If someone told me the day before that I would stand among the fragments and wait for the end of the world, I probably would not believe it. But that day, fear was almost physical. He strangled, paralyzed, forced his heart to knock like frantic. All because of a pair of glasses. Those very “from the sideboard.” Family. Almost relics.

I was not going to touch them. I just decided to put things in order. I wanted to pleasantly surprise my mother -in -law to be pleased to come home cleanly. I wiped the shelves, removed dust, rearranged things. And suddenly – a creak, a turn, a click … and in an instant – a ringing of glass. And silence.

I looked at the floor, not believing my eyes. The glasses lay in fragments, as after an explosion. All. End.

I introduced her face – and was numb
The mother -in -law has always belonged to these glasses with almost religious trepidation.

“This is crystal from Czechoslovakia. They were presented to us for a wedding in 1975 … “
“This is not done now. This is not for everyday life. “

I remembered all her words. I remembered how she looked at them every time with a quiet reverence. And now – they are not. Thanks to me. With my own hands, I seemed to destroy not only glass, but also part of her memories, emotions, the past.

I rushed about. I didn’t know how to collect fragments – silently? Cry? To admit right away? Run away?

The sound of the key in the castle was louder than thunder
Fifteen minutes passed before I heard the key turn. She came. I stood in the corridor with a white -wounded face and trembling hands. The door opened. She entered. I looked at me. Then – on the floor.

I got ready. It seemed to me that now there would be a scream, reproach, an accusation. I was waiting for a monologue in the spirit of “I knew that one day you would spoil everything.” I even rehearsed in my head.

But…

She did something that I did not expect
She came closer. I carefully looked at the fragments. Then – on me. AND…
She smiled.

“Thank God, this is just glasses. The main thing is that you didn’t cut. “

I froze. Silently. Not believing.

“Honestly, I have long wanted to replace them. They are already tired of my eyes. It’s just that my hand did not rise to throw it out. And now – an occasion has appeared. “

I was in shock. Inwardly, I was preparing for the storm. And received … acceptance. Peace. Humanity.

Who is she – this woman that I was afraid to understand?
At that moment, for the first time in all the time, I felt that in front of me not just a strict woman “from the old school”, but a man. Real. Warm. Tired, perhaps. Wise.

We removed the fragments together. She brewed tea. She said that it would be necessary to go to the store and choose new glasses.

“This time let your taste be. You are still a mistress now. “

Then I scrolled these words in my head for many more evenings in a row.

And the next day we went for glasses
She chose herself alone – with a gold rim. To me – with a transparent pattern. She laughed, joked like a girl.

“I would like to once accidentally break a couple of service-otherwise we can take care of everything, but we forget to live.”

For the first time I saw in it not authority, not mother -in -law, not a shadow above the shoulder – but a woman who had youth, dreams and … perhaps also fears. But she has long learned to hide them. And now – shared.