Gennady was sitting at his desk, sorting through reports on quarterly results. The numbers demanded attention, but his concentration kept slipping away—there was too much piled up at work. He picked up the next folder when Veronika entered the room.
“Gena, can I have a minute?” she asked, stopping at the doorway.
“Of course,” he said, setting aside the documents and turning to his wife.
“The thing is, Polina asked for a favor,” Veronika said, coming closer. “Remember I told you about their family situation?”
“I recall something,” Gennady nodded. “Her mother-in-law moved in with them?”
“Yes, she planned to stay for a couple of weeks, but she’s been there three months already. Evgeny is constantly clashing with his mother, Polina is stressed, and their son Oleg has become completely uncontrollable.”
Gennady listened carefully, understanding where his wife was going.
“Polina is asking for a break,” Veronika continued. “At least for a week. Maybe we could let them use our dacha?”
“The dacha?” Gennady raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Are you serious?”
“What’s wrong with that? Just for a week.”
“Veronika, no one’s lived there for two years. The dacha’s in disrepair, remember? We were planning to sell it.”
“I remember,” his wife nodded. “But it’s not critical. Polina has a husband; if anything breaks, he can fix it. Maybe it’s even better if someone lives there. An empty house quickly falls into ruin.”
Gennady pondered. Indeed, the dacha had been unused, and they just hadn’t gotten around to selling it.
“I regret not getting rid of it sooner,” he said. “Alright, let them stay. But I’ll personally show them the place.”
“Thank you, dear!” Veronika said happily and hurried into the next room.
Gennady entered the living room after his wife. Polina was sitting on the sofa, her husband Evgeny frowned beside her, and their son Oleg was playing on the carpet.
“Gennady agreed!” Veronika announced.
“Really?” Polina jumped up. “Gena, you’re our savior!”
She rushed to him and hugged him tightly.
“I don’t mind, but first I’ll show you what it’s like,” Gennady said. “The dacha hasn’t been used for a long time.”
“I don’t care, even a shack will do!” Polina exclaimed. “The main thing is peace and quiet.”
Evgeny remained silent, only shaking his head skeptically.
“Then let’s go right now,” Polina suggested. “While it’s still light.”
“Now?” Gennady was surprised but after a moment added, “Alright, let’s go.”
An hour and a half later, their car entered the dacha settlement. The autumn air was damp, and a light drizzle had started. The roads were almost empty—most dacha owners had already harvested and returned to the city until next spring.
Gennady parked near a small house behind a fence. From the outside, the building looked quite decent—fresh paint on the walls was still intact, and the roof was whole.
“Looks not bad,” Polina noted as she got out of the car.
“Don’t be deceived,” Gennady warned. “The house hasn’t been heated for two years, no firewood. It might be damp.”
“No problem, we’ll manage somehow,” Polina waved her hand.
Evgeny grimly surveyed the plot, showing little enthusiasm.
Inside, the house greeted them with a musty smell and coolness. Gennady went to the electric panel.
“Here’s the switch,” he explained, turning on the light. “The bulbs work, wiring is fine.”
The furniture was in place—a sofa with a faded cover, an old bed in the bedroom, a dining table with a couple of chairs. Everything was covered in dust but quite suitable for living.
“And this is the stove,” Gennady pointed to a small metal stove in the corner. “No firewood, but if you find some, you can heat it. The chimney is clean, draft is good.”
“Wonderful!” Polina looked around with visible relief.
Little Oleg ran around the rooms, enjoying the space.
“Mom, can I sleep on the sofa?” the boy asked.
“Sure, sweetheart,” Polina smiled.
Evgeny kept frowning but said nothing.
“The tools are in the shed,” Gennady continued. “Hammer, nails, screwdrivers—all there. If something breaks, you can fix it.”
“Got it,” Evgeny nodded shortly.
“There’s a shop in the center of the settlement, closes at eight. Gas is connected, stove works. Water is supplied on a schedule—morning and evening.”
“We’ll survive,” Polina said firmly. “The main thing is peace and no scandals.”
Gennady saw the tension gradually leave her face.
An hour later they were already driving back to the city. Gennady handed the keys to Polina.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “You have no idea what this means to them.”
“You’re welcome,” Gennady replied. “The main thing is that the dacha will be useful.”
