Zarifa and you can Musya-“the original few this kind from Russia to register its ”-was basically partnered to own 12 years

Out of girlhood, the main profile in “Alisa Shopping Death” is decided to not end up being their own mother, who enough time committing suicide and you may which she remembers having contempt; she “was constantly warmly crazy and you may suffered spectacularly, concise of one’s psycho wards

During the “This new Dragon together with Phoenix,” the original of the five stories that comprise part you to definitely, we meet an effective lesbian pair, Zarifa and you may Musya. Now they reside in Cyprus. And even though Musya understands that “merely a person could be a spouse,” and you will “to this day the phrase lesbian” renders their own “freeze, instance a little girl trapped taking”-and though the marriage features alienated each other female from their Armenian and Azerbaijani relatives-Musya and you can Zarifa were delighted to each other (on account of or even in spite of its completely contrary personalities?).

Nevertheless now Zarifa is passing away out-of cancer, an undeniable fact very unacceptable in order to Musya one to she’s been covertly contacting a set of dated sorceresses “regarding an intricate replace of just one heart for another.” The woman is thrown into the your state whenever she need to deal with Zarifa’s estranged earlier sibling, Said, just who dislikes their own (to possess your, the ladies’ commitment was blasphemy), but just who Zarifa enjoys summoned away from Karabakh that have guidelines to carry a certain household members treasure: a rug is put-on the fresh coffin during the their own funeral. At the same time Zarifa has also summoned “our very own extremely wise buddy,” Zhenya, in order to lay in order to their own certain deathbed questions, one of them “why you will never chair Armenians and you will Azerbaie dining table.” In which the flummoxed Zhenya doesn’t have an effective respond to.

He or she is to begin with regarding same urban area from inside the Karabakh, however their dating didn’t begin up to age later on, after they must know each other when you look at the Moscow

Musya marvels in the rug’s tricky framework, an excellent dragon and a good phoenix “secured during the deadly and you may limitless handle.” “It’s impossible to inform who inside it is the warrior, who new sorcerer, who’s worst and you will that is an excellent, because they are sure forever towards one to immobile and indissoluble ring.” But it’s that it criminal pictures you to definitely after pierces their particular long-pent-upwards despair, their particular unrestrained outburst leading to another regarding oneness and you may mutual solace certainly mourners, a hug out of enemies, the second when “who was simply brand new spouse, who the fresh partner, no body cared.”

” (You to history terminology is one of numerous you to definitely remaining me regarding ever before entirely neglecting you to, no matter if generally speaking enjoyably viewable, the language try a translation. Certainly one of most other crude locations in which my interest snagged: “A lady, their particular system flattened on corners in accordance with resolute chest”; “the thing Lilya realized in the her e she exercise”-Schiltz-“due to and therefore she is mocked since ‘shilly-shally.’”)

To possess Alisa, “driving a car away from dropping toward another person’s electricity was stronger than virtually any worries proper so you can feminine: off solitude, of childlessness, from poverty.” Meaning, wedding are out. At 60-five, after a successful occupation as the a manufacturing draftsman and you may 10 years of comfortable retirement, Alisa hits a bump in her own better-planned lifetime when good fainting spell contributes to thoughts away from death. Brand new passing out happens to be nothing significant, although matter nags: Who can look after her if inescapable comes? Actually ever standard, she visits a health care professional and requires your provide their resting pills. For when it comes time, she demonstrates to you: “I just need it me a simple death.”

The doctor was a good widower, a kind and cultured guy ostaa TЕЎekki vaimo verkossa that has been recently way of living an effective unmarried existence. The guy cannot render Alisa the newest pills, but after they see again-by accident, during the a show-it begin an event whose rebuilding satisfaction surprises and delights all of them each other. Even though happy to take on his suggestion regarding wedding, Alisa reminds your: nothing persists forever; when the time comes, she’ll nevertheless want that easy death. Knowing it could be ineffective so you can dispute with her, your doctor believes compared to that most unusual marriage current.