Pasha, Pasha, where are you?» Vasilina called for her husband. It was already 6 AM. They had argued yesterday, and her husband had gone to sleep on the veranda. There, in the summer kitchen, was a topchan, an old sofa that had been repurposed. Usually, by this time, he would already be in the yard, feeding the chickens, the goat Mashka, and then coming in for breakfast. Today it was quiet. The front door wasn’t slamming. One could hear the goat, Mashka, bleating outside. «Is she unfed, or what? Where then is Pavel? Could he have gone somewhere after last night’s fight?» Distressed, Vasilina struggled to get up and went to the veranda. «Might as well get up. Need to cook something for Pasha and myself. Maybe some thin pancakes? Just how Pasha loves them with melted honey.» She left the house and walked to the kitchen table where she saw Pavel lying there. He was lying unnaturally, his head thrown back and his arms outstretched. His glassy eyes stared unblinkingly at the ceiling. Vasilina heavily sat down on a chair. «He’s dead.»
«Pash, oh Pash.» She touched her husband, felt his forehead. He was cold, already stiff. «So, he died last night then. Something must be done. But what?» Her mind suddenly stopped working. She continued to sit there, stunned, unable to force herself to get up and start doing something. She just sat there, remembering the argument from yesterday.
They had three children. All their life, from their wedding day, Pavel had first worked in a collective farm, then for a private farmer, a former chairman of the collective farm, as a field mechanic. A tractor here, a combine there. Always in the field. Vasilina had always been at the collective farm too, as a dairy maid, and later watched over the calves for the same farmer. Their family was never without money. They knew neither hunger nor poverty. The yard was always full of livestock, raised both for themselves and for sale. They raised and educated their children, even supported them with food from their own yard and with money in their old age. They paid for weddings, helped buy apartments. They raised five or six cows for sale. Vasilina, in all kinds of weather, sold milk, lard, cottage cheese, meat, eggs, sour cream, and cow butter in the market in the district center. The Samoylov family always had cash on hand and in reserve. They hardly spent on themselves. They lived the old-fashioned way, long-earned. Until three years ago when Vasilina fell on the snow when going to water the cows and pigs in the barn. She broke her hip. Vasilina was bedridden in the hospital for almost three months and came home disabled. She became no help at all. She struggled around the house for the first year. Her husband did not leave her, he helped. But the children… After Vasilina was taken to the hospital, the father called all three children; they needed to look after the livestock or their mother in the hospital. None of them came. Pavel had nowhere to turn and began to gradually slaughter the livestock and sell it. He kept one cow, five chickens, a rooster, a bit of meat for himself in the freezer. He was always with his wife, helping her in the hospital. When Vasilina began to recover and stand on her feet, Pavel consulted her and slaughtered the last cow. They decided to get a goat for milk. It would be enough for the two of them. The children knew that their mother was in the hospital, that their father was alone rushing between home and hospital, but none of them ever came. And they didn’t even call or ask how their parents were. It was bitter and hurtful to Pavel and Vasilina. They often talked about the children and couldn’t understand why the children treated them this way. Proud Pavel forbade Vasilina to call the children. «If they’re not needed, then they’re not needed. God be their judge. I don’t want to see any of them. Don’t call any of them. Understood?» «Understood, Pashenka. I won’t.»
Vasilina was discharged from the hospital. Gradually she began to recover. Pavel managed everything in the yard. Vasilina rarely went outside. The third year, they planted nothing but potatoes. Even those were planted with the help of a neighbor’s son, Ivan. He plowed the garden with a cultivator and helped Pavel plant. Ivan and his wife had been helping their neighbors from the very beginning of Vasilina’s illness. His Nastya cooked food for the grandfather and gathered things for Pavel in the hospital. And when Vasilina came home, spring was already here, Nastya had dug up the beds and planted a bit of onions, carrots, peppers, beets, parsley, dill, so the old couple had their own greens. Every time Nastya and Ivan came to help or with gifts, Pavel and Vasilina wiped away a tear. Unneeded by their own, but looked after by strangers. They were infinitely grateful to the neighbors for their attention and care.
