З життя
Запрошення на день народження з несподіваними перешкодами
Брат кличе на день народження, а його дружина влаштовує сцену
Мій брат Олесь одружився шість років тому. Відтоді ні я, ні наші батьки жодного разу не бували в їхньому домі. Усі свята, дні народження та сімейні вечірки незмінно проходять у батьків — у їхньому простористому будинку на околиці Львова. Мама готує море їжі, накриває стіл, а потім ще й передає Олесю та його дружині Ярині контейнери, повні домашніх котлет та салатів.
Коли Олезь щойно одружився, у Ярини незабаром був день народження. Мама, сповнена ентузіазму, вирішила зробити сюрприз: ми купили торт, обрали гарний подарунок і зібралися у гості. Мама подзвонила Ярині, щоб попередити, але та холодно відповіла, що нічого святкувати не планує. Мама, не бажаючи відступати, наполягла:
— Та ми просто зайдемо, чайку поп’ємо з тортіком! Тобі нічого готувати не треба, Яринко!
У підсумку ми все ж поїхали. Але, приїхавши, замість теплого прийому отримали шок: Ярина вийшла до нас на вулицю, пробурмотівши, що в квартирі «не прибрано», і відмовилася впускати нас додому. Ми, приголомшені, вручили їй торт і подарунок прямо на сходах та поїхали. З тих пір усі свята мама організовує в себе, а ми намагаємося не згадувати той дивний випадок.
Ярина одного разу прямо заявила батькам:
— У вас же великий дім, місця повно для гостей! А у нас однушка, куди там усіх запрошувати?
Я ледве стрималася, щоб не спалахнути. Невже в однокімнатній квартирі не можна прийняти батьків чоловіка та його сестру? Це ж не юрба, а всього три людини! Але ми мовчали, щоб не псувати відносин.
Зараз Ярина вагітна, на п’ятому місяці. Це буде перший онук для наших батьків, і мама, звичайно, не знаходить собі місця від хвилювання. Вона постійно телефонує Олесю, питає, як почувається Ярина, чи не потрібна допомога. Але нещодавно ми дізналися, що Ярина ще на початку вагітності звільнилася з роботи. Мама запанікувала:
— Може, їй погано? Може, їй потрібна моя підтримка?
Олесь заспокоїв: з Яриною все гаразд, просто вона вирішила «берегти себе». Ми були в розгубленості. Олесь і Ярина завжди жили на широку ногу: ресторани, подорожі, дорогі речі. У них немає іпотеки — квартира дісталася Ярині від бабусі, тому всі гроші вони витрачали на свої примхи. Але після звільнення Ярини їхні доходи різко скоротилися, а звичний спосіб життя опинився під загрозою. Олесь намагався пояснити Ярині, що треба економити, але вона, схоже, не готова розлучатися з розкошею.
Ярина зізналася братові, що звільнилася зі страху «підхопити щось на роботі». Її обережність зрозуміла, але тепер їхній бюджет тріщить по швах, а вона продовжує вимагати колишнього рівня життя. І ось, на тлі всіх цих змін, Олесь несподівано запросив нас до себе на день народження. Додому! Ми з батьками були в шоці. Тато навіть пожартував:
— Невже я нарешті дізнаюся, як готує моя невістка?
Мама зраділа, передчМи все ще стоїмо перед вибором — і кожен день без відповіді лише загострює цю болючу розколоту рану в нашій сім’ї.
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