A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

by Anthony Marra

“Wasn’t it Ronald McDonald who told Gorbachev to tear down the wall?” “You’re thinking of Ronald Reagan.” “English names all sound the same.” “That was fifteen years ago.” “So? Brezhnev was General Secretary for eighteen.” “It doesn’t work like that over there,” she explained. “They have elections every few years. If the president doesn’t win, someone else becomes president.” “That’s ridiculous.” The wind lifted the ash from his cigarette and scattered it across the empty parking lot. “And you can only be president for ten years,” she added. “And then what? You become prime minister for a bit and then run for president again?” “I think you just step down.” “You mean Ronald just stepped down after ten years?” he asked. She had to be putting him on. “He just stepped down and George Bush became president.” “And then George Bush shot Ronald Reagan to prevent him seizing power?” “No,” she said. “I think they were friends.” “Friends?” he asked. “It makes me wonder how we lost the Cold War.” “Good point.”