Verochka, open up, it’s family!” — the girl immediately recognized the voices of her relatives.
“Aunt Zina, what are you doing here?”
“We came to work. You know how things are getting worse and worse in our backwater. So Petya and I decided to go to Moscow to earn money and help my daughter.”
“And where will you live? Moscow is expensive.”
“For now, we’ll stay with you, and later we’ll figure something out. After all, we’re family!”
By unanimous opinion of all the relatives, Vera lived like a queen. Alone in a three-room apartment, in a nice neighborhood, and even close to the metro. Everyone said: “That girl is lucky, like butter sliding on bread.” The whole family thought — since Vera had such luck with the inheritance from her cousin’s grandmother, now they had the opportunity to stay with Vera in Moscow, or even live there as long as they wanted.
Vera came to Moscow 7 years ago to become a doctor. Since childhood, she dreamed of saving lives. So she enrolled in medical school, lived in a dormitory like most out-of-town students, surviving on a modest scholarship and whatever her parents sent.
“Vera, Galina Ilyinichna called me, she wants you to come to her,” her mother said over the phone. “I’ll send you the address by SMS now.”
“Mom, I last saw her when I was only 3 years old. Why would she suddenly need me?”
“You’re right, she never socialized with anyone, she has a terrible temper. But grandma is very old now, maybe she needs something. She won’t ask us for help — she ruined relationships herself and is proud. Go visit her this weekend and find out. After all, she’s your cousin’s grandmother.”
Galina Ilyinichna had lived alone for a long time. She hardly ever communicated with relatives, wouldn’t even let them inside, and never visited anyone herself. Everyone was used to this and no one insisted on visiting, knowing grandma would immediately send them away. She wasn’t polite with family and always said what she thought.
On Sunday, Vera bought some fruit and sweets and went to the address her mother had sent. Grandma lived in a Stalin-era building almost in the city center. Vera stood for five minutes at the entrance, admiring the beautiful stucco on the facade. “I never would have thought Galina Ilyinichna lives in such a beautiful house,” the girl marveled.
“It’s open!” came a voice from behind the door as Vera cautiously knocked.
“I’m Vera,” she said, entering the apartment.
“I know who you are. Come in, but take off your shoes right by the door so you don’t bring dirt in. Leave your fruit in the hallway, I’m not allowed.”
Galina Ilyinichna was sitting in a wheelchair. The once plump elderly woman was barely recognizable. Vera had only seen her cousin’s grandmother a few times when she was little. The granddaughter went to the kitchen after her grandmother, who asked her to put on the kettle. Vera couldn’t hide her amazement and admiration at the high ceilings, huge windows, and eagerly examined the apartment until she caught Galina Ilyinichna’s disapproving glance.
“Someone in the family whispered to me you’re studying to be a doctor,” the grandmother rasped, “and I, as you can see, need help.”
“I’m only in my second year; I won’t be a doctor for a while.”
“That doesn’t matter. Move in with me, you’ll help and live here for free. Much better than your dorm.”
Galina Ilyinichna explained she lost a foot due to diabetes and couldn’t manage the household at all. She didn’t like strangers, and social workers had all run away, visiting rarely. She complained that all the social workers’ hands grew from the wrong place and everyone who came just annoyed her. When she learned her cousin’s granddaughter was studying medicine, she was happy and decided to invite her over.
Vera felt very sorry for the elderly, withered woman and agreed. A couple of days later, she packed her things and moved in with her relative. At first, their relationship was difficult. Galina Ilyinichna had a difficult character, so pleasing her was nearly impossible. She criticized Vera for any reason and nitpicked every little thing.
“This is not a dormitory, dear.
You can’t leave anything out in the open here. If you drank tea, wash the cup immediately, dry it thoroughly and put it in the cupboard! I love order! All surfaces must be perfectly clean, understood?”
Galina Ilyinichna was never satisfied. She scolded Vera for every little thing: dishes unevenly placed in the cupboard, not enough water poured into the glass, overcooked porridge. She especially liked to check for dust — she would roll around the apartment in her wheelchair and wipe the furniture with a white handkerchief.
Every evening she complained about how she felt but at the same time acted stubborn and refused to take medicine. And if she agreed to take pills, she asked to see the box they came from, just in case Vera was planning to poison her.
Vera was very patient and tried not to pay attention to the grandmother’s grumbling and barbs. She knew that most of her future patients would be elderly people. So she decided this would be excellent practice to learn not to take complaints and criticisms from sick pensioners personally.
She took on all the housework, redoing things if her grandmother didn’t like them, and responded to grumbling with a polite smile. Gradually, the complaints decreased and their relationship began to improve.
“I dreamed of becoming a doctor myself,” Galina Ilyinichna said once over tea. “I imagined putting on a white coat and saving lives.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Times were different. My parents forced me to learn to sew and go to a factory, where the prospects were better. They said doctors get peanuts, and we were already poor. So I went to help the family.”
“And then you got married, grandma?”
“Yes, when I got married, everything changed. I felt like I was behind a stone wall with Ivan. It’s just a pity we never had children. And when he died, all they cared about was his money. See what a mansion I got from my husband? That’s why I chased all the relatives away. I didn’t let any of those parasites in.”
Vera listened with interest to the old woman’s stories. She even read lectures aloud to her while preparing for exams because grandma was very curious to feel some connection to medicine. Then they laughed together at jokes from medical students Vera would tell her. That’s how they spent cold winter evenings.
