The Nuisance Next Door “Don’t you dare touch my glasses!” shouted the ex-friend. “Keep an eye on your own eyesight! Think I don’t notice who you ogle?” “So you’re jealous, are you?” Tamara Borisovna was surprised. “Now I see whose attention you’re craving! I know just the thing for your Christmas present: a lip-roller!” “Why not keep it for yourself?” shot back Lynda. “Or is it that no roller could help those lips of yours anymore? Don’t think I don’t notice!” Old Mrs Tamara swung her legs off the creaky bed and strolled over to her home altar for morning prayers. She couldn’t say she was particularly religious: surely something existed up there, someone steering it all? But who—well, that was anyone’s guess. This supreme force went by many names: the Universe, the source of it all, and of course, the Almighty—a kindly old gent in the clouds, watching over everyone on Earth. Besides, Tamara’s age had long since tipped into the final innings, edging towards seventy. And at that age, it was best not to quarrel with the Man Upstairs: if He doesn’t exist, believers lose nothing. But if He does, doubters lose everything. After her prayers, Tamara added some words of her own—ritual completed, her soul lighter—a fresh day could begin. Tamara Borisovna had two great woes in life. And no, not idiots and potholes—those are classics! No, her tribulations were her neighbour Lynda and her own grandchildren. Her grandchildren were simple: a modern generation that didn’t want to lift a finger, but at least their parents could wrangle with them. Lynda, on the other hand, had perfected the art of getting on Tamara’s nerves! Only in comedy films do neighbours bicker endearingly, à la Hyacinth Bucket and Emmet Hawksworth from “Keeping Up Appearances”. In real life, it’s far less charming—especially when you’re picked on for no reason. Tamara also had a friend: Peter “Moped Pete” Cosgrove. Officially, Peter John Cosgrove—a proper British surname! His nickname came from youth, when he used to zoom about on a little moped, calling it his “mopedy”. The name stuck, even as the battered moped gathered dust in the garden shed—such is village life. In days gone by, they were two married couples: Moped Pete with his wife Nancy, Tamara with her late husband. But now, their partners resided peacefully in the local cemetery. Still, Tamara and Pete remained friends—he’d been a lovely mate since school. Back then, the trio—Tamara, Pete, and Lynda—were inseparable, arms linked, striding out like a teacup with two handles (go on, have a laugh, this is Britain!). But as years passed, friendship faded into frostiness from Lynda, then open hostility. It’s as if she’d been replaced—the old Lynda vanished the moment her husband died. People change: the frugal become tight-fisted, the chatty—insufferable, and the jealous let envy eat them alive. Why, perhaps there was reason to envy. For one, Tamara—despite her years—was still slim and spry. Lynda, meanwhile, had grown rather portly—where would you even find her waist? She always compared poorly with Tamara. For another, their mutual schoolmate Pete now gave sparky Tamara all his attention. They’d laugh and murmur together, heads nearly touching. With Lynda, it was dry words and awkward silences. And Pete dropped in to see Tamara far more often than Lynda ever managed to coax him over. Maybe she wasn’t as sharp-witted as infuriatingly clever Tamara. And Lynda could never share Pete’s love of a good chuckle. And so, recently, Lynda embarked on a campaign of moaning—classic British “having a go”—about the most trivial things. First, she claimed Tamara’s loo was in the wrong spot and gave off a horrible smell. “Your outside loo stinks!” announced Lynda. “It’s been there for a century—have you only just noticed?” Tamara raised an eyebrow and fired back: “Well, maybe your bifocal lenses were NHS freebies! And nothing good comes for free!” “Don’t you bring up my new lenses!” Lynda retorted at full volume. “Worry about your own eyes! Think I don’t see who you’re eyeing up?” “So it’s jealousy, then?” Tamara teased. “I see who you want to kiss under the mistletoe! Guess what you’ll get for