Outside, autumn twilight deepened, and the rain tapped insistently on the window. Gennady hoped this week would really help Polina’s family find a solution to their problems.
At home, Veronika thanked her husband again for his willingness to help their friend.
“Thanks for agreeing,” she said while setting the table. “Polina was desperate.”
“I’m not sure they’ll last long there,” Gennady shook his head. “The house is cold, no firewood, and they’ll have to buy it. And there’s a lot that needs fixing.”
“They’ll manage,” Veronika said confidently.
“By the way,” Gennady suddenly remembered, “I forgot to show Evgeny where the water supply is.”
Veronika immediately grabbed her phone and called Polina.
“Hello, Polina? Gena forgot to show you where the water tap is. It’s in the corner of the kitchen behind the cupboard. And if it doesn’t work, there’s a well on the plot with good water.”
Gennady listened as his wife explained the details. The call lasted about ten minutes. Finally, Veronika hung up.
“Polina says they’re moving to the dacha tomorrow morning,” she reported. “They’re already packing.”
“I wish them luck,” Gennady said. “Just ask them not to burn the house down.”
The next day, Gennady seriously considered selling the dacha. Maybe it was time to get rid of this burden before the house completely fell apart? Veronika had no attachment to the land, and he simply didn’t have time to take care of the plot.
During the day he stopped by a real estate agency. He showed the agent photos of the house on his phone.
“Can this be sold now?” he asked.
The agent, Ulyana, carefully studied the pictures.
“I’m even glad to have such an offer,” she said. “Autumn is actually the best season to sell dachas. Buyers see the real condition without the summer greenery’s disguise. It’s a pity the plot is neglected.”
“Can you find a buyer?” Gennady inquired.
“I’ll definitely call as soon as I find one,” promised Ulyana.
The next day, Veronika was at the office when Polina called.
“Veronka, there’s a problem,” her friend complained. “There’s only one bulb in the room, and it’s dim. What should we do?”
“You need to buy better bulbs,” Veronika replied. “There should be some at the shop.”
“That’s not all,” Polina continued irritably. “There are gaps in the window frames, the floorboards creak, faucets leak, the toilet door doesn’t close, the stove smokes, and there’s mold on the wall in the corner. What are we supposed to do?”
“Well, sweep, mop, tape the gaps with duct tape or newspapers,” Veronika explained patiently. “Tighten the faucets, fix the door, clean the stove, treat the mold with baking soda. Typical dacha chores.”
“But that costs money!” Polina objected. “Bulbs, tape, cleaning supplies…”
“Don’t worry,” Veronika said with a light sarcasm. “At least you live for free.”
After that, the conversation ended quickly.
Polina stood in the middle of the room, looking around what had seemed like decent housing yesterday. In daylight, everything looked much worse—dust covered every surface in a thick layer, cobwebs hung in the corners, and dead flies lay on the windowsills. The two big bags they came with stood by the entrance—there was no point unpacking in such dirt.
“Mom, why does it smell like this?” Oleg asked, wrinkling his nose at the musty air.
“Because no one’s lived here for a long time, sweetheart,” Polina answered. “We’ll clean everything up now.”
Evgeny put on his jacket and headed to the door.
“I’ll go look for firewood,” he grumbled. “Otherwise, we’ll freeze by evening.”
“Oleg, go outside and play,” Polina told her son. “Just don’t go too far.”
The boy ran into the yard and started running among the weeds, happy to be free. Polina pulled old clothes from her bag and began cleaning.
By evening, her back ached terribly, but the room looked more or less livable. Polina wiped dust off the last shelf and sat on the sofa, taking out a folded piece of paper. There was already an impressive shopping list: bandages, duct tape, bulbs, cleaning supplies, broom, rags, sponges, detergent, air freshener, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste.
At that moment, Evgeny returned looking tired and irritated.
“So, how’s the firewood?” Polina asked.
“Problem,” he took off his jacket and hung it on a chair. “Everything’s already sold out or priced sky-high. But I managed to arrange with a neighbor—he’ll sell us some of his stock.”
“And how much will it cost?” Polina asked cautiously.
“Almost two thousand rubles,” Evgeny answered.
