BORIS: Raechka, why are you so cold? You always called me Boria…
RAECHKA: So what is on your mind, Boris?
BORIS: More and more I realize that our divorce was a mistake…
RAECHKA: Broken unspoken… and spoken understandings I thought we had. No children to worry over… disregard for each others feelings.
BORIS: My life has changed. I’ve had a life threatening operation…
RAECHKA: Operation? Nobody told me anything about it.
BORIS: I had a quadruple heart bypass. I had a terrible two weeks in the hospital. Then “complications”…. Over a year to recover.
RAECHKA: I have several friends who are more optimistic than you. Don’t be so dramatic.
BORIS: And that’s all, you can say? Just “I’m sorry Boria” would have been enough. I should think you would try to understand how one feels when they realize that they will soon die…
RAECHKA: You want my pity… Nothing comes out. You still only think of yourself… You have not changed… If we can’t find another topic may be you should leave.
BORIS: You’re not interested in my inner thoughts.
RAECHKA: G’Bye, Boris…
BORIS (
RAECHKA: G’Bye
BORIS(
RAECHKA (
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RAECHKA: Take your candy and flowers too.
BORIS: My gifts? Today is your Birthday!
RAECHKA (
BORIS: Raechka, I’m sorry. I’d like another try…
RAECHKA: Take them away.
BORIS: But you need some refreshments for your guests today.
RAECHKA: No one is coming today.
BORIS: Why nobody? What about Tanya?
RAECHKA: She has found a boyfriend. She has less time for me.
BORIS: I have lost all my friends too. They die, take care of grand children, wives sick, different interests…
RAECHKA: Where is your Galochka?
BORIS: I’ve found that I’ve moderated my life. She was too active for me.
RAECHKA: You have neighbors.
BORIS: Raechka, all neighbors are Americans. With my poor English I can just greet them, and mention the weather. They are always in a hurry. I think you have the same problems…
RAECHKA: That’s life, I suppose…
BORIS: Your coffee smells good. Any more coffee left?
RAECHKA (
BORIS (
RAECHKA: But I can live alone…
BORIS: You said about my neighbors… It seems as if they are afraid of me… especially after what is happened this year…
RAECHKA: The Boston Marathon bombing?
BORIS: Yes. There is a feeling among Americans that Russia is behind some of these terrorist acts… starting with the assassination of Kennedy.
RAECHKA: Boria! You are so paranoid. That’s going too far…
BORIS: How do you explain that my neighbor John, quickly strides into his house whenever I appear? For days I wanted to tell him that Chechenia, while a part of Russia, is entirely different from Russia.
RAECHKA: Boria, you have become so boring that nobody wants to talk with you.
BORIS: No. I became vigilant.. Remember our old friends and how careful we had to be in choosing them?
RAECHKA: They could be only like-minded persons, who shared our political opinions about Soviet government or Stalin…
BORIS: We only talked with our friends at the kitchen table, where we had no phone… We had to take care about our safety…
RAECHKA: When we got together, what was our toast?…
BORIS and RAECHKA: “For the purity of our ranks”…
BORIS: All understood what it means. We all knew each other so well… All our party with friends were very friendly and joyfully…
RAECHKA: Except one…
BORIS: Do you mean your birthday party when Dima brought an acquaintance? What was his name?
RAECHKA: Alexander… He started to reminisce about the World War and “Father Stalin”… I added, that Stalin was having a nervous breakdown at the beginning of the war, and Molotov had to announce the German invasion over the radio…
BORIS: Yes, now I remember… Alexander became angry and shouted: “I won’t permit having such a great leader as Stalin talked about so disgracefully!”… At that moment our good friends started to prepare to leave. Then you were so brave and said to Alexander. “You have not come to the correct address!”… Oh my God! How frightened we all were…
