“The first glass of vodka goes down like a post, the second like a falcon and the third like a little bird.” – Russian Saying
Photo by Gerardo Meléndez
He pointed at the largest of three glasses in front of him, indicating a waitress to fill it to the top with pure vodka. At once, the other women took away the two smaller glasses from each of the guests, and proceeded to pour the burning liquid into the remaining one, in an exact imitation of what the Commander had just ordered for himself.
The guests went silent, stood up, and fixed their attention on the man whose job was no less than leading the whole of the Soviet Union’s artillery. He was an extremely powerful individual, with a physique that revealed both his years of military training and his ethnic Georgian origins. There was no one in the region who could ever dare to question his authority; no one, except perhaps for the Colonel sitting next to him.
The General spoke in a confident tone. He directed his words to the fourteen people sharing the table with him, in particular to the three visitors from the Mexican Army who were being treated as his guests of honor. A Georgian interpreter translated every sentence from Russian to perfect Spanish as the speech developed, explaining that the Commander was flattered by their visit, and expected to build stronger ties between both military bodies.
Once he was finished, the Commander raised his glass and again pointed at it, but this time he slid his finger from top to bottom, in a slow and almost dramatic way. The interpreter told the Mexicans that this was the traditional way of ending a toast, and that all guests were expected to empty their glasses as it had been suggested by the General.
The Russians drank easily and gladly, and continued to eat and chat as usual through dinner. Some of the Mexicans, on the other hand, were neither used nor prepared for this kind of drinking, and began to feel somewhat lightheaded after complying with the protocol. It was going to be a long night.
My grandfather sat down after drinking his shot and gazed at the Colonel, who had been sent from the Kremlin with the mission of reporting everything he saw and heard during the Mexicans visit. He was a spy within his own people, reporting to the higher ranks in Moscow, and everyone, even the Commander, respected him to a degree that bordered fear.
A quintessential Russian soldier, the Colonel was tall and blonde, extremely serious, quiet, and not very friendly. When he showed the Mexicans the artillery facilities, he was especially proud of the artificial puddles installed in every dorm entrance, obliging the barefoot soldiers to step into the freezing cold water whenever they entered or left their room: ‘it builds their character’, was all that he added. He, of course, wasn’t very popular.
The Colonel caught my grandfather’s eye, just as he was wondering how to give the Georgians the information he intended to deliver without it being intercepted. They studied each other for a few seconds, oblivious to the events that were developing at the table. Their psychological war was only interrupted by a sudden silence that was too deep to be ignored.
One of the Mexican officers had stood up, glass in hand, inhibitions lost after some drinks. He started speaking about his impressions of the USSR and the interpreter quickly began translating. In spite of the large amount of alcohol he had ingested, his speech was actually good, and the Georgians quickly began smiling and applauding as he kept on praising their country. By the end of the intervention he took the only glass in front of him and pointed at it, imitating the Commander’s actions at the beginning of dinner. Everyone went crazy; they cheered as he slid his finger from top to bottom, and drank until their own glasses were empty.
Even the Colonel was caught in the euphoria, and didn’t notice when a single paper note was handed by my grandfather to the interpreter, and then from the interpreter to the Commander. The rest of the night went on as smoothly as a night with Mexicans, Russians, and vodka can go.