A year ago, the grandfather had a heart attack—fell right in the yard. Good thing Ivan saw from his yard and called an ambulance in time. Vasilina called the children that same day. The eldest daughter said, «Mom, it’s very bad. Call an ambulance, send Dad to the hospital. We can’t come yet, the kids have school. You might not remember, but your grandson Vasily is graduating school.» The middle son didn’t pick up the phone for a long time, and when he did, he said he couldn’t come right now, he was in Altai, and he wasn’t a doctor and couldn’t help his father anyway. The youngest daughter, hearing that her father had a heart attack, started crying. «How is he?» «In the ICU for now. Will you come, Masha? I’m almost unable to walk, but someone has to go to Dad.» «Not for now. Ask someone else for help. You have money, I know. Dad slaughtered all the livestock and sold it. He kept the money for himself. He didn’t give any of it to us. So, you have money for a caretaker.» «What are you talking about, daughter? Most of that money is gone. I was bedridden for a year, Dad spent it on surgery, treatment, medicine. There weren’t millions.» «Don’t exaggerate, Mom. There was a lot of money. I doubt you spent that much.» The daughter hung up. Vasilina was stunned by everything she had heard. She sat for a long time, not turning on the light, in the dark. Bitter thoughts and pain from the offense tore at her heart. The indifference and blatant unlove of the children shook her. But something had to be done. But what? Someone knocked on the door. «Granny Vasilina, are you home? Alive?» «Vanechka! Home, I’m home, come in dear.» «And it’s snowed outside. The first. I was at the hospital today. Your grandfather came to. They’ll soon move him from the ICU to a room. Why were you crying, Granny Vasilina? Were you talking to the children?» «Yes, Vanechka, I was talking. We are not needed by them. No one will come. Grandfather needs a caretaker. I’m almost immobile. What use am I as a caretaker?»
«I know about your children. Saw your Masha in town. She said to call her when someone dies, to invite her to the funeral. Asked if any strangers had moved in, any contenders for the inheritance?» «What, she asked about the inheritance?» «Yes. Just like that. Call her only when you die.» «Lord Almighty! Why do they treat us like this?» Vasilina cried. «Don’t cry, don’t cry.» Ivan sat next to her and hugged Vasilina’s shoulders. «We, Nastya and I, won’t leave you and the grandfather. We’ll always help where we can.» «Thank you, Vanechka, and thank your Nastya. What would we do without you? We’d have died without your help already.» «Here’s what I think, Granny Vasilina. Dusya’s daughter works at the district hospital as a nurse. We need to arrange for her to look after the grandfather. And give her a little money. I’ve already talked to her. She agrees. We agreed on 10 thousand a month. Will Grandfather Pavel’s pension be enough?» «Oh, Vanechka, you’re such a good boy! What would I do without you? Of course, it’ll be enough. Thank you, son, for your help and for arranging a caretaker for my husband.» Vasilina cried again, this time from joy. A huge, seemingly unsolvable problem for her—the care of her husband in the hospital—was resolved. From under the oilcloth on the table, Vasilina pulled out 5000 rubles and handed them to Ivan. «Sonny, this is for the gasoline and the little things you spend on us and the grandfather.» Ivan initially resisted but took the money after some urging. «Don’t cry, neighbor, we won’t abandon you.»
The grandfather recovered and returned home. Dusya’s daughter greatly helped and to this day would pop into the Samoylovs’ to help, she even brought doctors to examine the grandfather and grandmother. She brought medicines from the district and taught them how to take them properly. She administered injections and IVs if the doctors prescribed. Pavel didn’t give up on the chickens and the goat. He took care of them himself. Wanted to have their own eggs and milk. So lived Pavel and Vasilina under the neighbors’ care. The children never came once. Never visited their parents, neither in the hospital nor at home. When the grandfather felt better, Vasilina told Pavel what Ivan had seen, about the inheritance and their whole conversation. Pavel got very upset, yelled, swore. He took his heart medication. Didn’t sleep all night. And the next morning, he sat Vasilina down in front of him and said:
«Here’s what I’ve been thinking, Vasilinka. It’s been four years we’ve been struggling with our illnesses. You broke down, none of the children showed up, didn’t hold us, didn’t see any help or support from them. They didn’t come once, didn’t call. We spent our whole lives on them. Raised them, educated them, bought apartments for them all, gave money to the grandchildren. Until the last day, we supplied them with meat and money. Remember, just before your fall, the day before, we slaughtered a pig and then they all came for the weekend to pick up the meat, loaded vegetables into their cars by the sackful. Not one of them in all our lives brought a gift, a treat with them. Not even a handful of candies or a cake for tea. Never happened. Other people’s children, grandchildren come to their parents with cars full of groceries, flour, candies, all sorts. Not ours. Ours always just took and never gave us anything in return. No treats, no love, no respect from them ever. We’ve been sick for four years. Where are our children? No one’s here. And Ivan and Nastya are nearby every day. If not for them, we would’ve long been in the ground together. And better they are to us than our own children. I’ve decided, Vasilina, we’re going to write a will for them. So that after we die, everything goes to them. Good kids. They’ll be worthy heirs. They certainly won’t leave us and will look after us, if anything. Do you agree with me?»
«I agree, Pashenka, of course, I agree.»
«Then tomorrow we’ll go to the district with Ivan and see a notary and get everything arranged as it should be.»
