2. The Book of Knowledge. 6. 4. Game

The BOOK of KNOWLEDGE,
a novel by Alexandra Kryuchkova
in the “PLAYING ANOTHER REALITY” series

PART 2. ANOTHER REALITY

Day No. 6

CHAPTER 6.4. A GAME

We sat down on the mats in a circle, and RAM said, “Each of you should imagine one of our seminarians in an unusual way, for example, as an animal or a fairy-tale character. Write on a piece of paper a phrase characterizing this image. Roll up the paper and put it in the Magic Hat.”

After a while, the Hat was filled with manuscripts.

“Great, now take one note out of the Magic Hat, unfold and read it, but don’t show it to anyone and don’t say anything you get. It’s a secret!”

We approached the Hat and took turns pulling it out our secret.

“Now we go to our rooms so that you prepare for your role. You can ask each other for requisites. In half an hour, we’ll meet in the hall. Everyone will go on stage representing the image pulled out, but not a single word can be said as a clue. The actor plays silently until the audience guesses the image.”

We chuckled and, in deep thought, scattered around the rooms. The phrases turned out to be quite sophisticated, and it was completely unclear how one could silently convey to the public one’s image, not to mention the fact that there were no requisites, and where one could find them there in the hotel? I got the image not so difficult compared to others. The only thing that bothered me was that I didn’t really know what it was and how to represent it.

A few minutes later, the seminarians began to run to each other’s rooms, looking for requisites. Someone collected cameras, someone – jewels. Someone asked for clothes in a particular color. And everyone was having fun. I found the organizer of the seminar, who else should I turn to for help in detailing, if the seminarians shouldn’t know anything about ‘me’?

“What do you know about it?”

“Well, uh…” his laconic answer added absolutely nothing to my knowledge.

I went to the rooms to rent a book, because I didn’t have any with me, neither did Svetlana. I found it at Yura’s from Kaliningrad. I came back, painted a sheet of paper in red, and wrapped the book in it. I cut out two huge leaves of an unknown tree from white paper so that the audience would realize them as leaves, not something else. That was all I could gather from the props.

So we went down to the hall, sat in a circle and took turns performing. If you had been there, you would have enjoyed it immensely. Looking at the scenery, costumes and other attributes, we already laughed.

I asked Sasha, “Can you lift weights?”

“Why, all of a sudden, Daphne?” he asked suspiciously.

“Well, can you lift me up?”

“I can!”

“Great, then you’ll be my props!”

It was my turn. I got up from the woolen carpet on the floor in my usual seminary attire of white pants and a black T-shirt. I poked my finger into the carpet and outlined myself from head to toe. I showed the number 2 with my fingers and pointed on my white trousers and black T-shirt. I picked up my book with the red cover. I poked my finger at myself and, opening the book, into it. I took Sasha by the hand to the center of the hall, spread his arms to the sides and put a leaf of an unknown tree I cut out of paper in each of his palms. I put on my sunglasses and jumped at Sasha.

When the audience guessed the image, RAM said something personal to the actor.

“What does Panda mean to you, Alice?”

“An endangered Red Book animal,” I said.

RAM looked at me sadly, shaking her head.

“You must not die, you must live! You’ll write your own Red Book!”

I nodded in agreement and took my seat in the auditorium.

Sergey crawled into the hall. His legs were wrapped in blue plastic film. His torso was naked. His face was painted like a woman’s. He sat down in an unnatural pose and began to touch the beads in admiration. It was already funny. In general, we all had a perfect sense of humor. And it was good, because a sense of humor allows us to look at difficulties from a different point of view. Fantastic versions from the audience made us laugh even more. Then Sergey showed us long hair instead of his head cut to zero, and we were rolling on the floor. Did you guess? He was a mermaid with jewelry.

The door opened and a square cardboard box of who-knows-what appeared. A trail of colorful rags of our clothes followed it. The lighter was lit up at the mouth. That was Ludwig, exhaling smoke in the slot of the box, the Fire-breathing Dragon.

