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.
A Husband Worth More Than Bitter Grudges: My Turbulent Journey from Heartbreak and Hardship to Risking It All for a Second Chance at Love
MY HUSBAND MATTERS MORE THAN BITTER GRIEVANCES James, thats the last straw! Im done, were getting a divorce! Dont bother...
For two years, Maria was only the carer for his mother. Maria managed to marry a highly respected English gentleman—envied by all her friends. Her husband owned a successful business, a luxurious home in the suburbs, several cars, and a cottage in the countryside—all by the age of thirty-two. Maria, meanwhile, had just finished her university degree and worked for a year as a teacher. That summer, they married. After the wedding, her husband insisted there was no need for his wife to work for pennies. He wanted her to stay home and prepare for children. Maria didn’t object. The first year of marriage was like a fairy tale: travelling together, making memories, buying expensive clothes. Yet Maria rarely had a chance to wear her new outfits. Her friends were busy with work and family, and her husband was always attending events—never taking Maria with him. She grew bored. Unable to have children, Maria’s feelings for her husband began to fade. Each day, after housework, she wandered room to room, thinking about her future. Another year passed. Her husband was rarely home, always returning late, exhausted and irritable, complaining that business wasn’t going well. First, he told Maria to spend less. Then he demanded an account of every purchase and expense, insisting they could live well for half the cost. Maria was worried. She wanted to go back to work, but couldn’t find a job in her field. She enrolled on a course, but then her mother-in-law fell ill. Maria had to care for her for two years when her husband moved his mother into their home. Maria did everything—she was the nurse and companion. Her husband came home even less. After his mother passed, Maria’s husband grew increasingly distant, barely spoke, avoided her gaze, and spent most of his time at work. Maria couldn’t understand what was happening until she visited her old mother-in-law’s flat—where she hadn’t been in ages. Behind a closed door, she heard a child crying, even though she thought the flat was empty. She rang the bell. A young woman answered. Maria learned that her husband had started a second family before his mother’s illness and moved them into his mother’s flat. It was a shock. Maria knew she couldn’t save her marriage. She left for another city to stay with her aunt, practically empty-handed, with only a small handbag. She didn’t want a single item to remind her of her marriage—and how tragically it had turned out…
For two years, Mary was nothing more than a nurse to his mother. I remember how Mary managed to marry...
“We’ll Stay at Your Place for a While Since We Can’t Afford to Rent a Flat!” – My Friend Announced At 65, I’m a lively woman, never letting age stop me from exploring new places or meeting fascinating people. I look back at my youth with both joy and a touch of sadness. Back then, you could holiday anywhere you fancied! From seaside trips to camping adventures with friends, even sailing down any river you chose—all for just a little money. Sadly, those days are behind me now. I always loved meeting new people—on the beach, at the theatre, anywhere really. Many of those acquaintances became lifelong friends. One summer, I met Sara while staying at the same B&B. We parted as friends, keeping in touch with the occasional letter over the years. Then one day, I received an unsigned telegram: “The train arrives at 3 a.m. Please meet me!” Puzzled about who had sent it, my husband and I stayed put. But at four in the morning, our doorbell rang. To my shock, there stood Sara with two teenage girls, a grandmother, and a man, all surrounded by heaps of luggage. My husband and I were baffled but let these unexpected guests in. Sara exclaimed: – “Why didn’t you meet us? I sent you a telegram! Besides, that’s not cheap! – Sorry, we didn’t know who sent it! – Well, you gave me your address. So here we are. – I thought we’d stick to letters, nothing more!” Sara explained that one of the girls had just left school and decided to go to university, so the whole family came to support her. – “We’ll be living with you! We can’t afford to rent a flat or stay in a hotel!” I was stunned. We weren’t even related—why should we let them stay? We had to feed them three times a day; although they brought a bit of food, they cooked nothing and ate ours. I was left to serve everyone. After three exhausting days, I asked Sara and her family to leave—I didn’t care where to. That sparked a row. Sara smashed crockery and screamed hysterically. I was appalled. As they packed, they even managed to steal my dressing gown, a few towels, and somehow my large cooking pot vanished too—no idea how! That was the end of our friendship—and thank heavens! I’ve never heard from her since. How could anyone be so cheeky?! Now, I’m much more wary when I meet new people.
Well be staying at yours for a while. We dont have any money to rent a flat!my friend declared. I...
