At six in the morning, Margarita at first thought someone on the next street had a stuck car alarm.
A horn blared outside, stopped, then sounded two more times—this time shorter and more insistent.
She propped herself up on her elbow and checked the time.
05:58.
«Ilya,» she said, nudging her husband on the shoulder. «Someone out there is getting murdered by a car horn.»
Ilya woke up suspiciously fast.
He didn’t ask, «Who?»
He didn’t start listening closely.
He just sat up in bed and said:
«They’re here already?»
Margarita turned her head to look at him.
That word, «already,» immediately rubbed her the wrong way.
She threw on her robe and stepped out onto the veranda.
There were two cars parked outside the gate.
Ilya’s sister Alla was climbing out of the first one, followed by her husband Denis. The back doors opened, and out came their fourteen-year-old son Egor and sixteen-year-old daughter Liza, squinting after the long trip.
From the second car, Ilya’s cousin Pyotr and his wife Oksana were already unloading their bags.
Six people in total.
Alla spotted Margarita and waved cheerfully:
«Good morning! Open up! We came extra early to beat the traffic.»
For a moment, Margarita just stood there on the porch.
It was a hot Saturday, even for July. At six in the morning, the air was still cool, a light mist hung over the neighbors’ yards, and somewhere behind the fence someone was watering their garden beds.
And in the midst of all this sleepy quiet, six relatives were hauling out of their cars beach bags, folding chairs, and board games.
Ilya appeared behind her.
Unlike his wife, he didn’t look over at who was waiting at the gate. He was clearly expecting family.
Only, judging by his face, he was expecting them under different circumstances.
Margarita looked at her husband.
He looked away.
She didn’t like that, either.
The dacha had been Margarita’s since before their marriage. It was a small wooden house with a kitchen, two rooms, and a veranda that she’d inherited from her parents. Nothing fancy: six ares of land, apple trees, a greenhouse, and an old bathhouse that Ilya had been meaning to insulate for the last three years.
They came out here almost every weekend.
Sometimes they invited family over.
But usually, «invited» meant Margarita knew about it at least a day in advance.
Today, apparently, the rules had changed.
She unlocked the gate.
«Why are you here so early?»
«Why waste time?» Alla replied, surprised. «We’ll get settled in, have some breakfast, then once it gets hot…»
Pyotr carried a large bag onto the property.
Margarita automatically glanced inside.
Towels.
There were badminton rackets and an inflatable swim ring next to them.
Oksana was carrying a small backpack.
As it turned out later, inside were a makeup bag, a phone charger, and a sweater for the evening.
Alla had a bag full of board games.
No one had brought any food.
Margarita spent another minute hoping maybe the groceries were just left in the trunk.
Nope, they weren’t.
«So where are the bags with the food?» she asked.
Alla was already setting a folding chair under the apple tree.
«What food?»
«The usual kind. The kind people eat.»
«We didn’t buy any,» Alla said. «It’s too hot. By the time you get here, everything heats up in the car.»
Margarita nodded.
The logic was flawless.
The meat will get warm—that’s bad.
So it made much more sense to just come to a place where there wouldn’t be any meat at all.
She looked at Denis:
«What about the kebab?»
He looked at Alla.
Alla looked at Ilya.
And only then did she look back at Margarita again.
«But you’ve got a country house. We thought you’d have everything ready.»
Someone behind Margarita let out a very soft sigh.
It was Ilya.
She turned around.
«Can I talk to you for a minute?»
«Rita, can’t it wait till later…»
«No, right now.»
In the kitchen, Margarita closed the door.
«Start explaining.»
Ilya scratched the back of his head.
«I told them they could come over.»
«Yeah, I figured that out already.»
«And… I invited them for a barbecue.»
Margarita was silent for a few seconds.
On Thursday, her husband had told her a completely different story.
«Maybe Alla will stop by with the kids after lunch. Maybe Petya will drop in. They’ll bring something themselves.»
That’s exactly why Margarita hadn’t bought anything special.
After a busy work week, she just wanted a quiet Saturday. She worked as an accountant at a small construction firm and had been closing the quarter the last few days. Ilya worked in procurement at a manufacturing company. They both earned decent incomes, but everyday expenses had long been split by a simple rule: groceries and utilities were shared, personal entertainment and one’s own initiatives were paid individually.
Hosting six people from early morning was not part of their weekend family plan.
In the fridge there was a pack of cottage cheese, two eggs, half a melon, butter, some cheese, and a few vegetables.
In the freezer—a one-kilo chunk of pork Margarita had bought for dinner for the two of them.
«Did you tell them I’d make the shashlik?»
«Not exactly.»
«Ilya.»
«Well, I said we’d get everything sorted.»
«But you told me that they might drop by after lunch and bring their own food.»
