Trafika Europe 13 - Russian Ballet

A Light in the Night

just a small bother in my right side again, nothing to worry about. Sat down. Now to catchmy breath for a bit, and then keep stumbling on. But first – to catch my breath… A pedestrian comes my way – another master of footwork. Legs sprawled outwards, liable to collapse at every step. Can’t tell whether he is the one pushing his walker or if the thing is pulling him along. Either way, it’s clear that neither one could make it without the other. A proud mother walks behind her little boy, beaming to see him walk on his own. “How much time have you got under your belt, little buddy – have you passed the one year mark, or not quite yet? But as far as walking goes, we are about the same, you and I, only you’ve still got it all ahead of you, while I’ve left it behind me.” The toddler freezes, his mouth with the one budding tooth hanging slightly open, stares at Ilya Ilych’s face. Now there a wonder – a grandpa, all grey and wrinkled… hands shaking. A scary sight to behold. Koschei the Immortal 1 , that’s what he is… Or a mortal Koschei, more like. In spite of himself and of his re-erupting pain Ilya Ilych squeezed out a smile. And the sole tooth instantly 1 In Slavic folklore, Koschei the Immortal (Koschei Bessmertniy) is an evil character, typically portrayed as a skeletal-looking old man. The “Immortal” moniker stems from the fact that he cannot be killed in a conventional manner, as his death is hidden away using a clever scheme.

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