Christmas—a lip-roller!” “Keep it for yourself!” Lynda snapped. “Or are your lips past saving by any machine? Don’t think I don’t see!” Oh yes—you see, all right, Lynda—over and over again. Pete, wise as always, advised Tamara to fill in the old loo pit and install a new one indoors. Tamara’s son and daughter pooled their funds for an indoor loo; Pete filled the old hole in as an act of friendship. There—rest easy, Lynda! Change the record and try sniffing somewhere else! But not so fast! Soon, she accused Tamara’s grandkids of stripping pears from Lynda’s tree, whose branches drooped over the fence. “They just thought it was ours!” Tamara tried to explain, not that she thought the kids had touched the fruit. “Anyway, your chickens dig up my veg, and I don’t complain!” “Chickens are brainless creatures—broilers or layers, all the same!” Lynda barked. “But grandchildren need discipline, Grandma! Less giggling with gentlemen, more minding the young!” And so it went, again and again—always back to blaming Pete… The kids were scolded. Pear season ended. Surely now that drama was over…? Fat chance. Soon, Lynda insisted someone had damaged “her” branches. “Where? Show me!” Tamara demanded—there was nothing wrong! “Right there! And there!” Lynda pointed with her gnarled finger. Even Tamara’s hands were prettier—long, graceful fingers (and in England, hands are part of your image, darling—even in the country!). Moped Pete suggested: “Just cut the offending branches—they’re on your land! Your property, your rules!” “But she’ll raise hell,” fretted Tamara. “Bet she won’t. And if she tries, I’ll have your back!” Pete promised. And, indeed, as Pete sawed away, Lynda watched silently from her window. As the year wore on, Tamara started to gripe about Lynda’s new breed of hens, who loved invading her plot, scratching up every last seedling. Repeated requests to keep them penned were met with smirks—“What are you going to do about it, love?” One solution: roast a couple as a warning! But kind-hearted Tamara wouldn’t stoop so low. Then resourceful Pete suggested a trick from the internet—leave eggs scattered overnight, then collect them at sunrise as if the chickens had laid them. It worked! Lynda froze at the sight of Tamara gathering ‘eggs’ from her own veg patch, and the hens never ventured over again. “Maybe now we can be friends?” Tamara wondered. “No more reason to fight!” Not a bit of it! Now the smoke from Tamara’s summer kitchen was “bothering” her—yesterday it was fine, today unacceptable. “Maybe I’m a vegetarian, ever think of that? Parliament’s just passed a BBQ law!” “Where have you seen a BBQ here?” Tamara pleaded. “Wipe your glasses, Lynda—they’re smudged again!” Tamara was patient and polite, but now even she was at her wits’ end. The neighbour had, well—gone completely round the bend (another fine British phrase!). “Shall we sell her for medical experiments?” Tamara sighed over tea with Pete. “She’ll eat me alive!” “You’re too stringy for that—and I won’t let it happen,” Pete vowed. “In fact, I have an even better plan!” A few mornings later, Pete showed up singing outside Tamara’s door: “Tammy, Tammy, come out and play!” Beaming, he stood beside a mended old moped—the legendary Moped Pete! “Know why I was so glum before?” Peter John Cosgrove announced. “Because my moped was broken!” “So, are you ready for a spin, gorgeous? Let’s relive our youth!” And Tamara did! After all, these days “old age” has been officially scrapped in Parliament—everyone’s an active pensioner at 65+! Off she zoomed—literally and metaphorically—into a new chapter. In time, Tamara became Mrs Cosgrove—Pete proposed, and the puzzle pieces slotted into place. Tamara moved in with her new husband. And Lynda was left behind—lonely, cantankerous, and bitter. Well, isn’t that a new reason for envy? With no one left to quarrel with, all her bile festered within—nowhere to vent it. So, take care, Tamara, and don’t step out the door! Who knows what’s next? Honestly, rural life is quite the soap opera. What else would you expect in an English village? Makes you wonder why they bothered with the outdoor loo in the first place…

