Have to visit Siberia

Bob’s a Filipino-White Russian-Australian
a hell of a gobful so first thing in the
morning at market ‘Roberto’ we greet
him and thereafter ‘my friend’ Bob.
We share a name he’s an Ivanoff; I’ve never
gravitated anywhere beyond Ivan except
for my son’s pet name ‘Igor’ which grew
to ‘Igorevich’ so it was inevitable we became
friends. When he found I didn’t have any Russian
blood he said while disappointing it didn’t
matter I wore the name well. I suggested
being one-quarter Swedish might be a
recommendation. For what he said but
he’d think about it. Our other estranged
nationalities had influenced his karma at the
time both his and mine and I expressed
my belief that by being Swedish-Irish-
Scottish-New Zealander-Australian
I’d be closer to heaven that he.
He didn’t disagree but said
first he’d have to visit Siberia.
© I.D. Carswell