“I’ve always respected you, Sofia Olegovna, but right now I’m honestly stunned. Do you realize that what you’re suggesting is absolute madness? I can’t even understand how such an idea could enter your head!”
Olga paced nervously back and forth through the small living room of her Moscow apartment, speaking to her mother-in-law on the phone and struggling to keep her emotions under control. Her usually respectable mother-in-law was talking complete nonsense, and Olga had the strange feeling that the woman had lost touch with reality.
Her husband’s mother lived in a provincial town with her second husband and her younger son from that second marriage — a boy she had given birth to rather late in life.
That day, Sofia Olegovna called Olga and, in a perfectly confident voice, began saying the most absurd things.
“Olya, have you ever heard the saying, ‘A debt is good only when it is repaid’? Well, the time has come for you to remember your debt,” Sofia Olegovna announced the moment her daughter-in-law answered the phone.
Olga knew her mother-in-law’s habit of speaking in a pompous, old-fashioned way. The woman loved decorating her speech with proverbs, sayings, and literary expressions. Many years of working as a Russian language and literature teacher had left their mark. She was retired now, but in her heart she still remained a schoolteacher and a philologist.
“Remember my debt? What are you talking about?” Olga asked in surprise. “Are you hinting at your tiny pension? Because my husband and I aren’t millionaires either. And by Moscow standards, our salaries aren’t exactly impressive. In case you’ve forgotten, we also have a daughter growing up — your granddaughter.”
“Oh, please! There is nothing wrong with my memory,” Sofia Olegovna replied sharply. “I remember both my granddaughter and your income perfectly well. My pension is a separate matter. We won’t touch that subject for now. Its turn will come in due time. And if things become really difficult financially, I can always find a small job somewhere. That is not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what are you talking about?” Olga asked, now even more confused.
She truly could not understand what her mother-in-law wanted. Olga had never borrowed anything from her, so she had no idea what “debt” the woman kept hinting at.
“You do remember that our dear Kirill has finished school, don’t you? And he has an excellent certificate — not a single poor grade!” Sofia Olegovna said proudly. “The boy worked so hard. He sat over his textbooks day and night, unlike his friends — lazy good-for-nothings, the lot of them.”
“Kirill did well, no one is arguing with that. Kostya and I already congratulated him. My husband even transferred him some money as a little graduation gift,” Olga said.
“Transferred money! Twenty thousand? You really are funny, my dear,” Sofia Olegovna mocked her cynically.
“I don’t see anything funny about it. Every thousand matters to us. And I think it was good of my husband to encourage his younger brother financially, despite our own money problems.”
“No, my dear. You won’t get away with those pitiful handouts,” her mother-in-law continued with exaggerated importance.
“What exactly are you suggesting then? That we give him a million?” Olga asked, now genuinely offended.
“Keep your million for yourselves, if you even have one. You’ll need it soon enough,” Sofia Olegovna replied mysteriously, and Olga’s mood instantly soured.
“What does she want from us? Did Kostya borrow money from her at some point? Is she hinting that it’s time to return it? But my husband would have told me about something like that. What debt is she talking about?” Olga wondered, growing more irritated with every passing minute.
“Our Kirill worked hard for a reason. He has always dreamed of studying in Moscow. He has already chosen one of the prestigious universities in the capital. And I must say, it is a very wise decision. My husband and I fully support him. Our boy deserves the very best education.”
“Yes, Moscow universities are good. A diploma from the capital is usually valued more when applying for jobs,” Olga said simply to keep the unpleasant conversation going.
“We knew that without your clever remarks,” Sofia Olegovna snapped. “So, let me get to the point. You and Kostya will have to vacate your Moscow apartment.”
“What?” Olga froze. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“Do I look like a woman who jokes? And why are you so surprised? You always knew you were living there temporarily,” her mother-in-law said with absolute confidence.
“Are you out of your mind?” Olga managed to say.
“No, I’m thinking quite clearly. You have already paid off the loan for that apartment. And who helped you with money? My husband and I did. That is why I am telling you now — debts must be repaid.”
“What debt, for heaven’s sake? Sofia Olegovna, your son has already returned everything to you!” Olga said, outraged. “Every single kopeck of the money you gave him!”
“Don’t shout! What kind of habit is that, yelling like a donkey at dawn? You should understand this yourself and convince your husband that your time in that apartment is over. From now on, my Kirill will live there.”
“Could you explain to me why a young man needs an entire apartment?” Olga wanted to hang up immediately and stop listening to this insanity. But she decided to find out just how far her mother-in-law’s madness would go. “Wouldn’t Kirill be better off in a dormitory with other students his age? It would be more fun there, and probably closer to the university.”
“What nonsense! Dormitories are for failures. Besides, they are unsanitary and immoral places. My Kirill wouldn’t last there a single day. And my husband and I will not allow it. That is why I am telling you: free up the Moscow apartment. And do it quickly. You can return here, back home. Housing in our town is several times cheaper than in the capital. You can buy yourselves something.”
