A true tale from the Trans-Siberian.
Shortly after we were married in Novokuznetsk in '96 we took the Trans-Siberian from there to Moscow (three days on the train). Our train car had tiny rooms with bunks for four people per room. Our first two roommates were some fine military men, and we enjoyed their company for a day. It wasn't until we met their aide who came to meet them that we discovered they were Generals.
The next stop two military men joined us and immediately let us know that they were very important men. One told Tonya, "your husband can tell our rank from our uniforms." So I took a guess, "colonels?" I was right.
Before they sat down they took out their vodka. They had an extra glass and insisted I drink with them. Don't mistake this for social drinking, they wanted me to get drunk with them. They didn't hear me when I said I don't drink and poured me a glass of red vodka. For several hours they were drinking and continued to insist I drink too. They would put the glass in my hand. They tried to encourage me and said, "you must drink for your new wife." They tried to threaten me, "we could say one word and you won't be able to leave the country!" They tried to impress me, "I am in charge of the Mars project and he is the chief engineer." I was interested in the Mars project and asked about it. They explained that was why they were on the train right then, to go and explain to their superiors why it had crashed on take-off. I figured getting drunk on vodka was an interesting way to prepare for their board of inquiry. Tonya just thought they were bragging and flat didn't believe them. But they weren't to be distracted from putting that glass of vodka in my hand again.
By this time we were going through the Ural mountains and entered a tunnel. The train's lights were off and it was totally dark, blacker than pitch. On the little table in our room was a bottle of cheap Polish soda I had purchased earlier while the train was stopped at a station. It tasted so awful noone drank it and the only reason I hadn't thrown it out was that I didn't want to leave my wife alone with these two important men. In the dark I suddenly realized the nasty Polish soda on the table was the same color as the vodka in the cup in my hand. As I poured my cup's contents into Tonya's coffee mug she whispered, "what are you doing?" Without answering I filled my glass with Polish soda just in time to emerge from the tunnel and the cover of darkness.
I then told my companions, "I have decided to drink this cup with you, but only this one." They were so delighted (or drunk) that they never noticed that in the dark I had filled it to a different level then they had. So they poured themselves another round and I drank my one cup of red drink with them.
My new drinking partners got off the train half a day before we arrived in Moscow. When a friend met us as we got off the train the first thing he said was, "Hello. Did you hear about the Mars project? It crashed!"
Cecil
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Lost At Sea
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