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MOTHER (surprised, putting her hands on her hips): I like that! Will you explain please?
MASHA: You fuss over him like over a kid, but he’s no longer a child! He’s nine!
MOTHER (smiles and puts her hand on Maria’s shoulder): Darling, no matter how old you are, you will always be children for me. As for Kolya, let’s consider this… creative chaos!
MASHA (smirks): Hmm, it’s interesting! There is no creativity, but there is chaos!
MOTHER: Why not? What about chess?
MASHA: Mom, are you serious? Who needs these chess?
MOTHER: I need them, my daughter! I need…
Maria’s memory ceaased. She smiled sadly, brushed away a tear, and remembered another episode from her life. Here she is, a young university graduate, standing in the middle of a cluttered laboratory. It was her first day at work. Fyodor nicknamed Point Head is standing next to her, he is her fellow graduate who got a job the same day Maria got it.
FYODOR (with his eyes round in surprise): Holy vibrios! And how will we work here?
MARIA (looks suspiciously at Fyodor): How, how… First let’s start cleaning!
FYODOR (spreads his hands, turns to the door): No, no, I graduated from uni with honors not for going through this junk!
Maria grinned. Several minutes passed. Maria was sittinh at the desk with her legs dangling. In her hand she had a big red apple, which she periodically nibbled on. Fyodor walked in front of her, taking objects from a heap in the middle of the laboratory and carrying them out the door. He shot glances at Maria, not hiding his resentment.
MARIA: Why are you looking at me like that? We agreed: you take it all away, I wash the floor and put everything in its place.
Remembering that day, Maria smiled, looked again at the room she had to clean up, got up from the sofa and continued cleaning. A few hours later, Maria stood in the yard next to the metal barrel where she burned old things. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon, where the fading rays of the setting sun were still visible. The north wind forced Maria to grab a long knitted jacket from home; she was forced to wrap herself in it, shivering at times when the wind cut through it.
Looking at the sunset, Maria worried about her brother. She imagined him in some garage, where his loyal drinking buddies sat around him. They empty one bottle after another and cackle loudly. Kolya tries to relax, pretending that he is also having fun, but from the look on his face it’s clear that he is thinking about something else and feels concerned. The phone rang. Maria reluctantly took it in her hand, looking at the screen.
MARIA (before picking up the phone): Fyodor! Of course, who else needs me in this world? Only the crazy programmer from my previous work!
The girl answered the phone, smiling.
MARIA (with a shade of humour): The laboratory. The genius microbiologist Maria is speaking. How can I help you?
FEDOR (laughs): Hello again! Looks like it’s you who needs help, Masha. Are you turning crazy? Have nothing to do?
MARIA (sarcastically): Yeah, nothing! Come here, we’ll idle away together! I just need an assistant.
FYODOR: Okay, I’ll be there tomorrow!
MARIA: Stop mocking me! He will be here tomorrow!
FEDOR: I’m serious. It’s kind of dull here without you. Tomorrow I’m taking a vacation and coming to see you.
MARIA: Who will let you go? Especially now.
FYODOR: I won’t ask them. It’s settled, wait for me tomorrow. You’ll tell me more about your ideas. That’s all, astalavista! Smack-smack!
Kissing sounds are heard in the phone.
MARIA: Listen, it’s cool! I am waiting! Till tomorrow!
Masha hung up. She didn’t take her partner’s playful advances seriously, so she never responded to his “smack-smack” and similar antics. The girl stood for a while in the yard, looking at the dying fire in the barrel, and entered the house.
The end of the episode.
Episode 2
Scene 1
On one of the countless regional roads, which distinguished feature was multi-layered asphalt and colorful patches, a matte black Toyota Land Cruiser of a Pickup configuration stopped. Inside the car was a broad-shouldered skin-headed man of about forty or forty-five wearing dark jeans and a tight black T-shirt, showing his beefed-out arms. On the man’s wrist was a rare commander’s watch made during the period of stagnation, at Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev’s times. The man was holding a smartphone, with which he was trying to call a person indicated in his phone book as Boss. But every call ended with the annoying phrase: “The subscriber is busy.”
