After returning from a business trip, Lilia decided to drop by the local eatery on the first floor of the apartment building where she lived. She planned to buy something ready for dinner. It was already close to seven in the evening, and Lilia knew there was no time to cook. Besides, she wasn’t in the mood to stand by the stove.
She had spent two long hours on the commuter train, shivering as she listened to the endless chatter of her fellow passengers. The elderly ladies readily and very loudly shared recipes for pickled cucumbers and cabbage, as well as advice on how to rein in unruly daughters-in-law.
This trip had been tough. Or perhaps Lilia was just falling ill, because she constantly felt chills and aches all over her body. On the train, she dreamed of nothing else but getting home quickly, lying down horizontally, wrapped in a warm, soft blanket. It wasn’t that she particularly wanted to lie down, but she understood that there had to be food waiting for her at home. And at that moment, the refrigerator was as empty as a drum.
In the little café where one could buy ready-made, delicious, and hearty food, the cozy aroma of sweet bread filled the air. It was warm and comfortable. Lilia even paused for a minute in front of the brightly lit display case, mesmerized by the tempting pastries.
“I’ll have some tea with a pastry. Or perhaps I’ll take a cake instead. Look at how many there are here, and how beautiful they all are—it’s impossible to resist!” Her eyes widened at the abundance of confections, all skillfully decorated with multicolored cream, candied fruits, and nuts.
After buying treats that immediately reminded her of childhood, Lilia headed up to her floor—to her now empty apartment.
She and her husband had separated a couple of months ago. They had delayed that moment in the hope that a miracle might occur; they waited for the strong, passionate feelings that had once united them to return.
It didn’t happen. A broken and patched-up vase cannot hold water, meaning you can’t put flowers in it anymore—it has become nothing more than a lifeless vessel.
That’s exactly what happened with her and Nikita. Lilia understood everything with her mind, but her heart could not forgive her former lover. There had been an affair—that was a fact. But as Nikita explained when they were finally able to speak, it wasn’t entirely his fault. They had been drunk and taken to bed, and he remembered nothing.
He was suffering, Lilia could see. She tried to decide what to do. After all, the woman still loved her husband. She read psychologists, talked to a priest, yet never found the strength to forgive someone capable of betrayal.
For the last three months, they had lived in this apartment, which, like the neighbors, belonged to Lilia. She hadn’t thrown her husband out immediately simply because she was calm and non-confrontational. She also understood that they both needed time. And what if a miracle happened? After all, it’s much easier to destroy a family than to build a new one.
Nikita moved in with a friend, without waiting for Lilia’s forgiveness. She had wanted to take his keys once and for all so that there would be no more meetings or conversations, no more memories or sentiments. But Nikita asked her to leave some of his belongings in the apartment.
“For a couple of weeks. I’ll rent a place and take everything else. Pasha is crammed into a tiny studio, and here I’ll be with all my stuff,” her ex-husband explained.
“Okay,” Lilia replied in a flat tone. “But don’t take too long.”
She didn’t take the keys from Nikita, although it would have been the right thing to do. After all, he could have retrieved his things in the presence of the owner, and that would have been proper. But Lilia hoped he would handle everything without her. One day, she thought, she’d come home from work and Nikita’s belongings would be gone—as if he had never been part of her life. A strange illusion, a deception of the mind.
Unlocking her door with her key that day, Lilia realized someone had been in her home. She always locked it with two locks—the upper and the lower—and now only the upper lock was engaged.
“Nikita?” the thought flashed through her mind. “Maybe he already took his things? Let it be so.”
But when Lilia stepped inside, she was simply speechless.
“What is going on here?” she managed to say, stunned by what she saw.
In her beloved, cozy apartment were now strangers.
“Oh, hello! You’re coming home late from work. Of course you’re surprised, Lilia, I understand. But I’m surprised at what’s happening in my life. It’s like a circus. Or even better—a spectacle, though not a comedy at all, rather the opposite!” said Nikita’s sister, Kira, with a strange chuckle.
“Who gave you permission to barge into someone else’s apartment? And to bring your underage children here too! Are you out of your mind, Kira? Do you realize I could call the police right now?” Lilia fumed, already completely exhausted and barely able to tolerate the presence of someone so unpleasant.
“Don’t get worked up, dear. What if we stay in your apartment for a couple of days with the children? We can’t exactly go out on the street, can we? Just think about it. And I took your keys from Nikita—I grabbed them, so to speak.”
“What?” Lilia could only manage to say. “You stole the keys?”
“What? Why are you making that face? So, what can you do? One has to improvise in order to survive. I initially went to Pasha’s apartment—he’s our fellow countryman. But even there, there wasn’t an inch to drop an apple. Thank goodness at least my ‘brother’ gave me a place to stay. He wouldn’t have tolerated us much longer. And besides, in my city, aside from Nikita and you, I have no one else.”
“So, did your husband kick you out?” It finally dawned on Lilia.
“Why would he kick me out? It was me! How long can one endure his drunken antics? He nearly ruined us. And I decided to teach him a lesson. He can sleep and howl like a wolf without us. And where are we? We’re gone! And no one knows where we disappeared to,” continued the former sister-in-law.