A Christmas Eve Miracle: How Forgetting a Gift, a Stray Kitten, and a Chance Encounter Turned the Holidays Around for Peter, Anna, and Little Masha in London
Miracle on New Year’s Eve Tom, seriously, how could you forget? Emily said, exasperated, glaring at her husband from across...
He Hated His Wife. Hated Her… They Spent 15 Years Together, Fifteen Mornings Waking Up Side by Side—But Only in the Last Year Did Her Habits Begin to Drive Him Mad, Especially One: Stretching Out Her Arms in Bed and Sleepily Saying, “Good Morning, Sunshine! Today Will Be a Wonderful Day.” What Seemed a Simple Phrase, Her Slim Arms, Her Sleepy Face, Now Filled Him with Disgust. She’d Rise, Walk Past the Window, Gaze Out for a While, Then Slip off Her Nightdress and Head to the Bathroom. Early in Marriage, He’d Adored Her Body, Its Natural Confidence That Seemed Almost Indecent—But Now, Though She Was Still Beautiful, Her Nakedness Made Him Angry. Once, He Even Considered Pushing Her to Hurry Her Morning Routine but Only Managed a Gruff: “Get a Move On—I’ve Had Enough!” She Refused to Rush or Let His Affectionless Hostility Change Her Pace—She Knew About His Affair, Even Recognized the Young Woman He’d Been Seeing for Three Years. Time Dulles the Sharp Sting of Pride, Leaving Only a Lingering Sense of Uselessness. She Forgave Him—the Aggression, the Neglect, His Need to Relive His Youth—But She Wouldn’t Let Him Rob Her of Living Mindfully, Cherishing Each Moment. She’d Made Up Her Mind When She Learned She Was Ill. The Disease Was Slowly Consuming Her; It Would Win Soon. Her First Urge Was to Confess to Everyone—To Lessen the Brutal Truth by Sharing the Burden with Loved Ones. Yet She Endured the Hardest Day Alone, Accepting Her Fate, and Then Resolved to Remain Silent. Life Slipped Away, Yet Each Day She Gained the Wisdom of a True Observer. She Found Solace in a Quiet English Countryside Library, a Ninety-Minute Walk Each Way. Every Day, She’d Hide in the Narrow Aisles Marked “Life & Death’s Secrets” by the Elderly Librarian and Lose Herself in Books She Hoped Contained Every Answer. He’d Go to His Lover’s Flat, Where Everything Felt Warm, Bright, Familiar. Their Love Affair Had Grown Wild—Three Years of Passion, Jealousy, Heartache, and Asphyxiating Desire. Today He Came With a Decision: Divorce. Why Torment All Three of Them? He Didn’t Love His Wife—No, He Hated Her—and Here, He Could Start Fresh, Find Happiness. He Tried to Recall His Feelings for His Wife, but There Was Nothing—He Couldn’t Even Remember Caring for Her on That First Day. He Pulled Out a Photo of Her from His Wallet, Tore It Into Pieces—Determined to End It. They Arranged to Meet at the Restaurant Where, Six Months Earlier, They’d Celebrated Fifteen Years as Husband and Wife. She Arrived First. He Stopped Home to Find the Divorce Papers, Ransacking Drawers in a Panic Until He Spotted a Dark Blue Folder He’d Never Seen Before. He Ripped Off the Seal, Expecting Dirty Secrets—But Found Only Medical Reports, Official Documents. His Wife’s Name on Every Page. Realisation Struck Like Lightning; She Was Ill. He Googled the Diagnosis: “6–18 Months Life Expectancy.” Six Months Had Already Passed. He Remembered Little of What Happened Next—Only the Words “6–18 Months” Looping Relentlessly in His Mind. She Waited for Forty Minutes. No Answer from His Phone. She Paid the Bill and Went Outside. The Autumn Weather Was Glorious—The Sun Gentle, Comforting. “Life Is Beautiful, the World So Wonderful, So Warm.” For the First Time Since Her Diagnosis, She Felt Sorry for Herself. She’d Found the Strength to Hide Her Secret from Everyone, Sparing Them the Pain at the Cost of Her Own Crumbling Life. After This Year, She Would Be Nothing but a Memory. She Wandered Down the Street, Watching Bright Faces Filled With Hope Of Winters and Springs Yet to Come—As If the Future Were Theirs To Shape. She Would Never Know That Feeling Again. Bitterness Swelled and Burst Forth as Tears She Couldn’t Stop… He Paced the Room. For the First Time, He Felt The Swift Passage of Life as a Physical Ache. He Remembered His Wife Young, Full of Hope When They First Met—He’d Loved Her Then. In That Moment, Fifteen Years Vanished: Happiness, Youth, and Life Still Ahead. In Her Final Weeks, He Became Devoted, At Her Side Every Hour, Overcome by a Joy He’d Never Known. He Was Terrified She’d Leave—He Would Have Given