Trafika Europe 7 - Ukrainian Prayer

Charles Pépin

for the kind gesture, and I turn around to walk away. Ange as well, slightly behind me. We’re walking to my car and one of them cuts us off: “Never during work, is that it?” We don’t turn around and Ange whispers: “You don’t want me to snap that son of a bitch in half?” “What? What’d you say?” All of a sudden, Rédoine and Ange are face to face, their faces become distorted. Rédoine pulls out a huge piece that he points right at Ange saying he will show him who the son of a bitch is. There is no longer cheerfulness on Rédoine’s face but large beads of sweat dripping from his foreheadandhis trembling jaw. “On your knees! Get on your knees! Who’s the son of a bitch now, huh? Who’s the bitch?” All of us step aside, Ange tells him he will show him who the bitch is, he puts a knee to the ground

comes out after turning down the music. “That’s for the gentlemen, he comments, we respect work.” He also speaks quickly like Rédoine. He frees himself from them, as almost being nice, a sort of energy despite his dilated pupils. Rédoine offers me his joint.

“Take it. You want it? It’s a peace pipe.”

I feel Ange at my side, his body keeping watch. Yet, I don’t think they’re aggressive at all. Rédoine hands me the peace pipe. His smile is not forced. I tell him that I don’t want it. In general, I can’t hold a grudge against people. I look at the others, they are smiling as well, a peaceful and drugged look. I still avoid looking at the girl. I respond by saying that we should go but that I’m happy

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