Modern times (Part 2)
Serbia walks hesitant east. She has a worried expression on her face and keeps clenching the strap of a cylinder bag. Clanging of guns can be heard from it. She sighs and takes out her phone slowing her pace even more. She looks at it for a full minute before calling.
Her therapist answers. She hears animal screams and shattering of glass. "What is your emergency?" Switzerland answers sounding on the edge. She immediately regrets calling but continues anyway. "Hey, it's Serbia. Sorry to bother you but I really really need your advice on something" she says.
"I'm...I'm not sure what to do. You see, I'm trying to get with the global trends but they are so...and my conscience doesn't let me sleep because I keep re-questioning should I be doing this and…" she stutters still walking.
"Serbia, hurry it up. I'm in the middle of something" he says sharply over the noise.
"Yes...okay. Um, I don't know if I should be telling you this over the phone. Are you in the office?"
The noise intensifies, as if something big fell very close.
"What's that noise? Are you watching a movie?" she asks confused.
"No, I'm not!" he yells from the top of his lungs. Serbia removes the phone from her ear.
"I have been listening to you sh*tters all day. I haven't slept, I haven't ate and haven't had a break!" his scream resounds from the speakers. Serbia looks at the phone, frowning and feeling even worse. She taps on the end call button and puts it away.
Next scene: She sits at an Oriental looking bar taking another shot. A group of Middle Eastern nations are there, but they are sitting at a far away large table drinking their tea and chatting loudly. She sits, slightly tipsy, scrolling her news feed. "Hmm...the CFO of Huawei was under house arrest all this time. Who knew" she mutters to herself seeming depressed.
Israel walks in. Despite the group being far away, they immediately stop talking and stare at her. She glances at their table, notices Palestine and frowns. Sitting down at the bar, she orders some hard liquor.
"Hey, since when do you come to this area?" Israel says noticing Serbia at the stool close to hers. Serbia stops scrolling her phone slightly confused and turns to her.
"Oh, I was just..." she says and stops reluctant to talk. Her worried expression returns. Israel looks at her a little better. "Are you alright? You don't look so good?" she says concerned and a little suspicious.
"I'm fine…I guess. I kind of... I have a dilemma and alcohol isn't helping" Serbia says looking down at the bar. Israel looks around not sure what to do. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asks cautiously.
Serbia turns to her and as if a light-bulb has turned on. "Actually, yes. I need some advice and you may be able to help me" she says moving a stool closer.
"Okay" Israel feels reluctant.
"See...I just started my arms industry and my weapons are selling really well" she starts.
"Oh yes. I heard about that. You must be making a fortune" Israel adds.
"Yes, well not as much as the others, but it's going better than anything else I put on the market. It flies of the shelves, which is very new for me. I'm not a very good salesperson."
Israel chuckles "So, what's the problem?"
Serbia sighs still a little tipsy. "Well, how can I explain it?... They're weapons, lethal weapons. Not tranquilliser guns or tasers" she says and pauses depressed. "It's not like they're being used to save orphans from burning buildings or kittens from trees, you know."
Israel nods.
"And it doesn't matter who I sell them to. And I want to be clear, I take great care with that. I mean, I'm new and an outsider. I need to have receipts on my receipts to prove how legal everything is. But still...despite all that, they end up in a war zone" she says and takes another shot.
Israel looks down.
"What can I say. That's business for you. It doesn't matter what your product is, as long as it sells well."
They stay quiet for some time looking down and drinking silently. The group of countries heads towards the exit.
"Farewell Serbia" the UAE waves and so do the others. "Goodbye, it's too bad that you couldn't join us" Saudi Arabia says.
"Sorry, but I really wanted to get drunk and I know it would make you uncomfortable" Serbia says tapping her bottle of hard liquor.
"Don't worry about it. But please be sure to protect yourself from other evil influences" Palestine says glaring at Israel who frowns at him and mutters quietly as they leave. No one says goodbye to her.