Author Mitsuko NagasakiReading 9 minViews 2

Dont touch my precious glasses! yelled my former friend. Just you mind your own eyes! You dont think I see who you keep gawping at?

Oh, so youre jealous now, are you? I said, with genuine surprise. Look at you, fishing for compliments! I know what Ill get you for Christmasa lip-sealing machine!

You could do with keeping that for yourself! retorted Linda, not missing a beat. Or perhaps even your lips are long past fixing? Do you think I dont know whats going on?

Honestly, I just rolled off my old bed and wandered over to my little display of family photos and trinkets to mutter a morning prayer. Its not like I was religious or anythingthere must be something governing all this, someone up there pulling the strings. But who? Who knows. The names people give it are all over the placefate, the cosmos, the big man upstairs, or just plain old God! You know, the kindly old gent with a white beard sitting on a fluffy cloud, pondering everyone on earth.

Anyway, at my agewhich, lets be honest, is a hairs breadth off seventyits best not to get on the wrong side of the universe. If theres nothing out there, youve lost nothing by hedging your bets. But if there iswell, you wouldnt want to risk it, would you?

So, every morning, once the little ritual was out the way, Id add a few words of my own (as you do), and feel lighter, ready to face another day.

Truth be told, life dealt me two main annoyances. And no, not the usual old clichés like taxes and potholes! Mine were far more specific: my neighbour, Linda, and my own grandkids.

The grandkids I could handlethey were part and parcel of the modern generation, lazier than a Sunday afternoon and as motivated as a slug. But at least their mum and dad had to deal with them more than I did. Linda though? Shed gotten to be a right classic nuisance.

You see, you watch those old films with two rivals exchanging witty banter, and its all adorable because theyre played by Dame Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. In real life? Not so muchespecially when someones picking a fight for absolutely no reason.

I did have a friend though, a cheerful bloke everyone just called Pete the Mopeder. Though, if you fancied his real name, it was Peter Edmund Cosgroveyes, honestly, Cosgrove! The nickname came from his reckless youth careening about on a battered old mopedwell, he called it a mopeder, and it stuck. Even though his poor old moped now sits dust-covered in his shed, the nickname clings tighter than a leech. Thats village life for you.

We used to be two couples: Pete and his wife Nora, me and my late husband. Our partners are now resting peacefully in the churchyard, but old habits die hard and I still count Pete as a proper mateweve known each other since school, after all.

Back then, there were three of us: me, Pete, and Linda. Genuine, pure friendshipnone of that funny business. Wed stroll everywhere togetherPete, our knight in faded denim, always in the middle, us girls hooked under his arms like an oversized teacup with two handles. Made sure you didnt drop the cupjust in case, you know!

But with time, that friendship changed. First, Linda grew prickly, then outright hatefulespecially after her husband died. Fair enough, age changes people, but blimey. If someones a bit tight-fisted, they become a full-on miser. Gabby? Turn into a windbag. Envious? It just eats them up. Linda was exactly that, and honestly, some blokes arent much better.

Thing was, I suppose she thought she had reason to be jealous. Id kept my figure, even with the passing twenty-odd years, while Linda had gone the other waybless her, she was shaped more like a Christmas pudding than anything. To make things stingier, Pete had started paying more attention to me latelywed have the odd giggle, whisper a private joke, heads pressed close, while she got short, dry responses. Pete popped by my house all the time, while Linda had to drag him over. Not that she was notably wittyPetes always loved a good laugh.

Somehow, shed started grumbling about every tiny thing. First, it was my loo: That outside toilet of yours stinks to high heaven! shed declare.

Oh, honestly! Its been there foreverwhy moan about it now? Id shoot back, refusing to let her out-banter me. Besides, you only got those fancy NHS prescription glasses for free! The best stuff never comes gratis.

Dont go dragging my glasses into this! shed shriek again. Worry about your eyes! Dont think I havent noticed you eyeing him up.

So, its jealousy now? Id prod, smiling. You after him too? I know just what to get you for Christmasone of those machines to roll your lips back up!

You could do with holding onto it! Your lips must need something stronger; dont think I didnt see!

Seeshe knew, oh she knew. It wasnt the first or last time. Pete, put-upon as ever, told me to get an indoor bathroom. Sure enough, my son and daughter cobbled some money together and sorted out a proper loo for me indoors. Pete filled in the old cess pit himselfrest easy, Linda! Find something else to sniff out now!

But did she stop? Not a chance! Next, she swore my grandkids had picked all the pears off her treenever mind the branches hung right over my garden.

They probably thought it was ours! I tried to explain, though really, the pears looked untouched to me. Your hens are forever scratching up my veg beds and I dont say a word!

Chickens are stupid! she shot back, voice sharp as vinegar. And you, Gran, should be minding your grandkids, not cackling like a schoolgirl with your gentlemen callers!

So the blame game rolled on. My poor grandkids got a telling-off (not that they cared); the pears came and went; and wouldnt you know it, the next drama was about branches someone had supposedly snapped off.

Show me the damage! I pressednothing to see, of course.

Right here! shed jab her gnarled finger at the air. (Not for nothing, but my hands are still neat and slenderhands are a womans trademark, even in the country.)

Pete had a handy solution: Lop the branches off! Theyre on your land, you do what you like.

Shell just shout even louder!

Bet she wont. Ive got your back! Pete promised.

True as anything, Linda stood there watching while Pete sawed away, but didnt utter a peep.