Larisa was in foil. She also had a huge handmade sword, more like a pipe. She stood in a pose, pointing her sword in the direction of the Bright Future, she was our Warrior of Light.

Another seminarian climbed onto a chair and wrapped himself in a red plaid so that even his face was invisible. Pencils and pens were sewn here and there all over the plaid. He demonstrated something large above his head, while trying to hold the plaid with his hands. Blooming Cactus.

Svetlana was all in white, with supposedly closed eyes under white circles cut out of paper, trying to show everyone that it was already night. She woke up flapping her wings. The Owl Whooping in the Night.

Yura from Kaliningrad had cardboard wings and a huge beak. His wife was a Jolly Photographer with twenty cameras around her neck and in her hands. Sasha was the Bear crawling out of the den. Natasha was Screaming Seagull. We also had the Rising Sun and Stargazer of the Star fall in our company. Zina got a fairy-tale character, but it was written in Latin letters, so she mistook it and represented an Instant. No one guessed it, but her work turned out to be the coolest.

The game was designed to switch from your Self to another image. Perhaps, some positive qualities of another Self could help a person in the future or prompt something important. Try to play at your leisure or invite your children to play. At my son’s birthday party, all his friends got funny to the piggy squeal.

We sat around RAM and started laughing. Just for fun. Everyone was laughing above himself. Adults get used to fake smiles and rarely laugh. Children tend to laugh sincerely. We had to turn into children. The laughter of those sitting nearby was very contagious, especially when we met the eyes of a laughing neighbor. When a person laughs with all his heart open, positive biochemical reactions occur in the brain, and the throat chakra, responsible for creativity, is also worked out. Stress is relieved and the immune system is stimulated. In India, there are even special laughter clubs called Hasya yoga, that is laughter therapy.

At night, we went to our rooms to write the Program of 10 Wishes, which in the morning was to be launched on the corresponding Mountain.

Sasha, passing by, told me a cool phrase, as usual, “Daphne, if you can’t think of 7 more wishes yourself, contact me. I’ll give you mine. I have them over ten! Well, I’m kidding. Just write about the Earthly Reality. Goodnight!”

I took a piece of paper. Carefully filtering the words, I wrote down the first three wishes and then, with difficulty, the others about the Earthly Reality. At the same time, I caught myself thinking that I had got not much earthly happened to me in my life. The only story that came to my mind, was Brother. He had been playing business, and I had been playing the Earthly Reality back then.

***

Waking up in the morning was hard, especially if the day before I had returned home already ‘today’, somehow after midnight or even later. I painfully tried to get rid of thoughts in my overloaded head, but in vain, since my mind was still replaying everything that had been and not. Realizing that falling asleep was unrealistic, in a semi-delirious state I walked to the kitchen, bumping into all the corners of the flat. Without turning the light on, I grabbed a liquid medicine for sleep by touch and realized that all the clean glasses had long since ended in the sink. Swearing at myself, I remembered where the cleanest glass was, and washed it somehow. Having poured the last drops of boiled water into it, not to boil the kettle again, I counted exactly 30 drops in the moonlight, not to return to the corridor to turn on the light in the kitchen. I drank it in a gulp, like vodka, and by the way, why not… but I was too lazy to look it for. So I came back in the bedroom, bumping again into all the corners in the same crooked-shaky way but in the reverse order.

I used to wake up at five, because in summer the Sun rose early, breaking right through the curtains into my eyes. Half asleep, I looked at my watch every half an hour not to oversleep, but fell asleep when the alarm clock rattled in my ear and it was already hard to wake up. I didn’t want to wake up at all, but I needed to reach to the alarm clock so that it finally shut up. Still in the bed for about fifteen minutes, falling asleep again, I realized that if I didn’t get up, I wouldn’t get up until dinner, and it would be problematic to drive a car because of the traffic jams. To be late for work meant that Brother would be looking for me, getting nervous. I thought about the subway, but it was the first day of the month, an insane queue was already lining up at the cash. So, gathering all the strength (was it actually left?), I abruptly got out of bed. Having looked for the slippers thrown somewhere (or not put on last night?), and, not having found them, I went barefoot to the kitchen. I poured water in the kettle to boil it and while it was boiling, I entered the bath. Looking at myself in the mirror, I used to think, “Is that really me?”

