I had a big family: my father, mother, older brother, two sisters and me. We lived in a spacious three-room apartment. My father had built a solid summer house in the countryside. We could not be called a close-knit family; the children were constantly fighting with each other, especially the girls. When we grew up, nothing changed significantly. Our relationship has always been not the closest, and lately it has been quite tense. My brother was the first to move out of my parents’ house. He went to the army, served and got married there. He’s a decent man, but he’s a total bastard. He is guided in everything by the opinion of his wife, who for some reason openly dislikes his relatives. After two years of marriage, they had a daughter. The parents used to visit them to see their granddaughter, but every time they were unhappy with their daughter-in-law.
She was not happy to see them and was not very friendly, constantly nagging and criticizing. Their last visit was almost seven years ago. Now they don’t go anywhere anymore. Laura is four years older than me. In her third year of studying, she fell head over heels in love with a musician and dropped out of university. For several years she wandered around different cities with his band. Then they quarreled for some reason, and he left her in another city. Her parents offered to help her, but she refused. Her pride got in the way. At first she wandered around in various dormitories, then she announced that she was getting married. I do not know the details of their acquaintance. She now lives with her husband. I have seen him only once, the last time she came ten years ago. He’s a bit too submissive, Laura runs the house as she pleases. Kate has always been singled out by her parents. She always got all the best things. Probably, her beauty had something to do with it.
She was not particularly bright, but she was a real beauty. Her motto in life was “The value of a man is measured by the size of his wallet.” She married a wealthy businessman right after school. When his business went bankrupt, she ran into the arms of a friend of his with a good financial situation. They have been living together for five years and have a daughter. “My life is not cloudless. I got married after graduation. We had a daughter, but then he became addicted to alcohol, and we divorced. It was at this time that my parents were diagnosed with serious illnesses. For many years I was torn between caring for my parents and my child. My brother and sisters have never helped, but they all claim to inherit. My father signed the summer house over to me a long time ago, but I believe that I should get the apartment as well.