“Two thousand?!” Polina grabbed the list and added a new expense. “For firewood?”
“Do you want to freeze?” her husband snapped.
That evening, Gennady looked up from the documents and glanced at his wife reading a magazine in the armchair.
“How are your friends doing?” he asked with mild irony. “Haven’t run away from the dacha yet?”
“Everything’s fine,” Veronika replied calmly. “Polina just called and said they’re cleaning up and getting things in order.”
“Well, that’s good,” Gennady nodded and went back to the papers.
Two days later, the phone rang in the evening. Veronika answered.
“Veronka, I’m losing my mind!” Polina’s voice sounded on the edge of hysteria. “Our gasoline expenses are huge, and taking the bus is extremely inconvenient! It only runs once an hour, can you imagine?”
“Polina, you knew the dacha is twenty minutes from the city,” Veronika explained patiently.
“Yes, I knew, but I didn’t think it would be so expensive,” her friend sighed heavily. “And that’s not all! Mosquitoes bite us at night, flies swarm, mice rustle in the basement, neighbor’s dogs bark all night, and the well stinks of algae!”
“Polina, that’s not a city,” Veronika calmed her. “Mosquitoes and flies are normal there. You wanted to get away from your mother-in-law, Galina Vladimirovna was driving you crazy.”
“Yes, she did, that’s true,” Polina agreed. “But my husband spent so much money on firewood! And today he also bought a heater and brought it to the dacha—another three thousand rubles!”
“Well, you’re starting to settle in, good for you,” Veronika encouraged her.
“What good?!” Polina protested. “We’ve already spent over ten thousand! And we still have to buy food, gasoline, and all sorts of little things! This isn’t saving money; it’s going broke!”
“Polina…”
“Don’t ‘Polina’ me!” her friend interrupted. “You try living in this dump! You can’t sleep—it’s either cold or hot, either stinks or noisy!”
The call cut off.
Gennady looked up from the documents, hearing fragments of his wife’s conversation.
“So, how are things?” he asked when Veronika hung up.
“Polina complains about difficulties,” his wife began listing. “Says mosquitoes bite, flies annoy, mice in the basement, dogs bark, water smells bad, and expenses are high.”
“Good thing I didn’t get involved with that dacha—only problems,” Gennady thought.
“Your friend won’t stay there long, so they’ll endure,” he said aloud. “Or maybe they’ll buy the dacha?”
Veronika laughed.
“They have financial problems, that’s why Evgeny’s mother came ‘temporarily’ to live with them.”
Gennady waved off others’ problems—he had work. He went back to his papers, quietly glad he wasn’t involved in dacha troubles.
On the fourth day at the dacha, a call came. Ulyana from the real estate agency brought good news to Gennady.
“I have a buyer for your dacha,” she said. “A family couple, ready to pay a good price. When can we show the plot?”
“That’s a problem,” Gennady replied. “Friends are temporarily living there. But I think it will be free in a week.”
“Great,” Ulyana was pleased. “Buyers aren’t in a hurry, they can wait.”
Gennady hung up and thought. Maybe he should hint to Veronika it was time for their friends to pack up?
That evening, Polina called again, but now her voice sounded openly agitated.
“Veronka, I can’t take it anymore!” she shouted into the phone. “This damned house is torture! The roof leaks, puddles everywhere, things are wet!”
“Polina, calm down,” Veronika tried to soothe her. “Maybe just put out some basins?”
“What basins?!” the friend snapped. “It’s pouring like a bucket! We didn’t sleep all night wiping up water! And in the morning we found mice had gnawed through a bag of cereal!”
“Well, mice are manageable,” Veronika said peacefully. “Buy some traps.”
“Enough with ‘buy, buy’!” Polina screeched. “We’ve already spent fifteen thousand! On your free housing! And Evgeny cut his hand on a rusty nail yesterday—had to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot!”
“Polina…”
“Don’t ‘Polina’ me!” she interrupted again. “You set us up! You said the dacha was fine, but it’s ruins! Gennady purposely hid that the house is falling apart!”
Veronika was speechless.
“And your precious husband forgot to warn that the electricity is cut off for three hours every evening!” Polina continued raging. “We sit in the dark like it’s the Stone Age!”
“Maybe better go back home?” Veronika cautiously suggested.
