– Natasha, here’s the deal… – Kirill’s voice on the phone sounded tense. – The landlord has returned from abroad and says he needs housing for his son. I’m being evicted at the end of the month.
Natalya frowned, pressing the phone to her ear with her shoulder while stirring the soup on the stove.
– How do they evict you? You have a contract for six months!
– There was an agreement, – Kirill sighed. – But it was verbal. I told you it was cheaper this way.
Natalya shook her head. Her younger brother, a third-year architecture student, was always getting into some kind of trouble. He would forget to pay for the Internet and be without a connection before an important test, or he would lose his record book the day before the exam.
“So what now?” she asked, taking the pan off the heat.
“I found an option,” Kirill perked up. “A great one-room apartment near the institute. The owner is reasonable, but he asks for a year in advance.”
– For a year? – Natalia tensed up. – And how much is that?
“Three hundred and fifty thousand,” Kirill said quickly. “But it’s really profitable, if you do the math. And the location is great, and the metro is nearby, and…”
“Three hundred and fifty thousand,” repeated Natalya, leaning against the refrigerator. “That’s a lot of money, Kirill.”
– Natasha, I know, – a plaintive note appeared in my brother’s voice. – But I have nowhere else to go. The dorm is overcrowded, my classmates are no option… I can’t go to my mother in Tver – I’d have to quit my studies.
Natalya closed her eyes. She and her brother lost their father early on, and their mother raised them alone, working two jobs. When Natalya married Anton, a promising engineer at a construction company, her mother told her one thing: “Keep an eye on your brother.” And she did keep an eye on him – she helped him with admission, bought him textbooks, and helped him out when he got into trouble again.
“Okay,” she said finally. “I’ll talk to Anton today.”
– Natasha, you’re the best! – Kirill exclaimed joyfully. – I’ll pay it all back as soon as I get a job. By the way, I already have options…
“Yes, yes,” Natalya answered absentmindedly, thinking about the upcoming conversation with her husband. “I’ll call you back tomorrow.”
She hung up and looked at her watch. Anton was due home from work in half an hour. Over four years of marriage, she had learned to choose the right moment for difficult conversations – not right after he got home, when he was tired and hungry, but also not late at night, when he was sleepy.
At exactly seven o’clock the front door slammed.
“I’m home,” Anton’s voice came from the hallway.
———————————————————————–
“Dinner is ready,” Natalia responded, putting plates on the table.
Anton entered the kitchen, loosening his tie as he went. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a light stubble on his chin, Natalya still caught herself thinking that she was lucky with her husband. Not only in appearance – Anton was reliable, caring, earned well and did not skimp on family needs.
— Soup? — He leaned toward the pot, inhaling the aroma. — Excellent. I’m starving.
They sat down to dinner, and Natalya listened to her husband’s story about the workday – about a new project, about a difficult client, about a planning meeting with management. When the borscht was finished and tea and pie appeared on the table, she decided that the moment had come.
“Anton,” she began cautiously. “Kirill called me today.”
The husband tensed slightly, but continued stirring the sugar in the cup.
– And what did our student want?
“He has housing problems,” Natalya tried to speak calmly. “The landlord is evicting him at the end of the month. Quite suddenly.”
“Not surprising,” Anton chuckled. “He filmed without a contract, didn’t he? Did you settle everything verbally?”
Natalia nodded.
“I warned you,” Anton sighed. “And now what? Does he want to move in with us?”
– No, what are you saying, – Natalya said quickly. – He found a great option. Near the institute, good conditions.
“Great,” Anton nodded. “Let him film it.”
Natalia took a deep breath.
— Here’s the thing… The owner asks for payment in advance. For a year.
Anton stopped chewing the pie and slowly looked up at her.
– And how much is that?
“Three hundred and fifty thousand,” said Natalya and froze, watching her husband’s reaction.
Anton slowly put down his fork and leaned back in his chair.
“Three hundred and fifty thousand?” he asked incredulously. “Are you serious?”
– Anton, I understand that the amount is large, – Natalia leaned forward, putting her hands on the table. – But Kirill is in a hopeless situation.
Anton rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if trying to hold back an approaching headache.
“Your brother has a hopeless situation every month,” he said finally. “Either his laptop breaks before a session, or his phone gets stolen, or he needs something else urgently.”