Vera noticed how her grandmother came alive and began to communicate more, now without barbs and constant complaints. She learned a lot about her life and even regretted that she rarely saw her when she was little.
“I want to leave my apartment to you.”
Galina Ilyinichna put a file with papers on the table. “Here are the documents — I signed them today while you were at university. It’s amazing how many services for the elderly there are now — someone will come to your house if you want. It’s a pity I stopped walking myself, missing many opportunities.”
“Oh no, I don’t need it,” Vera choked on her tea from surprise. “And why the rush?”
“Don’t be foolish, everyone needs an apartment.”
She forced Vera to take the papers and put them in the cupboard with her own documents. Then she started telling her how to get rid of greedy relatives.
“If you don’t do as I say, you’ll live like in your dormitory. All the relatives will quickly sit on your neck,” Galina Ilyinichna repeated all evening.
As if sensing she wouldn’t see her granddaughter again — that very night she died.
Vera organized the funeral herself and informed all relatives. Before her death, Galina Ilyinichna told Vera where she kept money for this occasion, advising her not to count on family for help.
Almost none of the relatives came or offered help.
“Verochka, we want to come stay with you for the summer!
See Moscow and buy clothes for the kids for school.”
When Vera inherited the apartment, all relatives started calling, asking to stay or just stop by.
The family expected Vera wouldn’t refuse — she was young and kind, not like Galina Ilyinichna. But Vera refused everyone on the phone, not mincing words as her grandmother taught her: “No, you cannot stay with me. Period!”
Then her aunt Zinaida Ivanovna decided to come with her husband without warning. That way Vera definitely couldn’t dodge them. Refusing on the phone was one thing, but not letting them in the door was another. That’s when Vera remembered grandma’s advice on how to get rid of freeloading relatives.
“In that case, I’ll be happy to have you stay with me,” Vera said to Zinaida Ivanovna after dinner, “rest now from your trip, and tomorrow we’ll talk.”
“Thank you, Verochka. It’s so good to have somewhere to stay in Moscow now.”
In the morning Vera woke the relatives at 6 a.m., saying she was used to getting up early because she had to go to school. She made breakfast, poured tea, and took out the papers from a small kitchen cupboard. The relatives watched her disapprovingly because they hoped to sleep in and then stroll around Moscow. But they obediently came to the kitchen for breakfast.
“You really saved me by coming!” Vera babbled. “Since I inherited the apartment, so many problems piled up! The apartment is big, and the utility bills are huge. They’re threatening to cut off electricity and water any day now.”
“Verochka, why haven’t you been paying?” Aunt’s eyes nearly popped out.
“How can I pay, Aunt Zina? I’m just a student. What my parents send is barely enough for food, and sometimes I have to eat whatever’s available. It’s good you’re here now, you’ll help me pay the utility debts. And buy more groceries, I only have canned food and pasta, and we already ate the last of those with you.”
Vera told the relatives to rest, and she would return from school in the evening to pay everything together. The girl fussed in the kitchen and kept complaining to her aunt about how hard it was to live in Moscow — everything was expensive, and the stipend and parents’ help weren’t enough. Luckily Zinaida Ivanovna and her husband came, otherwise it would have been really tough.
“How glad I am you’re here! Maybe you’ll even buy a new TV, huh? Well, we’ll discuss that tonight, okay? And also new bedding, I laid out the sheets of Grandma Gala, good thing I managed to wash them in advance. What else do you need?” The girl pondered while the relatives glanced at each other behind her back.
“While I’m at school, you can look around the apartment and see what else needs to be bought. The plumbing needs replacing, by the way. Did you bring much money — how much can I count on from you? Okay, tell me tonight how much you can give me.”
Vera quickly changed, took her notebooks for lectures, and left the keys to the relatives.
“I’m leaving the keys so you can buy groceries. Don’t be stingy — get plenty!”
“All right, Verochka,” Zinaida Ivanovna’s face showed confusion.
“Oh Aunt Zina, can you give me some money right now? I don’t even have anything to snack on at university.”
“Verochka, we have no cash at all.”
“What a pity… Well, never mind. We’ll go to the ATM together tonight.”
All day Vera remembered the relatives’ expressions and silently thanked grandma for the clever plan, realizing she was right. Everyone wanted to come stay for free, but no one was going to help.
Returning home in the evening, she found the relatives all dressed up in the kitchen. Their suitcases stood in the hallway. Zinaida Ivanovna apologized profusely that they couldn’t stay and had to leave urgently. Vera feigned surprise and pretended to be upset.
“How could this be?!
You won’t even pay the utilities or replace the plumbing?! Aunt Zina, that’s not decent. We’re still family, after all. Well, at least leave 5,000 rubles for groceries; I see you didn’t buy anything.”
Zinaida Ivanovna hesitated and handed her niece a thousand-ruble bill, forgetting that she said in the morning there was no cash.
“It’s a bit little, of course, but thanks anyway. Next time, at least prepare 20-30 thousand for the start, or better 50,” Vera advised on her way out, then added with a flourish, “And tell the relatives how much I need financial help anytime. They can even just transfer it to my card without coming.”
The family hurriedly said goodbye before Vera could ask for anything else. Since then, no relative has asked to stay with her.