Patience, my dear, her mother urged. Youre now part of another family, so you must respect their customs. You got married, you didnt just drop in as a guest.
What customs? the daughter replied. Everything here is chaoticespecially the motherinlaw! She clearly hates me.
Have you ever heard of a kind motherinlaw? her mother retorted.
Ha! Shes always out partying! Thats enough! Svetlana Petrova, standing in the middle of the kitchen, flushed with anger, glared at her daughterinlaw, Lisa. If a man runs off, the woman is at fault. What more do I have to explain to you?
The motherinlaw was in a frenzy, screaming at her daughterinlaw as if she were mad, all because Lisa had begun to suspect her husbandher son Borisof infidelity.
Lisa, a fragile young woman with large, trusting eyes, pressed herself against the wall, trying to calm the irate elder.
Petrova, thats absurd. He has a family, children Lisa began, attempting to defend herself, but the motherinlaw cut her off with a dismissive wave, as if swatting away an annoying fly.
Is that family you speak of? Or the child who wont let us, his grandparents, near him? the motherinlaw sneered. Your upbringing, by the way!
What upbringing, Petrova? Lisa whispered. Ivan is only a year old. Hes still tiny.
Tiny? the woman scoffed. The Yegorovs grandson is even smaller. He crawls, he doesnt even babble like your child, she gestured toward the nursery.
Actually, hes your grandson, Lisa replied, her voice trembling. Children sense bad people. Maybe thats why he stays away from you.
Are we the bad ones? Youre a painted goat! the motherinlaw shouted. Who do you live off? Whose food do you eat? Whose money do you spend? Ungrateful!
Lisa stopped arguing. She had told Boris countless times she wanted to live apart from his parents, but Borispampered by his mothersaw no need to change. He liked staying with his folks, feeling safe as if cradled by Christs lap. He went to work calmly, while the elderly handled laundry, cleaning, and cooking. It was more a fairy tale than a life.
Meanwhile, the spiteful motherinlaw, Elizaveta, interrogated Lisa relentlessly. At first, Lisa tried everything to win her over: helping around the house, supporting her, listening to endless complaints about neighbors and life. Gradually she realized her efforts were futile. No matter how kind or servile she tried to be, the motherinlaw despised her openly.
She brought this clumsy girl home as if decent women didnt exist, Svetlana told a neighbor while Lisa gathered the toys Boris had scattered, listening from the corner.
People even went to another village because of her! Our grandmothers are far betterhardworking and smart.
Exactly! chimed the gossiping neighbor, old Manja, whod already spread rumors throughout the village.
I know you could do something, but Petrova, you admit your hands just arent made for it. Nothing can be fixed.
You have no idea! You cant trust her with anythingshell lose it or break it. And her child is just not right.
Look at the Yegorovs grandsoncalm, sensible. This one whines and rehearses all the time. Bad genes, clearly.
When life became unbearable, Lisa called her own mother in the neighboring village, poured out her woes, and her mother replied:
Patience, daughter. Youre now in another family; you must follow their ways. You married, you didnt just visit.
What ways, mother? Everything here is chaosespecially the motherinlaw! She hates me, thats obvious!
Have you ever heard of a kind motherinlaw? We all went through this, and you will too. The key is not to show how hard it is. Be patient.
Realizing her timid mother wouldnt help, Lisa threatened to call her father.
Dont bother your dad! her mother panicked. Hes on a conditional sentence. One misstep and theyll lock your father up!
Lisa understood. Her father loved his only daughter dearly. Hed earned his conditional term for a brawl hed started after someone offended Lisa in the local shop. He would not stay silent if he learned how his daughter was being tormented in another family; he was a hottempered man.
I wont tell dad, Lisa said, but if they keep this up, if the motherinlaw continues I dont know what Ill do.
Everything will sort itself out, child, her mother tried to reassure. In a few weeks you wont even remember this conversation.
Lisa hoped she could forget, but the relationship with the motherinlaw only worsened. Svetlana Petrova seemed to grow more bitter, blaming Lisa for every misfortune. Even her husband, Ivan Stepanovich, an elderly, weary man, could no longer stand it.
