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MP3 8.3 MB • 80 kbps • 14:29
Story behind the song
Synopsis for Scene 10. At the Grave’s Portals
Scene and Ballet.
Oleg, in his pajamas, is in the waiting room, standing by the stairs, leading to the wards upstairs. Zoya comes out of the nurses station, having just come on duty, and greets Oleg, asking, “What’s new?”. They head upstairs, as Oleg tells about the commotion on the ward, when the senior and head doctor, Nizamutin Abrahmovitch himself, made the rounds today. Zoya asks what happened, but Oleg says not while they are climbing the stairs. The go to the third level, a small doctor’s meeting room, and, as Zoya prepares medications for her shift, she asks Oleg, again, what happened. Nizamutdin was accompanied by a whole retinue of doctors, staff, and interns, as the patient rounds were made. It was while Dontsova was reading Oleg’s patient history, that it came out that Oleg was from Kazakhstan, and Nizamutdin demanded that Oleg be discharged at once, for being a “foreigner.” As Oleg relays the story to Zoya, he says he was surprised at Dontsova’s willingness to fight to keep him as a patient. But it is to no avail, and Nizamutdin demands that Oleg be discharged – right now. Oleg turns to Nizamutdin, and in a low voice, says, “How can you think of discharging me?...I’m from the virgin lands…” “Oh, you are?,” Nizamutdin replies, afraid of having made a political blunder. “There’s nothing our country won’t do for the virgin lands,” and he and the whole retinue move on to the next patient. Zoya asks Oleg, “So, you’ll be staying on in the hospital?” Oleg replies that he will, perhaps for a few more weeks – but he is afraid that he has given Dontsova the power, now, to have a free hand in treating him anyway she wishes to. Suddenly, Oleg suggests to Zoya that they go somewhere. Surprised, Zoya asks, “To where…to town?” “The Doctor’s room,” pleads Oleg. Zoya remembers that there is a chore she needs Oleg’s help with. They both move to the second landing, where a patient, comatose, lies just outside the entrance to the men’s ward, breathing with difficulty through an oxygen balloon. Zoya picks up an empty balloon next to the patient. Oleg asks what treatment is being given to this patient. Zoya says that he is not receiving any treatment – he is an inoperable case, and radiation treatments didn’t help either. “So he’ll die?,” Oleg asks. Zoya nods. They both move to the oxygen cylinders, located on the main floor, next to the nurses station, where Oleg spent his first night at the ward, sleeping on a bench. As Zoya keeps her eyes on the balloon she has just attached to the cylinder, Oleg turns on the tap – without any difficulty. He then places his hand on Zoya’s wrist, caresses her arm, takes her in an embrace, and they kiss. After a moment, Zoya asks him why he closes his eyes when he kisses. “Are you imagining someone else?”, she asks. They kiss again, this time, Oleg’s eyes wide open – in amazement.
As the ballet music begins, Oleg leads Zoya holding her hand, directly off stage, as the lights change, and dancers come on stage for the ballet that concludes the scene.
Lyrics
Scene 10. At the Grave’s Portals
Oleg stands by the stairs, in his pajamas. Zoya comes out of the nurses station.
Zoya
Well, what’s new?
Oleg
Oh, there was a great even today at the clinic. Nizamutdin Bahramovich himself made his rounds.
Zoya
Did he? That’s good. I’m glad I wasn’t there…. So what happened?
Oleg
I can’t tell you while we’re walking.
They climb up the stairs, to a small platform on the third level, a few feet above the second level platform of the ward beds. There is a table with chairs, and a small stove, where Zoya begins sterilizing syringes, and opening ampoules.
Zoya
So what happened? Did he take away your boots?
Oleg
No, it wasn’t the boots. But there was a bit of a clash.
Zoya
What happened?
Oleg
Oh, it was a grand occasion. Fifteen white coats walked into the ward at once – heads of departments, registrars, interns, doctors I’ve never even seen before. But we’d already had reports from our secret agents. We’d done a little preparation, so there was nothing for him to get his teeth into. He frowned and looked very dissatisfied. At that moment they brought up my case, and Lumila Afanasyevna made a bit of a gaffe. She was reading out my file…
Zoya
What file?
Oleg
I mean my case history, I always make these mistakes…mentioned my first diagnosis and where it had been made, and it came out I was from Kazakhstan. ‘What?’ said Nizamutdin. ‘He’s from another republic? We haven’t enough beds; why should we treat foreigners? Discharge him at once!’
Zoya
But half the patients in the wards are foreigners.
Oleg
I know, but he just happened to pick on me. You should have seen Ludmila Afanasyevna. I was amazed: she stuck up for me like a real old mother hen. Her feathers got quite ruffled. Scientifically it’s an important and complicated case, she said. We need him for fundamental conclusions…. It was an idiotic sutuation for me to be in. A few days ago I argued with her myself, and demanded to be discharged, and she screamed at me, but now she’s sticking up for me. All I had to do was say yes to Nizamutdin, and by lunchtime you wouldn’t have see me for dust! I’d never have seen you again either…
Zoya
So it was all because of me you didn’t say yes?
Oleg
Well, what do you think? You hadn’t even left me your address. How would I have been able to look for you.
I couldn’t possibly have let Ludmila Afasyevna down, I was sitting there like a log saying nothing, while Nizamutdin went on, I can go into outpatients now and find five men as ill as he is, all of them ours. Discharge him! And I suppose it was then that I behaved like a fool, missing a wonderful chance of getting away. I was sorry for Ludmila Afanasyevna, she blinked as if she’d been hit and didn’t say another word. So I leaned forward with my elbows against my knees, cleared my delicate little throat and asked him quietly, How can you think of discharging me? I’m from the virgin lands. Oh, you’re a virgin-lander? Really! Said Nizamutdin. He was afraid he’d made a bad political blunder. There’s nothing our country won’t do for the virgin lands. And they all moved on to the next bed.
Zoya
You’re a crafty one.
Oleg
I never used to be Zoya. It was the camps, they made me as sharp as an ax. There are plenty of traits in my character that aren’t really me, that come from the camps.
Zoya
What about your cheerfulness? You didn’t acquire that in the camps, did you?
Oleg
Why not? I’m cheerful because I’m used to losing everything. It always strikes me as strange when people here cry during visiting time. What are they crying about? No one’s sending them into exile or confiscating their belongings….
Zoya
So you’ll be staying with us a month or so?
Oleg
God forbid! But I may be here a couple of weeks. It looks as if I’ve given Ludmila Afanasyevna a blank check. I’ll have to put up with anything now.
Zoya
What about you? Have you come round to the idea of injections? You’re
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