How I Died and Came Back, REPORTED DEAD, CELEBRATED ALIVE WITH VODKA , In 1983, I was wrapping up my summer leave in Moscow, preparing to return to New York, where I worked at the UN Secretariat. On my last evening, I called a friend, telling him we would meet next summer. He responded with an awkward question: “Where are you calling from?” I brushed it off, and my wife dismissed a similar strange call from a colleague that evening. We left for the Bolshoi Theater, completely unaware of the bizarre events unfolding around us. The next day, as
In 1983, I was wrapping up my summer leave in Moscow, preparing to return to New York, where I worked at the UN Secretariat. On my last evening, I called a friend, telling him we would meet next summer. He responded with an awkward question: “Where are you calling from?” I brushed it off, and my wife dismissed a similar strange call from a colleague that evening. We left for the Bolshoi Theater, completely unaware of the bizarre events unfolding around us.
The next day, as we flew back to New York, I noticed odd behavior. A bus driver at JFK unusually helped with our luggage, and colleagues warmly inquired about my health. It was strange, but I didn’t think much of it until a neighbor revealed the reason behind all the concern: a rumor had spread that I was dead, hit by a car in Moscow. My friends had even held a wake in my honor. Confused but amused, I soon learned that another Soviet man in New York, with twin daughters like mine, had tragically died, and the news had been mistakenly attributed to me.
I was back from the “dead,” and we celebrated my “resurrection” with vodka and friends, turning what could have been a tragedy into a joyous reunion. The whole ordeal left me with some realizations. People believe you can call from the afterlife, expect you to be weakened after coming back from the dead, and my wife unintentionally gained a reputation as cold-hearted for brushing off condolences. As Russian wisdom goes, those rumored to be dead live long lives—so I suppose I’m destined for longevity.
