З життя
Ви заможніше, тож і подарунки відповідні, – бурчала свекруха.
– Ви ж багатші за Оксану, тому і подарунки мусите дарувати відповідні, – пробурчала свекруха.
– Що подарувати мамі, не уявляю, – задумливо промовив Валентин і сів поруч із дружиною на диван.
На це Оксана знизала плечима. Для неї вибір подарунка свекрусі завжди був складним.
Відносини з Валентиною Григорівною у невістки були напруженими від першого дня.
Валентин одразу зрозумів позицію матері, тому, обговоривши з дружиною, пара вирішила тримати дистанцію.
Ніхто нікому нічого не винен. Рідкі телефонні дзвінки та спільні свята, якщо у сторін є бажання – ось і все спілкування.
Цього року Валентина Григорівна вирішила святкувати ювілей і запросила значну частину родичів на своє торжество, не минула й ця участь молодих подружжя.
– Взагалі, мама говорила, що зрадіє будь-якому подарунку, – несподівано згадав Валентин.
– Вона завжди так говорить, а потім ніс верне, – нахмурилась від спогадів Оксана. – Ця твоя сестра може подарувати їй будь–що, але тільки не ми!
Дівчина чудово пам’ятала, як Валентина Григорівна влаштовувала їм розбір кожного подарунка.
– Згадаймо хоча б 8 березня. Що ми їй тоді подарували? Розкішний дорогий набір косметики, а що отримали у відповідь? Сльози і докори, що ми вважаємо її старою й некрасивою, – задумливо зітхнула Оксана. – Якому з наших подарунків вона відреагувала схвально? Золоту чи техніці, бо їх можна перевірити на вартість.
– Може, я таки зателефоную їй і спитаю про подарунок? – нерішуче сказав чоловік.
– Роби, як знаєш, – похитала головою дівчина.
Валентин, бажаючи піти легким шляхом, все-таки набрав номер матері, прагнучи дізнатися, який подарунок вона хотіла б отримати.
– Синочку, мені нічого не потрібно. Самі приходьте – от і буде подарунок, – сором’язливо відповіла Валентина Григорівна.
– Мам, а все-таки? Ти потім на нас не образишся? – поспішив уточнити Валентин.
– Ні, звісно! Я зрадію будь-якій дрібничці, – засміялася у відповідь жінка, і син вирішив до неї прислухатися.
– Мама сказала, що ми можемо подарувати їй, що забажаємо, – повідомив дружині Валентин.
Оксана недовірливо глянула на чоловіка. Вона не дуже-то й довіряла словам свекрухи.
Однак, оскільки Валентин наполягав на покупці подарунка матері на свій розсуд, дівчина здалася.
– Пропоную подарувати їй робот-пилосос, щоб вона не бігала по дому зі шлангом, – прикинувши бюджет, відповіла Оксана.
На тому подружжя й домовилося. Купили Валентині Григорівні подарунок за п’ятдесят тисяч гривень і з легким серцем поїхали на ювілей.
Ювілярка зустріла сина і невістку з радісним обличчям, яке одразу стало невдоволеним, як тільки вона побачила коробку з пилососом.
– Навіщо? – пробурчала вона і важко зітхнула. – Синку, віднеси в кімнату.
Оксана на кілька хвилин ошелешено дивилася на свекруху, яка не оцінила її подарунка.
Слідом за ними в квартиру зайшла золовка з чоловіком. Вона кинулась матері на шию і радісно промовила:
– Мамусю, це тобі!
– Дякую, люба! Ви ніби знали! – Валентина Григорівна кинулась обіймати доньку.
Оксані стало цікаво, що ж за дорогий подарунок золовка подарувала свекрусі, що так її потішив.
З подивом вона побачила, що Оксана вручила матері звичайний набір косметики з магазину за триста гривень.
Оксана запитально глянула на чоловіка, який теж бачив, що саме Валентині Григорівні подарувала сестра.
По обличчю Валентина вона зрозуміла, що він дуже незадоволений тим, як мати відреагувала на їхній подарунок.
Кілька годин чоловік стримувався, але коли Валентина Григорівна знову почала хвалити подарунок сестри, вибухнув.
– Мамо, можна тебе? – Валентин покликав матір у бік.
– Що таке? – спитала жінка, підійшовши до сина. – Щось не так?
– Не так, мамо! Я ж питав у тебе про подарунок. Пам’ятаєш, що ти мені сказала? – осудливо промовив чоловік.
– Пам’ятаю…
– Чому ж тоді ти так зневажливо поставилась до нашого подарунка? Зате дешевому набору з магазину досі не можеш натішитись, – з образою промовив Валентин. – І не обдурюй, що мені все здалося.
– Я й не буду. Ви ж багатші за Оксану, тому і подарунки мусите дарувати відповідні, – пробурчала Валентина Григорівна.
– А ми, як на тебе, які даруємо? – нахмурився чоловік. – Дешеві? Щоб ти раділа, нам потрібно до кожного подарунка прикладати чек?
– Ой, починається, – було видно, що жінка хоче якомога швидше закінчити розмову на цю тему. – Що я можу зробити, якщо подарунок Оксани мені сподобався більше?
– Бо не знаєш ціну нашому? – з насмішкою поцікавився Валентин. – Якщо хочеш знати, він коштує п’ятдесят тисяч!
– Так дорого? – вигукнула Валентина Григорівна, грайливо здивувавшись.
Однак жінка відразу придумала, як вийти з непростої ситуації.
– Знаєш, чому я більше хвалю подарунки від сім’ї твоєї сестри? Бо вони дарують подарунки відповідно до свого бюджету, а от ви робите це абияк, – несподівано випалила Валентина Григорівна.
– Мамо, ти серйозно? – Валентин схопився за голову.
– Чи схоже, що я жартую? Якщо судити по ваших заробітках, то ви могли б мені й путівку в санаторій подарувати, – промовила жінка і гордо задерла голову.
Чоловік настільки вразився словами матері, що кілька секунд дивився на неї не кліпаючи.
– Невже ти справді вважаєш, що на нас з Оксаною гроші кожен день з неба падають? – у Валентина несподівано прорізався голос.
На крик чоловіка прибігли дружина і золовка. Вони обидві завмерли у дверному проході і здивовано дивилися на суперечку.
Оксана швидше Олени зрозуміла, з якого приводу спалахнула сварка, і відразу стала на бік матері.
– Мамі не потрібен ваш робот-пилосос, вона хотіла зволожувач повітря. Її старий зламався три дні тому. Якби ви трохи цікавилися життям мами, то знали б це, – осудливо промовила золовка.
– Я питав у неї про подарунок! – злостиво проскреготав Валентин зубами. – Ви надумали глузувати з мене?! З цього моменту більше не буде жодного подарунка! Ми з усіх сил стараємося, щоб догодити тобі, а ти нас ще й засуджуєш! Робот-пилосос їй не милий, давайте зволожувач! Вибачте, що не виправдали ваших надій! Уходимо! – скомандував чоловік і обернувся до дружини.
Валентина Григорівна заплакала, і поки Оксана її заспокоювала, подружжя з кам’яними обличчями покинули будинок жінки.
Дану матері обіцянку Валентин дотримав. Щоб нічого не купувати і не виглядати дурнем, він вирішив більше не відвідувати сімейні торжества й не нервувати.
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