Matryoshka

“The most important question though…is will she go along with it?” He stares at the row of boxes, lined up like Russian dolls.* In each there is a prescription packet of pills. The meandering trail of medication inside the bathroom cabinet tells a tale of strife. He takes one of the boxes from its designated spot amidst its little brothers and sisters. As he closes the cabinet, he sees a reflection of himself in the mirror. Haunted. Wild eyed. Like a Red Deer** in the headlights. He leaves the bathroom. “I shouldn’t have had that last one.” He looks to the backseat where all the dead soldiers have been deposited: All six of them. The last one trickles amber fluid from the mouth unto the upholstery. He had to summon up some Dutch courage. “god, it stinks in here.” It is something between excrement; disinfectant and the musky smell of old age. An aged lady shuffles past him in the hallway. Both of them are not very steady on their feet. Both of them are bleary-eyed. She it seems, has lost control over her sphincter muscles, and is embarrassedly hurrying towards the bathroom. Old age is a truly undignified condition. “Look how small she is.” She lies in the middle of the bed, emaciated like a death camp inmate. The synapses in her brain don’t fire as quickly as before. It takes a while to recognise him. “How’ve you been?” “Oh fine dear. I just wish I could get up and walk a little…but it hurts too much.” “I brought you something for the pain.” “Really?” “Do you want it…? “Puzhalsta”*** He feeds them to her one by one, holding her glass with the straw so she can swallow better. It takes some time. And then it’s done. “Babushka…” **** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Matryoshka – A matryoshka doll/Babushka doll or a Russian nested doll, also called a stacking doll, is a set of dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other. Matryoshka is also a derivative of the Russian female first name "Matryona", which was a very popular name among peasants in old Russia. ** Red Deer are native to Russia and other parts of Asia Minor. The velvet covering on their antlers are used for medicine. The antlers themselves are also used for medicinal purposes, usually ground up and in small quantities. *** Russian word for “please.” **** Russian word for “grandmother.”