“But that’s different,” Natalya objected. “Kirill could really end up on the street. Where would he go?”
– Let him go to his mother, for example, he hardly studies anyway, I don’t know why he gets good grades! – Anton shrugged. – Or to his friends. Or to work part-time, so he can earn money for housing. How old is he? Twenty-two? At his age, I was already fully supporting myself.
Natalya sighed. She had heard this argument many times. Anton had indeed started working early – first as a loader, then at a construction site, while simultaneously studying at a construction institute, gradually climbing the career ladder. But did that mean that everyone should follow the same path?
“You have different circumstances,” she said softly. “Kirill is studying to be an architect, he has a difficult program. If he starts working full time now, he’ll have to forget about graduating with honors.
– You can work on weekends, – Anton snapped. – And in the evenings. That’s what I did. And it’s okay, I graduated from the institute.
– But not with honors.
Anton’s gaze became cold.
– So my diploma is not good enough for your family?
“That’s not what I meant,” Natalya sensed that the conversation was going in the wrong direction. “Kirill just has talent, his teachers praise him. If he gets a red diploma, he’ll be hired by a major architectural firm.”
– If, – Anton emphasized. – But for now the fact is that your brother is asking for a large sum of money again. And this is not the first time, Natasha.
He got up from the table and began pacing around the kitchen.
– Let’s count, – Anton continued. – Over the past year, we bought him a new laptop – sixty thousand. Paid for a dentist – thirty-five thousand. Sent him to a student conference in St. Petersburg – another twenty thousand. And that’s not counting the little things – new clothes for him, textbooks, and just pocket money.
Natalya was silent. Her husband was right – they really did help Kirill a lot. But isn’t that what a family is for?
“He’ll give it all back when he starts working,” she said quietly.
– When will it be? – Anton stopped in front of her. – A year ago he said the same thing. “When I finish my second year, I’ll get a job at a design studio.” So where is this job?
“He was looking,” Natalya defended her brother. “But the schedule is complicated, no one wanted to take him on part-time.”
– Maybe it’s not about the schedule? – Anton folded his arms across his chest. – Maybe it’s just convenient to live with everything ready? Why bother if your sister and husband will always help you out?
Natalia felt irritation growing inside her.
“You’re being unfair,” she said. “Kirill is not a slacker. He tries, he studies well.”
– Studying is his job, – Anton answered. – For which we pay. And I wouldn’t be against it if we were talking about reasonable amounts. But three hundred and fifty thousand for an apartment, Natasha! That’s three of my salaries!
He paused, then said more calmly:
— Let’s compromise. I’m ready to give him money for… Let’s say, a month or two. And then let him get by on his own. He’ll find a part-time job, borrow from friends, and eventually take an academic leave and work for a year.
Natalia shook her head.
– This is not a solution. Firstly, the owner demands the entire amount at once. Secondly, where will Kirill find the rest? This is unrealistic.
– It’s unrealistic for him, but it’s real for us? – Anton raised his eyebrows. – By the way, we were putting this money aside for the bathroom renovation. Remember, the tiles are cracking there, and the washing machine barely works?
“The repairs can wait,” Natalya said stubbornly. “This is my brother, Anton. My family.”
– And who am I? – Anton asked quietly. – Not your family?
Natalya stood up and walked up to him, trying to take his hand, but he pulled away.
“Of course you are my family,” she said. “The closest person. But Kirill is my family too. You know how my mother asked me to take care of him…”
– And you care, – Anton interrupted. – More than. But there must be a limit, Natasha. This is our common money, earned by me. I can’t just throw away three salaries.
Natalia took a step back, steel appearing in her gaze.
– So my brother will have to live on the street because you are stingy with money?
“It’s not that I feel sorry for the money,” Anton exhaled sharply, trying to control himself. “It’s a matter of principle. Your brother needs to learn to be responsible for himself, and not parasitize on us.”
– Parasitize? – Natalia recoiled. – Are you calling my brother a parasite?
– I call a spade a spade, – Anton crossed his arms over his chest. – Face the truth, Natasha. Kirill is twenty-two years old, and he still hasn’t earned a penny. He just spends other people’s money. He promises to find a job, but instead makes up excuses. They helped him once – good. The second time – okay. But this has been going on for years!
