Out of girlhood, an element of the character inside the “Alisa Buys Death” is decided not to ever getting their own mom, who enough time suicide and you will which she remembers with contempt; she “are always passionately in love and you will sustained spectacularly, concise of the psycho wards
Inside “The fresh Dragon and also the Phoenix,” the original of five stories that comprise area one to, i fulfill good lesbian partners, Zarifa and you may Musya. Today they live-in Cyprus. And though Musya understands that “just one might possibly be a spouse,” and you can “even today the expression lesbian” tends to make their own “frost, including a tiny girl stuck taking”-and though the wedding have alienated one another feminine off their Armenian and Azerbaijani family unit members-Musya and you may Zarifa was in fact pleased to one another (because of or in spite of their completely contrary characters?).
The good news is Zarifa is dying away from cancer, an undeniable fact so unsuitable to help you Musya that she has been secretly consulting a set of old sorceresses “on an elaborate exchange of one heart for another.” The woman is thrown into the your state when she must deal with Zarifa’s estranged more mature aunt, Said, which detests her (getting him, the latest ladies connection was blasphemy), however, who Zarifa features summoned out-of Karabakh which have instructions to carry a particular family members treasure: a rug to be wear the coffin in the their particular funeral. At the same time Zarifa is served by summoned “all of our really practical pal,” Zhenya, in order to set to help you their own specific deathbed questions, among them “as to why pen kvinne filipino bruder it’s impossible to seat Armenians and you may Azerbaie dining table.” By which new flummoxed Zhenya does not have any a great answer.
They are to start with regarding exact same town from inside the Karabakh, but their matchmaking failed to start up until age afterwards, once they have to know one another inside the Moscow
Musya amazing things on rug’s hard build, a good dragon and you will an effective phoenix “closed inside deadly and unlimited combat.” “It is impossible to tell just who with it is the warrior, which the brand new sorcerer, who is worst and you can who is a, since they are sure forever into the one to immobile and you may indissoluble ring.” But it is that it criminal images you to definitely later pierces their unique enough time-pent-right up grief, their unique unrestrained outburst leading to the second regarding oneness and mutual solace certainly one of mourners, an embrace out-of opponents, an extra when “who was the partner, whom the brand new wife, no-one cared.”
” (You to definitely history statement is considered the most numerous one leftover me from previously completely forgetting one to, even if generally enjoyably viewable, the language are a translation. Certainly one of other harsh spots in which my attract snagged: “A lady, their unique body hit bottom toward sides along with resolute breasts”; “the single thing Lilya knew throughout the her age she drill”-Schiltz-“because of and therefore she is teased while the ‘shilly-shally.’”)
Having Alisa, “worries from shedding toward somebody’s strength was stronger than some other worries correct in order to women: out of solitude, regarding childlessness, of poverty.” Definition, relationships was out. In the 60-five, immediately after a successful job once the a manufacturing draftsman and a decade away from comfy later years, Alisa moves a bump in her better-planned life whenever a passing out spell contributes to view out of death. The fresh passing out happens to be nothing severe, however the concern nags: That will maintain their particular when the unavoidable happens? Ever standard, she visits a health care provider and asks him to provide their particular sleep pills. Getting when the time comes, she shows you: “I recently want it myself a simple death.”
The doctor is good widower, a kind and you can cultured guy who has recently been traditions a good unmarried lifestyle. The guy doesn’t offer Alisa the pills, but when they see once more-by accident, at a concert-they begin an affair whoever restoring satisfaction shocks and you can pleasures them both. Though ready to deal with his proposal regarding marriage, Alisa reminds him: nothing continues permanently; when the time comes, she will however want that facile demise. Realizing it could well be ineffective so you’re able to dispute together with her, a family doctor agrees to that really unusual matrimony current.