Let off Steam, Kazakh-Style. Serik Asylbekuly

enters the grocery store. An attractive young woman stands at the counter. She’s all white, smooth, kempt. She greets him as an old acquaintance. She wears a white robe and snow-white, starched cap. This makes her look very elegantly.

      Komekbay. (He approaches the counter and talks in a slightly dull voice). Salem*…

      [*Salem means hello]

      Zibash. (She smiles sincerely) Salem-salem!.. You seem to be in a bad mood. Perhaps, you got sick, didn’t you?

      Komekbay. No… I just have a headache…

      Zibash. Aaa, did you drink too much yesterday?

      Komekbay. No, I wish I did…

      Zibash. (She comes up to Komekbay, strokes his face with her beautiful, white fingers) Look at you, you have stubble. Bristly… Shave. Because you start to look like an old man.

      Komekbay. (He livens up, recovers, glances at a large mirror hanging on the wall behind the store windows). Really?.. Like an old man?

      Zibash. Just kidding. You are the sultan of jigits, just like Brad Pitt. You know, Zibash doesn’t eye up rustic men.

      Komekbay. But still, actually, I’ll become an old man in ten or fifteen years, and then you’ll brush off me, won’t you?

      Zibash. Even if you become an exhausted old man, I will still love only you. Because you are kind, you have a bright soul. You have something that only I can see, something that your stupid Rysty will never see.

      Komekbay. Rakhmet*, my darling. Thanks God you live in this world. Otherwise…

      [*Rakhmet means thanks]

      Zibash. What would be otherwise?

      Komekbay. Otherwise… there would be no reason to live for me. Sometimes you don’t even know why you exist in the world. On the whole, there is only infinite fuss and bustle. And it never ends.

      Zibash. Don’t say that! Live on, even if only for me. By the way, can you drop in tonight? Zheniszhan is on a holiday now, he went to visit his grandfather for a week.

      Komekbay. I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to do it today. If I can do it, I’ll call you. Okay?

      Zibash. Okay. So, tell me what you need.

      Komekbay. (He is embarrassed) Give me a bottle of vodka… on loan… and a pack of cigarettes.

      Zibash takes a bottle of vodka and a pack of cigarette from the shelf, wraps them up in a plastic bag and gives it to Komekbay.

      Zibash. Do you need anything else? Don’t be shy, tell me.

      Komekbay. No, nothing more. Thank you, Zibash. I’ll receive money from the cooperative store soon, and then I’ll pay off all the debts. Deal?

      Zibash. Oh, don’t say another word! My darling, everything I have is yours!