Aleksey was looking at his phone to see where so much money had gone on the credit card while Marina washed the dishes after dinner. His mother’s call caught him off guard—she usually phoned on Sundays, and today was Wednesday.
“Alyosha,” Valentina Petrovna’s voice sounded especially sweet, which always made him wary, “I’ve been thinking about my jubilee. I really want to celebrate my seventieth in style. After all, it’s such a milestone!”
Marina turned around when she heard her mother-in-law’s familiar intonations. From her face, Aleksey understood the conversation would not be easy.
“Of course, Mom,” he answered cautiously. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, I’d like to invite all the relatives, friends… Maybe celebrate in a restaurant? But you know what my pension is like. And I so want everything to be beautiful, festive.”
Aleksey felt Marina tense up at the sink. They both understood perfectly where this was heading.
“Mom, how many people are you thinking of inviting?” he asked, already sensing a catch.
“Well, as usual, about fifteen. You know our circle.”
Aleksey breathed a sigh of relief. Fifteen people—that was quite manageable. He looked at his wife; she nodded, drying her hands on a towel.
“Alright, Mom. Marina and I will think about it. Maybe that can be our present to you for the jubilee.”
“Oh, Alyosha, thank you! I’m so happy! So we’re agreed?”
“Mom, we’ll do the math first, check prices. Then we’ll decide for sure, okay?”
After he hung up, Marina sat down beside him at the kitchen table.
“So, shall we crunch the numbers?” she asked without much enthusiasm.
They opened the laptop and began searching for suitable restaurants. There were a few decent places in their area with moderate prices. The most suitable offered a banquet menu for two thousand rubles per person. On the condition that guests brought their own alcohol, the total came to thirty thousand rubles.
“We can afford it,” Marina said, though there was doubt in her voice. “It’s not a small amount, of course, but your mother only has a birthday once a year.”
“Exactly. And you heard how happy she was. I haven’t heard her that cheerful in a long time.”
The next day Aleksey called his mother and told her about the restaurant they’d found.
“‘Cozy Courtyard’?” repeated Valentina Petrovna. “Where is that?”
“On Sadovaya, not far from the metro. Very easy to get to.”
“Alyosha, have you been there yourself? I’ve never heard of it… Maybe ‘Golden Age’ would be better? Remember we were there for Sveta’s wedding?”
Aleksey remembered. “Golden Age” was not cheap. A banquet there would cost three times as much.
“Mom, but ‘Golden Age’ is very expensive…”
“Well, Alyosha, it’s my jubilee. Seventy is a serious date. I want everything to be top-notch.”
That evening over dinner Aleksey recounted the conversation to Marina. She listened in silence and set down her fork.
“How much would the banquet cost there?” she asked.
“About ninety thousand if we buy their alcohol. If we bring our own—then seventy.”
“Seventy thousand?” Marina shook her head. “Alyosha, that’s a lot. We don’t have that kind of money.”
“Well, we could take it from our vacation fund. Or borrow from your parents.”
“What vacation? We haven’t gone anywhere for two years as it is. And my parents don’t have that kind of money either.”
But Aleksey was already picturing how upset his mother would be if he refused her request. Valentina Petrovna knew how to make him feel guilty even when he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Alright, I’ll talk to her again. Maybe I can persuade her to go back to the place we found.”
Three days later, Valentina Petrovna called again. This time her voice sounded even more excited.
“Alyosha, I have news! Yesterday I ran into Nina Vasilievna—remember, my former colleague? She was so delighted when I told her I’d invite her to the jubilee. And then I thought—why not invite all my former colleagues? And our neighbors from the dacha? We’ve been friends with some of them for so many years!”
Aleksey’s heart skipped a beat.
“Mom, how many people does that make in the end?”
“Well, I counted… About thirty. Maybe a bit more. But it’s my jubilee! Seventy is no joke!”
Aleksey felt the blood drain from his face. Thirty people at “Golden Age” would be more than a hundred and fifty thousand rubles. They simply didn’t have that money.