The man was nervous but kept trying. Finally someone answered on the other end of the line.
BOSS (in a tired voice): Hello.
SKIN-HEADED (in a drawling manner): Rudolfich, you, like Smolny, are hard to reach!
BOSS (ignores his words): Something urgent? I have no time to waste. Spit it out.
SKIN-HEADED (starts to speak faster): The village with a spring, remember?
BOSS: Well…
SKIN-HEADED: People are charged, equipment is fueled.
BOSS: Did you find out everything?
SKIN-EHEADED: Yes, there is an old farter there and a cunt with him. Right now we’ll scare them a little, and they’ll sign everything like one o’clock. Don’t worry, Rudolfych, they aren’t the first we’ve brought to heel!
BOSS: Be careful, Ignat, times are different now. We should talk to people. Psychology, my friend, makes life easier. Got it?
IGNAT (a stupid smile appears on his face): No.
BOSS (sighs): It’s a pity. Well, forget it.
IGNAT: So what?
BOSS: What do you mean by “what?”
IGNAT: Do you give me a green light for starting the operation?
BOSS: You’ve said it: People are refueled, equipment is charged.
IGNAT: Wow, did I say it that way?
BOSS: No, Ignat, I’m kidding! I’m trying to make you smile. But in vain, as I can see. In short, you better go as you are. Without a smile, you’ll look even more terrifying. I give the green light. Shift yourself to the area. If something or someone is in the way, bring them down to hell.
IGNAT: So, it’s well under way? Have you ironed it out with the governor? Or who is the point man on this land?
BOSS (sighs again): Ignat, let me prepare a report in writing and give it to you by morning.
IGNAT (with a surprised face): Are you serious?!
BOSS (shouting into the phone): No, damn it, Ignat, you have some nerve! Do I have to report you? If I said “green light”, I mean “green light”. If I say stop, it means stop. Turn off your head and just follow my instructions. When I need you to turn on, I’ll tell you. Is it clear?
IGNAT (upset): Yes…
BOSS: So, forward!
The boss hung up. Ignat threw his smartphone onto the passenger seat and cursed. Got out of the car. He climbed the hill behind him. From there, the man could see the parking lot for special purpose equipment: an excavator, two dump trucks, a bulldozer, a manipulator, and a slightly rusty Niva. Drivers and workers gathered in a circle in the very center of the parking lot: they smoked, talked loudly, and some even played cards. Noticing Ignat, everyone froze, waiting for a signal. He solemnly raised his hand, waited a few seconds, then waved, calling on the drivers to take their seats and move in the indicated direction.
Scene 2
Maria usually slept for five or six hours, and it was enough for her. However, the village sleep refused to let the girl escape from its embrace. Getting out of bed with an effort, Maria stretched and went to the yard to perform her morning washing routine. The sewer system in the house had turned off a long time ago because Kolya was too busy to spare time for his house. After taking an outdoor shower, Maria put on a light summer suit and put the kettle on the gas stove to charge herself with energy through a meager breakfast: tea and cheese sandwiches she had prepared for future use back in the city.
Despite yesterday’s efficient cleaning, there were still places in the house that claimed attention. Maria walked around the house, making today’s work schedule.
Suddenly the girl heard someone enter the house. Maria hurried to the hallway. A man about forty-five or fifty stood at the door. His appearance inspired confidence: a respectable man wearing a suit and polished shoes, gray hair well styled with a comb and hairspray, a fairly smart face, clever and kind eyes.
GUEST (smiling and extending his hand): Well, hello, Maria!
MARIA: Have we met?
GUEST: You hardly remember me, the last time we met you were knee-high to a duck. Maria tried to remember the man. His face seemed familiar to her, but not to the extent that she could call the stranger by name.
GUEST: Well, you don’t remember me, so let me introduce myself. Ivan Alekseevich, chairman of this wonderful collective farm.
