— Nastya, I need to have a serious talk with you! — Vadim began. — I need you to just listen to me first and most importantly, don’t interrupt…
— About what? — his wife asked. — Did something happen?
— Well, I just asked you not to interrupt! And you immediately interrupted me! — the husband said nervously.
— Sorry! I thought you were done! Well then, continue! — the woman smiled innocently.
— I don’t even know where to start… — Vadim hesitated a bit. — In short! There’s a war going on at my older brother’s house, and Dimka is demanding that his mother vacate the apartment!
— What do you mean he demands she vacate the apartment? — Nastya was surprised. — Is he kicking her out of the house or what? Is he crazy? How can you kick your own mother out?
— I don’t even want to get involved in that! You know my older brother! — the husband said heavily.
— Are you kidding? — Anastasia smirked. — If my older brother pulled something like that, I’d just choke him, no questions asked! Unbelievable! Kicking your own mother out of her own apartment!
— Nastya, you know I don’t communicate with him, so talking to him is pointless, and I won’t even try!
— So what do you want to do then? What did you want to talk about? — Nastya asked. — I hope you’re not planning to bring your mother to live with us?
— That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about! — Vadim answered, looking her straight in the eyes.
— Wait! — Nastya raised her hand and stopped her husband from continuing. — Are you joking? Wouldn’t it be easier to just kick your Dimka out of the parental apartment?! There are laws and special services! Let your mother go to them and evict that good-for-nothing grown-up loafer…
— She’ll never do that, you know!
— That’s just great, really amazing… — the woman was shocked by what was happening. — So, when you came back from the army, she was able to kick you out when you had no job and nothing at all, but now she can’t kick Dimka out of her own apartment… Or rather, she never will?!
— Nastya! — Vadim turned to her again. — That’s their business, I’m not going to interfere! But knowing my brother, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mom ends up on the street tomorrow or the day after! That’s why I’m asking you…
— I’m against it! — Nastya answered firmly. — And if I were you, and my mom kicked me out onto the street… I wouldn’t even talk to her ever again! And you’re planning to bring her into our house? Do you even understand what will start here?!
— Well, Nastya, she’s still my mother! And no matter what she does or what bad things she said to me before, I still love her and I just can’t abandon her at a time like this!
— Your kindness, Vadim, — his wife said to him — could end up ruining your whole life! And if you care so much about your mother, you don’t need to negotiate with me, not with me! You need to give your lazy Dimka a good beating, brother to brother! So he’ll remember this talk forever and stop with all the nonsense, and especially…
— Yeah, beat him up… — Vadim grumbled. — Well, I’ll beat him, and then you know what’ll happen?
— And what? — Nastya smirked again. — Dimka will cry, and your mother will pity him and blame you for everything?!
— Something like that! — the husband said. — Only the next day, or maybe even sooner, the police will come for me, and I’ll be locked up far away for a long time!
— And that police call will probably be made by your mother, Vadik! — Nastya said.
— That’s exactly what I’m saying! — Vadim agreed with his wife.
— So that’s settled, Vadik, your mother has no business living here! Because just believe me, if she lives here, we can say goodbye to peaceful life! And I absolutely can’t agree to that, sorry dear! I love you very much, but there’s someone in this life whose well-being I care about more than yours, and even more than your mother’s!
Vadim stared at his wife as if he caught her with a lover. He didn’t understand what she meant and asked again.
— I don’t get it, — Vadim said. — Who is this other person? Do you have someone?
— Are you crazy, Vadik? — Nastya couldn’t help but laugh. — I’m that person! And I care more about my own well-being than anyone else’s! And that’s exactly why I’m against your mother living with us! Don’t even try to convince me, I won’t agree! — Nastya said firmly. — So let them figure it out themselves, and you just stay out of it, that’s all!
Vadik hung his head and didn’t reply to his wife. He expected Anastasia to take his side, to support him. But it turned out quite the opposite. Of course, the man knew that Nastya and his mother, Svetlana Viktorovna, didn’t get along well. But he thought that in such a situation, his wife would be a bit softer and accommodate him and his mother.
