On Saturday at half past seven, Alexey’s phone started buzzing on the nightstand. Elena woke up to the vibration before her husband did and, out of habit, reached for the phone. On the screen was a message from Larisa Pavlovna: «Today, clean the windows in the living room and kitchen, take down the curtains and […]
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“Liz, you know your way around these phones, and I’ve tried a hundred times with no luck. Can you set it up so my rent just gets paid automatically? I’m tired of standing in line at the post office every month.” Nina Petrovna placed her phone down on the vinyl tablecloth next to a bowl […]
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“Please don’t move, just a minute more,” the seamstress said, holding some pins in her mouth. “We’ll just hem the skirt a little, and that’s it.” Natalia stood on a short, round platform in the middle of the fitting room, gazing at her reflection. The dress was white, simple, with open shoulders and long sleeves […]
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“Sasha, isn’t this a bit much?” Nadya stood in the fitting room of a shopping mall, wearing a dark blue knee-length dress, gazing at herself in the mirror with her head pulled into her shoulders. The dress was simple, with thin straps and a slightly flared skirt. It suited her beautifully. “I think it’s perfect,” […]
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The key wouldn’t turn. Polina jiggled it, pushed harder, and only then realized the door was already unlocked. She was certain she’d locked it with two turns that morning. From the second room came a rustling sound and someone’s voice. Polina walked down the hallway without taking off her boots and stopped in the doorway. […]
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Elena hadn’t even taken off her sneakers when she realized there were strangers in her kitchen, measuring her window with a tape measure. Her suitcase stood frozen by the door. Behind her were two weeks of training in Kazan, an overnight train ride, and a taxi ride. Finally, she was home. But at home, a […]
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“Where’s the soup I made yesterday?” Svetlana demanded. “Where’s the soup I made yesterday?” Sveta asked indignantly. “I poured it out,” her mother-in-law replied cheerfully, stirring something in a frying pan. “It was too watery. I made a new one—richer and thicker. A man needs to eat well!” Sveta and Lesha lived in a small […]
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Anna always knew she and Dmitry viewed money differently. He spent it as easily as breathing—new headphones today, dinner with coworkers tomorrow, and another transfer to his mom for her ‘urgent needs’ the day after. But Anna calculated every purchase, always running a mental tally of their family budget. «Dima, we agreed to get a […]
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«Have you completely lost your mind?!» Elena Pavlovna swung open the kitchen cabinet door with force. «A shampoo for eight hundred rubles?! What is that, golden soap? Do you even realize how much that is? If you want these luxuries, buy them with your own salary!» «It’s my shampoo, Elena Pavlovna,» said Miroslava wearily, not […]
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«Leave the keys on the table. All three sets,» Nina Pavlovna said. Vera stood at the stove, holding a wooden spoon over the pot. Broth slowly dripped from it. «Good evening,» she replied. «Are you starting things off without a greeting again?» Her mother-in-law placed a large checkered bag on the stool. «I brought this […]
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