So, alright, tree sorted. The next round? It was my turn to grumble about her chickensan entire new breed this year, and fearless, tearing through my kitchen garden with wild abandon. Chickens dont grow brains, do they? Always scratching and pecking, leaving a mess.

Asked her ever so nicely to try keeping them penned in. She only grinned her sly grin as if to say, What can you do about it, love?

Now, I couldve caught a couple and roasted them, just to prove a point. But Im too soft for that. Pete, ever the inventive joker, suggested a trick hed read about online: sneak out at night and scatter eggs in the veg bedsthen just collect them in the morning, acting like youd won the lottery of hens!

You know what? It absolutely worked. Thank you, internet gods! The look on Lindas face as I wandered past with my bowl brimming with fresh eggspriceless. And the hens stopped invading my patch after that, job done.

SoI wondered, perhaps now we might finally be mates again? Linda, you alright? Nothing doing. Because next thing, it was the smoke and smells wafting from my summer kitchen she couldnt standthough yesterday shed said nothing about it.

Well, maybe I dont like the smell of roast chicken, ever think of that? Maybe Im vegetarian! I saw on the news they passed a law about BBQs! she crowed.

Barbecue? Where? I tried to reason with her. You need to polish those glasses, darling!

Im usually patient, but this, this was too much. Shed really just outdone herself.

Maybe we should donate her to science! I muttered to Pete one day, over a well-earned cuppa. Shell eat me alive at this rate!

Shed choke! And besides, Ive got a better plan, he winked. The next morning, he turned up singing outside my door, Polly, Pollycome out for a ride!

There he was, all chirpy, perched atop his lovingly repaired old moped.

Know why Ive been looking so glum? Pete asked, Because that old moped needed fixing! Shall we take it for a spin, beautiful? Hop on, lets relive our youth!

You know what? I did! These days, seventy is the new fiftythey tell us were all active retirees now! We set off, windswept and howling with laughter, into a whole new chapter.

And wouldnt you believe it, Pete finally asked me to be Mrs. Cosgrove. Complete set! I moved in with him, the lotwe were a proper couple.

And Lindawell, she stayed behind, lonely, grumpy, and envious as ever. Not to mention she had no one left to pick at, so all her moaning stayed bottled up inside. Which, I suppose, is its own sort of punishment.

So, heres my advice to you: keep your head down in these villages, you never know whats round the corner. And to think, all that drama just started over a toilet!