He sat on the edge of a stool.
«I figured I’d head to the store quickly in the morning.»
«So why didn’t you just tell me straight?»
«Because you’d start saying we need to decide ahead of time how many people are coming, what to buy, who’s staying…»
«Exactly.»
Ilya sighed.
«See? That’s why I wanted to skip all that bureaucracy.»
Margarita even smiled.
«Great job. Totally free of bureaucracy. Especially the fridge.»
Out on the veranda, their country house had become a real summer camp.
The teenagers were hooking up to the internet.
Denis was checking out the grill.
Oksana was asking where she could change clothes.
Petr discovered the hammock and immediately took it over.
And Alla peeked into the kitchen.
«Rita, do you have any coffee? We didn’t have breakfast at home.»
Then Petr added:
«And something to snack on would be great. We left at four in the morning.»
«I didn’t have breakfast either,» replied Margarita.
«Well, let’s all have breakfast together then.»
Margarita looked at Ilya.
He understood her expression without any need for words.
«I’ll run to the store now.»
But it turned out the guests had planned much more than just breakfast.
At the table, Alla was saying:
«We’ll eat now, then we can go to the river. Around twelve, barbecue. We need to pick up some ice cream for the kids.»
«I don’t need any,» Lisa commented. «I’m not a kid.»
«Then you’ll just get ice cream, no kid status.»
Denis laughed.
Swinging in the hammock, Petr suggested:
«And in the evening we can grill something else. Maybe some wings.»
«Good idea,» Oksana agreed. «And why leave tonight? Tomorrow’s Sunday. Let’s sleep over.»
Margarita slowly turned to her husband.
«Ilya.»
He froze beside the kettle.
«How many people were you planning to feed here for two days?»
«No one said anything about two days…»
«I just heard it myself.»
Pyotr leaned out from the veranda:
«We could leave today if we wanted. Is there really any point in running around?»
Margarita replied:
«That’s exactly what we’re figuring out right now.»
Ilya walked up closer to her and quietly said:
«Rita, come on, is this really necessary? I’ll go now. I’ll get everything.»
«Perfect.»
She pulled a large reusable bag from the closet and handed it to her husband.
«Then start taking notes.»
«I’ll remember it all.»
«Last time you went for bread, you came back with a watermelon, chips, and no bread. Write it down.»
Ilya took out his phone.
Margarita began listing the items:
«Meat. At least three and a half kilos. Cucumbers, tomatoes, greens. Bread. Lavash. Water. Juice. Something for breakfast. Cheese. Sausage. Milk. Ice cream. And if people stay until tomorrow—food for a second breakfast.»
She paused.
«And charcoal.»
«I thought we had charcoal left.»
«We did. Until you and Pyotr decided to grill more sausages last time you were here.»
From the hammock, Pyotr chimed in:
«That’s right. We finished it all off that night.»
Margarita threw up her hands.
«See? There’s even a witness.»
Ilya headed to the car.
But suddenly Alla asked:
«Why buy so much? Do you guys have absolutely no food at all?»
«We have enough for the two of us.»
«No way you have nothing at all.»
Margarita opened the fridge.
«Go ahead, pick something.»
Alla peered inside.
«Cottage cheese…»
«One pack.»
«Eggs.»
«Two.»
«Melon.»
«Half a melon.»
Margarita gestured at the fridge contents:
«So, what do you think we should cook lunch for eight people out of? Feel free to get creative.»
Denis snickered.
Pyotr laughed too:
«Omelet for everyone—with two eggs to go around!»
Even Alla cracked a smile.
«Okay, you win.»
But no one was rushing to take out their wallets.
Margarita noticed this.
«So, one more question. Who’s chipping in for groceries?»
The veranda suddenly got much quieter.
Pyotr shrugged first:
«Why should we chip in? Ilyukha invited us.»
«Fair. That’s why I first thought to split the expenses between everyone here. But there’s another option.»
«What’s that?»
Margarita looked at her husband.
«The organizer pays.»
Ilya cleared his throat.
Pyotr frowned:
«Well, usually when you’re invited, the hosts do the catering.»
«Of course,» said Margarita. «When hosts know who’s coming, when they’re coming, and for how long. Not when one host sends out invitations and the other finds six people at the gate at 6 am—with towels and a plan for the menu through Sunday.»
Oksana was the first to stop smiling.
She looked at Ilya:
«Wait a minute. Did Rita really not know?»
Ilya was silent for a moment.
Then, something rare for him happened: instead of spending ten minutes explaining himself, he said right away:
«She didn’t know.»
Alla stared at her brother.
«What do you mean?»
«I told her you might stop by after lunch.»
«But you told us to come in the morning.»
«Yeah.»
«And you mentioned barbecue.»
