Comrade Monke and Ilya

Comrade Monke entered the hospital. He looked around. Only a few people were there. Monke saw a doctor coming out of the room, and he asked him how his friend was. The response he got was not what he had hoped for. Monke tried to enter but was stopped by the doctor and nurse.


-You can’t enter, sir.


Monke got upset.


-Do you have any idea who I am, boy?


-No sir. But you can’t enter.


Monke then reached for his pocket and grabbed his gun. He aimed it at the doctor:


-Let me see my friend, or you’re gonna need to be admitted to this hospital just like him.


The doctor was scared now.


-Ok, but, only for a few minutes.


-Now, was that so hard?


Monke hid the gun again and went inside. What he saw made tears rain down his clothes. His friend was in an almost vegetative state. He could speak and see, but he was completely unable to move. And he could not remember much at all. However, when he saw Monke, he immediately remembered him.


-Comrade Monke…


Monke walked right up to him.


-Ilya, my friend.


-Comrade Monke, remember how when we fought in the Great Patriotic War, you used to scare our enemies?


-Yes, I do Ilya.


-Please, sit right by my side. Maybe if death sees you, he will be too scared to come for me.


Monke was crying now, his friend had completely lost it and had no idea what he was saying. Monke wiped his tears off his face.


-What you’re asking me, I cannot do. But I will pray as many rosaries as I can for your soul. You are a good man and I am sure the Lord will keep you close to Him.


Ilya smiled and for a moment, it was like his full memory returned.


-Comrade Monke, always in what others perceive as a walking contradiction…


Monke laughed.


-What do you mean?


-You’re faithful to the Lord our God, yet you’re serving a system that many view as Godless.


-It’s not Godless Ilya. “He who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law,” and our system, call it communism, sovietism, or by any name you want, the name’s not important, does make sure we love our neighbors. The Tsar-aligned church, who are the modern pharisees and need to be destroyed, does not change that.


Ilya then, for the first time, asked Monke to pray with him. And so, they prayed the “Our Father.” After that, Monke touched Ilya’s hand, which was getting increasingly cold.


-Goodbye, Ilya. Sorry I wasn’t a better friend.


And right there, Monke saw his friend die. Monke cried and got up. He walked outside and left the hospital. He returned to his dacha, was welcomed by his budgie parrot and started praying a rosary for his late friend’s soul.