“Back home? Sofia Olegovna, you are honestly ridiculous. And strange. Kostya and I did not leave that backwater town just to go running back there. And we definitely didn’t work here for years without rest just to pay off the apartment and then give it away. I am still listening to this nonsense only because you are my husband’s mother.”
“And what is wrong with living in our town? There are jobs here, and you’ll be able to buy an apartment right away. My husband and I will help if necessary. And your parents, I’m sure, won’t stay out of it either. They’ll contribute something. Everything will be fine. One of the children should live near us. We are getting older every year, and our health is not what it used to be.”
“So you chose Konstantin for that role by deciding to take away the Moscow apartment he earned with his own sweat and blood?”
“Oh, don’t make me laugh! Sweat and blood, she says! As if you nearly worked yourselves to death. I know how people in the capital live. Don’t tell me fairy tales. You haven’t overworked yourselves there.”
“You know nothing! This conversation is pointless. The apartment belongs to me and my husband, and no outsider will live here. No one!”
“How dare you refuse me?” Sofia Olegovna shouted.
“I dare. Kostya and I have nothing against Kirill staying with us for a short time at first while he gets used to life in a big city. But don’t count on anything more. Because what you’re asking is absurd.”
“No, wait. We need to discuss everything properly. Besides, I’ve already promised Dashenka that she and Kirill will live together in Moscow in a separate apartment. That is the only reason she agreed to go with him!” her mother-in-law said, shocking Olga even more.
“What Dashenka?”
“Kirochka’s girlfriend. A very decent girl from a respectable family, by the way!”
“Well, well. So respectable that she agreed to live with your son before marriage? Just to get to Moscow, right? My, how far your moral principles have fallen. I remember very well how differently you used to speak about such things. And I also remember how harshly you personally condemned couples who lived together before marriage,” Olga said, increasingly astonished.
“Stop being sarcastic. Dasha really is a worthy match for our son. My husband and I are deeply grateful to her. She agreed to look after our child while he gets his higher education. It is the best solution to all our problems. Darya will cook, wash, clean, and take care of everything.”
“Wonderful. Then rent them an apartment. Let them study, look after each other, start a family, do whatever they want — just not in our apartment! And throw these wild ideas out of your head. That’s my friendly advice. You don’t seem old enough for senility yet, but apparently your years of teaching have played a cruel joke on you. You are talking complete nonsense!” Olga said, and with satisfaction ended the call, finally cutting off the unpleasant conversation.
But she knew very well that this was not over. Her mother-in-law’s next target would be her eldest son.
Olga knew that Konstantin had always been the unloved child. His mother had divorced his father when Kostya was about five. The divorce had been scandalous: her husband had run off with another woman, leaving her alone with a small child. Several years later, Sofia Olegovna remarried. Her second husband turned out to be a real treasure — quiet, domestic, loyal, never looking at other women, and absolutely devoted to his wife.
When Kostya turned thirteen, his younger brother Kirill was born. Kostya remembered that time well, because that was when he felt, painfully and clearly, that he was unloved and unnecessary. His mother stopped paying attention to his problems and feelings, giving all her love and care to the younger child. Naturally, his stepfather did not love him either.
That was why Kostya’s decision to leave for Moscow with his young wife had been accepted by his parents calmly, almost indifferently.
Yes, things had been very difficult at first. Both sets of parents helped the young couple with money in the beginning. But everything Kostya’s mother and stepfather gave him, they later demanded back — thankfully, not immediately. That was their version of parental love, in quotation marks.
And now it was completely unclear why Sofia Olegovna had suddenly decided that the Moscow apartment should go to her younger son. Worse still, she had demanded it in the form of an ultimatum, as if she had every right to order them out. It seemed as though she had simply lost her mind. Or perhaps her shamelessness had finally outweighed everything else.
That evening, Sofia Olegovna called Konstantin, and Olga silently watched as her husband’s face became stern.
“Mom, tell me something. When was the last time you saw a psychiatrist?” he suddenly said.
“What? How dare you speak to me like that? Are you saying your own mother is insane?” Sofia Olegovna screamed so loudly that Olga could hear her clearly.
“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying. How else am I supposed to understand your insane demand that we vacate our apartment for you? No person in their right mind would demand that homeowners hand over their home to someone else. This apartment is ours, and later it will belong to our daughter. Neither you nor Kirill has anything to do with it. Get this idea out of your head and start thinking seriously about where your younger son is actually going to live.”
Olga could hear Sofia Olegovna continue loudly and stubbornly trying to convince her son that he was wrong. But Kostya quickly ended the call.
About two weeks later, Kirill arrived at their apartment. Beside him stood a pretty young girl.
“Hi, Kostya. We came to see you… This is Dasha. Could we stay for a week while we sort things out?” he asked his brother.
“For a week, of course you can,” Kostya agreed. “That’s fine. We’re family.”
Once his brother had settled in and shared his plans with them, it became clear that he was actually a reasonable young man. Unlike his mother, he seemed to have his head on straight.
Within a week, the young couple had already found jobs and planned to work part-time while studying. They also rented a small apartment. It was far from the university, but at least it was affordable.
As for Sofia Olegovna, she held on to her resentment, convinced that her son and daughter-in-law were in the wrong.