Having returned to the kitchen, I made my tea from the tea bag. I used to add cold boiled water from a decanter, but the decanter was empty. I opened my big fridge, there was nothing but a long pink tail of a gray rat bought at IKEA, the only inhabitant for many days, because when I returned home yesterday = already today, it seemed a feat to go somewhere else to buy at least something.

I was drinking tea with the thought that it would have been nice to wonder the day before what the weather was expected to be like that day. I put on something from what was left in the closet (clean and ironed), not dumped in a heap on the armchair and around, promising to myself to sort things out there at the weekend, while realizing that the weekend, most likely, wouldn’t happen again.

***

I entered my office and opened the window. There was a pile of papers on the table. I plopped down in my chair, switched on the computer, dialed my secretary and, as every morning for many years, said in an iron voice, “Coffee and docs.”

Brother called me. He used to call me in the morning when he woke up. But, even if he called me at any other time of the day, our conversation always began with his signature question, “Hello Alice, where are you?”

“Office. You?”

“Rublyovka.”

He was silent, inventing a problem to put for me or to puzzle someone else of our employees.

“Listen, what if we… No, it’s already… Well, then bye?”

In fact, his ‘bye’ was only for a couple of hours, or minutes. Brother used to call me constantly, throughout the day and until late at night. At first, it was unusual. Then, on the contrary, I was sad if he didn’t call me for a long time. I got a strange feeling, he was always somewhere nearby, at the distance of a phone call, always aware of where I was and what I was doing. And I could call him myself at any time of the day. Just for nothing. But I used to text him and he called me back.

Brother often came to our office, usually in the late afternoon. If I didn’t drive my car that day, he gave me a ride somewhere. He used to change his cars often, but I didn’t notice. He asked if I liked his new super acquisition. I wasn’t a car expert, and he got offended that I was unable to appreciate the gadgets shown to me.

He had many cars and as many businesses. My furniture business was just a little thing, his toy. I didn’t know where he got so much energy from. He seemed to be constantly working, thinking and talking only about work, having thousands of ideas for every new day, including weekends. On working days, in the evenings, he used to say, “You’ll sleep off on Saturday!” But on Saturday, he used to call me early in the morning, when I was still sleeping, and offer to go somewhere with him on work issues. Well… or Sunday…

The sharks of imperialism often came to visit us and we led night life with them: restaurants, casinos and places where girls were not allowed. Brother made an exception for me, and I always went with them to the forbidden zones. We also took guests to the places where girls were allowed in for free. While the sharks were choosing those free girls, Brother and I were drinking cognac. One of the sharks was acting strangely. I whispered in Brother’s ear, “Maybe he is not about the girls, or has no need at all,” and we both chuckled softly.

Far after midnight, or rather, closer to the morning, Brother used to catch me a car. And I liked the way he did it. First, he always asked if I was satisfied with the caught car or to catch another one. After nodding in agreement, he almost grabbed the driver by the throat and said in a serious voice, “If anything happens to her, I’ll kill you!”

It was funny to me, because I knew that Brother wouldn’t even hurt a fly, but I never showed my knowledge. Brother used to write down the number of the car, then he told me, “When you enter the flat, call me.” And I used to call him.

***

Once Brother called me and asked to take all my reports and come to his office. I came and found myself on the carpet of the Minister, who asked me about something that I didn’t know what to answer. Not because I didn’t know the answer, but I didn’t know the right answer in that situation. And I was silently furious at my heart, because Brother hadn’t warned me.

