poured off the train, and people began buying, haggling. I stepped forward a little, pulling my dog closer. But no one approached. Almost everyone had gone when a man with a stern face came over. “You there, lad, waiting for someone, or maybe you want to sell your dog? Good, strong pup – I’ll take him,” and he pressed some money into my palm. I handed him the lead. Loyal looked around and sneezed happily. “Go on, Loyal, go with him, my friend,” I whispered, “I’ll call you, come to me.” And he went off with the man. Hiding, I watched where they went. That evening, I brought home bread, sausage, and sweets. Mum asked sternly: “Did you steal this from someone?” “No, Mum, I helped carry some things at the station, and they paid me.” “Well done, son. Now eat and let’s go to bed – I’m exhausted.” She didn’t even ask about Loyal; she didn’t care. Uncle George came by in the morning. I was getting ready for school, but all I wanted was to go call for Loyal. “So,” he chuckled, “sold your friend?” and ruffled my hair. I pulled away, refusing to answer. I hadn’t slept all night, and couldn’t eat my bread and sausage for the lump in my throat. It wasn’t fun – I realized what a stupid idea it had been. No wonder Mum never liked Uncle George. “He’s daft, don’t listen to him,” she’d always say. I grabbed my schoolbag and dashed from the house. It was three blocks to that man’s house, and I ran the whole way. Loyal sat behind a tall fence, tied up with a thick rope. I called him, but he looked at me sadly, head on his paws, tail wagging, trying to bark though his voice broke. I’d sold him. He thought it was a game, but then realized I had truly sold him. The owner came out, scolded Loyal, and he tucked in his tail. I knew then it was hopeless. That evening I worked at the station carrying bags. They paid little, but it was enough. Scared, I went to the gate and knocked. The man opened the door. “Oh, it’s you again. What do you want?” “Sir, I changed my mind,” I stammered, handing him the money he’d given me for Loyal. He squinted at me, took the money, and untied Loyal. “Here, lad. Take him. He’s been pining, not cut out for a guard dog – but mind, he may never forgive you.” Loyal looked at me mournfully. Our game had become a trial for us both. Then he walked over, licked my hand and pressed his nose into my stomach. Years have passed since then, but I know now: you never sell a friend, not even as a joke. And Mum was so glad: “I was exhausted yesterday, then remembered – where’s our dog? I’m used to that boy, he’s part of the family, our Loyal!” After that, Uncle George hardly ever visited. We didn’t find his jokes funny anymore.
A Sold Friend. Grandads Tale And he understood me! It wasnt fun, I realised it was a foolish plan. I...
“While We Sell the Flat, Go Stay in the Care Home,” Said Her Daughter: How a Late Marriage, a Selfish Husband, and a Dreadful Choice Doomed One Mother’s Final Years
While were selling the house, why not stay at the care home for a bit? my daughter suggested Margaret married...
I Took a DNA Test and Lived to Regret It: How Doubt Cost Me My Marriage, My Family, and My Future with My Children
I did a DNA test and I regretted it I ended up marrying my girlfriend when I found out she...
Putting Dad in a Care Home: Elizabeth’s Struggle Between Guilt and Self-Preservation in the Face of a Lifetime of Cruelty
What nonsense is this? A care home? Over my dead body! Im not leaving my house! Elizabeths father hurled his...
After My Parents’ Divorce, They Cast Me Out: How I Was Forced to Leave Home, Lost My Family, and Began a New Life—Until a Twist of Fate Brought Us All Back Together
I pleaded, yet my mother stood firm. She hurriedly tossed my belongings into a rucksack, handed me a bit of...
Don’t Go, Mum: A Family Story of Love, Judgement, and Redemption
Dont Go, Mum. A Family Story As the old saying goes: you cant judge a book by its cover. But...
She Was Never Truly Alone: A Simple Tale of Grandma Violet, Her Loyal Dog George, and Felix the Cat with a Financial Past
She Wasnt Alone. A Simple Tale It was a late winter morning, and the sky over London barely began to...
After Turning Seventy, She Was Forgotten—Not Even Her Son or Daughter Remembered Her Birthday, But When Her Son Betrayed Her and Sold Her Home, an Unexpected Reunion with Her Estranged Daughter Changed Everything
After turning seventy, she found herself unwanted by anyone not even her own son or daughter remembered her birthday. Margaret...