Wife and Father-in-Law Karina only pretended to want to meet Vadim’s parents—what did she need them for anyway? She wasn’t marrying them, and she doubted she’d get anything from his supposedly well-off father but trouble and suspicion. Still, once you’ve decided you’re getting married, you’ve got to see things through. Karina dressed up for the meeting, but kept it simple, aiming to look like a sweet, down-to-earth girl. Meeting the groom’s parents is always fraught with invisible pitfalls, and when they’re clever people, it’s a real test of character. Vadim thought she needed reassurance: “Don’t worry, Karina, just don’t stress. Dad’s gruff but reasonable. They won’t say anything that terrible, and they’ll grow to love you. Dad’s a bit odd, but Mum’s the life of the party,” he told her on the doorstep. Karina just smiled, tossing a strand of hair over her shoulder. So—grumpy dad, sociable mum. Quite the combination. She smirked inwardly. The house didn’t impress her; she’d been in grander homes before. They were greeted straightaway. Karina wasn’t too anxious—why fret? People are just people. Nina Hawthorn, as Vadim had mentioned, had been a homemaker for years, went on trips with friends occasionally, but nothing much else. His father, Victor Hawthorn, wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs, but at least he was quiet. Yet his name seemed oddly familiar… They were welcomed inside— And Karina froze on the threshold. This was the end… The future mother-in-law was a stranger, but the future father-in-law she recognised instantly. They’d met three years ago—not often, but always mutually beneficial. In bars, in hotels, in restaurants. Of course, neither Victor’s wife nor his son knew about these meetings. Here we go. Victor clearly recognised her, too. His eyes flashed with something—surprise, shock, or maybe something more sinister, a hint of trouble concocted in silence. Blissfully unaware, Vadim eagerly introduced her. “Mum, Dad, this is Karina. My fiancée. I’d have brought her sooner, but she’s a bit shy.” Great… Victor Hawthorn shook her hand—firm and almost hard. “Lovely to meet you, Karina,” he said, with the faintest trace of… something she couldn’t quite place. Displeasure, or was it a warning, or… Karina braced herself, expecting Victor to tell everyone exactly who she was. “Likewise, Victor,” she replied, hoping to avoid being unmasked right away. Her adrenaline surged. What now… But… nothing came. Victor managed something resembling a smile and even pulled out a chair for her. Perhaps he’d prefer to shame her later… But nothing happened. Suddenly, Karina realised he couldn’t say a word—if he exposed her, he’d expose himself to his wife. After settling in, things were fairly relaxed. Nina regaled them with stories from Vadim’s childhood, and Victor, feigning interest, asked Karina about her work. Oh, he knew a lot about her. His subtle irony didn’t bother her—he even cracked a joke or two that made Karina laugh in spite of herself. But his jokes were laced with hints only they would catch. For instance, he glanced at Karina and observed, “You know, Karina, you remind me of a former… colleague. Also very clever. She knew exactly how to get on with people. With anyone.” Karina wasn’t thrown: “Everyone has their own talents, Victor.” Vadim, in classic lovestruck fashion, gazed at Karina adoringly, missing all the subtext. He really did love her. That was the important—and tragic—part for him. Later, when travel was mentioned, Victor looked at Karina and said, “I, for example, prefer secluded places—no fuss, just peace and a good book. How about you, Karina?” He’d caught her out. “I like being around people, noisy and lively,” Karina replied coolly, “Though sometimes extra ears can be a risk.” Briefly, almost imperceptibly, Nina seemed to notice something. Karina caught the darkening look, but Nina brushed aside any troubling thoughts. Victor knew Karina was not the quiet type. He knew why. When the evening ended, and it was time for bed, Victor hugged Vadim. “Look after her, son. She’s… special.” It sounded at once complimentary and mocking—although only Karina caught the real meaning. Karina felt the whole room’s temperature drop. “Special.” That was the word he picked. *** That night, Karina lay awake, turning over the unexpected reunion and wondering how to navigate the new situation. She guessed Victor, like herself, wasn’t asleep—he from shock, she from anticipation of the looming conversation. And, well, everything else. She got up quietly, threw a hoodie over her pyjamas, and slipped out, making deliberate but not over-loud noise down the stairs—enough for fellow insomniacs to hear. Out in the garden, she waited on the porch, knowing he’d spot her. She didn’t have to wait long. “Can’t sleep?” he asked, coming up behind her. “Restless, that’s all,” Karina replied. A gentle wind carried the familiar scent of his cologne. He studied her intently. “What do you want from my son, Karina?” All pretence gone. “I know what you’re capable of. I know there have been others like me in your life. You’ve always been after money. You never hid it, not really. What are you after with Vadim?” If he wouldn’t mention the past, neither would Karina. She flashed a smile: “I love him, Victor. Why shouldn’t I?” He wasn’t convinced. “You? Love? Please. I know what you are, Karina. And I will tell Vadim everything—what you did, who you really are. Think he’ll still marry you after that?” Karina stepped closer, until only an arm’s length separated them. Tilting her head, she studied him. As if she hadn’t seen enough already! “Go ahead, Victor,” she said, drawing out the words, “But then your wife will hear our little secret, too.” “That’s—” “Not blackmail. Reciprocity. If