Yes, sometimes he drove me crazy, but I learnt to restrain myself. At first it was difficult, because I was just as explosive as he was. We were a lot alike. I looked at him as if at my reflection in the mirror, and thought, “God, I look so terrible in fits of righteous anger.” So I always kept quiet when he was raging. But when he cooled down, I said everything I thought, harshly and sharply. Having understood, that it was my reaction to his storm of the day before, he used to tell me, “You are angry when you are hungry. Come on, I’ll feed you!” And we had lunch or dinner at a restaurant.

So nervous was that life like living on a volcano… From time to time I felt like giving up and leaving. Once, when we had dinner in a restaurant with a shark of imperialism, Brother’s adviser on various issues, I said that I was tired of both of them and would write a letter of resignation the next day.

“You won’t do it, DG,” the Shark said seriously.

“Why not?” I wondered.

“Because you may not. It would mean betraying the people who believe in you. And if you give up and leave today, you’ll betray them.”

“I don’t get it. Why do you want to leave?” Brother was surprised.

“You don’t love me. I want to go on vacation, and you don’t let me go!” I said laughing.

“Is it me who doesn’t love you? I love you so much, little Fox! I love you so much!” he hugged me and added laughing, “I’m just an old soldier and don’t know the words of love.”

A fancy car stopped outside the window.

“How much does it cost?” I asked Brother.

“A new one? Nothing! And why?”

“If I leave now, I’ll drive a car like that.”

“You’ll drive a Mercedes if you stay,” he said in a menacing voice.

To the sharks of imperialism, I was DG, short for general director in Italian, but to Brother, I would always be just his little Fox.

***

We were going to buy a large factory. There were a lot of us, and all were men, except for me, and we were all in black, in a few black cars, and I didn’t know all of ours. When we were walking across the field, all in huge puddles, Brother and the Shark periodically picked me up from both sides under the arms and carried me to the dry land.

The owner of the plant was also in black. He was sitting in a black leather armchair in a black-black office and reminded me of such a big black furry monster with many paws, sitting in the center of the network he had woven. It even seemed to me that if he turned around, showing us his back, we would see a big-big cross on it.

The furry monster didn’t reduce the price, since the only one chandelier in his office cost one hundred thousand of… We looked at the chandelier, appraising it, chuckled and left.

The Spider was bankrupt.

***

We were walking in the city center all together: Brother with his wife and children, the Shark with his wife and children, and me. On Red Square, the children ran away somewhere, and when they returned, Brother scolded his ones, they had run so far away that they could have got lost. Then his eldest son said, “Aunt Alice has such a bright dress that we will never get lost, dad!”

It made me laugh in a kind way and somehow funny. No one had called me aunt yet, and it was Brother’s son to call me aunt, as one day my son would call Brother “Uncle Bo”.

***

We used to travel abroad with Brother for business. He didn’t let me go a single step away. We either worked or walked around the city with Versace, Armani, Prada shop windows or around the City-on-Water. He chose his own clothes, always asking me whether to buy or not. One day he demonstrated me a T-shirt with a huge target on the back.

“I don’t want you to be killed! Take it off now!”

He sighed heavily, obediently took it off and sadly put it aside.

We were visiting sharks of imperialism to see where, what and how. All the owners of big companies in Northern Italy in our industry would remember Alice and Brother for many years. They took us to special places, too. True, girls were not offered. We just drank cognac, because Brother knew that I drank only cognac or orange juice. He wasn’t able to remember my date of birth, but he remembered since the first time that the cognac must be Remy Martin. True, once he treated me to his favorite sum-boo-ca. I didn’t know what that potion was called correctly, it was Brother who called it so.

“Alice, it’s such a thing that they set fire to, and it shows its tongue out and says, boo-boo-boo!”

Late at night, when I used to be exhausted and we had already wished each other good night, he returned to my room with the words, “Listen, well… what do you, little Fox, still think about…?”

