“Oh, come on! Stop acting poor! What did I even take? You won’t starve. I left you all the grains. And Ira needs help! Look how much stuff you have! Besides, daughter-in-law, in a big family, if you snooze, you lose!” Valya couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes.
It turned out that the person responsible for the missing food was her mother-in-law. But she knew about the situation her son was in. How could she behave like this? Valentina reached for her phone and began dialing her husband’s number.
This story happened a year ago. Since then, her mother-in-law and the rest of her family had stopped bothering Valentina’s household. It was a good thing her husband had taken her side. Otherwise, she would have had to file for divorce. And Valya loved her Igor very much. Even her erratic mother-in-law’s behavior hadn’t destroyed those feelings.
Valya had married for love—the kind of love you usually only read about in novels. Yet that was exactly how things had happened for her. Igor courted her beautifully, brought her enormous bouquets of flowers, met her after work, and treated her to ice cream. They took long walks under the moon, spent weekends together, and eventually decided to get married.
Valya wasn’t bothered by the fact that her future husband didn’t want to introduce her to his mother. Apparently, even then he knew what kind of person she was. Igor told her:
“You know, Mom doesn’t exactly favor me. I’m the oldest in the family, and she believes I’m supposed to help not only her but my younger siblings too. Even though they’ve been adults for a long time.
“Of course, I have nothing against them. But imagine this: when I bought a car, Mom announced that I had to give it to my little sister because, supposedly, it was too far and inconvenient for her to get to college. I couldn’t refuse. I handed her the keys and even paid for her driving lessons. So let’s not rush into introducing you two. What if Mom demands that I give you away to someone too?” Igor joked.
Valya didn’t insist.
Of course, after the wedding she had to meet her husband’s relatives. At first, they came over every day and stayed for dinner. But Valentina wasn’t in any hurry to treat them to expensive delicacies. She and Igor were paying off a mortgage. The lion’s share of their budget went toward the loan, so they saved money on food. They weren’t starving, of course, but they weren’t living lavishly either.
Her mother-in-law tried to look offended when Valya served her soup and tea with inexpensive candy. But the daughter-in-law found the strength to smile sweetly and say:
“Please don’t be offended, Ninel Mikhailovna. We want to pay off the mortgage as quickly as possible, so we’re saving money. But once we’re debt-free, we’ll throw a feast fit for the whole world!”
Her mother-in-law said nothing. Deep down, however, she appreciated her daughter-in-law’s good sense and began visiting less frequently. Igor’s sister and brother eventually stopped coming altogether.
Time passed. The couple forgot the days when they had barely had enough to eat and couldn’t afford pizza or sushi rolls. They got firmly back on their feet, paid off the mortgage, and received promotions at work. In short, the family was no longer struggling financially.
That was when the problems began.
One evening, Ninel Mikhailovna came to visit her son and announced:
“Igor, we need to help Grandma. She’s old now, and her pension is small. Could you and Valya at least buy her some groceries? After all, we should help an elderly person!”
Igor agreed, and Valentina saw nothing wrong with helping an elderly woman either. From then on, they began buying Grandma packages of groceries and driving them out to her house in the countryside.
The elderly woman sincerely thanked her grandson and his wife and hurriedly hid the sausages and cheese in the refrigerator. At the same time, she muttered something under her breath about rats that would come and drag away all her treats.
Valentina attributed the strange behavior to Grandma’s age. She assumed there were probably rodents in the house. Living with rats had apparently made such an impression on the old woman that she had become obsessed with them. Valentina even suggested calling a pest-control service, but Grandma replied:
“You can’t get rid of those rats, dear! But you’re kind. Thank you, my girl, for not abandoning an old woman.”
Then her mother-in-law asked them to help Igor’s sister.
Apparently, she had always dreamed of visiting a ski resort, but unfortunately, she didn’t have enough money. Ninel Mikhailovna didn’t bother explaining to her son why exactly he was supposed to play the role of a fairy godfather. She simply declared:
“Igor, Valya! You both earn good money! You don’t even have to count it! Buy Irochka a vacation package to the resort. Let my girl have some fun.”