you tell everyone how we met, I’ll fill in all the details about what we did. Trust me, I’ll top up your story.” “That’s not the same—” “Really? Will you tell your wife the same thing?” Victor stopped cold. His attempt at intimidation had failed. He realised he was cornered. They were in this together, whether they liked it or not. “What will you tell her?” “Not just her. Everyone. Vadim too. I’ll tell them what a family man you are, and which ‘late nights at the office’ you were really working. I’ll tell it all—I’ll have nothing left to lose. If you want to save your son from me, save him.” Not an easy choice. Stop his son’s wedding, and he’d be signing his own divorce papers. “You wouldn’t dare.” “Oh, but you would, and I wouldn’t?” Karina laughed. “If you keep my ‘ambitions’ secret, your own mess stays buried. But if you talk, your wife—sweet, faithful Nina—will know. And she values loyalty.” Once, drunk, he had confessed to Karina about his extramarital adventures. Nina would never forgive that. Never. So now, he had a real decision to make. He knew Karina wasn’t bluffing. “Fine,” he managed, “I won’t say a word. And you… keep quiet, too. No one needs to know. Let’s forget all this ever happened.” That was why Karina wasn’t worried. He had more to lose than she did. “As you wish, Victor.” The next morning, Vadim and Karina left his parents’ house. Under Victor’s loathing stare, Karina said goodbye to his wife—who was already calling her “daughter.” Victor’s eye twitched at that. He hated that he couldn’t warn his son about Karina’s cunning, but was too afraid for himself. If he lost Nina, he’d lose not just a wife but half his wealth. She wouldn’t leave marriage empty-handed. And Vadim was unlikely to ever forgive him… On another visit, Karina and Vadim stayed at his parents’ for two weeks. A proper family holiday. Victor did his best to avoid Karina, making excuses for his absence. But one day, alone in the house, curiosity—and desperation—got the better of him. He decided to snoop through Karina’s bag, hoping to find something to use against her. He rummaged through her things—makeup, organiser, a small notepad. Suddenly, he spotted a blue-and-white object—a pregnancy test. With two clear lines. “All this time I thought the disaster was my son marrying… No, this is the real disaster!” He put it back before he could close the bag—Karina had caught him. “You know, rummaging through people’s things isn’t exactly polite,” she chided with a sarcastic smile—but she didn’t seem too upset. Victor didn’t deny it. “You’re pregnant by Vadim?” Karina slowly took her bag from him, looked him in the eye, and said, “Looks like you’ve spoiled the surprise, Victor.” Victor seethed. Now he could never get rid of Karina. If he ratted her out, he’d doom himself too. Now silence was the only option—even if it drove him mad, knowing what trap his son was in. *** Nine months passed… and then another half year. Vadim and Karina were raising their baby daughter, Alice. Victor made every effort not to visit, not to see them, not to think about it. He didn’t consider Alice his real grandchild. Karina terrified him—her unconcern for Vadim, her shady past. And then—again. Nina was planning to visit Vadim and Karina. “Will you come with me, Victor?” “No, I’ve got a headache.” “Again? This is getting worrying.” “Just tired. You go without me.” As always, Victor feigned migraines, colds, earaches—whatever it took to avoid going. He took a couple of tablets, just for show. He couldn’t bear Karina’s presence. But neither could he confess anything. The evening dragged on, plagued by restless thoughts. He lay down. He read a book. Then he noticed how late Nina was. Eleven at night and still not home. No answer on her phone. Naturally, he called Vadim. “Everything okay over there? Nina’s not back yet. Is she on her way?” “Dad, you’re the last person I want to talk to right now.” And hung up… Victor was about to head over himself when he saw Karina’s car pull up. Seeing her, he nearly fainted. “Why are you here?? What happened?” Karina looked calmly unbothered. She poured herself a glass of wine. Drank. Settled in. “The end of everything.” “What do you mean, the end?” “Our end. All of us. Vadim found old photos of us from a party four years ago on a café website—‘The Oasis,’ remember? He was booking something for our anniversary, saw the site… and there we were, in all our glory. The photographer posted everything. Now Vadim’s furious. Nina’s talking divorce. And, as you wanted, I suppose I’m divorcing your son, too.” Victor stared at her, events racing through his mind. That party, the website—he’d told them not to take pictures, but who knew it would end like this? He slumped to the floor beside her. “Why come here?” “I needed to escape for the evening,” Karina smiled, “The house is chaos. Alice is with the nanny. Want some wine?” She offered him his own bottle. They sat on the porch and drank. The only thing uniting them seemed to be the soft whirr of crickets in the night. “You know, this is all your fault,” Victor said. Karina nodded, eyes on her glass. “Yeah.” “You’re impossible.” “Guilty as charged.” “You don’t even feel sorry for Vadim.” “I do. But I feel sorrier for myself.” “You only love yourself.” “Not going to argue.” He suddenly turned her face to him, gently but firmly. “You know I never loved you,” he whispered. “Glad to hear it.” *** In the morning, when Nina came over to try and patch things up—willing to forgive her husband, even if it cost her half her sanity—she found Karina and Victor together, still asleep. “Who’s there?” Karina stirred. “It’s me,” Nina said, watching her world fall apart. Karina merely smiled calmly. Victor woke a little later, but did nothing to follow his wife.