I was still in my clothes, but already in a horizontal position on the bed.

He landed nearby, very close to me, but for a long, long time we were discussing our business. Once again, Brother wished me good night and went to his room. But one of the Sharks immediately called me, “Alice, are you alone there? Come downstairs, please. I want to talk to you.”

We went to another hot spot where the Shark was interrogating me to the fullest and voiced his obscene proposal.

“I’ll never hurt Brother or do anything against him.”

“You are a clever woman, but still think about it.”

Early in the morning, Brother was already knocking on my door with all his might, and I was still sleeping. I walked to the door still being sleepy and opened it almost nude. He was embarrassed, “Oops, Foxy, well, you… wake up already! Let’s go for breakfast!”

***

I have almost no photos of him. We had never been photographed together. True, employees of his other business caught us at a corporate party when we were dancing, and gave me a mug with our photo on it. We often had corporate parties. Brother organized the big ones, I made the small ones. On the big ones we used to dance, dance, dance. I really liked to dance. And on small ones, I gathered the very best, about twenty people. I sang to them with my guitar sometimes.

Sometimes Brother came to me in the evening and asked for money as a loan. I never asked him what for. I knew he would definitely return it. Moreover, the money I had was still his money, I just managed it.

From time to time, Brother used to bring people of Darkness, whom he introduced as friends. I saw their burning eyes. They wanted to get our Castle along with Brother’s money. Then I started another chess game, brainstorming. Brother unconditionally agreed with my opinion when I brought him undeniable facts and evidence. It took time to collect them. I had time and I used to win.

A man of Dark Forces whom I caught by the hand escaped. He owed Brother a lot of money. I was contacted by people who were also looking for him for the same reasons. That man called me from unidentified numbers threatening. All sorts of crap. Of course, I was not afraid for myself, but I had a son.

“If he calls again, tell him that I….! Do you understand my words? Just say so!” Brother was swearing.

“He needs to get money from somewhere. He was talking about my boy, Bro.”

“Come on, Foxy, you’re not a Rockefeller. My kids, then…”

“It’s easier for him to do it through me. He knows, I’ll come to you.”

“I’ll kill him if he makes anything to you.”

“And if he kills me, will you at least bring flowers to my grave?”

“Oh, my little Fox, you don’t even have to worry about that! Your coffin will be the most expensive, made of mahogany, on wheels, with music and all kind of accessories, and there will be the sea of flowers! We’ll bury you with all honors, so you don’t have to save money for the funeral!”

***

I’ll never forget that day. We were all sitting together in his office – Brother, me, Ray, and the Shark. Brother and Ray had just saved my life, but our Castle had been destroyed. Brother said that in the New Castle, Ray would have the Crown and Power, I would have only Money, the Shark would have Goods, as before. Brother asked me to take an oath in front of everyone. I asked, “What kind of?”

“You must not do any harm to them, Alice. And nothing against them. Because I need all three of you.”

“I swear, Bro,” I said with a touch of bitterness.

And then…

The Shark invited me out for a walk and announced his grandiose plan. He said that I should play Black Magic with him against Brother or… leave. Let Ray stay aside. We would make him quit later. The Shark knew that after the oath, Brother wouldn’t want to hear from me a single bad word about the Shark. Moreover, Brother needed evidence and facts. I didn’t have any, because the Game hadn’t started yet…

Ray invited me out for a walk and announced his grandiose plan. He said that I should play Black Magic with him against Brother or… leave. Let the Shark stay aside. We would make him quit later. Ray knew that after the oath, Brother wouldn’t want to hear from me a single bad word about Ray. Moreover, Brother needed evidence and facts. I didn’t have any, because the Game hadn’t started yet…

So I told Brother that I decided to quit, without explaining the reasons. I don’t want to remember what happened after that. It was too painful. As for me, so for Brother, and for everyone who fell under his arm then… I took a step into Another Reality, in which none of them existed anymore.