Valentina didn’t like the idea. Instead, she offered to help Irina find a better job.
For some reason, Ninel Mikhailovna took offense.
“My Ira is an excellent specialist. She earns decent money! And I help my daughter too. But buying her a vacation package would cost you practically nothing. Then she can spend her own money on beautiful dresses and outfits. It’s time for her to get married! She needs to dress up!”
At the time, Igor asked his wife not to start a conflict. He promised he would take on some extra work and buy his sister the vacation package. After all, he was the older brother and was supposed to help the younger ones. That was how his mother had raised him.
Valya merely shrugged.
Of course, it hurt that she and her husband wouldn’t be able to go on vacation themselves. Their family didn’t actually have that much money. Buying a vacation package for Irina meant they would have to give up the trip they had planned for themselves.
Then Ninel Mikhailovna seemed to lose whatever sense she had left.
She regularly came to her son and daughter-in-law’s home and demanded that they pay utility bills, fill up her other son’s car with gas, or give a certain amount of money to Igor’s sister.
Eventually, Igor became fed up with the situation. He told his mother that he could no longer financially support the rest of the family.
Valya backed him up.
“Ninel Mikhailovna, all your children are adults now. They have jobs. If they don’t earn enough, they can take on extra work. That’s exactly what Igor and I did when we wanted to pay off our mortgage faster. We saved on everything, ate pasta, and didn’t go to the movies or cafés for three years.
“And now we can’t afford anything for ourselves again, simply because we’re forced to share our income with healthy, strong, young adults.”
Her mother-in-law became offended. She pursed her lips and left, slamming the door behind her.
Later, she told her son that Valya had completely corrupted him. According to her, he had become greedy and heartless.
But Igor sided with his wife and advised his mother to leave him alone. Neither his brother nor his sister was starving or experiencing real hardship. He didn’t want to give them money for entertainment. They could earn it themselves.
After that, his mother stopped visiting Valya and Igor’s home.
The couple finally began living more or less peacefully and even managed to save enough money for a trip to the seaside.
But then something went wrong in their lives.
The company Igor worked for suddenly went bankrupt, and he lost his job. Still, he didn’t give up. He began working as a taxi driver and spent his free time attending job interviews. He never lost hope of finding another good position.
Then Valentina suddenly became ill.
An examination showed that she needed to be hospitalized immediately. She required surgery.
Valentina took unpaid leave from work and began treatment. Throughout that period, she worried that the apartment would fall into chaos in her absence and that her husband would go hungry.
Igor was extremely helpless when it came to household chores. He couldn’t even cook a simple meal or iron his own shirts.
But when he visited Valya at the hospital, he told her:
“Don’t worry, sweetheart! Somehow Mom found out about all our troubles and volunteered to help. She comes over every day, cleans, and cooks. Don’t worry about anything. Just get better and come home. I miss you so much!”
Valentina felt relieved. The doctors were also telling her that she was recovering well and would soon be able to return home.
And that was exactly what happened.
Valentina was delighted to discover that her apartment was spotlessly clean. She sincerely thanked her mother-in-law for taking care of everything and promised to buy her a cake as soon as she returned to work.
But it turned out that the management at Valentina’s company hadn’t waited for their sick employee to recover. Her position had already been filled.
Now Valentina had lost her good job too.
Fortunately, the company gave her excellent references, and she managed to find a job at another firm. The position was lower and the salary was smaller, but there would still be enough money to live on.
With her first paycheck, Valentina bought all kinds of delicious food and invited her mother-in-law over. She treated Ninel Mikhailovna to various delicacies and thanked her for all her help.
But the following day, Valya was surprised to discover that all the delicious food had disappeared from the refrigerator.
She opened the kitchen cupboard and saw only a lonely bottle of vegetable oil and a package of pasta sitting on the shelf.
