Via Ellipsis – Russia

New Normality (Глава 1)

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021

Today, at the age of 32, I moved back in with my parents. It was an unplanned return.

On Thursday morning, while typing messages and swallowing his fried eggs, my boyfriend suddenly shrieked and then announced, “Vika, it slipped my mind entirely, but on Sunday I’m flying to Sochi. For a week. There’ll be some kind of retreat or team-building activity or the like. Sorry for such short notice.”

“Oh,” I stopped stirring the coffee in my cup, but my gaze was fixed on the creamy liquid.

There was a pause, and then Artem asked tentatively, “So, what are you planning to do?”

I had hoped he would suggest staying at his place while he was away. I had moved in just a couple of months ago and soon afterwards rented out my apartment. So, I didn’t have any home I could call my own. Artem either didn’t see or didn’t want to see my predicament. I really hoped it was door number one. Anyway, I weighed my options: making the tenant leave ahead of time on really short notice (fines and penalties would eat most of the profit), pleading with Artem to allow me to stay there (so cringy) or…

“I’ll stay with my parents,” was my curt reply.

Artem sighed with relief and turned back to his phone.

My parents were actually thrilled and delighted when I asked if I could stay with them for a while. Mum planned the five-course gourmet dinner we just ate to celebrate my return. I am told to make full use of the room I used to share with my elder sister when we were kids. It feels like I’ve moved back over ten years in time.

Monday, Nov. 01

I guess it might be kind of difficult to work remotely at my parents’ place. Dad really enjoys a chit-chat or tary-bary, as he calls it, so he pops in every half an hour to share some piece of news he learned on TV or update me on his friends, whom I have never met in my life. At one point, I told him straightaway that I needed to concentrate to complete my project by the deadline. He looked really offended and went out – only to come back an hour later.

Tuesday, Nov. 02

Dad has a slight fever and called a physician from the state polyclinic. I was in my room (I hope I can call it mine) when the general practitioner came, but as he had such a booming voice, I guess even the neighbors could have heard him.

“There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just making things up. You’re stout and sturdy. Just pull yourself together! Everyone calls a doctor now when they fancy themselves ill. You have no idea how many calls I must make today. By the way, do you happen to have any vodka? No, not for here, I’m driving. To go. That’s a pity. Well, I have to dash. No, there will be no prescription. You’re fine. Absolutely fine, trust me. Why would you need a Covid test? Okay, come to the polyclinic tomorrow morning. You don’t need a referral. Just mention my name to the lab technician on duty. Oh, so much fuss, when it really is nothing. You are certain you do not have any spirits? That’s a shame. Okay, bye.”

The whole visit seemed surreal. Dad didn’t have any check-up, or prescription, or a referral for a test, but it seemed the guy had lifted his spirits. The rest of the day he was repeating that, probably, he really did not have anything and just needed someone jovial and optimistic to talk to.

Neither mum nor I share this cheery outlook. On the way back from work, mum bought some antiviral medication, but dad is to start taking it only tomorrow after he has completed his PCR test. Mum is anxious that the drugs might blur the picture and skew the results of the test.

Wednesday, Nov. 03

Dad left home before 8:00, but was back only in the afternoon. There was a huge line for the PCR test, and when it was finally his turn, the lab technician asked for a referral, which my dad didn’t have. So, he went to fetch one from their poor-excuse-for-a-doctor. The general practitioner was out of the office, and dad had to wait for him. And then wait till it was his turn, as the patients in line were not willing to let him jump it, even though his business wouldn’t take more than half a minute of the doctor’s time. Then he had to return to the line at the Covid lab.

The polyclinic will call dad if the result is a positive one. No phone call will mean a negative result.

Friday, Nov. 05

Treatment with anti-viral medication doesn’t help: dad seems to be getting worse by the hour. Mum called the doctor again. After half an hour of constantly dialing the front desk and hearing a busy signal, she finally got through. The doctor visited in the afternoon, and by then, there were not one, but three patients – with me and mum also feeling feverish. A different physician came this time: because of the holiday, there was a doctor on standby. She examined dad and prescribed some injections. When mum told her about her symptoms and asked to be examined as well, the general practitioner just went ballistic:

“You can’t imagine how many calls I have for today! And I am the only doctor on duty. I have a few dozen patients to visit and just three hours to go before my day is officially over. It’s insane! And you also want me to examine additional patients?! Call the polyclinic and get a doctor for tomorrow.”

I was having a Zoom call when the doctor came and consequently didn’t see her. But I could hear her all right. As I learned afterwards at the end of the day, she agreed to check mum’s throat, found it red and swollen, and told her to rinse it and take an antiviral.