His Own Life to Save Hers. Had Someone Reminded Him Of His Hatred Just a Month Ago, He’d Have Sworn: “That Wasn’t Me.” He Witnessed Her Battle to Say Goodbye, Weeping Secretly at Night When She Thought He Slept—He Understood No Punishment Was Worse Than Knowing Your Days Are Numbered. He Saw Her Fight for Every Moment, Grasping Even the Smallest Hope. She Died Two Months Later. He Covered the Path from Home to Cemetery in Flowers. He Wept Like a Child as Her Coffin Was Lowered—He Felt Centuries Older. At Home, Beneath Her Pillow, He Found a New Year’s Wish She Had Written: “To Be Happy With Him Until My Last Day.” They Say All New Year’s Wishes Come True—Perhaps They Do, For That Year He Wrote: “To Be Free.” In the End, Each Got Exactly What, It Seemed, They Had Wished For…
He loathed his wife. Loathed her. Theyd spent fifteen years togetherfifteen whole years in which he saw her each morning,...
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The Grey Mouse Is Happier Than You
Emily, honestly, are you kidding me right now? Jessica stared at her faded cotton dress with a look reserved for...
She Got My Mother-in-Law Back on Her Feet—Yet I’m Furious Because I Didn’t Weed the Vegetable Beds — “What are you doing here?” Standing in the middle of the swan-shaped flower beds, my mother-in-law shouted, “There’s never been such disgrace here before! I had seven children—never a single weed!” Her shriek drew the neighbours, who clung to the fence like crows and immediately dissected everything they heard. Seeing her audience, my mother-in-law took great pleasure in performing. I stood, speechless, as she went on. At last, worn out from shouting, she drew a breath and said loudly enough for all the neighbours to hear: I didn’t say a word. I walked calmly past my mother-in-law, holding my child even closer. Once inside, I divided up, in a special box, everything my mother-in-law was to take that evening and the next morning. Without folding anything, I tossed my son’s things and mine into a bag. I left without saying a word. Three days later, my mother-in-law called: “What did you do with all those things the professor gave her? I asked the neighbour to buy a few, but she said one jar is very expensive. The ones with foreign labels, well, we don’t use those or exchange them. So what am I to do? You left, offended for some reason, and here I am, about to meet my maker!” I didn’t reply. I turned off my phone and took out the SIM card. That’s it. I can’t go on—I have no physical or emotional strength left. A year ago, just before my son was born, my husband lost control of his car on an icy road. I vaguely remember saying goodbye for the last time, the ambulance taking him away, and waking up the next morning as a new mother… I didn’t care about anything. The world felt empty and pointless without my beloved husband. I nursed and rocked my son like clockwork, because that’s what I was told to do. A phone call snapped me out of my stupor. “Your mother-in-law is in bad shape. Apparently, she won’t last much longer.” I made my decision at once: after settling things, I sold my flat in London. I invested some of the money into building a home, so my son will have something of his own when he grows up. And I went to save my mother-in-law. This past year, I haven’t really lived—I’ve just existed. I had no time for sleep, caring for both my mother-in-law and my baby son. The baby was restless, and my mother-in-law required round-the-clock care. At least I had the money. I called in the best specialists from all over the UK; I bought every medication prescribed. Eventually, my mother-in-law returned to normal life. At first, I wheeled her through the house, then around the garden. By the end, she was strong enough to walk—on her own—as if nothing had happened… I don’t want to know her now, or hear from her ever again. Let her work out everything she needs for her recovery herself. At least I was wise enough not to spend all the money on her recovery. My son and I moved to our new flat. I never imagined it would end like this. I wanted to be close with my husband’s family, since I am an orphan myself. But now it’s just me. I need to teach my son: not everyone deserves kindness. Some people care more about a tidy vegetable patch.
I managed to get my mother-in-law back on her feet. But honestly, Im fuming because I didnt get around to...