"How come they like you so much?" she asks Serbia who shrugs. "I don't know. Perhaps it's because I do business with them. They're not that bad. I had good relations with them back in the old Yugoslavia days."
"Huh, too bad they want me gone. People don't understand it, but a nation needs a home. A place where the heart is. Especially me. I know what roaming the earth aimlessly feels like. It's a lonely and haunting feeling. It makes you bitter, vengeful, angry and sad. It can turn you into a shadow of your own being if you are not careful. A deformed parasitic version of what you are supposed to be" Israel says melancholic.
Serbia looks at her filled with empathy. "I understand that more than you know" she replies sad.
Israel looks at the door longingly. Serbia, nosy as always, sees this and says: "Can I ask you something? What's the deal with you and Palestine?"
She looks at her as if Serbia crawled from under a rock recently. "Just put on any news network and you'll find out" she says coldly.
"Yeah, okay. I know that. But, why?"
"I have been asking myself the same question. It's not like I didn't offer him a great deal, time and time again. I wanted to take care of him but he shrugged all that away because of his friends. Some friends. They mostly ignore him and only turn to him when they want to hurt me" she says bitter and takes another shot.
Serbia chuckles. She is pretty drunk by this point. "So do you like him?" she blurs to which Israel spits her drink. "I mean, he's a nice guy. You two would be such a cute couple."
Israel sighs unconvinced.
Next scene: Half an hour later. Serbia tells Israel about her therapy sessions. "And so, I don't really like them. It simply doesn't feel natural to me. But still, I have to go in order to pass my annual Mental Health check..."
"Whose your therapist?"
"Switzerland, of course. I mean sure, he's supposed to be 'neutral' but he doesn't always do what's right. When everyone was against me, so was he. He followed the main narrative and even harassed people who spoke otherwise. Come to think of it, I never checked to see if he stopped" she says pondering.
"But why him? He's the most expensive one" her drinking buddy interrupts.
Serbia looks at her confused. "There are others?" she asks.
"Of course. They are not as famous but if you only go in order to pass the check-up, any nation therapist will do."
Serbia smiles ecstatic. "Can you recommend me some?" she asks.
"Well, how about me" she replies.
"You?"
"Yes. My people dabbled in psychology here and there" Israel says proud.
"This is great? How much is the session? Does it have to be in your office? Can we do it here or at other fun places?" Serbia asks excited.
"Um, okay. As long as you pay the bill, we can talk wherever you want" Israel says a little frightened by her enthusiasm. She then writes something on a note and slips it to her. Serbia takes one look at it and smiles from ear to ear.
Her phone rings. She looks at it, makes a face but still answers it.
"Good evening. I am calling to apologize for my previous behavior. I shouldn't have acted that way" Switzerland is heard.
"It's fine. From what I heard, you were having a bad day" she says in a slightly sharp way. We can hear him clearing his throat: "There is no need for you to worry about my problems. Now, if you want, you can come and talk to me in half an hour. The cleaning crew will finish by then."
"Actually, I'm much better now. I talked to someone who helped me a lot" she says and cheers with Israel. Israel smirks thinking: "That will teach you to hoard my gold."
"Oh and I might not be coming to therapy as regularly. In fact, I'm taking a break" Serbia adds.
"Alright. May I know why?" we hear him through the phone.
"Well, remember how I told you that it isn't working for me. I guess I'm not a girl who can open up in such structured conditions. It was all too stuffy, dare I say even suffocating. I'm going to try something else. An alternative form of therapy if you will. Are you mad?"
"No, not at all. You should listen to what your psyche is telling you" he replies calmly.
"Great. Thanks. See you around Europe. Bye" she says and ends the call. "Okay, so the next round is on me" Serbia says calling the bartender who is a human.
Israel smiles. "Just one more and I have to go. It's a work day tomorrow" she says to which Serbia waves it off. They continue talking like that until closing time.