Why are you constantly yelling at the girl? Ivan asked one morning when the argument had reached its peak. Shell leave us! She should.
Ill take her away! Svetlana erupted, directing all her fury at Ivan. Ill sue, get every hryvnia weve earned back, and take the child so she wont be raised in this worthless family!
Lisa knew her motherinlaws threats were empty, yet she was terrified, especially because she still loved her husband Boris. Rumors that Boris was secretly seeing his exgirlfriend Oksana turned out to be nothing more than village gossip spread by women like Svetlana.
How long the motherinlaws torment would have lasted, if not for her long tongue, is unknown. After a victory over Lisa, she bragged about her exploits to her best friend, Grandma Manja, adding new details each time, then passed the story on to another friend, her husband, and so on. The tale of the stubborn daughterinlaw and her harsh motherinlaw, embellished by villagers, eventually reached Lisas father.
Her father, a stern man nearly two meters tall with broad shoulders, decided quickly. He grabbed his axestill warm from chopping wooddidnt change out of his work shirt, hopped on his old Ural motorcycle, and without a word to his wife, rode to the neighboring village to rescue his daughter from humiliation.
Meanwhile, a real scandal erupted in Petrovas house. The young mother briefly left baby Vanya on a bright yelloworange sofa to fetch a fresh diaper. When she returned, a small brown stain lay under the child. In Svetlanas eyes, that spot swelled to a black hole ready to consume the entire apartment.
She stormed in like a thunderclap and began screaming at Lisa.
You ruined the sofa! My favorite! Do you know how much it cost? Ill tear your hands off and stitch them back so they dont itch!
Ill fix it, Ill clean everything, Lisa tried, shaking, clutching a rag.
What will you clean? Its brand new! How would you know? You never bought anything yourself!
You think we bought it for you? Lisa snapped, finally daring to reproach the woman whod spent her life leaning on her husbands support.
Enough! Stop insulting your motherinlaw! Svetlanas face turned crimson.
Now wipe that stain and then march upstairs with your son! Youll stay here and ruin my house until you learn proper behavior!
Tears streamed down Lisas face as she tried to scrub the stubborn brown spot, which refused to lift, mocking her helplessness. Little Vanya, sensing his mothers distress, wailed loudly, his cries amplifying the tense atmosphere.
Svetlana hovered over Lisa, hurling curse after curse, oblivious to the figure appearing in the doorwaya stranger. It was Lisas father, Mykola, standing like a monument, his hand gripping the axes wooden handle.
For a split second, Svetlana sensed a presence, turned, and her eyes fell on the weapon. She knew all too well how hotblooded Mykola was, and she remembered his conditional sentence. Fear surged through her.
Realizing the soninlaw had heard enough and that the situation was turning serious, she tried to save face, her voice trembling.
Oh, hello, Mykola! Im just raising your Lisa
Ive heard how youre raising her, Mykola growled, stepping into the room barefoot. He lifted the axe above his head, forcing Svetlana to flinch instinctively. Instead of striking, he rested the axe on his shoulder and reached for his daughter.
Come on, Lisa, you have no business staying here, he said, leading her toward the exit.
Wait, Mykola! Svetlana, recovering from the shock, tried to regain control. What will I tell my son?
Let your son come to me on his own, with his wife. Ill talk to him like a man, Mykola shot her a cold, icecold glance that said more than words.
Mykola took Lisa and baby Vanya away. Boris hesitated long before daring to visit his wife and son, fearing a clash with his fatherinlaw, but eventually he did.
Mykola sat down with his soninlaw for a lengthy talk. He didnt threaten or shout; his steady, firm voice and the axe on the table gave weight to his words. Boris promised that he and Lisa would live separately, that his mother would no longer interfere, and that he would protect his wife and child from any insult.
When Mykola shook Boriss hand firmly, the younger man felt the seriousness of the encounter and knew he had to keep his promises.
From that day on, Svetlana Petrova avoided Lisa and her grandson. She no longer greeted them, even when they crossed paths on the street.
Boris and Lisa lived apart, and harmony returned to their home. Whether it was the fatherinlaws advice or genuine love, the conflict finally subsided.