The young woman immediately called her husband.
“Igor, where did all the food go? I wanted to roast some meat for dinner, but the freezer is empty! Did you give the food to your mother?”
“No, Valya, I didn’t touch anything! Maybe you only thought you bought meat? Perhaps you left the bag at the store?”
“Igor, it’s not just the meat. The olives are gone, the cheese is gone, even the lentils have disappeared! I don’t understand!”
Valentina didn’t argue with her husband.
She assumed he simply didn’t want to admit that he had given their food supplies to his relatives. She decided it wasn’t the end of the world. They would economize. It wouldn’t be the first time.
But from that point on, Valentina began noticing that different objects and belongings were constantly disappearing from her apartment.
The shampoo she had bought for herself vanished. Then her hand cream disappeared. A package of smoked red fish seemed to evaporate into thin air.
Eventually, Valentina couldn’t take it anymore.
“Igor, have you found yourself a mistress or something? Are you feeding her?” Valya smiled sadly. “I just don’t understand where everything I buy keeps disappearing to.”
“I haven’t taken anything, Valya! Maybe you should see a doctor? Something might be wrong with your head. Most likely, you’re simply imagining that you’re buying expensive food and household products when, in reality, none of it exists!”
“Igor, do you think I’ve gone crazy? Look. I put a box of French pastries in the refrigerator. I’m sure it won’t be here tomorrow!”
“Of course it won’t!” her husband laughed. “You’ll eat them yourself! You love sweets!”
“Igor, do you really think I eat everything and then forget about it?” Valentina exclaimed in astonishment.
But even she suddenly became frightened.
What if she really was experiencing memory loss after her illness?
The young woman firmly decided to make an appointment with a doctor. She immediately called the clinic and scheduled a visit.
Several days later, Valya came home earlier than usual.
She wanted to change clothes before heading to the clinic.
But the front door was open.
The young woman was terrified.
She had been the last person to leave the apartment that morning, and she clearly remembered locking the door.
Could she really be suffering from memory lapses?
Was she confusing her imagination with reality?
Valentina quietly entered the apartment and heard someone muttering.
It was her mother-in-law’s voice.
“Ira, don’t take those pastries! Can’t you see the box has already been opened? Maybe they’ve gone bad! Look, there’s a wonderful piece of meat in the freezer. Put that in the bag, and take the jar of mushrooms too! We’ll cook meat with mushrooms for dinner.”
Stunned, Valentina walked into the kitchen.
Standing beside the refrigerator were her mother-in-law and her husband’s sister.
The two women were happily taking things out of the refrigerator, examining them, and putting anything they liked into their bags.
Valya was speechless with shock.
Finally, she whispered:
“What is going on here? Why are you rummaging through my refrigerator and taking the food I bought? I think I finally understand what kind of rats Grandma was talking about! Explain to me what you’re doing in my apartment and where you got the keys!”
“Valentina, first of all, neither the refrigerator nor the apartment belongs only to you. They belong to my son too. I raised him, which means I have every right to come here and take whatever I want.”
“Does Igor know about your visits?” Valya asked.
“Why distract a man from his work? Let him work in peace. There’s no reason for him to know! We come quietly and leave quietly. You wouldn’t have known anything either! Why did you come home early today?”
“Because I thought I was losing my mind! I made an appointment with a doctor! I thought I was having memory lapses and only imagining that I was buying groceries!
“Before that, I even suspected Igor of deceiving me. I thought he was secretly taking food out of the house and helping somebody else! And all this time, you’ve been coming here and taking whatever you wanted!”
“Oh, darling, don’t get so upset! It’s bad for your health! Igor gave me the keys himself so that I could clean and run the household while you were lounging around in the hospital. You’re so ungrateful! You begrudge your own relatives a piece of meat!”
“But we’re practically going hungry! After your visits, there’s nothing left!”
