Desire

Desire

Alexandr Piatkov



What holds greater value: absorption or expulsion? To clear, for instance, one’s

nose, bowels, bladder, or testicles, or, for that matter, to purge the mind of a

tormenting thought — isn't that far more precious than taking something in?


The television in a barbershop typically spins an endless yarn about a tall,

slender, beautiful, and clever girl with immaculate hair. By a cruel twist of

fate or the malice of a wretched boss, she finds herself in a dire predicament.

Naturally, she crosses paths with a man who is tall, slender, handsome, sharp-

witted, impeccably groomed, clean-shaven, and, of course, wealthy, strong, and

just. He adopts her tribulations as his own and delivers her from ruin.


Occasionally, the coffee table trades its glossy magazines for disposable plates

bearing slices of loaf, each adorned with a smear of mayonnaise, a single sprig

of herb, a solitary sprat, a slice of sausage, or a square of cheese. Alongside

them sit the inevitable bottles of soda, cans of energy drinks, and plastic cups

— empty for the moment, but that is only while clients are watching.


The televised environment — its manners, inflections, poses, and narrative tropes

— flows seamlessly from the screen into reality. Everything is meticulously

copied, yet one crucial thing remains impossible to materialize: the protagonist.

That is to say, he does appear from time to time, occasionally even possessing

quite the media-worthy qualities. However, after playing his prescribed part once

or twice, he vanishes without a trace — sometimes leaving consequences in his

wake, but always disappearing into thin air. The desire for expulsion, it seems,

simply prevails! The environment keeps reproducing itself, its authentic heroes,

and its heroines.




Original text: proza.ru/avtor/alexanderan
© Copyright: Alexandr Piatkov, 2015
Publication Certificate No. 215033101553
Translated from Russian into English by AI Translator (Neural Network Engine).