“And endure my beloved mother-in-law?” Polina asked venomously. “No way, we’ll stay to spite everyone! Since we’re stuck in this mess!”
Gennady heard half the conversation and shook his head. When Veronika hung up, he looked at her with slight reproach.
“Your friend is turning into a fury,” he noted. “Maybe enough of their suffering?”
“She’s just tired,” Veronika tried to excuse Polina. “She’s adapting to new conditions.”
“They’ve already spent fifteen thousand rubles,” Gennady said. “For that money, they could rent a decent apartment for a month.”
“But they needed to get away from the mother-in-law,” his wife insisted.
“Then let them solve their family problems, not hide in ruins,” Gennady responded sharply. “By the way, the agency called. There’s a buyer for the dacha.”
Veronika looked at her husband surprised.
“You decided to sell?”
“Long overdue,” Gennady nodded. “But first, your friends have to move out.”
The next day, Evgeny was standing in front of the mirror in the dacha house, wrapping a bandage on his cut hand. The wound ached, and his mood was terrible. Polina sat on the sofa with a gloomy look, and Oleg was whining in the corner—he was tired of sitting in this dump.
“Mom, when will we go home?” the boy asked.
“Soon, sweetheart,” Polina answered tiredly.
“Maybe enough suffering?” Evgeny suggested. “Let’s go back to the city.”
“And your mother?” Polina asked angrily. “She turned our apartment into a hellhole!”
“Better mother’s hell than this damp kennel,” Evgeny grumbled.
Polina jumped up from the sofa.
“So, your mother is more important than family!” she shouted. “I knew it!”
“Polina, don’t start,” her husband warned.
“No, I will!” she screeched. “You’re ready to sacrifice your wife and son for mommy! We’re suffering here, and you’re ready to give up!”
Oleg cried louder.
That evening, Polina called Veronika again, but now her voice trembled with anger.
“Your husband deceived us!” she declared without preamble. “He knew the dacha was in emergency condition!”
“Polina, he warned that the house wasn’t used,” Veronika tried to argue.
“Warned?” Polina laughed hysterically. “He said ‘not heated’! But it’s real ruins! The roof leaks, walls moldy, the floor is collapsing!”
“Maybe you’re doing something wrong?” Veronika suggested timidly.
“What are we doing wrong?” Polina snapped. “Breathing? Existing? We’re just trying to live in this tomb!”
“Polina, if it’s that bad, maybe better return?”
“Oh, so that’s it!” her friend triumphantly exclaimed. “You’re kicking us out! First lured us into a trap, now throwing us onto the street!”
Veronika was speechless.
“You know what, Veronka?” Polina venomously continued. “We’re not going anywhere! We’ll live in your ‘gift’ till the last! Since we got into this mess!”
Gennady heard yelling through the phone and shook his head. When Veronika ended the call, he looked at her with regret.
“Your friend’s completely lost it,” he stated. “Now she accuses us of deception.”
“She’s just upset,” Veronika weakly protested.
“Upset?” Gennady smirked. “She insults us! We helped them, and they throw dirt at us!”
“Maybe something’s really wrong with the dacha?” Veronika asked uncertainly.
“The dacha has stood empty for two years,” her husband explained patiently. “Of course, it’s no spa. But I honestly warned about the problems.”
“Yes, you warned,” Veronika agreed.
“I’ll go check tomorrow what they’re doing there,” Gennady decided. “And at the same time, I’ll say we’re selling the dacha.”
The next day, Polina called Veronika at work when she was swamped with the quarterly report.
“Veronka, listen, there’s a serious problem,” her friend began without preamble. “We need to borrow some money.”
“Polina, I’m at work,” Veronika answered distractedly, not looking away from the computer. “What happened?”
“This little house is eating our money like a black hole!” Polina complained. “We had to buy bottled water because the well’s water is so bad we’re afraid to boil it. We filled up the car again—we’ve been to the city four times this week!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Veronika nodded absently, staring at the numbers on the screen.
“And Evgeny bought another blanket and a stronger heater yesterday—the old one can’t handle it. Plus mosquito pills, ointments, repellents—or they eat us alive!”
“Got it,” Veronika replied, continuing to work.
