An American tourist in Russia
(Part 6 of 6) Elmer has almost finished slurping down his noodles when Louis hands him a cigar—a Garcia Y Vega. Elmer can feel the texture of it—it’s still supple, not ready to crumble into dry pieces like most of what he’s smoked as of late. It wasn’t easy to get: at Louis’s request, the … Read more
(Part 5 of 6) “Quit goofing around up there, you little hellion! You want to break your idiot neck?” “Yes. I mean, no. I . . . ” “Yeah, I know what you mean, but knock it off!” Elmer is barking at the boys through a malodorous cloud. The boys—Larry, Curly, and Moe (Elmer keeps … Read more
(Part 4 of 6) Louis is sitting at the piano. There isn’t much else for him to do. He could have helped his wife with the boys, but there was no point. By the time she washed and mended their clothes and sent them down to the nearest well pump with a bar of lye … Read more
(Part 3 of 6) Thwack! The boy is crying. The others are too, but this one more so, perhaps a result of the stick being cracked against his head. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He wipes away tears from his dirt-covered face. The filth is obvious, even in the pale light of the waxing crescent. He … Read more
(Part 2 of 6) Khiem—Kim, as pronounced by Elmer—is an odd duck. Not foreigner odd—she didn’t sound foreign when she spoke (which was not often) and Elmer guesses that she was raised in the States. She’s odd odd—no eye contact, flat voice, keeps counting spoons. Maybe she’s just terrified. People do strange things when they’re … Read more