Trafika Europe 13 - Russian Ballet

Igor Sakhnovsky

I just accidentally made a rhyme, “Beauty – booties”; at this rate, I’ll turn into a poet! And second of all, her eyes were the color of plums, and in their slant they resembled plum pits, and her gaze was like that of an odalisque, simultaneously fiery and submissive. Words don’t do them justice – better you go yourself and ogle an odalisque. And thirdly, such an agile, careful gait, as though she was wading into a river, or her legs felt too confined above her knees. The boy had already grown even with the aunt ’s hips, that is, he lived at her feet, and for this reason, he always grew still and tremulous upon hearing the rustle of her tightly stretched nylons. Once every week, the aunt would come by to visit, to discuss with the mother the prospects of the nine suitors. She would sit down on the sofa l ike a queen, sl ide her heels out of her shoes, and massage and pet her sore toes, as though these were some sort of f ledgl ings. The boy worried himsel f over the chances of al l nine; wouldn’t you too? not want to get stuck with just anyone for an uncle. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the boy would sl ide into the aunt ’s shoes and execute the circus act of walking on sti lts – a genuinely elevating experience. The mother would say: “He’s an animal ; he’ l l break your heels!” The chances of the individual men f luctuated dangerously. The refrigeration factory man often jumped in the lead.

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