# A competitor, a wife, cold potatoes. A story

de Overwood Henry

MMMDCL. A competitor, a wife, cold potatoes. A story. - April 19, 2025.

A competitor, a wife, cold potatoes. A story.


Yakov Yakovlevich returned from the flea market after another day of work (as a salesman).


At home, in the kitchen, his attentive wife was - always - waiting for him. There was - always - a hot griddle with delicious fried potatoes on the table, a plate with lightly salted cucumbers and a bunch of fresh herbs.


According to tradition, after returning from the market, Yakov Yakovlevich was telling his wife how the day had started and what he had managed to sell.


Yakov Yakovlevich's stories followed the same (equal) plot. At first, he was describing how difficult it was for him to occupy a profitable place in the market. Almost a real fight was starting over a good place to trade. The competitor was strong and powerful, filled with anger, but Yakov Yakovlevich was winning after heated discussions and arguments.


Next, Yakov Yakovlevich was describing the trading process. After an intense struggle for a sales places (plots), even selling a pair of shoes picked up near dumpsters was a notable achievement.


His wife was looking at Yakov Yakovlevich with admiration and was putting delicious, mouth-watering fried potatoes on his plate from the hot griddle.


Yakov Yakovlevich came up to the door of his flat. He began to remember what he had told his wife the time before last (the day before yesterday). That story didn't match the standard plot a bit.


Yakov Yakovlevich told his wife that he had shown politeness and goodwill: he suggested to his competitor to outline the occupied trading places with chalk and to settle down on these squares (sites) without quarrels.


The competitor did not object.


Accordingly, there was no quarrel yesterday: Yakov Yakovlevich told his wife yesterday how he came, settled down at his trading place (without any conflict), and then successfully sold a shovel he found (although it was - already - in usage, but it was quite usable, still).


There was the hot griddle with delicious fried potatoes on the table, but his wife was thinking about something else. Yakov Yakovlevich had to put the potatoes from the griddle on his plate himself, without his wife's careful assistance.


Today was also a quiet day: there were no quarrels during the occupation of trading places.


Yakov Yakovlevich rang the doorbell.


He imagined how he would enter the kitchen, how there would be a hot griddle with delicious fried potatoes, a plate with lightly salted cucumbers and with the bunch of fresh herbs on the table. His wife will listen attentively to his story, she will carefully put delicious fried potatoes on his plate from the griddle. Yakov Yakovlevich will tell his wife how calmly he occupied a trading place in the morning, laid out the goods, and how successfully he sold a plastic bucket (found near the parking lot).


His wife's footsteps were heard outside the door, and the door opened.


- Come in, Yasha, potatoes are waiting for you. I'll come soon.


Yakov Yakovlevich went into the kitchen. There was the griddle with fried potatoes on the stove. Yakov Yakovlevich lifted the lid: the cold potatoes! He began heating the griddle of fried potatoes.


He put a plate on the table, opened the refrigerator, and took out a glass jar of lightly salted cucumbers.


Yakov Yakovlevich forked an excellent lightly salted cucumber and put it on his plate.


April 19, 2025, 22:53


Translation from Russian into English: April 20, 2025 00:07

Владимир Владимирович Залесский ' Конкурент, жена, холодная картошка. Рассказ. '.


{ 3679. Конкурент, жена, холодная картошка. Рассказ. - 19 апреля 2025 г.

MMMDCL. A competitor, a wife, cold potatoes. A story. - April 19, 2025.


Vladimir Zalessky Internet-bibliotheca. Интернет-библиотека Владимира Залесского}