“Are you even listening?” Polina asked irritably. “We’ve already spent twenty-three thousand! Bought lamps, extension cords, thermos, pots, pans, bedding, pillows, disinfectants, mouse traps, window sealant, roofing film…”
“Yeah, yeah,” Veronika repeated, saving the document.
“Veronka!” Polina exploded. “Do you even understand what I’m saying? We need money!”
“Polina,” Veronika finally looked up from the monitor, “how long do you plan to stay there?”
There was a pause on the other end.
“I’ll talk to my husband,” Polina answered uncertainly. “Evgeny’s unhappy, and it’s inconvenient for me to take Oleg to daycare in the city every day. I have work.”
“As you wish,” Veronika said calmly. “Decide for yourselves.”
That evening, Veronika told her husband about the conversation with her friend.
“Polina clearly didn’t like dacha life,” she concluded.
“As far as I know, your friend never had a dacha,” Gennady noted thoughtfully. “She didn’t live in the countryside, so she thought a dacha was like a resort. But no, it’s not. It’s mosquitoes, flies, dampness, and boredom.”
“Polina said they’d probably leave on Sunday,” Veronika added.
“We should come on Sunday to see what’s going on,” Gennady thought aloud.
“I’ll go with you,” Veronika agreed.
All week, Polina called Veronika several times a day complaining about new purchases and dacha life difficulties.
“How did your husband have the courage to offer us to live in this nightmare!” she protested yet again.
“Polina,” Veronika patiently explained, “it wasn’t Gennady’s idea—it was yours. And he showed you the house in advance; you agreed, so no complaints.”
“Yes, but he didn’t say it was ruins!” her friend insisted.
“He said it hadn’t been used for two years,” Veronika reminded her.
On Friday, Veronika decided to put an end to the story.
“My husband and I will come Sunday around noon to get the keys to the house,” she informed.
“Yes, fine,” Polina responded unexpectedly compliant. “Just don’t forget to bring the money.”
And hung up.
Veronika looked at the phone in confusion. What money was she talking about?
On Sunday, Gennady and Veronika arrived at the dacha by noon. The plot looked more lived-in—clothes hung on the line, children’s toys were scattered around the yard. Polina met them at the gate, and Veronika immediately noticed her friend had changed. The former softness was gone, her face was hard, and irritation read in her eyes.
“Finally you’re here!” Polina snapped instead of greeting. “Come in, I’ll show you what I’ve done here.”
Gennady greeted Evgeny, who sat on the porch looking gloomy. Oleg played nearby—he had made himself a small house from old boxes.
“So, how was the week?” Gennady asked.
“Gloomy,” Evgeny admitted honestly. “Cool, mosquitoes bite, and a lot of time is spent on commuting.”
“That’s why I want to sell the dacha,” Gennady nodded understandingly. “How much have you spent on living here?”
Evgeny shrugged.
“Twenty-eight thousand rubles. Well, you pay for fresh air.”
Polina appeared at the doorway.
“Gennady, come into the house,” she demanded. “We need to have a serious talk.”
Gennady saw his wife’s displeased face and approached.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
“You’ll hear soon,” Veronika answered gloomily. “But brace yourself.”
Gennady entered the house. It was indeed cleaner, though little had really changed. Polina immediately turned to him with a demand:
“You have to reimburse the expenses we incurred with this house!”
“What?” Gennady was surprised. “What expenses?”
Polina took out a folded piece of paper and started listing:
“Here’s the list! Cleaning supplies, shovel, heater, window tape, gasoline expenses, food, warm blanket, detergents, sponges, brooms, rags, air freshener…”
Gennady took the list and studied it carefully, then turned to Evgeny:
“What’s this?”
“Expenses our family incurred to maintain this house,” Evgeny explained.
“And what do we have to do with this?” Veronika protested.
“The house is yours, I cleaned here, and that costs money!” Polina declared. “I worked my ass off for a whole week! Scrubbed dirt, washed, cleaned, made this ruin livable! Now I’m a heroine who turned a pigsty into a living space!”
“Will you keep living here or move out?” Gennady asked.
“Move out!” Polina snapped. “Evgeny, pack up! Oleg, to the car!”
The things were already packed. Evgeny took the bags and headed to the car, followed by Oleg, unhappy to leave his homemade house.
