Oswald's Tale by Norman Mailer

for having been saved or are annoyed. Important to distinguish. With him, you didn’t really have to ask such questions because it was not really an attempt. Clearly, he wanted to demonstrate something. Wanted to stay in Moscow. He even said, “I am afraid to go back.” But never said why.
    She nods at another psychiatrist’s report at Reception. It is written by a Dr. Mikhailova and states that this patient regrets his attempt and now wants to go home. But that was Reception. A couple of hours later, he doesn’t want to go back. It is not uncommon to have shifting reactions after arrival.
    A report by still another doctor states: “Has very definite desire to stay in Soviet Union. No psychosomatic disturbances and is not dangerous.”
    Reception reported that the cut was three centimeters, not quite an inch and a quarter long. Surgery stated it was five centimeters, and took four stitches. Agreement in any case that his cut is not deep.
    He had not asked Rimma to bring back anything from his room, but she did look around there next day and saw that he had a dark green sweater and two shirts, no more. Maybe he washed one each night. Certainly he always combed his hair and shined his one pair of shoes.
    She also brought over the book she had bought for his birthday,
The Idiot.
Maybe she had made a forecast for this Lee. Since his name didn’t sound Russian at all, he now called himself Alik—her suggestion.
    He was in that same ward where she had left him, sitting up, quite all right. His roommates soon told her, “Everything is okay; don’t worry. We’ll take care of Alik; he’s a good guy.” And again she spent a whole day with him and did not go to her office—everything would be taken care of without her.
    She was pleased; Alik was so happy to see her that he even blushed, and she believed that now Soviet authorities would change their opinion and do something. Because they should. They would not allow him to die.
             
    When Alexander received this news about Oswald, his reaction was terrible. Very terrible. Strong. If this young man feels that he is not able to return, Alexander thought, maybe someone is following him back there in the States, etc., etc. Oswald had not said that, but he did give such an impression. That he was afraid to go back.
             
    Next day when she came to his mental ward and they asked who it was, she said
svaie,
which means “people who are close” or “family,” and that struck her as funny. What kind of family was this, all cuckoo, and now she had become one with cuckoo people. She explained to Alik that she didn’t think he was crazy, he was even normal, but they did have to examine and study him. And, for that matter, she thought to herself that some psychiatrists might be from KGB. She did not exclude such thoughts.

3
    Rosa, Rimma, and Richard Snyder

    Oct. 22
    I am alone with Rimma amongst the mentally ill. She encourages me and scolds me. She says she will get me transferred to another section . . . (not for insane) where food is good.

    Oct. 23
    Transferred to ordinary ward. (Airy, good food.) But nurses are suspicious of me. (They know.)

    Oct. 23 Afternoon.
    I am visited by Rosa Agafonova of the hotel tourist office, who asks about my health. Very beautiful, excellent English, very merry and kind. She makes me very glad to be alive.

    Rosa, at twenty-eight, was not only pretty but had the chief position of Senior Interpreter at Berlin Hotel’s bureau of Intourist. So she did not often go out with groups or individuals. She was there to oversee visas, passports, train tickets, theatre tickets, excursions, escorts, and special occasions. Her visit to Oswald was in this last category. While her hotel staff at Intourist were careful not to talk about the American who tried to commit suicide, still, a couple of days after his attempt, her boss said to her, “Take one of our cars, go to a restaurant, get some fruit, take Rimma, and visit Lee