“Mom, but we were counting on fifteen people…”
“Well, Alyosha, you understand. How can I not invite people I’ve known for so many years? They’ll be offended. And I want the celebration to be truly big, memorable.”
That evening, the conversation with Marina was difficult.
“One hundred and fifty thousand rubles?” she repeated when Aleksey relayed his mother’s words. “Alyosha, do you realize that’s more than the two of us earn in a month?”
“I realize. But maybe we could take out a loan?”
Marina was silent for a long time, staring out the window.
“A loan,” she said at last. “So we’d take a loan for a hundred and fifty thousand to celebrate your mother’s birthday. And then we’d pay it off for two years with interest. That comes to two hundred thousand or more.”
“Well, we could take it for a year…”
“For a year that’s fifteen thousand a month! Fifteen thousand, Alyosha! That’s a lot! We won’t be able to go on vacation, or fix the car if something happens, or buy new furniture. We’ll be scraping by for a whole year for the sake of one evening!”
Aleksey knew his wife was right, but he couldn’t imagine how he would explain a refusal to his mother. All her life, Valentina Petrovna had worked as a teacher, earned a small salary, and now her pension was small. She had had so little that was beautiful or festive in life.
“Maybe you could talk to her?” he suggested. “Woman to woman…”
“Talk about what?” Marina raised her voice. “About how in eight years of our marriage your mother hasn’t said a kind word to me even once? About how she still thinks I’m not worthy to be part of your family? Do you remember what she said at our wedding? ‘It’s a pity Alyosha didn’t choose the right girl.’”
“Marinochka, don’t dredge up the past…”
“The past?” Marina’s eyes flashed. “What about her last birthday? When she said in front of everyone that I cook badly and she doesn’t understand how you live with me? Or when we brought her groceries while she was sick and she asked us to bring the receipts. And not because she wanted to pay us back—because she thought we were buying the cheapest stuff. And the recent talk about how good daughters-in-law help their mothers-in-law with money?”
Aleksey stayed silent. He couldn’t deny that his mother had often been unfair to Marina. But he was used to excusing her behavior with her age, her loneliness, her hard life.
“So now,” Marina went on, “she wants us to go into debt for the sake of her party. And she hasn’t once thought about how that will affect our life. Is your mother prepared to pay for it if she wants to invite so many guests? Or is it all on us again?!”
The question hung in the air. Aleksey realized his wife was right. His mother should have offered to split the costs or find a cheaper option.
“I’ll talk to her,” he said quietly.
“What will you talk about? That we can’t afford that amount? Then she’ll say we’re stingy. Or that she should limit the guest list? Then she’ll be offended and tell everyone what an ungrateful son she has.”
On Saturday they went to see Valentina Petrovna. The apartment, as always, was perfectly tidy. His mother met them in a fancy housecoat with freshly done hair.
“Come in, come in! I’ve made tea, baked some cookies. Sit down at the table.”
Over tea they first talked about the weather, the news, health. Finally, Aleksey braced himself to bring up the party.
“Mom, Marina and I did the math… A banquet for thirty people at ‘Golden Age’ will be very expensive. Maybe we should limit it to fewer guests?”
Valentina Petrovna’s face changed instantly.
“What do you mean?” she asked coldly. “I’m supposed to not invite someone? Offend people?”
“Well, maybe we could choose those who are especially dear to you?”
“Alyosha, they’re all dear to me. And anyway, what will people think of me? They’ll say I have a son so stingy he can’t organize a proper celebration for his mother’s jubilee.”
Marina sat in silence, clutching her cup. Aleksey saw the muscle in her cheek twitch—a sure sign she was holding back anger.
“Mom, it’s not about stinginess. It’s just that this amount is very big for us…”
“How much do you spend on your own amusements? On restaurants, movies, clothes?” Valentina Petrovna looked at Marina. “On her expensive cosmetics and jewelry?”
“Mom, Marina doesn’t have expensive jewelry…”
“Of course not. And what’s that?” She nodded at Marina’s simple earrings. “Must be gold, eh?”
“They’re costume jewelry for five hundred rubles,” Marina said softly.
