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the granny on the head, her white, white head. I drag the
strawberry-flavored hookah deep into my lungs and go
happily numb. It is the woman’s daughter or daughter-in-
law who is hanging the laundry out to dry. Smartly, quickly,
her fingers hang out four lines of clothes in just three
minutes. They’re the granny’s clothes – her embroidered
underwear, some black skirts, and a robe that looks like it
belongs in a Parajanov movie. Bravo, granny. You have
good taste in colors.
In the evening I rush home, holding a small television
under my arm. Regular people should have a television at
home, and watch movies in the evening with their family
or, most importantly, watch or listen to the news. Most
importantly. People think that if they are unaware of what
is going on in the world, then the planes will not crash
without them, there won’t be floods, or volcanoes erupting,
and no fighting. Those news items are a tribute to their
existence. My cousin was serving in the army, her mother
would dutifully watch the military news. Her son was
serving in one corner of the army and the television would
show military exercises from the other corner, but my aunt
would try to spot her son among the soldiers, stubbornly,
coming closer to the television. I was at their house once,
and it seemed like she had found him, she was hopping
about in front of the television.
My family had seen that I had bought a television and were
surprised – what do you and watching television have in