Mommy, I Want Some Candy!

A new generation is born!

I used to be creeped out by the silence of children I saw in Russia, by the obedient attention I saw them give to their parents while out in public. Oh, no more.

A pair of young couples met for coffee. Their two daughters began celebrating the Satanic holiday that indubitably was occurring, slapping each other, pushing, screaming. One sat, "under control," kicking, pearls swinging around her neck, tongue hanging, and screaming, screaming screaming screaming, absolutely hollering for her ice cream. WHERE IS IT!? The other crept up close to my table and stared at me until I looked her way, and then she ran away.

Another two, with parents who were absolute strangers (to the children themselves? to one another?) were playing chase. One stranger yelled for her boy to come back, not moving more than just her neck to look in his general direction.

The first of the Satan-worshipers began to sprint around as well. She ran to an empty chair at a blonde woman's table, but couldn't get in, the table too close. The woman, hesitantly, began to draw the table back.

"Liza!" the father yelled. And Liza returned to her ice cream.

The woman didn't shake her head, and didn't purse her lips, and gave no outward sign of any reaction. But in her stillness I think I read one word: "Безобразие."

ROD

Безобразие (bezobrazie) - "Scandalous!", "Outrageous!", literally: "without-form-ity"