The Letter That Never Arrived Grandma sat by the window for a long time, though there was little to see. In the English twilight, the lamp post outside flickered lazily, lighting up the patchy footprints of dogs and people in the thin snow. Somewhere in the distance, a caretaker scraped the path, then all was quiet again. Delicate glasses and an old mobile with a cracked screen rested on the windowsill. The phone would sometimes buzz briefly when pictures or voice notes landed in the family group chat, but tonight it was silent. The flat was quiet; the ticking clock sounded louder than she liked. She got up, went to the kitchen, and switched on the light—dim yellow spilling across the table. There was a bowl of cold dumplings covered by a plate, left in case someone dropped by. No one had. She sat at the table, tried a dumpling, but set it aside—the dough had turned rubbery. Still edible, but joyless. She poured tea from her battered enamel kettle, listening to the water, and, surprising herself, sighed aloud. It was a heavy sigh, as if something was torn out of her chest and settled down on the stool beside her. Why am I complaining? she wondered. Everyone’s alive, thank God. I have a roof over my head. And yet… Fragments of recent conversations floated through her mind. Her daughter’s tense voice—”Mum, I can’t go on like this with him. He’s at it again…”—and her son-in-law’s slightly mocking tones: “She’s complaining to you, yeah? Tell her life isn’t all her way.” Her grandson, Alex, now only responding with a sullen “yeah” when she asked about school. Once, he could talk for hours. He’d grown up, of course. But still. They never really argued in front of her—no slammed doors, no shouted words—a silent wall had grown between them. Small barbs, what wasn’t said, old hurts never admitted. She hovered, drifting between her daughter and son-in-law, always careful not to say the wrong thing. Sometimes it seemed to her it was somehow her fault—she’d not raised them right, given the wrong advice, or stayed silent when she should have spoken up. She sipped her tea, winced—the first sip was too hot—and suddenly remembered a time, years ago, when Alex was little and they’d written a letter to Father Christmas together. He’d scrawled in big, careful letters: “Please bring me a building set, and make Mum and Dad stop arguing.” She had laughed at the time, stroked his hair and said Father Christmas would hear every word. Now she felt a prick of shame for that memory, as if she’d lied to the child back then. His parents had never really stopped; they’d just grown better at arguing quietly. She pushed the glass aside, wiped the table, although it was spotless, then wandered to her desk and switched on the lamp. Pen and notebook—untouched for ages, since everything happened on her phone these days—sat ready. She stared at them, then, absurdly, felt a small glow at the idea: writing a letter. A real one, on paper. Not for a present, but just to ask. Not family, who each carried their own baggage, but someone—anyone—outside of it all. She smiled ruefully. An old lady, off her rocker, writing to a fairy-tale granddad. But her hand already reached for the notebook. She sat, adjusted her glasses, found a clean page. She paused, then wrote: “Dear Father Christmas…” Her hand shook. She felt oddly exposed, as if someone peered over her shoulder. But the room was empty. “Well, never mind,” she muttered, and wrote on: “I know you’re for children, and I’m old now. I won’t ask you for a coat or a TV. I have what I need. There’s just one thing: please, could you bring peace to our family? So my daughter and her husband don’t quarrel, so my grandson isn’t silent, like a stranger. So we could all sit around one table and not fear who’ll say the wrong thing. I realise people are to blame. You don’t owe us anything. But if you could help, even just a little, I would be grateful. Maybe I have no right to ask, but I’ll ask anyway. If you can, let us hear each other. With respect, Grandma Nina.” She read it through. The words seemed naive, crooked like children’s drawings. But she didn’t cross them out. She felt lighter, as though she’d shared her worry with someone who might actually listen. She folded the letter, then again, and sat with it in her hands, unsure. Where to put it? Out the window? The bin? Ridiculous. She remembered she’d planned to go to the shop and the post office the next day, to pay the bills. Fine, she thought—she’d drop it in the children’s postbox to Father Christmas, which seem to be everywhere now. Somehow, that made her feel less foolish; she‘d be one among many, not alone. She slipped the letter into her handbag, next to her passport and bills, and turned off the lights. The clock ticked in the stillness as she lay in bed, listening to the hush until sleep came. … The rest of the story weaves together subtle English details—the post office, the street swept by a caretaker, a knock at the door, the quiet visiting family—all circling around that letter. It is found, lost, found again; it floats between hands and hearts, never quite posted, never quite said, but always shaping the quiet, careful peace that settles, finally, around their table. And so, the story ends, not with miracles, but with small, brave steps: a boy’s awkward invitation, a daughter’s honest word, a family’s quiet meal. The letter never arrives, but its wish comes true in simplest, human ways. The Letter That Never Arrived