Natalia sank into a chair, clenching and unclenching her fists.
“You don’t understand,” she said quietly. “It was hard for Kirill and me. Our father left when I was twelve and he was six. Mom worked herself to the bone. I became both his nanny and his second mother.
“I know all this,” Anton responded impatiently. “And I sympathize. But that doesn’t mean that now I have to support a grown man who doesn’t want to move for his own future.”
– He’s moving! – Natalia exclaimed. – He’s studying, gaining knowledge. And if we don’t help now, he might drop out of college, and everything will go to hell!
Anton went to the window and looked out at the evening courtyard for a while. Then he turned to his wife:
— You know what really pisses me off? The way Kirill manipulates you. His stories are always heartbreaking, always on the brink of disaster. And every time you fall for it.
“What are you talking about?” Natalia frowned.
– That your brother knows exactly what buttons to push. “I have nowhere to go,” “I’ll end up on the street,” “goodbye honors diploma”… – Anton mimicked. – And you instantly feel guilty and run to save him, shaking money out of my wallet.
Natalya stood up abruptly, her eyes shining with indignation.
– Don’t you dare talk about Kirill like that! He’s not manipulating! He’s really in trouble!
– Just like last time, – Anton noted venomously. – And the time before that. And the time before that. Eternal crisis, eternal problems, surprisingly successfully solved with money.
Natalia took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
– Anton, let’s think rationally. If we help now, Kirill will be able to finish college peacefully. He’ll get a diploma, get a normal job and won’t ask for anything else.
– I’ve heard that ten times already, – Anton shook his head. – How about another option? Let Kirill take an academic leave, work for a year, pay for his own housing. At the same time, he’ll gain experience and learn to value money.
“He’ll lose a year!” Natalya was indignant. “And then it will be difficult to return to school. I can’t allow this.”
– Why should you decide? – Anton asked sharply. – He is a grown man. It’s time for him to take responsibility for his own life.
Natalia narrowed her eyes:
– Your problem is that you never loved my brother. You looked down on him from the very beginning.
– No, my problem is that your brother is sitting on our necks, and you don’t notice it, – Anton snapped. – Do you know how many times I’ve seen Kirill come to us, first beg for money, then climb into the refrigerator, then ask you about my salary? He sees me as nothing more than a wallet on legs!
– It’s not true! – Natalia raised her voice. – You’re biased! Kirill always speaks of you with respect!
“Behind my back, maybe respectfully,” Anton grinned. “But to my face, he flatters because he knows it’s easier to extort money that way.”
A tense silence hung in the kitchen. Natalya looked at her husband as if she was seeing him for the first time. She could not understand when and how Anton had become so callous.
“Okay,” she finally said. “If you don’t want to help, I’ll find another way out. I’ll borrow from my friends. Or sell my jewelry.”
– Natasha, are you serious? – Anton shook his head incredulously. – Are you going to sell the gold I gave you on anniversaries and birthdays so that your lazy brother can live in a new apartment?
– Don’t you dare call my brother that! – Natalia slammed her palm on the table. – And yes, if you refuse to help the family, we’ll have to find other ways!
– I help the family every day! – Anton almost shouted. – I work ten hours so that you don’t have to work! So that we can have this apartment, the car, the vacation at the sea! But I’m not going to sponsor your brother forever!
Natalya suddenly smiled, but the smile was cold:
– You know what? If you don’t want to help my brother, then I’ll go live with my mother. She would never refuse to help Kirill in a difficult moment if she had this opportunity.
Anton froze, not believing his ears.
– Are you threatening to leave me because of money for my brother?
– Yes! You must help my brother, he is part of our family! You said that I would not need anything, and now…
– Stop, my dear! I don’t work all day long so that you can supply your brother with my money!
Natalya recoiled, stunned by her husband’s outburst of anger. In four years of marriage, she had never seen Anton like this – with a flushed face, a pulsating vein in his temple, with fury in his eyes.
“How dare you talk to me like that?” she whispered, finding her voice.
