Райса Каримбаева - Quarantine. A book of stories and poems

She ran for a long time, trying to get away from this place as far as possible. The wind ruffled her hair and spoke tenderly:

– Faster, fast, little princess. To freedom from these stupid and insidious people. Run quickly, and I’ll help you. I’ll throw sand in their eyes to stop them … “” whispered the wind. And a handful of sand and dust rose to the top and, swirling with great force in a whirlwind, rushed at the people. Because of the dust and wind, nothing was visible. People covered themselves with newspapers with their hands to protect their eyes. Aigul was afraid to get into a taxi or a bus. She was terrified of people. She was afraid that she would be taken to this terrible doctor M. Looking around, seeing the stupid smiles of passers-by in nirvana, it seemed to her that the whole city was going to this doctor for an appointment. And everyone lost their minds like bewitched. This is why the fashion went for very short, barely covering skirts. That is why all and sundry are naked, revealing their “charms”.

“They just forgot to get dressed – it flashed in my head – That’s why everyone walks in the same underwear, which must be hidden under clothes. Forgotten! They just Forgot! And I was thinking about what I was thinking when I moved here.” She ran for a long, long time. She ran, stopped to rest, then ran again like a madman. People avoided and did not understand her. The city had its own life, here everything is different, not like in an aul and not every aul person can live here, keep up with the rapid flow of time and money. Here, everyone survives in his own way as best he can.

Aigul, having finally reached the station, boarded her train and left without buying her mother any medicine. Uncle Akhmet, who lives in the city, will buy the medicine. He will laugh about the incident he heard from Aigul and say that they are swindlers, and the people in Almaty are the same as in the aul. Aigul will breathe a sigh of relief, but for a long time she will not dare to go to her uncle’s home. And she no longer communicates with Janelle. It’s so scary to lose your brains! Allah forbid this to happen!!

This plague began in China and spread throughout the world. It looks like a common cold, devours the lungs in the blink of an eye. But in the beginning, as some sources of the ubiquitous Internet say, animals, not people, but rather bats, were sick with it. But since the Chinese eat everything, they immediately became infected with it, and then all of us. Another source claims it is a mutation of the common cold. One way or another, we all sit at home and go out into the street only wearing masks. Masks are made of everything, they say even black socks. Just take a sock, insert the ear straps and you’re done! What? Very simple! The main thing is that the sock is clean! And then just imagine, a smelly sock and even in it all day! What should I do? It was necessary to go to the store urgently, but they were not allowed to go there without a mask. So it is written on the door on a large poster with a blue fountain pen: “Please do not enter without masks!” Well, okay… Do not enter.. so do not enter… I went to another, there the same thing, the same poster with a request. And the downpour on the street is such that it is wet to the skin! I’m healthy here, I started sneezing! How he sneezed! They all jumped aside! The whole crowd scattered in all directions! And then such a policeman approaches, affectionate.. So citizen, why are we without a mask? What? I’m not! He stuck his head into his jacket and sniffed past. I got to the house with bushes and… In short, I took this sock, attached straps to it and… Here it is a mask! What? Fashionable and beautiful! Satisfied with himself, or rather his ingenious resourcefulness, left the house! Yes!!! Munchausen is resting! Where is he up to our Kazakhs! We can’t do it yet! We are, in general, a genius nation! they say the nomads discovered America! Yes! Proud of my ancestors, I went out into the street with my head held high, or rather, with a high freckled nose! I went through nothing at all and then I realized that something was wrong with this mask… The air is different. or something… smelly… So someone sets fire to the garbage dump all the time, maybe that’s why… Look, it smokes with might and main… Whoever sets it on fire, Allah alone knows… Not that scourges scurrying at night there, not that the tenants themselves, that is, the neighbors… Although, the neighbors are unlikely to set fire to. the smoke will stretch straight into their windows, cover the whole house with smog, so much so that call an ambulance. Not. Not the neighbors are setting fire to… Maybe the scavengers? Well, those who take out the trash? Why would they? And in order not to export, do not waste gasoline…

So I went to the store door with such thoughts. At the entrance on a small table stood “Feri” All in my thoughts I silently opened the cap and threw it over my head, then took off my shoes and began to thoroughly wash my hairy, not shaved, like chimpanzee legs, with it. Having wiped them thoroughly, I wanted them already…

– Young man! What are you doing there?! – the stern voice of a satisfied fat aunt made me jump right up to the ceiling.

Stuttering, I looked up from such an important matter and… saw that a decent crowd of onlookers had gathered near me.

– Ah! – I realized – everyone needs to wash… The bathhouse has been closed for the second week and it is not known when it will open, but they will not be allowed in without washing their hands. Damn, what a smell here! Fu!

– Young man! I’ll call the police right now!

There is nothing to do… So almost barefoot, barefooted, he stepped aside, yielding his place to “Feri”. a thin, shaking man entered again, took my place at the “feri” and, having swallowed a couple of drops of its solution, walked by… Without even washing his hands or feet…

Feeling very sterile, I, disdaining, went to the counter. My inquisitive, sharp eye found dirty, muddy stains on the shelves, dirt on the floor, due to the pouring rain… and the ubiquitous fat flies… So fat that you can send them to a barbecue! Why! The Chinese eat all kinds of worms and flies! And why do these creatures, that is, flies, do not die even in such a cold?!

The store is full of products. What bread do you want! I dig deeper, chose a couple of rolls and asked me to wrap them in a bag. Then came out!

Can’t take it anymore! What’s that smell?! Pulling off my “mask”, I greedily gulped in fresh, honey air, which happens only after rain! And then it dawned on me!.. The sock from which I made the mask was from a heap for washing… In a hurry, I took the first thing that comes to hand… This is exactly what it was said in the manual for making: “Take the first thing that comes to you under hand.. “And you can’t take it off now! A little nauseous, the blood is already caked, the brains are boiling! And I still need to go to the bank! I can hardly hear anything…

Reaching the bank by taxi and standing in a long line in the pouring rain again, I finally walked to the table where my aunt was sitting in a muzzle, that is, wearing a mask.

She started asking me something, but I didn’t understand anything. Of everything she said in a low, barely audible voice, and even through the muzzle, she could only make out “Pee Peepy”

“Maybe he wants to go to the toilet, you never know what…” And smiling out loud to her, I wink:

– Well, you go, if you so want, I’ll wait.

To which she glared at me in anger, like the Nightingale the robber or there, Kashchei is the immortal and even louder, as the muzzle only allows, she repeated: