(if: $borisPictureSeen is false)[As you sit upright on your bed, you lay a fond gaze on the [[picture|borisPicture]] ](else:)[A [[picture|borisPicture]] of Vlad is ]on your bedstand, right next to the stacked matriochkas your mom passed on to you.
Snowflakes are stuck to the [[window]]. (if: $lookedOut is true)[Kids are playing in the snow.]
Go to the [[bathroom]].
Go to the [[kitchen]].He hugs you strongly.
(click-append:"strongly.")[
"Since you seem to be so attached to this place, it would be better for you to stay here. Your memory is still not too bad.
I am going to come more often to check on you and ask the kids to do so too. You make sure to visit Tamara often, okay?"
You look out the window.]
(click-append:"window.")[ Kids are playing in the snow, and you will still be able to see them. This fills you up with joy.
(live: 3s)[
Author: Alexandra Pometko, 2020]]Dima smiles at you but you notice the sadness in his eyes.
(click-append:"eyes.")[
"I'm very, very sorry. We have to put you in a nursing home. I found this great place in Samarskoe, right next to the lake. You'll enjoy it there, I'm sure!"
...]
(click-append:"...")[
You feel betrayed.
(live: 3s)[
Author: Alexandra Pometko, 2020]]Your dear friend opens the door.
"Nina, what a surprise!"
"Privet. Do you want to eat [[lunch]] together?"
"Yes come on in! I've just made salad."You step outside and the cold bites your cheeks.
You walk past the market where familiar faces sell their potatoes and fish. You start crossing the large street where people drive insanely fast, but no car stops to let you pass. Maybe there is another way... You go on another street, but you don't recognize any of the buildings. You want to head back, but you don't remember where you came from.
(click-append: "remember where you came from.")[
(if: $hasAddress)[You check Tamara's address. (display:"tamarasAddress")
A kind stranger guides you to her [[building|tamarasEntry]].]
(else:)[Too many cars, going in all directions. They are so loud. Why are they honking so much? There are many people around you but no one looks like they would be willing to help you. You start to panick, your world spins around...
[[You faint.|badEnding]]]
]Taganskaya Ul., bld. 55, appt. 107Your family's most beloved traditionnal dressed herring salad. You used to cook it for every new year's eve. Vlad would go fishing herrings with Andrei and Genia, your grandsons. You would ask your daughters Olga and Irina to peel and cut the potatoes. You would arrange it in layers:
Potatoes. Onions. Herring. Carrots. Mayonnaise. Beets. Mayonnaise...
Continue [[eating|lunch]].(set: $convincePoints to 60)You woke up very early that day. You couldn't remember when Dima said he was going to come by, but waiting for him felt like an eternity
...
(click-append:"...")[
"Privet! Look, I brought you chocolates, they sold some at the shop next door."
So he's nice today!
"Thank you. Let's enjoy those with some tea."
"What time is it? I'm starting to be a little bit hungry."
Check the time.
(click-replace:"Check the time.")[
(link:"\"My hand clock says it's 1:32.\"")[(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(set:$handclock to true)(goto: "question2")]
(link:"\"My watch says it's 1:32.\"")[(set:$handclock to false)(goto: "question2")]
]](set: $borisPictureSeen to true)
"(if: $handclock is true)[Uh... Your handclock... Alright.](else:)[Good.] So mom, I've seen the Alzheimer's specialist. I'm not saying you have it, but just let me ask you a few questions."
"You are ridiculous, Dima."
(click-append:"\"You are ridiculous, Dima.\"")[
"Please."
"Okay."(click-append:"\"Okay.\"")[
"So let's start easy. What was Vlad' job?"
(if: $borisPictureSeen)[Ah... Remember the picture... The factory...
(link:"\"Metallurgist!\"")[(set: $qu2rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question3")]
(link:"\"Electrician!\"")[(goto: "question3")]
(link:"\"Cleaner!\"")[(set: $qu2rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question3")]]
(else:)[(set: $qu2rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)[["I... I don't remember. I could go to my room, I know there's a picture there..."|question3]]]
]]"(if: $qu2rightAnswer is false)[Mom, he was an electrician his whole life...](else:)[Correct.]