“Kira, Nikita and I have separated. As you know, he no longer lives here. And he still has my keys simply because he didn’t take some of his things and his computer. And you have no business here. Absolutely! We never got along, and now certainly we won’t become friends.”
“Don’t you care at all about the children? After all, you loved them!” Kira pompously declared.
“And don’t use the children as a shield. They’re not infants. The oldest even started school, as far as I know,” Lilia replied calmly, watching as Kira’s children sat at her table, peacefully drawing on a sheet of paper for the printer that Kira had generously provided for them.
“Have you really become so heartless, Lilia? Or were you always like this? Then it was right for Nikita to leave you.”
“Let’s leave our former family life in the past. Now quickly gather your things and get out of here, in every direction,” Lilia said, her tone unyielding.
“Where are we supposed to go? It’s nearly night, and I don’t know anyone in the city. We arrived this morning from the village and went straight to Pasha’s. And then here, when I found the keys at Nikita’s.”
“Anywhere! Even to a hotel! This isn’t a boarding house,” Lilia snapped, growing increasingly irritated.
“Listen, it’s clear you’re hurt. And Nikita, of course, is a complete idiot! He lost a woman like you, and with his living space, no less. How stupid does one have to be, huh?” Kira tried to shift the topic.
“And you, apparently, care only about the living space?” Lilia smirked.
“Well, why not? Money is important, and I think everything is fine with you in that regard too. I believe you’ll quickly find a replacement with your abilities. But you, dear Lilia, should know—Nikita is suffering. He loves you. And that affair—it’s not serious. Look, you caught something on that man. It happens sometimes. Or maybe, as he says, they were indeed drunk. Don’t you feel any pity for him? I remember how you two loved each other. And I also remember your happy face right after the wedding. You can’t just pretend otherwise. That means you loved him. Right?”
“That’s none of your business. What happened is in the past. And your brother isn’t a little boy. Let him answer for his actions. It’s high time.”
“Exactly. And I would forgive him. Nikita is a good guy—he doesn’t drink like mine does, he tries to earn money, and his character is easygoing. With a man like that, you can mold anything if you wish.”
“Aha, as it turns out, I wasn’t the only one trying to mold him out of that compliant and gentle man. That’s it, you’ve exhausted me. I’m very tired and not feeling well. Gather the children, or I’m calling the police right now,” Lilia said, fed up with all the nonsense from her former sister-in-law.
“And we’re not going anywhere, got it? There’s no law that kicks a mother and her children out onto the street at night!” Kira began to shout.
“You sure know your laws! And I can kick anyone out of my apartment. This is my living space!”
“I’ll tell the police that we’re relatives and that you’re taking revenge on me because your brother left you,” Kira persisted.
“Alright, let’s see the police’s reaction to that.”
Completely exhausted from dealing with the uninvited guests, Lilia finally reached for her phone to dial the authorities and put an end to this chaos. She still needed to check that everything was in order. After all, one could expect nothing less from that insolent person.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
“What on earth is this nuisance? Who else has shown up?” Lilia grumbled as she approached the door.
There stood Nikita, looking agitated.
“I knew she would come here. As soon as I saw that the keys were missing from her jacket, I realized that this unhinged person was heading here with the children,” he said, worriedly. “Kira, what are you doing? Do you have any brains at all?”
“Oh, brother! Right on time, well done. Otherwise, your ex-wife was about to call the police to have us thrown in jail. Can you imagine what a lunatic she is?”
“Really?” Nikita asked, looking at Lilia questioningly.
“Yes, it’s true. I don’t need any strangers here. And unfortunately, your sister doesn’t understand a normal word. I’ve been trying for half an hour to drive these intruders out, but so far it’s all been in vain.”
“Please, Lilia, don’t call the police! I’ll handle everything. Oh, it seems I was right to hurry—I had a feeling something was off,” he pleaded, looking at his ex-wife. “Forgive her, I’ll get everyone out of here now.”
“Do it quickly. I’m giving you five minutes. Not a minute more! I’ll take my keys, and you take your things. Enough of turning my apartment into storage. Next time I come, I might find some of your relatives settling in, setting up shop. Hand over the keys, and get out of here—far and for good. Better yet, forever!”
“Pasha, listen, will you help me get my things? My computer is still here. It’s too heavy to manage alone,” Nikita called his friend, who was waiting for him downstairs in the car.
“Pavel will help me get your things now. Don’t worry, Lilia, we won’t trouble you again,” her ex-husband said sadly.
“Oh, I can’t. Look at the sorrow and pain in your eyes, you lovebirds,” Kira laughed as she packed the children’s belongings that had been scattered around the apartment, watching Nikita and Lilia. “Why suffer so much if you still love each other? Get together and live!”
“Stop, Kira!” Nikita snapped.
“We almost forgot to ask you, you wise and experienced one,” Kira retorted boldly. “Get out, all of you—you’ve exhausted me. And I don’t need any of your advice.”
Lilia sighed in relief as her ex-husband and his impudent sister with her children finally left her home. Nikita eventually handed over the keys, taking the remaining items that were still lying around in Lilia’s place.
And thank God! Neither he nor any of his relatives would ever be able to trouble her again. Next time, she would be cautious and wouldn’t entrust the keys to her apartment to anyone—not even a former lover.
