Cheslav spoke low and soothingly. He unknotted Aleksandr's tie and pulled it off.
"But this isn't that unpleasant, is it?"
He paused, smiling briefly.
It was strangely natural to touch Aleksandr this way. He was not sure why. Perhaps because they were old friends, or perhaps because Aleksandr was suffering. Perhaps because Cheslav knew there could be such a comfort in human touch.
Ironically, that had been a lesson he learned from Aleksandr and Avdotia.
He began to unbutton Aleksandr's shirt.
"Did I ever tell you why I kept my son with me in Leningrad during the Siege?"
Cheslav knew he hadn't. He simply continued on without waiting for a response, knowing that it was the quiet, even tone of his voice that Aleksandr would be attuned to now, that and the steady beat of the water and Cheslav's careful touch.
He also knew that sometimes, it was good to listen to something other than your own thoughts.
"The Siege had been going on around six months by that time. A man I knew gave me a tip that one of the trucks had made it across the lake and was going to smuggle out as many people as it could. I gathered up Yelena and the girls, and Taras, and we went."
Cheslav paused as he finished with Aleksandr's dress shirt. He removed it, and then tugged at his white undershirt, pulling it up and over his head.
He studied Aleksandr's torso briefly, noting with approval his firm tone and build. Impressive for a bureaucrat, though it was not something Cheslav had been unaware of before. He did not linger however, but instead continued undressing him, his fingers moving easily as if it was something he had done many times before.
"I thought we were too late. There was already a long line in front of us, and the truck was filling up fast. But we reached the front of the line. Yelena and the girls made it on, and then the man with the truck said there was only room for one more."
He undid Aleksandr's belt, continuing to talk as he did so, keeping his motions simple and unweighted.
"Yelena reached for Taras, but I told her no. I turned around to the couple behind us and told them to give their daughter to my wife, that Yelena would take care of her. You have to understand, at that point, I had no idea how long the Siege would go on."
Cheslav knelt to tug at one of Aleksandr's boots, then the other.
"They were afraid, I could tell. They didn't want to give their girl up to strangers, but the truck was going to leave. So in the end they ended up giving her to my wife. I told we'd find them after the Siege was over. And I kept Taras with me."
He paused, pitching the various pieces of Aleksandr's uniform out of the shower and onto the the wet bathroom floor one by one. Finally he turned back to Aleksandr, straightening to meet his eyes.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 09:26 pm (UTC)Cheslav spoke low and soothingly. He unknotted Aleksandr's tie and pulled it off.
"But this isn't that unpleasant, is it?"
He paused, smiling briefly.
It was strangely natural to touch Aleksandr this way. He was not sure why. Perhaps because they were old friends, or perhaps because Aleksandr was suffering. Perhaps because Cheslav knew there could be such a comfort in human touch.
Ironically, that had been a lesson he learned from Aleksandr and Avdotia.
He began to unbutton Aleksandr's shirt.
"Did I ever tell you why I kept my son with me in Leningrad during the Siege?"
Cheslav knew he hadn't. He simply continued on without waiting for a response, knowing that it was the quiet, even tone of his voice that Aleksandr would be attuned to now, that and the steady beat of the water and Cheslav's careful touch.
He also knew that sometimes, it was good to listen to something other than your own thoughts.
"The Siege had been going on around six months by that time. A man I knew gave me a tip that one of the trucks had made it across the lake and was going to smuggle out as many people as it could. I gathered up Yelena and the girls, and Taras, and we went."
Cheslav paused as he finished with Aleksandr's dress shirt. He removed it, and then tugged at his white undershirt, pulling it up and over his head.
He studied Aleksandr's torso briefly, noting with approval his firm tone and build. Impressive for a bureaucrat, though it was not something Cheslav had been unaware of before. He did not linger however, but instead continued undressing him, his fingers moving easily as if it was something he had done many times before.
"I thought we were too late. There was already a long line in front of us, and the truck was filling up fast. But we reached the front of the line. Yelena and the girls made it on, and then the man with the truck said there was only room for one more."
He undid Aleksandr's belt, continuing to talk as he did so, keeping his motions simple and unweighted.
"Yelena reached for Taras, but I told her no. I turned around to the couple behind us and told them to give their daughter to my wife, that Yelena would take care of her. You have to understand, at that point, I had no idea how long the Siege would go on."
Cheslav knelt to tug at one of Aleksandr's boots, then the other.
"They were afraid, I could tell. They didn't want to give their girl up to strangers, but the truck was going to leave. So in the end they ended up giving her to my wife. I told we'd find them after the Siege was over. And I kept Taras with me."
He paused, pitching the various pieces of Aleksandr's uniform out of the shower and onto the the wet bathroom floor one by one. Finally he turned back to Aleksandr, straightening to meet his eyes.
"Yelena didn't understand, of course."