So what about your own job?"
(link:"\"I used to work in the factory with Vlad.\"")[(set: $qu3rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question4")]
(link:"\"I was a secretary.\"")[(set: $qu3rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question4")]
[["I used to teach kids."|question4]]"(if: $qu3rightAnswer is false)[You were a teacher! You nearly taught all of today's adults in this town!](else:)[And what a good teacher you were.]
Okay, so... What is the thing we used to eat for every new year's eve dinner?"
(link:"\"Borscht soup.\"")[(set: $qu4rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question5")]
(link:"\"Pelmeni dumplings.\"")[(set: $qu4rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question5")]
[["Shuba salad"|question5]]
(link:"\"Okrochka soup.\"")[(set: $qu4rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question5")]
"(if: $qu4rightAnswer is false)[How could you forget about your legendary shuba herring salad? I think it's one of my fondest memories of childhood.](else:)[Yes! I will pass on this recipe to my children as well.]
Now, I know this is going to seem very distant, because they don't live in this country anymore. But what were your granddaughter's names?"
[["Anastasia and Katarina"|question6]]
(link:"\"Nina and Irina\"")[(set: $qu5rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question6")]
(link:"\"Irina and Olga\"")[(set: $qu5rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question6")]
(link:"\"Genia and Andrei\"")[(set: $qu5rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "question6")]
"(if: $qu5rightAnswer is false)[It was Katarina and Anastasia. They're all grown up now, I've heard they're doing a lot of swimming in France.](else:)[Perfect!]
I just have one last question now. Who is coming over to your house tomorrow?"
(click-append: "tomorrow?\"")[
(if: $brokenFaucet is true)[
"Ah, yes, my broken faucet! It must be the plumber. I do not remember having called him though..."
"I did it for you."
[["Thank you."|examConclusion]]
]
(else:)[Why would anyone come to visit you tomorrow? Are you missing something? What should you say?
"Ah...
(link:"The electrician.\"")[(set: $qu6rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "examConclusion")]
(link:"Tamara.\"")[(set: $qu6rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "examConclusion")]
[[The plumber."|examConclusion]]
(link:"Genia and Andrei.\"")[(set: $qu6rightAnswer to false)(set: $convincePoints to $convincePoints - 10)(goto: "examConclusion")]
]
]"(if: $qu6rightAnswer is false)[Don't you remember the broken faucet in your bathroom? It's the plumber. I called him for you.](else:)[Well... ]
Mom. I think we both know what the (link:"obvious decision")[(if: $convincePoints > 29)[(go-to: "goodEnding")](else:)[(go-to: "badEnding")]] to take is...A picture of all the young professors of Magnitagorsk's school number 66.
You and Tamara are right in the middle, wearing your uniforms. But there are also Liouba, Nastia, Vassiliy, and a few other people you cannot remember.
You loved teaching. That's what you did your whole life.
Continue [[eating|lunch]].You got back home, happy to have spent time with your lifelong friend. She understands you. She aged with you. Your children seem to believe aging makes you stupid. They feel like they have rights to decide how you should live your life, as you did when you raised them.
You go to bed, wondering when Vlad will come back from the dacha [[...|question1]](if: $brokenFaucet is false)[You shudder as you step on the bathroom tiles. You should probably try to turn up the heating a little bit. Tiny drops of water fall from the [[faucet]] underneath the [[mirror]].]
(else:)[Cold tiles. The faucet underneath the [[mirror]] is broken.]
Go back to the [[room]].You enter your small kitchen to make tea. Your stomach gurgles.
[[Eat yogurt with berries|berriesMemory]].
[[Eat plain yogurt|livingRoom]].A black and white picture of your husband, Vlad. He is so young here! He is wearing his electrician's overalls and is surrounded by four friends from the factory. He has always been well respected as the leader of the worker's union, confident and firm, but friendly and empathetic.
You look [[away|room]].
(set: $borisPictureSeen to true)The neighborhood playground is covered with snow. But kids around here are brave. They're not afraid of playing in the cold.
(set: $lookedOut to true)
You look [[away|room]].You smile at this old face you've known for so long. Your deep wrinkles follow the movement of your mouth.