«I did.»
«And that we could stay if we wanted.»
Ilya rubbed his neck.
«Well, yes.»
Alla looked at Margarita, then back at her brother.
«And you thought she’d just magically buy food for eight people?»
«I was planning to shop this morning.»
«So what are you waiting for?»
Margarita nearly burst out laughing.
Just five minutes ago, Alla was completely convinced that, thanks to having a dacha, food should simply appear in the fridge by itself.
Now, her train of thought took a sharp turn.
«Anyway,» she went on, «if you invited everyone, you do the shopping.»
«Exactly!» Margarita declared. «At last, we’ve found family consensus.»
«What’s that supposed to mean?» Ilya asked.
«It’s when your sister and your wife both think you should pay. It doesn’t happen often. I wouldn’t argue.»
Denis raised his hand:
«I’m with them, too.»
«Traitor,» said Ilya.
«I’ve been married eighteen years. I play it safe.»
A minute later, Ilya left.
While he was gone, something else became clear.
The guests weren’t hopeless freeloaders after all. The main issue was that everyone thought everything had already been arranged.
Alla really believed Margarita knew about the visit and had planned the meal herself.
Pyotr assumed the shashlik was already bought.
Oksana had even tried to ask her husband on Friday if they should bring anything, but Pyotr replied, «Ilya said everything’s taken care of.»
«Why did he say that?» she asked Margarita.
«Because several times before, everything really was ready.»
And that was true.
When they invited relatives for the May holidays, Margarita had stocked up on food and marinated the meat in advance.
For Ilya’s birthday, she had set a table for twelve.
In the spring, when Alla came with the kids, she baked a pie and made a huge pot of okroshka.
But every time, this was discussed beforehand.
And every time, guests also brought some groceries.
Ilya, it seemed, had drawn his own conclusions from these occasions: if people are at the dacha, food just magically appears near Margarita.
Kind of like apples growing on the apple tree.
An hour and a half later, her husband returned.
The grocery store was in the village, but he had to drive farther to the big supermarket on the highway to get all the meat they needed.
They unloaded four bags from the trunk.
Ilya spent nine thousand eight hundred rubles from his personal card.
This trip left no trace on the family’s joint account.
He made sure to show Margarita the receipt himself.
«Happy now?»
She looked at the long strip of paper.
«I’m not the procurement audit committee. You invited the people, you feed the people.»
«Almost ten thousand.»
«At least there’s no bureaucracy.»
Alla overheard and burst into giggles.
«Rita, don’t finish him off.»
«I haven’t even started.»
What happened next, Ilya probably never saw coming.
No one rushed to Margarita asking when the food would be ready.
Alla grabbed some chopping boards.
Denis and Pyotr headed for the grill.
Oksana sorted out the groceries.
Egor carried water and dishes out to the veranda.
Liza sliced bread and tried to keep up her chat with her friend at the same time.
Twenty minutes later, Alla glanced out into the garden.
Margarita was sitting in a chair beneath the apple tree, reading a book.
«What are you doing?»
Margarita glanced up.
«Reading.»
«I can see that. Aren’t you going to help us?»
«Did something happen?»
Alla stared at her for a moment, then waved her hand:
«Fine. Sit. Today’s your union day off.»
«Thanks.»
Ilya brought over a bag of meat.
He stopped beside his wife.
«Rita.»
«Mmm?»
«Here.»
He handed her the meat.
Margarita glanced first at the bag, then at her husband.
«And what am I supposed to do with it?»
«Marinate it.»
«Why?»
«You know better than I do.»
«Ilya, you managed to invite six people to arrive at six in the morning. Your organizational skills are outstanding. I’m sure you can handle marinating just fine.»
«I’m serious.»
«So am I.»
He stood there for a few more seconds.
Margarita turned the page in her book.
«There’s onion. You bought spices. The sparkling water is here. The internet’s working. If you really get lost, ask Denis.»
«Are you doing this out of principle?»
She closed the book with her finger to keep her place.
«Yes. Because if I take that bag right now, somehow breakfast will also be my responsibility tomorrow morning. And the day after, you’ll just remember one thing: everything went great.»
Ilya looked at the meat.
Then he nodded.
«Alright.»
Now this “alright” sounded a lot better to Margarita than his earlier “are they here already?” in the morning.
He did end up marinating the meat.
He wasn’t alone. Pyotr added the spices, Denis chopped the onion, and Alla managed everyone at once, even though she insisted she was «not getting involved at all.»
The first batch of shashlik ended up a bit overcooked.
The second one turned out just right.
By noon, the veranda table was set with vegetables, bread, sauces, and plates of meat.
Someone even sliced the chilled melon from the fridge.
Those two eggs were still lying in their original spot.
