Zarifa and Musya-“the first few this sort out-of Russia to join up their ”-have been married having several age

Out of girlhood, area of the profile into the “Alisa Purchases Passing” is set to not getting their unique mom, whom committed suicide and you can exactly who she remembers that have contempt; she “is constantly warmly in love and suffered spectacularly, to the stage of psycho wards

Within the “The fresh new Dragon as well as the Phoenix,” the first of your own five stories that define part one to, we satisfy a good lesbian couples, Zarifa and you will Musya. Now they live in Cyprus. And even though Musya understands that “simply men could be a spouse,” and you can “even today the phrase lesbian” makes their own “frost, instance a small girl caught stealing”-and though the wedding has alienated each other female off their Armenian and you can Azerbaijani members of the family-Musya and Zarifa have been happier together (on account of or in spite of their totally reverse characters?).

The good news is Zarifa is actually perishing of cancer tumors, a well known fact very improper in order to Musya you to this lady has started covertly consulting a couple of old sorceresses “on the a complicated change of a single spirit for the next.” The woman is tossed on your state when she have to deal with Zarifa’s estranged elderly cousin, Said, who hates their unique (having him, new ladies partnership is actually blasphemy), however, whom Zarifa has summoned out-of Karabakh which have recommendations to carry a specific family relations heirloom: a rug become apply new coffin on their own funeral service. Meanwhile Zarifa likewise has summoned gorgeousbrides.net Sjekk her “all of our really intelligent pal,” Zhenya, to place so you’re able to their own certain deathbed concerns, one of them “as to why you can’t really chair Armenians and you may Azerbaie desk.” Whereby this new flummoxed Zhenya does not have any a good address.

He or she is to begin with in the exact same town when you look at the Karabakh, however their relationship don’t initiate up to ages afterwards, when they must know both for the Moscow

Musya marvels in the rug’s advanced design, a dragon and you will a good phoenix “closed for the deadly and limitless treat.” “It’s impossible to inform exactly who on it ‘s the warrior, which the fresh sorcerer, who is worst and you may who’s a beneficial, because they are bound forever with the that immobile and indissoluble band.” But it’s that it violent imagery one after pierces their much time-pent-up grief, her unrestrained outburst leading to the next from oneness and you may common solace among mourners, an embrace off opposition, an extra when “who was simply this new partner, which the fresh spouse, no-one cared.”

” (You to definitely last words is the most numerous you to definitely left myself from ever completely forgetting you to, even if usually enjoyably readable, the language was a translation. Certainly other harsh places where my attention snagged: “A female, their unique body flattened for the sides in accordance with resolute tits”; “the single thing Lilya knew throughout the their own elizabeth she exercise”-Schiltz-“on account of hence she try mocked as ‘shilly-shally.’”)

Getting Alisa, “the fear of losing towards the someone’s fuel was stronger than some other worries proper so you’re able to women: of solitude, off childlessness, out of impoverishment.” Meaning, relationships is out. At 60-five, shortly after a profitable occupation once the a technology draftsman and you may ten years away from comfy later years, Alisa strikes a knock in her own well-structured lifetime whenever good passing out spell results in thoughts off mortality. New passing out turns out to be nothing big, nevertheless question nags: That will take care of their particular in the event the inevitable happens? Ever standard, she check outs a doctor and you can requires him to offer their own asleep pills. Getting when the time comes, she shows you: “I recently want it myself a simple passing.”

Your medical professional is actually a great widower, a kind and you will cultured man who may have already been life style an excellent solitary life. The guy doesn’t provide Alisa the tablets, but after they satisfy once again-by chance, at a concert-it initiate an affair whose rebuilding bliss shocks and you will pleasures them one another. Whether or not happy to take on his offer regarding relationship, Alisa reminds him: little persists permanently; when it comes time, she will still want that facile dying. Realizing it might possibly be useless to argue along with her, a family doctor agrees to this very strange relationship present.