Maxim, sorry for the late call, but I think someone broke into your apartment. This is Tatyana, your neighbor across the hall. You gave me your number before you left, just in case of a fire, flood, or other disasters… Igor told me a few days ago that it seemed like your door slammed, I went and listened, but there was no one there… Igor was just off his shift, dozing off, and I thought he imagined it. But I was washing dishes just now, and from the kitchen, you can hear everything that happens in the hallway, and your door slammed! I’m not imagining it. But what kind of thieves make a duplicate key and come every other day? Maxim, I definitely woke you up… could it be some acquaintances of yours that you allowed to stay? I don’t know, so I’m just being cautious. Should I call the police? Are you coming? Maxim emerged from under the blanket, trying not to disturb his sleeping wife.
Tatyana, apartment, thieves… What is she talking about? «To summarize,» he said after a sip of water to avoid a dry throat, «someone broke into my place? Are they still there?»
«Seems like it…» Tatyana’s voice sounded as if she were wearing an iron bucket. Maxim realized that the woman was pressing against the iron door of her vestibule.
«Tatyana, don’t expose yourself. I’m calling the police and I’m on my way.»
«Should I try to stop them if they try to leave?» she was in the vestibule, where junk was piled up, lifting ski poles, unnecessary tools, pieces of cornice, trying to find something heavy.
«Don’t expose yourself. There’s nothing to take. The apartment is under renovation, I’ve already moved everything out. I don’t understand who would break in, and what they’re doing there for so long…»
Maxim slipped into the hallway.
In his in-laws’ room, the TV was quietly playing, they fall asleep to it. Maxim left carefully, tiptoeing, not even putting on his shoes, just carried them – to the landing, so as not to wake the whole house.
«Maxyusha,» a sleepy mother-in-law popped out in one slipper, «You’re sneaking around like our cat, Senka, while everyone’s asleep. Where are you off to? Now…» she looked at the wall clock, but in the dim light and without her glasses, she could hardly see, «Is it three… Or five… Where are you going, Maxim?»
«You should get some more sleep, Margarita Anatolievna,» he responded in a whisper, thinking about how to unlock the door quietly, «The house has been busy all weekend, all the children and grandchildren came over. You’ve had a lot of running around. You’re tired. I didn’t want to wake anyone – I thought I’d leave quietly.»
His in-laws were on vacation. Sonya was considering giving birth in the local hospital, but there was still a long wait until the due date, and work wouldn’t wait. Almost everyone had already left. Just them and Sonya here.
«I’ll get some sleep… Where are you off to? Oh, your worried look scares me. That night call woke me up. Maxim, where have you gone? Is there something with your apartment? A flood?»
«The neighbor thinks burglars got in.»
«My goodness…» the woman gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, «Did they take everything?»
«There’s nothing to take from that apartment. All the good stuff is at my place, and that one, grandma’s apartment, I’m starting to renovate. I need to meet with the foreman soon, to make a quote. Sorry, Margarita Anatolievna, I need to go. I’ll figure it out. Look after Sonya. I didn’t want to wake her in the middle of the night. If I’m delayed and she wakes up, tell her everything is alright.
«Yes, yes, we’ll look after her…»
She’ll tell everything. As soon as Maxim leaves, and Sonya wakes up. But Maxim just smiled slightly, thinking about how his mother-in-law loves to gossip. He never held any grudge against her. She’s mostly simple and straightforward, sometimes tactless, but a worldly woman. One of those who would enter a burning house and stop a galloping horse. And when it comes to her daughter, son-in-law, or future grandchildren… Few offenders would find sympathy.
Starting the car, Maxim was just beginning to realize that this break-in didn’t seem like a robbery.
From his father-in-law’s house to grandma’s apartment was a half-hour drive.
At the entrance, he was greeted by a police beacon on silent mode, flashing blue and red.
«Are we breaking in?? Are we breaking in?» – on the floor, standing next to the police, neighbor Tatyana asked.