– How dare you blackmail me by leaving? – Anton retorted. – You know, I’ve been putting up with all these endless extortions for a long time. All these “Kirill needs this, Kirill needs that.” But there is a limit to everything, Natasha. And that limit is three hundred and fifty thousand for a new apartment for a grown man who hasn’t lifted a finger to earn it himself.
Natalia crossed her arms over her chest:
– I see you’ve made up your mind. Finally and irrevocably. Well, then I’ve made up my mind too. – She straightened up. – My brother is more important than your greed. I’m packing my things and going to my mother.
She expected her husband to start dissuading her, asking her to stay, to compromise. But Anton looked at her silently for a few seconds, then suddenly nodded:
– Okay. I’ll help you pack your things.
He turned and walked out of the kitchen. Natalya remained standing, looking after him in confusion. A minute later she heard her husband open the closet in the bedroom and take something out. She hurried after him.
Anton pulled out a large suitcase, opened it and methodically began to put her clothes from the closet into it.
“What are you doing?” Natalia asked in amazement.
“I’m helping you get ready,” Anton answered calmly, without stopping his work. “But you said you were going to your mom’s.”
– But… – Natalya hesitated, unable to find the words. She had not expected such a reaction. Deep down, she was sure that Anton would be scared of her leaving and would agree to give her money.
– “But” what? – Anton turned to her, holding her favorite sweater in his hands. – You just said that your brother is more important than me. That you are ready to destroy our family for his next whim. I simply accept your decision.
“This is not a whim!” Natalya was indignant. “He has nowhere to live!”
“He has options,” Anton snapped. “He can live in a dorm. He can find a room instead of an entire apartment. He can move in with friends. He can, after all, move in with his mother, since you’re planning on going there too.”
He continued to pack clothes into the suitcase. His movements were precise, economical, his face expressing cold determination.
“Are you serious?” Natalia felt panic rising inside her. “Are you really ready to ruin our marriage over this?”
Anton stopped and looked straight into her eyes:
– I’m not ruining our marriage, Natalya. You’re ruining it by choosing your brother over your husband. You’re ruining it by blackmailing me into leaving. You’re ruining it by demanding that we give up all our savings to buy an apartment for a healthy guy who can and should take care of himself.
He returned to packing:
– For four years I tried to build a family with you. But in this family for some reason there were always three – you, me and your brother hanging on my neck.
“Anton, but we can talk,” Natalya took a step towards him. “Find a compromise…”
– What compromise? – He abruptly zipped up the suitcase. – You just said that you need all the money at once. And you gave an ultimatum – either I pay, or you leave. What is there to discuss?
He took out his phone and started dialing a number.
“What are you doing?” Natalia asked in a trembling voice.
“I’m calling you a taxi,” Anton replied. “It’s a two-hour drive to your mother, it’s already late now.”
Natalia felt a chill run down her spine. Everything that was happening seemed unreal. She didn’t believe that Anton was really ready to let her go.
– Hello! I need a car from Kirov Street, Building 24, – Anton was saying meanwhile. – How long should I wait? Fifteen minutes? Great.
He hung up and picked up his suitcase:
– You can pack the rest of your things later. You can come by when I’m not home.
– Anton… – Natalia felt tears welling up in her throat. – You can’t do this.
“No, that’s what you do,” he answered quietly. “Four years together, and you choose to leave because of money for your brother. It’s your choice, not mine.
He walked into the hallway and put the suitcase by the door. Natalia followed him, trying to comprehend what was happening.
“What about our marriage?” she asked. “Our family?”
Anton looked at her with bitterness:
– You’ve already chosen your family, Natasha. And it’s not me.
They waited for the taxi in silence. When Anton’s phone rang with a message, he silently took the suitcase and opened the door:
— The car has arrived.
Natalya mechanically got dressed and went out onto the landing. Anton walked her to the car, put the suitcase in the trunk and said to the driver:
— To the Tver region, the village of Vysokoye.
Then he turned to his wife:
– Good luck. Now you can see for yourself what it’s like to support your brother with your own money, not mine.
He turned around and, without looking back, walked towards the entrance. Natalya watched him go, not believing that all this was really happening.
The driver coughed impatiently:
– So, are we going or not?
Natalia got into the car, still in a stupor. As the taxi pulled away, she looked at the receding silhouette of the house where she had lived for four happy years. The house where, she suddenly realized, she would never return…
