Читати книгу - "Навіщо. What For"

tries to find a package to put the mobile phone inside, bur fails. He puts the phone into his high boots, puts the flag there, and enters the river, taking the gun and the shoes on high level. Slowly moves into deeper place. Stops and starts to sing, softly at first and then aloud.

Laurel (singing the anthem of Ukraine)

— Glorious spirit of Ukraine shines and lives forever. Blessed by Fortune brotherhood will stand up together. Like the dew before the sun enemies will fade, We will further rule and prosper in our promised land. We will lay our soul and body for the cherished freedom. Cossack blood will raise the nation of the joyous people… Laurel breathes deeply, starts to swim, pushing his things, a sudden explosion makes a strong wave and closes Laurel by head.

Scene 22

Theseus

— Nastya, good afternoon. Yes, no connection, I dial him from time to time. I call on another occasion — I propose to meet. Yes, today — no sense tomorrow. Oh no, stop it, I did not mean it at all. I tell you he is alive, everything is ok with him. He will be online very soon. It is our territory on that bank of the river, there are our troops, everything is ok, he is exited… That’s because — everything will come to an end soon. Or it finishes any way if he does not exit. I will not, I understand.

Scene 23

Laurel lies on the river bank, outed there by explosive wave. There are his things close to him. He starts to talk softly like in delirium, but then aloud and definitely.

— Brothers, where are you? Bani, Akhim, Eighth? I will be with you here, you know. Samolet (Airplane), give me your hand, I will stand up and hug you. How to be born again here? I will wait in line. I would like Nastya to bear me, new and clean. She is the only one to do it. He lies quietly, may be crying. Suddenly a phone calls from his things. Laurel stands up slowly, takes a look around and sits on the sand, but does not pick up the phone.

Act IV. ONE YEAR LATER.

Scene 1

Theseus

I’ve played many games over the past year. I haven’t saved anyone else. And really, it was Nastya who saved them. My cards only played a very small part. Actually, there are no cards that show which houses and apartments have people in them who want to live in a European country, and which ones choose Russia. Although that’s not what this war is about. It’s about independence. I’ve been chasing that concept all my life, as if it was some kind of mythical bird. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I never wanted to get addicted. I never borrowed money from my parents when I was a teenager, I didn’t marry the first girl I fell in love with (even though she had an apartment and I did-n’t…). But that was all before The Cauldron. I wasn’t there, but it really got to me. Changed everything inside. I split up with my fiancé. She was totally uninterested in the war. But that not why we split. One evening we were sitting on a terrace and a drunk soldier came up to us. He asked me why I wasn’t at the front. I started answering him but she started hollering for the waiter. She demanded that security remove the soldier, looking down on him as if he was inferior, human garbage. I’m still so embarrassed. I keep looking for him, so that I can apologize. The war? Me taking part? Fighting? It’s not my thing. I think wars should be fought by professional soldiers. Everyone else should join when the enemy is at the gates. But I’ve set up my own war tax. I give half of my salary to volunteers who are directly assisting the war effort. One night I stayed up past midnight arguing with a friend, should I go fight or should I leave it to the professionals. Should volunteers be fighting? Nobody has been held accountable for Ilovais’k, nobody has been punished, hundreds are still missing, those who have remained forever in those sunflower fields, in the forests, in village basements… The next morning I went to sign up. They told me that so far they didn’t need guys like me, who had no experience and always avoided the army. But they would keep me in mind if they needed me. Well, they’re still thinking about it. Those who have been to the front have something I don’t have. I’m still looking for that in myself. Or maybe it’s more simple? Am I just a coward? A couch potato warrior, who fearlessly destroys enemies with one keyboard stroke, so that they stop annoying me in social networks? A coward…

Tetyana

I took the first bus to Russia. Grabbed the kid and went. My former husband disgusted me. Can’t believe he became friends with that Russian riff-raff. I hated Dimka. He could have told me that he loved me back in grade ten, not in a basement twenty years later. And I hated myself. Because I couldn’t understand why this was all happening to me. Because we all wanted a tougher government and higher salaries? We’re living in a dormitory in the Kursk oblast. The roof leaks and