“Oh, come on! Stop acting poor! What did I even take? You won’t starve. I left you all the grains. And Irochka needs help! Look how much you have! Besides, daughter-in-law, in a big family, if you snooze, you lose!”
Valya couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes.
So her groceries had been going to her husband’s sister.
But she was a healthy young woman! Why didn’t she want to find herself a good job?
Valentina would have gladly helped her if she were sick or genuinely hungry.
But her mother-in-law and Ira only took expensive food.
They simply wanted to enjoy delicacies at Valentina’s expense.
Valya called her husband and asked him to come home immediately.
Igor thought something terrible had happened. He asked to leave work and hurried home.
Valentina angrily told him:
“Igor, forgive me. I thought badly of you. I even suspected you of secretly taking food to a mistress. Then I decided I was losing my mind! It’s your mother and your little sister who’ve been taking our food.
“That’s why we’ve been forced to live on pasta and buckwheat. Look at them! They’ve decided our refrigerator is some kind of free food pantry for people in need!”
Igor was outraged by his relatives’ behavior.
He decided to tell his mother exactly what he thought of her.
“Mom, I gave you the keys because you insisted on helping while Valya was in the hospital. I forgot about them and never asked for them back. And apparently, you decided to charge us for your help! But you’re not poor, are you?
“You receive a decent pension and work part-time at a school. My sister has a job too! Are you starving? Can’t you buy what you want yourselves?”
“Why should we waste our own money, son? Irochka is saving for a trip abroad. You refused to help her! And I give my pension to Vadik, your younger brother. His wife has just had a baby. They don’t have enough money.
“And you don’t even have children—or even a cat! What do you need so much for? You buy caviar and smoked delicacies every day!”
“Yes, Mom, we buy them, but we’ve hardly had a chance to taste any of them! Three days ago, Valya cooked plain pasta. She said she had wanted to roast some meat, but it had mysteriously disappeared.
“I thought something was wrong with Valya’s mind. Maybe the anesthesia was still affecting her after the operation? Mom, if she hadn’t caught you in our home, both of us would have ended up in a psychiatric hospital! Give me the keys immediately! Never set foot in our home again! Do you understand? Irina, that applies to you too. And tell Vadik as well! He shouldn’t expect anything from us.
“When we were paying off our mortgage, not once did any of you invite us over for dinner or help us in any way. And now, when we’re working two jobs to live comfortably and eat well, you’re helping yourselves to our refrigerator. Get out, both of you!”
Ninel Mikhailovna and Irina left.
But they refused to let go of the bags and tried to take the groceries with them.
Igor caught up with the women in the building’s entrance hall. He took the bags away and brought the food back home.
Then he hugged his wife and said:
“Valyusha, forgive me. I never imagined my mother was capable of something like this! And I completely forgot about the keys. Forgive me for thinking you were losing your mind! Let’s have a feast! Thank goodness everything has finally been cleared up!”
Valentina canceled her doctor’s appointment and prepared a delicious dinner.
Igor visibly cheered up.
After all, he had genuinely been worried about his wife’s condition, and now he was delighted to discover that her supposed madness had been canceled!
Food never disappeared from the couple’s home again.
Incidentally, they went to visit the elderly grandmother in the village and brought her a huge amount of delicious food.
Igor told the old woman that he now knew about his mother’s strange behavior and was deeply ashamed of her.
Grandma admitted that Ninel Mikhailovna had indeed always come to visit her after Igor and Valya left and taken away everything they had brought.
Very little of it had ever been left for Grandma herself.
Igor and Valya decided to take Grandma to live with them in the city.
It had already become difficult for her to take care of herself.
She lived in her grandson and his wife’s apartment until her final days. Valentina made sure the elderly woman received proper care and always tried to feed her something tasty.
As for Ninel Mikhailovna, the couple never spoke to her again.
They also stopped welcoming Irina and Vadik into their home.
Some people consider Igor and Valya greedy, while others praise them for having the courage to show their annoying relatives the door.
But from that day on, the couple no longer quarreled and lived comfortably together.