"MOTHER AND SON" "Last night, I had a dream." "It was strange." "For a long time, I was walking along a path... and someone was following me, following me, he was." "Finally, I turned around... and asked him why he was following me." "Guess what he said." "He asked you to remind him of several lines." "What lines?" "I am seized by a suffocating nightmare." "I awake terror-stricken, covered in sweat." "God, dwelling in my soul, affects only my consciousness." "He never extends to the outer world... to the course of things." "I am seized by a suffocating nightmare." "And I am stricken with terror and awake covered in sweat." "God, dwelling in my soul, affects only my consciousness." "He never extends beyond me to the outer world... to the course of things." "My heart is heavy from such imperfection." "My heart is heavy from such imperfection." "I saw and heard all of this." "In your dream?" "Yes, in my dream." "That means we have the same dreams." "Yes... we do." "Now be patient for a bit." "I have to comb your hair." "Now we'll eat something, then I'll give you your injection." "Walk..." "I want to walk." "You don't say!" "How could you walk?" "It's cold outside, very cold." "I want to go for a walk." "The sun..." "Are you pretending to be ill?" "I'm pretending." "All right." "Let's go." "I'm just going to get some water." "Mother, don't get up." "Mum, shall I feed you now... or do you want to go for a walk?" "I want to go for a walk." "A walk..." "Shall I read to you?" "Yes." "By the way... this morning, I came across an album... which I haven't seen before." "There are postcards, photos..." "Shall I go and get it?" "Wait for me." "Go on." "Go on." "Are you asleep?" ""My dear friend, the smell of almonds is in the air... and the Livadia is in bloom." "The sea..."" "What's Livadia?" "Surely he meant magnolia." "Livadia..." ""There is a slight sea with white horses atop the waves." ""At the market, there are wonderful grapes called raisins." ""ln the evenings, a brass band plays." ""lf you were here with me, we could dance together."" "Together..." "Together..." ""Take care of yourself." "In fond memory, your Alexander."" "Who's that, Mother?" ""Wishing you a happy holiday." ""Best wishes, health, and success." "Your class 9B."" "Here's another." ""Anna has fallen ill." "It's a bad case of gastritis." ""The neighbor, that old m..." ""She borrowed ten rubles." "She'd give them back, she hasn't yet." ""Never mind." ""Next time, I'll borrow fifteen rubles from her and..."" "What is it?" "Your heart?" "How it hurts." "Get me out of here." "Yourself, Mum, yourself." "Get me out." "Yourself, yourself." "Get me out." "Yourself, yourself." "Who is that up there in the sky?" "Nobody." "You got me out." "You got me out." "Anyway, let's go for our walk." "I fell asleep." "Tell me something." "When I was a child..." "I was afraid you wouldn't come home from school." "It was like you lived at school." "It seemed to me that you were coming home... just for a while and that you really lived at school." "And then you used to give me the mark "satisfactory."" "If you were still working today... you'd also give me a "satisfactory," right?" "Creation--you are wonderful." "I was afraid they might take you away from me." "Of course, you were already a big boy." "You kept your eye on me." "I knew it." "I burned with shame." "Shall we go on?" "Is it nice living here?" "How should I say..." "It's not bad living here, not bad at all." "But somehow it's always very hard." "Well, let's go." "Do you want a drink?" "Let's have something to eat." "Mother?" "But you know, I'm afraid of dying." "Don't die, then." "Who's making you die?" "You..." "Mother, you can live for as long as you want." "What for?" "What for?" "What for?" "I don't know." "For no particular reason." "To my mind... people live for no particular reason." "But they die for some reason." "And what's my reason?" "You don't have a reason." "There is no reason." "Just live and enjoy life." "There is a reason." "I have a reason." "So what?" "Many people have a reason and reach a great age with it... and nothing happens." "But the main thing is that you please try... not to be capricious or to weevil me, Mother!" "All right, I'll try." "I won't be like that anymore." "I don't want the spring to come." "I have nothing to wear and go out." "To go where?" "No clothes to wear, nothing at all." "And what about me?" "Do you think I have anything to go out in?" "Have I?" "But I have nothing, nothing at all." "And what about your raincoat or your warm covert coat?" "It smells." "What do you mean?" "The raincoat." "It smells awful." "Well, then..." "Let's not go out and see people." "Let's live without people." "I don't want that." "I want to go to the park." "But there isn't any park here... and there wasn't before, either." "You've just forgotten." "There was a park in your hometown." "There is a park with music all around." "We walk together." "When you were born, it was very cold and clear weather." "They told me it meant that the baby... would be clever but heartless." "That's right." "I'm a "head" person." "Otherwise, my heart would break." "Do you want to have a sleep, maybe?" "What am I to do with you?" "You don't want to sleep, you don't want to eat." "Look, the garden is in blossom." "Your life was hard at times, but hard is not always bad." "You and I... we love each other." "Lean over me." "What is it?" "I feel so sorry for you." "It's enough to make me cry." "But how small you are... my little one." "I am awfully sorry for you." "You simply cannot imagine how." "It wrings my heart... to tears." "I want to cry." "I know why you are sorry for me." "You are afraid that I will be left alone." "But don't worry, that's nonsense." "You're not going to die." "I'm with you." "We're together." "You're not going to die." "It's not that." "One can live alone." "It's no misfortune or disaster." "It's so sad." "And anyway, you will still have to go through... all of what I have suffered." "It's so unfair." "Have a little nap, Mother." "Have a sleep." "I'll be back soon." "Mother." "Mother." "You can hear me." "I know." "Listen..." "I want to tell you something." "We will meet where we agreed." "There, OK?" "Wait for me." "Be patient, dear Mother..." "Wait for me."