«Rita,» called Pyotr, «come over before Ilya turns the pork into construction material again.»
«Very funny,» Ilya called back from the grill.
Margarita joined everyone at the table.
She had no intention of spoiling the day for anyone.
What annoyed her wasn’t having relatives around, and it wasn’t even about money. What really got to her was that her husband had already mapped out her time, energy, and care as if it all belonged to him, just like the grill and the garden hose.
And now, for the first time, he was left to deal with the consequences of his own choices.
Which is why Margarita’s mood noticeably improved.
After lunch, everyone headed to the river.
Margarita stayed home; the heat had picked up and she just wanted some quiet.
They came back about three hours later.
Alla brought her some ice cream.
«Pistachio for you.»
«Thanks.»
«We all chipped in at the store.»
Margarita looked at her.
«You’re learning fast.»
«It’s just that now, it feels scary to show up empty-handed.»
«And rightly so.»
Both of them burst out laughing.
By evening, it was clear nobody really wanted to stay overnight.
With only eight sleeping spots in the small house, there just wasn’t enough room: two rooms held a double bed, a pull-out sofa, and a chair bed. In theory, a few people could sleep on inflatable mattresses, but after a hot day, everyone wanted a proper shower and a real bed.
So around nine, everyone started packing up.
There weren’t many leftovers after dinner: a few bottles of water, some bread, a couple of vegetables, a pack of cheese, and about half a kilo of raw meat. Ilya put the meat straight into the freezer.
The following weekend, he and Margarita used it to cook dinner.
So even the last bag from that shopping trip didn’t go to waste.
Before they left, Alla suddenly took out her phone.
«I’m making a group chat right now.»
«What kind of chat?» Ilya asked.
«A dacha chat.»
«Just what we needed.»
«Exactly what we were missing today.»
She quickly added all the adults to the chat.
A title popped up a minute later: ‘A Country Getaway Without Surprises’.
«Here’s the deal,» Alla said. «Next time, everyone says who’s coming in advance. Then we sort out groceries. Meat, veggies, drinks—everyone picks what they’ll bring.»
Pyotr chimed in:
«And charcoal.»
«Charcoal is a must,» Margarita agreed.
Denis looked at Ilya:
«And the organizer stops telling everyone a different version of the plan.»
«Yeah, I get it,» Ilya answered.
«No, you get it today for about ten thousand,» Alla replied.
Ilya didn’t say anything to that.
But as it turned out later, he had actually learned his lesson pretty well.
They got to test this just three weeks later.
On Thursday, Pyotr called him.
They were talking in the kitchen, and Margarita overheard half the conversation unintentionally.
«Saturday?» Ilya asked. «I think that’s possible.»
Margarita even set down her knife.
Now they’d see just how lasting their country house etiquette really was.
But her husband continued:
«But write in the group chat first. Let’s see who else is coming… No, I’m not buying all the meat again. I did it last time. Everyone needs to bring something.»
Margarita silently went back to cutting tomatoes.
Ilya finished the call and looked at her.
«What?»
«Nothing.»
«Did I handle that right?»
«I don’t know. You’re the experienced organizer now.»
He smirked.
«Very funny.»
That Saturday, only Pyotr and Oksana showed up.
After ten in the morning.
They brought meat, veggies, bread, and a watermelon.
Ilya planned ahead and bought charcoal and drinks.
Margarita made a salad—because she wanted to, and not because she’d just been handed eight hungry people and the unofficial role of cafeteria manager in the morning.
During lunch, Pyotr recalled their last visit:
«Last time actually worked out pretty well. We showed up with towels and left with financial literacy knowledge.»
«Especially Ilya,» said Oksana.
«That’s enough,» Ilya replied. «I’ve already paid my dues.»
«Nine thousand eight hundred,» Margarita reminded him.
Ilya looked over at her:
«You actually remembered the amount?»
«Of course! That’s the price of a course.»
After that morning, he really did stop inviting relatives in his wife’s name.
Sometimes he’d call her and ask:
«Petya wants to come on Saturday. What do you think?»
Or he’d write in the group chat:
«Who’s coming? What are we buying?»
To Margarita, that was the most important result.
Not the ten thousand her husband spent on groceries.
Not the awkwardness among relatives.
And not even the two hours Ilya spent by the grill trying to figure out how much salt should go in the marinade.
At some point, it simply became clear that family hospitality doesn’t mean one person has to silently take care of everyone else’s plans.
And the story about six people arriving at six in the morning with towels, an inflatable ring, and enormous appetites was remembered at family gatherings for a long time.
Margarita especially loved the ending.
The best thing about these country weekends: the meat always made its way to the table, perfectly.
All you had to do was make sure the one promising a barbecue went to the store to buy the kebabs first.
