Chapter 10
The Experiment
Mama said nothing to Papa. I quickly forgot about the strange conversation she had with her friends, the tears, and life went on as before. I went to school and spent all my free time with Stewart the fox. A new version of the game came out during Christmas and I was thrilled.
As the year before, Papa spent New Year’s Eve elsewhere, but Mama didn’t hide I her bedroom. Instead, she spent all of December 31 cooking and Sergei, Mama, and I had a feast. We’d eaten so much that my belly felt as if it would burst.
Mama made us watch a Russian movie she claimed was a classic. It was ridiculously long and confused, though I tried to make sense of it, I couldn’t. There was no action, just some guy running from one identical building to another. The only nice thing about the movie was the snow.
“How nice our life was back home.” Mama stared at the TV dreamily.
“Mama, did you forget how you were worried about being robbed? And the fur hat you got, and it got snatched the next day?”
“Oh, that? That was nothing. Just some stupid kids.”
“So you think we were better off in Russia?” Sergei asked, staring at Mama now.
“I don’t really know.” Mama’s voice trailed off. “But why are we talking about this? We aren’t going back, are we now?”
I am not sure whether Mama had a plan or whether this was a way of burying her head in the sand. Hoping Papa’s affair would just go away. Disappear, like a bad dream.
But it didn’t.
***
The summer before second grade was remarkably similar to the previous one, minus the birthday celebration. Mama baked the honey cake and invited Vlada and Zhanna. The three of them drank to my health and toasted while I played Stewart.
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Several days after my birthday, Papa sat me down and took my hands in his.
“Son.” He said. “I love you. You realize I love you. You’re my little boy.” Then Papa started crying. I’d never seen him cry. He’d whined before, he’d complained, but he’d never shed a tear. But this time I saw huge tears rolling down his face. I stared at Papa in utter shock and confusion. Mama came over and kissed my hair.
“How would you like to visit Papa at work? It’ll be a special day, just the two of us. Your birthday treat.”
I was excited and could barely keep still. I’d never imagined I could visit Papa at work, let alone spend a whole day together and thought of the wonderful things we would do together, and of how I’d tell Mama and Sergei about it later. I didn’t even mind not playing Stewart.
Papa and I left home early the following morning. I was dressed in my favorite Stewart t-shirt. We drove through Schenley park and pulled up to a two-story building. Papa led me inside.
“Laboratory.” The sign on the door read.
“Is this where you work, Papa?” I asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “We’re just going to do a quick experiment, and then I’ll take you to my job.”
“What’s the Laboratory? What kind of experiment?”
“Ryder, hold on, please.” Papa approached the front desk and gave his name. A woman with a bright red manicure flashed a smile and told us to wait. We sat down in plush chairs, and Papa picked up an issue of ‘People’ magazine. I noticed his hands were shaking. I fidgeted in the seat.
“Maybe it’s not a good idea.” Papa mumbled to himself and rose to leave, but at that moment the receptionist called: “Mr. Begunov. We’re ready for you.” Papa glanced over at me and took me by the hand.
“Let’s do this, Ryder.”
“You’ll be in Room 4.” The woman led us to an office, where another woman, wearing a white waist-coat, greeted us. She had a printout and read off details to Papa, which Papa dutifully confirmed and signed.
“Have a seat right there, on the cot.” The woman told me and I obliged.“Now, just open your mouth.” She narrowed her eyes, looking at me. The woman was holding what looked like a giant Q-Tip. “I gotta take a quick swab.”
“Is that the experiment, Papa?” I turned to my father.
“Yes. That’s the experiment.” He nodded, and I opened my mouth. The Q-Tip scraped my mouth, and I jerked back.
“That’s it. Good boy. We’re all done.” The woman cleared her throat and, turning to Papa, said,
“You’ll have the results in 5 to 7 business days.”
“Papa, what results?” I asked.
“Just something. I’ll show you later.” Papa averted his eyes.
Then Papa took me to his office, where I spent the day drawing, meeting his co-workers and sitting by the window in a state of utter boredom, wishing to be back home with Stewart.