“Uh-huh, sure. And the ring?”
“The wedding band.”
“Speaking of jewelry,” Valentina Petrovna suddenly brightened. “I was thinking… For my jubilee I should have not only a party, but a gift as well. I’ve long dreamed of a gold ring with a little stone. Not very expensive, of course. I just want something pretty.”
Aleksey felt his mouth go dry. A gold ring would be another twenty to thirty thousand on top of everything.
“Mom, well… we’re already organizing the banquet. That’s a gift in itself.”
“Alyosha, but the banquet is for everyone. A present should be just for me. You understand?”
Aleksey mumbled something unintelligible, unable to find the words. Marina stayed silent, but he could see her hands trembling.
“We… we’ll think about it,” he finally managed.
“Think about it, of course,” nodded Valentina Petrovna. “Only I’ve already told everyone about the banquet. Nina Vasilievna even bought a new dress especially.”
They drove for a long time in silence. At last, Marina couldn’t hold it in.
“Eight years, Alyosha. For eight years she’s spoken to me like this. For eight years I’ve put up with her hints, reproaches, comparisons. For eight years I’ve listened to how I’m a bad wife, a bad homemaker, a bad daughter-in-law. And now she wants us to take out a loan, deprive ourselves of everything for a year, and also buy her a ring?”
“Marinochka…”
“No! Enough!” Marina turned to him. “Tell me honestly: when was the last time your mother said something nice to me? When did she take an interest in how I was doing? When did she thank me for helping? When did she ask whether we can afford this?”
Aleksey was silent, because there was nothing to say.
“And now she demands more than a hundred and fifty thousand rubles plus a ring. And she didn’t even think to offer to help or split the costs. Do you know what angers me most? Not even the money. It’s that she takes it for granted. That it’s your duty to provide her with a lavish party, and she doesn’t even think it necessary to thank us in advance.”
“She did thank us…”
“She was delighted! That’s not the same thing. She was delighted that she’d get what she wanted, not that we were ready to make sacrifices for her.”
By evening Aleksey decided to try talking to his mother again on the phone. Maybe explain the situation calmly, without emotion.
“Mom, let’s go over everything once more. One hundred and fifty thousand is really a lot for us. Maybe we can find a compromise?”
“What compromise?” His mother’s voice grew louder. “Alyosha, I worked all my life, scrimped on myself all my life. I raised you on my own, never denied you anything. And now, when I’m seventy and want to celebrate my birthday beautifully just once in my life, my own son starts haggling.”
“Mom, I’m not haggling…”
“You are. And all because of that wife of yours. She’s brainwashed you, hasn’t she? Whispering nasty things about your mother, being stingy.”
“Mom, what does Marina have to do with it?”
“It has everything to do with her. A normal wife supports her husband, she doesn’t turn him against his mother. You weren’t like this before you married her.”
At that moment Marina walked into the room. She heard the last words and stopped.
“Mom, that’s not true…”
“It is, Alyosha. Just look at how she looks at me. As if I’m taking something from her. Am I a stranger? I’m your mother!”
“Yes, you’re his mother,” Marina suddenly said. “And you’ve been using that for eight years.”
Aleksey froze. So did Valentina Petrovna.
“What did you say?” she asked quietly.
“I told the truth,” Marina came closer, and Aleksey turned on the speakerphone. “For eight years you’ve used the fact that you’re his mother. You make him feel guilty for every refusal. For eight years I’ve listened to your reproaches, your hints, your comparisons. For eight years I’ve endured your treating me like a second-class person. And now you demand that we go into debt for the sake of your party, and you don’t even think it necessary to ask whether we can afford it.”
“Alyosha!” Valentina Petrovna shouted into the receiver. “Do you hear how she’s talking to me?”
“I’m speaking honestly with you,” Marina continued. “For the first time in eight years. And you know what? You can organize your celebration yourself. You have your pension, you have savings. If a lavish banquet is so important to you—pay for it yourself. And we’ll give you the gift we think appropriate.”
