Have fun reading my story, based on the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989. Many thanks to my Editing Cousin, your input means the world to me.
MY RUSSIAN ADVENTURE - part 2
Only when Management Guy #1 arrived, I could escape from the chaotic meeting. I succeeded in relieving Geraldine, but I got nowhere with the Skinny Guys and Longhairs. I found a mission though, there was a party to be organized.
Back in the open air of the stadium I found half of the soldiers gone. 'Smart,' I thought, 'the Americans are a bigger threat to each other than to the great Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.' But the platoon of privileged soldiers was still there.
It was as if the sergeant was expecting me. He called in Mels, the translator, right away, then he led me down the galleries of the stadium to a large room they used as an officers' mess. The jet set soldiers tagged along, they got the looks but were not sent away.
The sergeant started rambling in Russian, and a few of the soldiers chipped in, and a heated discussion flared. The voice of one of the soldiers seemed to carry the most weight. Mels took me aside. "That one is Kirill, he is the son...orr, erm, you better not know."
He got cut off by Kirill. "Mels! Perevesti! (translate)" To me: "Khochu poznakomit'sya s muzykantami." (I want to meet the musicians.)
This man was something else, not an inflated ego I knew my way around. Despite his youth I felt fear, while Kirill just asked me a civil question. I had to take a few slow breaths to control myself and I smelled my armpits.
I answered, "your American guests are certainly interested in a get together of some sort." ... "They would be honored to experience the famous Russian hospitality." They would enjoy comparing their drugs & alcohol to the Russian equivalents for sure.
I was sure Skinny Guys and Longhairs were not interested in getting scared shitless in a private meeting with this man, so I added: "It should be in a big setting, so a lot of people could enjoy the get together."
I held my breath. Was my remark too bold? Now he would give a nod to a soldier who'd lead me to a pool filled with sharks. Mels sensed I froze, he squeezed my upper arm with a little shake.
But Kirill was on the same page, he knew multiple private venues that could host a crowd. He emphasized the importance of supervision though. He didn't want loose capitalists straying in Moscow.
"Great, great," my head got into gear again, "I'll be glad to pass an invitation to the stars of the show."
"YAtak zhe interesuyus' tovarami. (I am also interested in merchandise.) YA mogu pomoch' v yego rasprostranen ii." (I may be of help distributing it.)
"Every rock band has its own merchandise. I will put you in touch with their PR people." I left our own stash unmentioned, I wanted to stay clear of Kirill as much I could.
When Mels pulled me out of the room, a weight lifted off me. I burst out, "what kind of people are we dealing with? Rich party bozos, KGB, mob? Will they make it an endless procession with handshakes? Will there be music, will there be girls? Do you know any women who are into rock music? Or into rock musicians?"
Mels burst out laughing and patted me on the back. "Good questions, Bareld, very good. If you leave it to the officials, the only women attending will be 40 plus, they'll keep their daughters away. Come with me, there's someone I'd like you to meet." We went up two flights of stairs. "By the way, I'm assigned to you. They want me to report your moves."
He opened a door with a sign: ΡΡΠ΄ΡΡ. "Referee," he said to my unasked question, and ushered me into the room. "Meet my sister Arisha. She speaks English as well." A woman put her book away and stood. Wow. His sister was a Bond girl. A face vibrant with life, like she was holding back something incredibly funny. I was just smiling goofily. Mels shook my arm again. "Bareld? Meet my sister Arisha."
I had to suppress my inclination to bow to her. "Great to meet you. You sure this is your brother and not your son?" I had no idea how this stupid remark found it's way to my mouth. But she burst out laughing. A laugh that could blow flowers into bloom.
"You were right, Mels, he is adorable." and to me: "Nice to meet you too. Do you want coffee?"
"Yes please." I welcomed a sense of normality. We sat at the table and she poured us a cup. The tension in my neck and shoulders left my body, to reappear in another bodypart.
Mels brought her up to speed in Russian. Arisha turned to me. "So you want girls to come?"
"Only if they're over eighteen." This wasn't a joke, Arisha still thought it was funny.
"I'm well over eighteen and I want to come. Party with Amerikantsy, and fuck Skinny Guy. And could you get me one of your jackets?" I immediately wanted to rise and give her my jacket.
Mels held me back. "She's not your size. Do you have women's sizes?"
"We do, we do."
She wanted to party, fuck Skinny Guy, and it would be a bonus if I could add a jacket and a cap to the equation. Plus, she had plenty of friends of the same mind. She wanted to know how many jackets we had. I told her Geraldine bought five times the amount we needed. and that we had jeans as well. The boxes in the buses.
"My friends and I, we'll come to the party, you give us jackets and jeans?" she asked. I answered I'd be happy to provide. "You could be our pimp", she said. I cringed at that remark. She noticed, smiled and ruffled my hair. "Buy girls for jeans."
The sudden gesture of affection ruffled me as well. "You're joking, right?"
It made her smile even more. She took her book and coat, and headed for the door. "I'll meet you tonight at party, da? Mels will show you. Don't forget boxes."
* * *
Multiple rooms at the stadium were assigned to our firm. We used them as offices, control rooms, and one as a private canteen. I caught Geraldine and told her about the girls and the clothes. She exploded. "Are you mad? You want to bribe girls into having sex with... Fuck you. You crossed a line here, Bareld. You're gone for half of the day and you come up with this?"
"Wait, wait. Geraldine, you haven't heard the whole story!" Shit, I should have started with the meeting with the army (and Kirill). When I explained the tense situation she calmed down a bit. I added: "Don't mistake those girls for pitiful and vulnerable. These are upper class women who are not to be denied. You called me a spoiled little brat?"
"Good of you to remember."
"Well, Arisha says her friends are women who would gladly pay for our jeans and jackets. And if they felt like fucking a rock star they would."
"Would they now." She let out a deep sigh. "We won't sell the clothes though. They're already paid for, they're meant to create goodwill." She thought for a bit. "Bareld, we do hand out our stuff, but let it be personal gifts. I don't want to turn it into business. Have you got any more?"
"I have to inform our American friends that they will be picked up from their hotels at certain times, to be escorted to the mansion of I-don't-know-who."
"Hah, good luck with that. So the army provides the transportation?"