«There’s no need to break anything, I’ve arrived,» Maxim climbed the stairs, «Did anyone run out from there? What kind of thieves are these…»
«Maybe they aren’t thieves, but someone who has keys to your apartment,» the lieutenant pondered aloud.
«No… I mean, yes, there are keys, but the apartment is only mine. Without my knowledge…» – he stuttered, and in Maxim’s mind, a much more realistic scenario emerged than these unusual burglars, «Would it be considered a false call if I say that it’s probably my relatives?» – he spoke somewhat brokenly.
The squad left. They didn’t charge him with a false call. They forgave his forgetfulness. Maxim didn’t want to deal with family issues in front of strangers, in front of the police.
He watched the police leave, then took out the keys, which he happened to have with him purely by chance, because he didn’t live there constantly, and, under the surprised gaze of his neighbor (where can you hide from her), tried to enter his own apartment.
Apparently, keys were inserted in the lock from inside.
«Mom? Uncle Dima? Enough jokes,» he spoke to the door, «Why didn’t you let the police in? Why didn’t you say it was you? Breaking into my dwelling is illegal.»
Maxim remembered that his mom had duplicates, from back when grandma was alive. He never thought to take them back. Even though his whole family cursed him.
He would later change the locks, after all, he had to renovate…
From behind the door, they responded:
«Your apartment? You don’t deserve it. You can’t skip a generation! Grandma – us – then only you. But you, as the most cunning, grabbed everything for yourself! You only ever dreamed of her apartment!»
The funniest part is that they, seven years ago, had told him to take on all the care for grandma. He hadn’t been too eager. Of course, he loved his grandma, came to her, and helped no less than his mom, but he thought they would continue to visit her – together. Each on their own days. And help out collectively.
«Uncle Dima, if you’ve forgotten the details, then I’ll remind you: you insisted that I be the guardian for grandma. You. I didn’t ask for it. But you had lectures, mom had a young husband. Everyone was busy.»
Everyone was busy, and when Maxim signed up to be the guardian, they came to grandma, their mom, less and less frequently. A few years ago, it all but stopped. When Maxim tried to invite them, they were busy and reminded him that they weren’t listed as her guardians.
«Guardian – yes, I insisted on that,» they all yelled from behind the door, «Heir – no. We didn’t ask for that. How does that even correlate? You didn’t love grandma for her apartment. The one who can, cares, and all heirs receive to ensure no one is left out.»
«Who can?»
«Yes. You could. That’s why you cared.»
He really could. Juggling university, side jobs, and grandma. Then he hired a caregiver, paid neighbors to help so he could travel to work shifts… Thinking back on that period makes him shudder. He worked 24/7. Grandma had a good pension, which helped, but he also spent a lot of his own money. He worked so hard that he even saved up for his own apartment. Uncle Dima, sitting part-time at his institute, always complaining that his wife could get a second job, couldn’t even imagine how hard Maxim worked…
What’s there to tell them…
«Come out. Or I’ll break the door down.»
«You won’t have the strength,» that was mom.
Mom also had designs on this living space. Her daughter from a second marriage was planning to get married. The young couple had nowhere to live.
«I’ll call a locksmith.»
«That’s illegal! Breaking into an apartment!»
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They haughtily marched past him. They didn’t turn around. Didn’t greet him. Didn’t have a normal conversation. Maxim sadly smiled, saying goodbye to a mother who despised him. And yet, just recently, he was their wonderful, kind-hearted, beloved son and nephew. They praised him in front of everyone, as if he had flown to space first. They pampered him as they could. But only while he was their shield between a free life and caring for an elderly person. Maxim can’t forget the faces of his mom and uncle, when they, having mourned, discussed how much they could make from selling the apartment, and learned from him that there was nothing for them to sell.
«Is that your mom? And uncle?» – Tatyana reappeared on the landing. When Maxim’s relatives marched past, she darted back to her place, but came out again – to watch the show.