The next day, Vadim called his mother from work when he had a free minute.
— Hi, mom… — Vadim said sadly. — Nothing will work out, Nastya is against your moving in with us, and I don’t even know how to convince her! Maybe I should really give Dimka a beating so he doesn’t feel like the master in your house!
— Don’t you dare touch Dimka! — Svetlana Viktorovna said categorically. — I won’t allow him to be hurt!
— Then what do you want from me? Just keep living with Dimka! What business is it of mine? — Vadim raised his voice a bit.
— Hey! Don’t raise your voice at your mother! Listen to what I’m going to tell you! — she demanded in a commanding tone. — Who’s the boss in your house? You or your wife?
— What does that have to do with anything? — Vadim was surprised.
— It has everything to do with it, son! — his mother answered. — If you’re the boss, you don’t have to ask her for anything! You’re the man in the house, not her! So why are you asking permission? Your mother will soon have nowhere to live, and you’re asking permission from your Nastya! — Svetlana Viktorovna got angry at her son.
— What do you suggest? Just come with you and put her before the facts? — Vadim asked.
— Exactly! — his mother answered. — That’s exactly what you should do! Not to whine and beg for permission in your own house for your own mother to live there!
— I don’t want scandals, mom, and if I do that, they’re guaranteed! — Vadim replied.
— You’re such a wimp, Vadim! — Svetlana Viktorovna hissed angrily. — Is this your gratitude to the mother who raised you, clothed you, fed you!? Well, thanks, son! Thanks for not refusing! Now know that if I end up on the street, it’ll be your fault! — she said and hung up.
Vadim tried to call her back several times, but she kept hanging up on him. He immediately decided to call his older brother and find out why he was trying to evict their mother from her own apartment. But as soon as he found his brother’s number in the phone book, the desire to call vanished.
He spent several hours thinking over his mother’s words about who’s boss in the house. Eventually, he came to a conclusion. Then he wrote to his mother that he would take her to live with him after all.
The next day, on his day off, Vadim left early in the morning to pick up his mother, without telling his wife about his decision. He also planned to talk to his older brother, but he wasn’t home. Vadim took his mother and together they went to his and Nastya’s home.
On the way, he strongly urged his mother not to provoke his wife, not to try to arrange her own rules in his house, and especially not to interfere in his and Nastya’s relationship. Svetlana Viktorovna tried to argue but eventually agreed to his conditions.
Arriving home with his mother and a few bags of her belongings, Vadim was met at the door by his wife, with an outraged and disappointed look. He tried to explain his decision to his wife, but she didn’t want to talk.
Almost a week passed like that. Nastya and Vadim behaved like neighbors. They didn’t talk, Anastasia stopped cooking for her husband. But Svetlana Viktorovna was happy. Nastya had a strong impression that this was exactly what her mother-in-law wanted. However, she didn’t bother Nastya as promised, didn’t interfere in Vadim and Nastya’s relationship, and didn’t impose her own rules. But Nastya expected surprises sooner or later — and they didn’t take long.
When Anastasia was not at home, Svetlana Viktorovna decided to discuss a topic that worried her a lot with her son.
— Listen, Vadik, — the mother addressed the man. — Did you always live like this? Do you even talk?
— Before you came, yes, we talked! Everything was fine! And now, I guess, “fine” may never return to our relationship! — her son replied.
— That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, son! I know how to get your wife to like you again and fix your relationship! — Svetlana Viktorovna smiled a bit frighteningly.
— And how?
— Just buy me an apartment, and I’ll never bother you again! — she answered.
— Are you kidding, mom? — Vadim smiled nervously. — We still haven’t paid off the mortgage on this one!
— So what if you haven’t paid it off? Get another one! — his mother said.