MARIA: You mean a head of administration?
IVAN: Let’s use the phrase “chairman of the collective farm” – this approach makes communicating with the population easier. It just so happened that they trust the chairmen more than the mayors, peers, administrations and other overseas evil spirits.
MARIA: Okay. As you like, Ivan Alekseevich. Would you like some tea?
IVAN: No, I never drink at work… I mean… I don’t drink tea either. I have a headache after that… Also… Although no, not also… It just aches.
Ivan Alekseevich blushed.
MARIA (taken aback): Some water?
IVAN: Well, yes! I’ll drink some water. Our water is fine. Did you notice?
MARIA (smiles): Of course, Ive grown up here!
IVAN: Well, what did we have at that time? And now, we are even preparing to receive tourists. Now, we’ll come to an agreeement with your grandfather Stepan Fyodorovich, and he will let people visit his spring, and pilgrims will come to us!
Ivan Alekseevich kept silence for a while, dreaming with his chin raised high. Maria scooped up water from the bucket with a glass and handed it to the chairman. He took a sip and sat down on a stool at the table opposite Maria, who had returned from the kitchen with sandwiches.
IVAN: Maria, pardon my asking the indiscreet question, but how long will you stay here? You know what the BBC said? “For life”.
MARIA (surprised): BBC?
IVAN: Yes, BBC. It’s real name is Grandma Shura.
MARIA (smiling): Ah, Grandma Shura! Well, Grandma Shura seems to know more than I do, because I haven’t decided yet.
IVAN: Get used to it, Grandma Shura really knows a lot. She often teaches me how to deal with state affairs. I’ll make notes!
MARIA: Well, I haven’t decided how long I’ll stay in the village yet. I’m having a tough time right now. I need to take a breath…
IVAN (jabbers): I see, I see! No need to explain it to me, I understand. And I even know how I can help you. Occupational therapy is the best cure for stress. It’s checked, tested, and patented!
MARIA (smiles): Good idea! I’m intrigued!
IVAN: So let’s go straight to the point. I know what kind of education you have, and they also whispered to me about your previous working place. Now, I want to invite you to continue your career on our collective farm as a leading vet.
MARIA (spreads her hands, shaking her head): Oh, no, being a vet is not my thing at all. I prefer to disable animals… I mean, I can… instead of treating them.
IVAN: Calm down, Maria. You will neither treat nor maim anyone. You will be just a salaried vet. All your job duties Semenych will perform; in the spring, he is like that wolf from a child’s game: he only manages to catch eggs. Do you know how many bulls we have?
Maria choked on her sandwich, cleared her throat and sipped tea.
IVAN (embarrassed): Sorry for God’s sake, I forgot that you are having breakfast. Well, for you, Maria, I have a completely different plan. Based on your CV…
MARIA (interrupts the chairman): Where, I’m afraid to ask,
did you get this piece of knowledge about me? Did BBK tell you it, too?
IVAN (corrected): BBC.
MARIA: Sorry, BBC. Is the data really from her?
IVAN: No, no, God forbid, Grandma Shura works in a slightly different direction. However, I personally track valuable specialists who stray into our village by mistake. How else? With our alcoholics you can’t raise the collective farm from its knees!
Maria remembered Nikolai and sympathized with the chairman.
IVAN: Oh, what am I doing? I chat too much. I think you should see everything for yourself. This way, you will decide whether to agree on my offer or send chairman Ivan Alekseevich to hell. I invite you to an exciting journey on our farm, Maria!
Ivan Alekseevich smiled mysteriously and winked at the girl. The man’s face won her favor, and Maria accepted the invitation without thinking twice.
MARIA: Please wait for me outside, Ivan Alekseevich. I’ll tidy myself up and join you.
IVAN (smiles): But don’t overdo it! I don’t want anyone to take you straight to the registry office on the way to the farm! We haven’t seen such beautiful girls since Perestroika!
Maria smiled shyly, and the chairman left the house.
Scene 3