«They are.»
«Your grandma’s children?»
«Yes.»
«I never would have thought. When you started talking, I assumed they were from some other side… In the 5 years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen them.»
Then, at the mourning, Maxim agreed to give them some equal sums, until they looked at him like an insect. He changed his mind.
Maxim slammed the door and went for the locksmith. Renovation is renovation, but illegal attempts to enter his apartment are better stopped now.
He drove for sad Sonya.
«Why do you look so gloomy?» – Maxim asked when he brought her home. To the apartment he had bought himself.
«You rushed off to grandma’s apartment at night? It wasn’t robbers, right? It was your mom?»
«And uncle.»
Sonya shook her head.
«I really don’t want you to argue with them.»
«You shouldn’t worry, Sonya. And there was nothing to… They told me everything back at the mourning. Their looks said it all. Vultures. I took their prey. That as a child I didn’t understand mom, that now…»
«But she’ll be a grandmother and…»
«Sonya, she doesn’t want to be a grandmother. I’m sorry, but it’s true. At least, not for our child. She will have favorite grandchildren from her favorite daughter.»
Sonya’s confusion was obvious. For her, breaking ties with her own mom was unthinkable. They could visit her parents at any moment, and they would always be welcome.
«But I want your mom to be a part of your life.»
«She made her choice.»
Mom and uncle’s arguments were simple. Maxim already had an apartment. Small and hard-earned, but he had one. Uncle Dima was homeless, living off his wife, whom he sensed would soon kick him out. Mom’s daughter wasn’t settled. Nearly married, but housing was a big question mark. Prices had soared. So they united.
Mom tried again:
«Maxim! Son!»
«Son now?» – Maxim was carrying rolled-up linoleum, removed from the floor, where mom caught him.
«You’re still my son, if you haven’t forgotten… And, as a son, you just can’t not understand me. Maxim, you’re acting underhandedly. If you weren’t settled, I’d keep quiet. But your housing is fine, everything’s set up. At least, it’s impolite to control two apartments when your sister is practically homeless.
«Isn’t she living well with you?»
«With her husband? Children should live separately. Maxim, I came here… Maybe you’re angry and upset with uncle, and frankly, uncle isn’t the closest relative. I agree to half! Half for you.»
«Are you suggesting we screw uncle Dima over?»
«I’m looking for a solution! You don’t want to give everything up, I can understand that, you indeed contributed more to caring for grandma… I don’t care who to share with. So, does this work for you?»
«From a snake!» – uncle appeared on the landing.
«Dima, where did you come from?»
«I was at your place. Wanted to think over our strategy, but your daughter said you went to Maxim’s. Then it all clicked for me.»
Maxim didn’t watch the drama unfold. They were dividing what didn’t belong to them. And he didn’t want to give in. But mom’s words shook him… It seems, he legally got the apartment… But it turns out – yes, he’s sitting with two apartments, while some of them don’t have one.
«What’s there to think about?» – Sonya asked, «They’re first heirs, if it weren’t for the will written to you. Did they contest it?»
Maxim confirmed.
«But couldn’t succeed. They can’t get close to you, so only you decide how much you’ll give them.»
«What would you give?»
«Everything,» said Sonya.
Well, with her, it’s not new. Sonya dislikes conflicts so much, she’d give everything just to not defend it.
«Impossible,» Maxim replied.
«Well, a quarter each…»
And he almost agreed with that, called mom to share the news, but there mom and uncle, driven to extremes, hoarse from shouting, attacked him:
«You provoked us!»
«You caused the rift!»
«Because of you we’re even turning on each other!»
«It’s all Sonya,» exclaimed mom, «Ever since you married, you’ve not been yourself. This apartment is for the family. This one – for the children’s ‘later’. Who cares about your children, when your sister’s children will grow up not in their own home, but in mine??»
And Maxim changed his mind.