— No one will approve it while we haven’t paid this one! It’s not so simple! — Vadim replied. — And Nastya probably won’t agree to that! She’ll just divorce me…
— Well, think it over carefully and come up with a way so that it’s good for everyone! For me and for you! — Svetlana Viktorovna insisted. — It’s easy to talk when you haven’t even faced the problem!
In the end, the mother convinced her son to consider all options before making conclusions.
Vadim, of course, doubted the whole idea, but decided to try anyway. First of all, he needed to discuss the matter with his wife.
When Anastasia came home from work that evening, she was very excited, unlike previous days. It was clear she really wanted to discuss something important with her husband. But at the same time, she looked at her mother-in-law with even more hatred and anger.
Entering their bedroom, she called her husband.
— Vadik, we need to discuss something important! — Nastya said. — Come to the bedroom and close the door!
Vadim immediately followed her and did as she asked. But he started the conversation first.
— Nastya, Mom and I have figured out how to make sure she doesn’t live with us anymore! — Vadim said.
— Oh really?! — Nastya smirked. — And what have you come up with?
— Darling! — Vadim sat on the bed and tried to take his wife’s hand. — I think my mother needs to buy a separate apartment so she finally leaves us alone, and…
Nastya burst out laughing. Vadim didn’t like this laugh at all, so he lost his temper and stopped the conversation. He got up from the bed and went to the bedroom door.
— Wait! — the woman said calmly behind him. — Come back, sit down, and listen to me carefully!
Vadim reluctantly complied.
— So what do you want to tell me? — he said indifferently.
— Today I met with your brother, Vadik! And he was really shocked when he found out that he supposedly kicked your mother out of the house, dear… — Anastasia said. — Do you understand what I mean?
— Not really! — her husband replied.
— In short! Your Dimka said your mother has completely lost it, meaning, she’s seriously not right in the head…
— I know what that means! — he interrupted.
— Doesn’t matter, — Nastya said and continued. — We talked, and I asked why you don’t talk as brothers?! He said he would like to, but you can’t stand him and don’t want to listen! And your mother did everything to drive a wedge between you two!
— That can’t be! — Vadim waved it off. — He himself stopped talking to me, what does Mom have to do with it?
— Everything, Vadim, everything! She manipulates you as she pleases! But that’s not the main thing… — Nastya smirked. — The main thing is that Dimka hasn’t lived at home for several years, actually for six! He’s married and has a daughter whom he doesn’t even want to show to your mother!
Vadim looked at his wife and didn’t believe her words.
— Are you kidding? — he asked.
— No! — his wife answered. — You’ll see for yourself soon!
She took out her phone, called her husband’s brother, and gave the phone to Vadim. After the brothers talked for about twenty minutes, Vadim returned the phone to his wife and angrily went to the living room where his mother was.
— Pack up and get out of my apartment! — he shouted at his mother. — Ten minutes, or I’ll kick you out!
— Son, what’s wrong? Why are you yelling at me? Is your wife turning you against your mother? — Svetlana Viktorovna shouted and rushed to the couple’s bedroom.
— Stop! — Vadim blocked the way from the living room. — Who kicked you out? Dimka? — Vadim laughed bitterly. — And did you know he hasn’t lived with you for several years, suddenly found out? And he doesn’t want to know you at all! What lies have you told me? Why did you make it so that we didn’t talk all those years? Why did you drive us apart? What a terrible mother you are…
— Son! I’ll explain everything! — she suddenly began to cry.
— I’m not going to listen! — Vadim answered. — You have six minutes left! If you don’t leave in that time, I’ll throw you out by force! I said, hurry up, pack your things and get out of my apartment! You wanted me to show you who’s boss? I’m showing you now!
Vadim didn’t ask his mother for reasons why she treated him and his brother that way. He just kicked her out of his apartment and stopped all contact with her.
Thanks to this incident, he restored his relationship with his older brother Dmitry. Nastya and Vadim met his wife and daughter. Both Vadim and Dima were very happy about this.
And the elderly grumpy woman was left completely alone. And neither of her sons felt sorry for her anymore.