Saturday, Nov. 06

Today, mum wanted to fetch us all a Covid self-test kit. It can be bought from private labs that conduct the tests. The nearest one was just a ten minutes’ walk from their home, but when she got there, the line was several dozen meters long. Due to Covid restrictions, people have to stand outside in the freezing cold. Mum’s option was either to join the line and spend a few hours in the piercing wind or turn back home. In her condition, she was certainly not up to the first alternative, so I’m glad she made the right choice.

Injections do not seem to help dad either: his high fever won’t subside. No call from the polyclinic about the test results so far, but they simply might not be doing any lab analysis during the days off. Mum has arranged for dad to have a CT scan tomorrow.

Sunday, Nov. 07

Dad is in such poor condition that he couldn’t even bend to tie his shoes, so mum had to do it as well as help him with dressing. A taxi drove them to and from the private clinic, where the scan cost an arm and a leg, but everything was done smoothly and efficiently. When, some hours later, dad was back, he had the printout of the results. 40% of lungs damaged. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we are calling an ambulance. Not today, because it is still an extended weekend, and during official days off, ambulance paramedics are said to take patients to the worst hospitals in the city. I don’t know if it is a true fact or an urban legend, but we are not taking any chances.

Artem is back home, but that doesn’t seem to matter now.

(…to be continued…)

Transadaptation Volume 7 – Via Ellipsis – Continuation of Uncertainty, Instability and Extremes Transadapted

January: An Unexpected Trip Down Memory Lane – Sarah-Leah Pimentel (South Africa)

February: Blow-up – Veronika Groke (Austria)

March: Futuros Murguistas – Alejandra Baccino Uberti (Uruguay)

April: The Nomenclature Man – Paulius Limantas (Lithuania)

May: Amanecerá y veremos – Adriana Uribe (Colombia)

June: Finding Light in Yerevan – Armine Asryan (Armenia)

July: The Last Judgement – Nadia Silva Castro (Brazil)

August: Puzzled – a collaged nivola by and of perypatetik authors (International)

September: Second Steps – Jonay Quintero Hernandez (Spain)

October: New Normality – Svetlana Molchanova (Russia)

November: Beyond Comprehension – Rahaf Konbaz (Syria)

December: Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Worm? (Parts I and II) – Narantsogt (Natso) Baatarkhuu (Mongolia)

Background – Context

Transadaptation Volume 6: Meaning? – Uncertainty, Instability and Extremes Transadapted, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2025)

Transadaptation Volume 5: Of Flowing Vicissitudes – Life Transadapted, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2024)

Transadaptation Volume 4: Material Dissent – Adulthood Transadapted, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2023)

Transadaptation Volume 3: Evanescent – Young Adulthood Transadapted, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2022)

Transadaptation Volume 2: Conceived – Childhood Transadapted, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2021)

Transadaptation Volume 1: In the Middle – Prelude to a Contemporary Transadaptation, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2020)

Peripatetic Alterity: A Philosophical Treatise on the Spectrum of Being – Romantics and Pragmatists by Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2019)

La Syncrétion of Polarization and Extremes Transposée, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2019)

The Codex of Uncertainty Transposed, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2018)

L’anthologie of Global Instability Transpuesta, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2017)

From Wahnsinnig to the Loony Bin: German and Russian Stories Transposed to Modern-day America, (eds.) Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov and Henry Whittlesey (2013)

Emblems and stories on the international community

Perception by country – Transposing emblems, articles, short stories and reports from around the world

Credits

Background photo: Saratov, Russia – The river facade – Kirill Skorobogatko (Shutterstock)

Inserted photos (top: left to right): 1. Saratov, Russia – The Volga Beach – White Fox (Shutterstock); 2. Saratov, Russia – The busker – CTatiana (Shutterstock)

Inserted photos (middle: left to right): 1. Saratov, Russia – In the park – Fire-fly (Shutterstock); 2. Saratov, Russia – Prospekt Kirov – Maxim Novikov (Shutterstock); 3. Saratov, Russia – The academic theater – Lapandr (Shutterstock); 4. Engels, Russia – Saratov Operetta Theater – Shushonok (Shutterstock)

Inserted photos (bottom: left to right): 1. Saratov, Russia – Barbecuing in the forest – Irina Wolfe (Shutterstock); 2. Saratov, Russia – Entering – Irina Wolfe (Shutterstock); 3. Saratov, Russia – Skating – Natka-i (Shtterstock)