And so they did. Vasilina and Pavel wrote a will for Ivan and Nastya with a lifetime provision. This was done a week ago. But yesterday Ivan saw their son in town and they talked. Ivan asked why they don’t visit their parents. The son bragged about his good life to his neighbor, explained he was very busy, would come sometime. That the parents already have everything, so they probably aren’t suffering. And he’s a busy man, no time for him. And if something, just call. We’ll come. Ivan told the neighbors about the meeting. Vasilina cried, the grandfather walked around upset and grunted. And then he yelled and ordered his wife — «Not once, hear me, not once are you to call them. Never. Understood?» — «Understood, Pavlik, understood.» — And while the grandfather was out, she dialed her son’s number. The grandfather came in, saw the phone in his wife’s hands, snatched it away, and went to the veranda. Apparently, he felt bad during the night and died.
Someone knocked on the door. Ivan came in, saw the lying grandfather, gasped, and ran out. Soon the ambulance arrived, then the police. The whole village buried the grandfather. The children weren’t invited. That’s how the grandfather wanted it. Without the children. The children came by themselves. Three days later. All of them. And the grandchildren too. The small house barely fit all three families. Everyone arrived as usual with empty hands. Hungry. They began rummaging through the fridges, even bothered to go down into the cellar.
«Mom, why is everything empty here? Where’s the meat? Where are the reserves? What are we going to eat?»
«There are no reserves. Where would they come from? No one stocked up. No one bought. And you’ll eat what you brought with you.»
«But we didn’t bring anything. We thought everything would be here.»
«Go, buy something. The store is still open.»
«Well, that’s just great. There’s a cafeteria. Let’s go, everyone, we’ll eat there.»
Everyone gathered, drove to the cafeteria. Nastya came in. Brought a little pot of soup and some potatoes with cutlets in another pot for Granny Vasya. «Eat, Granny Vasya. You need to eat. At least a little. Or you won’t have any strength. And you have to keep living. Don’t get too upset. If anything, we’ll be nearby.» — Soon the children appeared. They arrived full and satisfied. The son, seeing Nastya, rudely told her: «And what are you doing here? You’ve got nothing to do here. Go home. Look at her, just clinging on.» — Nastya was driven out. Everyone settled down and began to talk. The son started:
«Mom, here’s the thing. You’re alone now. You’re sick. You walk poorly. You need care. We’ve decided. There’s a nice nursing home not far from the city. They have care and doctors. We’ve arranged it. They’ll take you. And the house, and the tractors, and the cars we’ll sell, and the money we’ll divide evenly among us. It’d be a shame for all that good to go to waste. While you’re gone, everything will fall apart and deteriorate. What a waste. This way, you’re under care, and we have money, and the estate will be looked after.»
«They decided without asking me. I don’t need any nursing home. I’ve lived in my own home and I’ll continue living out my days here. No one, nothing will be sold. We’ve already given you everything we could.»
«Well, mother, we’re heirs too, not just you. In six months, we, like you, will enter into the inheritance and decide what to do with the estate and with you.»
«There is no inheritance. Father transferred everything to me during his lifetime. He knew you’d swoop in to take your own mother’s property. You came now, why didn’t you visit your father’s grave, didn’t honor his memory? After all, you weren’t even at the funeral. Neither I nor your father are needed, it seems, but the estate is needed, to sell it. No shame, no conscience at all. Heartless. Insensitive.»
«We’ll visit. Where’s the grave going to go? It’s not going anywhere. We’ll make it.» — And somehow quietly, one by one, everyone left that evening. No one even stayed the night. Ivan and Nastya came in the evening and took Vasilina with them. After Pavel’s funeral, she lived with them. Vasilina lived exactly one year after her husband’s death and died on the day of his death. Ivan and Nastya buried Vasilina. The children were not at the funeral. Vasilina wanted it that way. On the fortieth day, Vasilina’s children came. The gate was locked. Someone was living in the house. Vasily, the son of Pavel’s eldest daughter, climbed over the fence and opened the gate. Everyone approached the house. Nastya came out of the house.
«What are you doing? Who allowed you to break the gate?»
«What are you doing here? This is our house. You’ve got no business here. We’re the owners. This is our parents’ house, hence our house.» «You remembered your parents when they were gone. But why weren’t you at the funeral? You’re the children.» «Buried, not buried. What’s the difference. The house is ours. The inheritance.» «There’s nothing here of yours. During their lifetime, Pavel and Vasilina transferred everything to us. We looked after them, we buried them. They were like parents to us. And where were you all these five years? Didn’t look after them? Abandoned them.» «None of your business. This doesn’t concern you. Vacate the house. The heirs have arrived. We’re going to sell the house.» «You won’t be selling anything. The house is ours by Vasilina’s will.» «Nothing. Nothing, we won’t give up just like that. We’ll sue.»
The children of Pavel and Vasilina filed lawsuits to declare the will invalid and to recognize themselves as the legal heirs. The court rejected their claims. The house remained with Ivan and Nastya, who honor the memory of the elders and look after their graves, remembering them fondly and with love.