(set: $mirrorSeen to true)
You (if: $brokenFaucet is true)[walk [[away|room]].](else:)[walk [[away|bathroom]].]
(link:"You try to open the tap to wash your face.")[(show: ?more)]
|more)[ It won't budge. You push harder, but the handle breaks off. Damnit.(set: $brokenFaucet to true)
You (if: $mirrorSeen is true)[walk [[away|room]].](else:)[walk [[away|bathroom]].]
]
(set: $berryMemorySeen to true)
Berries... You are sitting on a bucket on the street in Magnitogorsk's city market. On a sheet in front of you, you laid out the blueberries, raspberries, cucumbers and tomatoes you picked up (link:"with Katarina and Anastasia")[(show: ?more)] in your dacha's garden yesterday.
|more)[ Katarina and Anastasia. Your sweet lovely granddaughters. They always help you out when you have to sell fruits and vegetables, making a cute show of themselves by playing together or dancing to tunes they listen to in Europe. (click-append:"in Europe.")[(show: ?europe)]]
|europe)[That's where your daughter Irina moved when she married Danil. You wonder what their life is like out there. You've never had the chance to visit [[...|livingRoom]]]"Mom, be reasonable."
"No, you are being unreasonable! I'm going to see Tamara."
Infuriated, you put on your shoes, your gloves and your fur coat. You grab the door.
(click-append:"door.")[
"Well, alright. We've already discussed this with the rest of the family. I'll come back tomorrow and if I realize you're not able to live independently, I will get you a room in the nursing home."
You ignore him. You're about to leave when you realize you don't remember Tamara's address.
(click-append:"address.")[(link:"
It's fine, you've been there a thousand times, you know the way.")[(set: $hasAddress to false)(goto: "urbanStreet")]
(link:"Write Tamara's address on a piece of paper.")[(set: $hasAddress to true)(goto: "urbanStreet")]]]A loud bell startles you. Who could this be?
A man enters your living room. He looks familiar, but you cannot quite put a name on his face.
(click-replace: "face.")[
"Mom!"
... Mom? [[Oh...|livingRoom2]]]{(set: $brokenFaucet to false)
(set: $lookedOut to false)
(set: $borisPictureSeen to false)
(set: $berryMemorySeen to false)
(set: $teachingMemorySeen to false)
(set: $shubaMemorySeen to false)
(set: $mirrorSeen to false)}
You open your eyes as you slowly wake up. As you stretch your aching body, you realize how cold it is, based on the pain in your joints. Arthritis is no joke, and it's only getting worse. You have no clue what day it is.
But whatever the date, you feel excited. Dima is coming over!
You look around your [[room]]."... Dima... I'm so glad to see you! How are you, son? Didn't you have a problem starting the car, with this cold?"
"No mom, I'm good. You look quite anxious. Are you okay?"
Everyone always worries about you.
(click-append: "you.")[
"Yes, I'm feeling very good. Come, have a cup of tea. And grab some berries."
Dima walks up towards the fridge.
(click-append: "fridge.")[
"Mom, where are the berries?]
(click-append: "berries?")[
What is this...]
(click-append: "this...")[
[[MOM!|livingRoom3]]"]]"What?!"
"You put a pair of SOCKS in the [[FRIDGE|fridge]]."You go take a look. There are indeed socks in the fridge.
Why?
It must have made sense when you put them there (link-reveal:"...")
[
"Mom, I'm worried about you.
You keep forgetting things, all the time. You put socks in the fridge. You get lost. I think (link-reveal:"...")[
I think we need to give you a new home. Like a nursing home. You'll be with other people there, and you will be safe. I'm afraid you're going to hurt yourself one day."
(link-reveal:"...")[
[["I'm fine! Stop exagerrating, Dima."|lobby]]
[["Maybe you're right..."|badEnding]]]
]
]Tamara's living room is arranged in the traditional Russian manner: colorful rugs are used as tapestry on the walls, many portraits and [[group pictures|teachingMemory]] are scattered everywhere. In the corner of the room, an orthodox cross and a golden portrait of Jesus look over you.
You are eating [[shuba|shubaMemory]] salad. You talk about old times and discuss how you deal with the cold.
[[Go back home|night]].