“Ungrateful!” Valentina Petrovna’s voice trembled with fury. “Greedy! Alyosha, do you see who you married? I always knew she wasn’t worthy to be part of our family! She doesn’t even understand what it means to respect elders!”
“And do you understand what it means to respect other people?” Marina didn’t back down. “Do you understand what it means to be grateful for help? Do you understand that people can have their own plans and means?”
“How dare you! I am the mother!”
“And I am the wife! And I have the right not to be insulted!”
Aleksey listened to the quarrel and, for the first time in eight years, realized that Marina was right. Absolutely right. His mother really had used his sense of filial duty as a weapon, making him feel guilty. She really had treated his wife like an enemy. She really had never considered their means and wishes.
“Mom,” he said quietly. “Be quiet.”
“What?” Valentina Petrovna was taken aback.
“I said—be quiet. Marina is right. She’s right about everything.”
Silence hung on the line.
“You… you’re taking her side?” his mother finally whispered.
“I’m taking the side of what’s fair,” Aleksey said firmly. “For eight years you’ve hurt my wife. For eight years you’ve forced me to choose between you. For eight years I kept silent, hoping things would improve. But that’s enough.”
“Alyosha…”
“No, Mom. Now you listen to me. Marina is a wonderful woman. She is kind, smart, caring. She has never forbidden me to help you. She has always supported our visits. She cooked for you, cleaned your place, bought medicines when you were ill. And in return you only criticized and reproached her.”
“But I didn’t mean any harm…”
“What else would you call it?” Aleksey felt the anger that had been building for years rising in him. “Love? Concern? Mom, in eight years you haven’t said a single nice thing to Marina. Not once have you thanked her for helping. But you’ve regularly compared her to other wives, criticized her cooking, her clothes, her work.”
“I wanted her to be better…”
“You wanted her to know her place. To understand she’s an outsider in our family. Well, congratulations. You succeeded.”
Valentina Petrovna was silent.
“And now about the jubilee,” Aleksey continued. “We’re willing to give you what we can afford. But we’re not going into debt for your party. If you need a banquet for thirty people in an expensive restaurant—organize it yourself. You have money, you have friends who can help.”
“I don’t have that kind of money…”
“Then invite fifteen people to a simple restaurant. Or celebrate at home. We’ll help with food, with cleaning. But you have no right to demand the impossible from us.”
“So that’s how it is,” his mother’s voice turned icy. “My son thinks I don’t deserve a beautiful celebration.”
“Mom, enough with the manipulations. You do deserve a beautiful celebration. But with your own money. Like normal people.”
“I see. Then don’t come to my birthday at all. Since I’m such a burden to you.”
“As you wish,” Aleksey said wearily. “If you decide to celebrate modestly—call. We’ll come with a gift and congratulations. If you’re going to sulk and manipulate—sorry.”
He hung up and hugged Marina.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for all these years. I should have stood up for you much earlier.”
Marina hugged him back. For the first time in a long while she felt that they were truly a family. Not him separately and her separately, each pulling the blanket to their own side, but a real team.
A week later, Valentina Petrovna called again. Her voice was quiet and contrite.
“Alyosha,” she said, “I’ve been thinking… Maybe we really should celebrate more modestly? At home, with the closest family?”
“Alright, Mom,” Aleksey replied. “We’ll help.”
“And… invite Marina too. Let her come.”
“Mom, you know—we always come together.”
“Yes, of course. I just… wanted to say I’ll be glad to see her.”
It wasn’t an apology, but it was a beginning. And maybe, for now, that was enough.
On the day of the jubilee they went to see Valentina Petrovna with a bouquet of flowers and a small gift—a beautiful jewelry box. Not a gold ring, but a sincere token of attention.
Ten people gathered around the table—the closest relatives and friends. In her best dress, Valentina Petrovna looked festive and dignified. She accepted congratulations with composure and even thanked Marina for helping with the preparations.
It wasn’t the warmth Marina had dreamed of. But it was respect. And, as it turned out, that was enough to begin a new relationship.
They drove home, and both understood that something important had changed in their family today. They had learned to be a team. And that was worth more than any gold ring.