Chapter
10
This
chapter is called “News from Yalta” and Bulgakov tells about Styopa’s activities
from Yalta.
Action
takes place in Variety Theatre. Variety is also situated on Sadovaya Street.
Action starts at the same time when Ivan is being interrogated in Prof.
Stravinsky’s clinic; Styopa is flung out of his flat into Yalta; Nikanor
Ivanovich is arrested after the foreign currency is found in the lavatory of
his flat ---please remember that it is the morning of Thursday.
So,
the financial director and administrator of Variety are waiting for Styopa
Likhodeev, who had informed the financial director Rimsky from his flat that he
is reaching there in half an hour’s time.
Varenukha, the administrator, is sitting in
Rimsky’s cabin, so that he can avoid those who always surrounded him for free
tickets.
Rimsky
is unhappy with Styopa. He informs Varenukha that the day before Styopa had
rushed like a crazy fellow into his cabin with a contract for this black-magic
show and made Rimsky pay him some advance money for the magician. But where was
magician? No one had seen him. And at 2.00pm in the afternoon there is neither
Styopa nor the magician present in the theatre.
Then
suddenly some telegrams start pouring into Rimsky’s cabin.
The
first telegram (super lightening) was from Yalta’s secret service police which
said that at 11.30 in the morning a crazy Likhodeev, in a night dress, with no
shoes, was found in Yalta. He claimed to be the director of Variety. The secret
police of Yalta wanted to know the whereabouts of Likhodeev.
Even
before Rimsky could respond to this by saying that “Likhodeev – in Moscow”
another super lightening thing pours in. It was from LIkhodeev, saying,
‘Request believe thrown Yalta hypnosis Voland. Inform secret police; confirm
about Likhodeev.”
Before
answering this telegram they try to contact Styopa on telephone in his flat –
no response. Courier boy was sent there – the flat was found locked; and while
they were wondering what to do , a third telegram with Styopa’s signature on a
black photographic background is delivered. Styopa has attached his signature
and requests to confirm that it is him who is in Yalta.
The
biggest puzzle for Rimsky and Varenukha was how Likhodeev could be present at
11.30 a.m. in Moscow as well as in Yalta. But as the signature was confirmed to
be his, Rimsky informs Yalta police that Likhodeev could not be contacted in Moscow,
though he had called Variety from his flat at 11.30 a.m., but that the
signature attached with the telegram is his.
Then
comes the next telegram from Styopa requesting Rimsky to send him 500 roubles
telegraphically so that he could start for Moscow.
Money
is sent.
We
notice that Rimsky, Varenukha and Styopa did not like each other. Rimsky is a
serious type of person who could not tolerate Styopa’s dare-devil type of
attitude. He was always in search of an opportunity to get Styopa punished by
the authorities.
Rimsky
puts all these telegrams in a cover and requests Varenukha to carry them
personally to THEM.
Now
and then we notice such oblique reference to organs like KGB (which was called
NKVD at that time.)
But
as Varenukha was about to leave for THAT place, he is threatened on telephone
not to carry them anywhere.
But
Varenukha has to go. Before leaving he decides
to peep into the green room in Variety’s garden to check whether the mechanic has
fixed the metallic net on a bulb in the
lavatory there.
Bulgakov
very beautifully describes how the wind was roaring, how it was pushing him
back hitting him on his face… there starts heavy downpour.
Suddenly
he is accosted by two persons: a short,
fat, cat like creature who slaps him on the left ear for daring to carry the
telegrams; another slap he receives on right ear from a sportsman like person
with red hair.
They
lift him from both sides and carry into
Likhodeev’s flat amidst the heavy rain, where a completely naked woman with green-phosphoric eyes rushes to kiss him…her
icy cold hands were pressing his shoulders….
So,
Varenukha is the victim in this chapter. He is punished for telling lies,
mismanaging the free tickets.
The
description is full of suspense and mystery. The pouring rain, the gushing
water on the streets, the raging storm create a very dreary atmosphere.
Bulgakov
does not write…he creates a live scenario! The readers feel that they are
experiencing the whole thing. Total involvement by readers….You are no longer a
reader who is separate from the author!
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