“When will you pay the money on the list?” Polina asked Veronika.
“This whole list has nothing to do with us,” Veronika tried to explain.
“How not?” Polina flared up. “I spent money not for nothing! Your husband shamelessly sold us an abandoned house, and I had to spend half my salary!”
“I purposely brought you and showed you the house,” Gennady interrupted. “You and your husband agreed, so no complaints.”
Gennady folded the list and put it in his pocket.
“I’m not paying anything,” he said firmly. “You can take the heater home.”
“I don’t need a heater at home!” Polina shouted.
“You can take the blanket too,” Gennady continued.
“We don’t need the blanket either!” she screamed.
“And the bulbs too,” Gennady added calmly. “But I won’t reimburse anything. I did this as a favor to my wife, who asked me to rent the house to you.”
“Veronka!” Polina turned to her friend. “If you don’t pay me back, you’re no longer my friend!”
Veronika was shocked by such audacity.
Evgeny entered the house.
“So, have you settled the money issue?” he asked.
“They refuse to pay!” Polina waved her hands.
“How do they refuse?” Evgeny was surprised.
“I’m not paying anything,” Gennady explained. “I just rented the house. But I expect you to pay the electricity bill because that’s non-refundable.”
“Take that!” Polina showed Gennady a rude gesture. “I’m not paying you a thing!”
She pushed her husband outside and angrily addressed Veronika:
“I expect money from you tomorrow!”
Polina left.
Gennady rubbed his neck; Veronika silently saw off her former friend. They left, raising clouds of dust.
Veronika returned to the house. Gennady sat staring at the walls and the heater left behind.
“Maybe we should give them something after all?” she cautiously asked.
“We didn’t discuss that,” Gennady answered. “I offered them the heater, bulbs, cleaning supplies, blanket, and some odds and ends, but they refused. And your friend is just shameless.”
“Don’t be mad at her,” Veronika asked.
“Alright, let’s go home,” Gennady waved his hand. “I’m calling the agency tomorrow. I’ve had enough of this dacha.”
As soon as Veronika and Gennady got into the car, the phone rang. The caller ID showed Polina’s name.
“Listen,” Polina started sharply, “I forgot to tell you! We also bought mouse traps and poison! That’s included in the total!”
“Polina, we already discussed everything,” Veronika tried to explain.
“We didn’t discuss anything!” the friend interrupted. “You have to pay for the mouse traps and poison! This is fighting your mice in your house!”
Gennady took the phone from his wife and turned it off, putting it in his pocket.
“Stop making excuses for your friend,” he said sternly. “And from now on, she’s not to be in our house. Don’t even let her mention coming to the dacha again. Got it?”
Veronika sighed with relief.
“Sorry it turned out this way,” she said. “You know, maybe next weekend we should go to the dacha ourselves? It’s not very cold yet, no snow.”
Gennady looked at his wife in surprise. For a while, they drove silently.
“Good idea,” he finally said. “There’s a sauna at the dacha. I remember how I used to wash there—it was great. And you know what? I don’t mind. I’ll invite my sister Tatiana. If you want, you can invite someone too, but just not Polina.”
Veronika immediately brightened.
“Great! I’ll invite Svetlana. You know her, right?”
Gennady sighed heavily.
“Alright then, a women’s kingdom it is.”
Veronika laughed.
“It’s okay,” she said. “And if we like it, maybe we won’t sell the dacha after all?”
Gennady smiled, remembering his childhood. Like little Oleg, he also built houses out of boards. He had pleasant memories of the dacha—how he caught fish early in the morning, helped his grandfather in the garden, and sat by the fire in the evenings.
“You know,” he said, “I need to call the real estate agent Ulyana tomorrow and ask to take the dacha off the market. For now.”
Veronika nodded and began mentally planning what to bring. Food, warm clothes, maybe some games for the evening.
Gennady was pleased—his heart warmed. He was already thinking how he couldn’t wait for the weekend. Maybe the dacha would still be useful to them. The main thing is choosing who to share it with.
“Just one thing,” he added turning toward the house. “No expense lists. Everyone for themselves.”
Veronika laughed.
“Deal. Unless Svetlana demands compensation for travel.”
“That’s the last thing we need,” Gennady shook his head but spoke with a smile.