Chapter 2 two

A thick, mottled, indescribably strange life began to flow with astonishing speed.Looking back on that period of time, even I couldn't believe it. I comforted myself that maybe I remembered it wrong and it wasn't true, but facts are facts. It's a sad story, grotesque and dark, as if told by a kind and honest genius, because life is full of cruel things.I am not alone here describing the breathless horrors that ordinary Russians have experienced here, and have not yet completely disappeared. In my grandfather's house, people were full of hatred, and everything between adults was based on hatred. Even the children rushed to join the ranks.When my mother and I came, her two younger brothers were arguing to ask my grandfather to divide the family, which I learned from my grandmother later.My mother brought me back to this big family suddenly, which made their desire to separate even more impatient.They were afraid that their mother would ask their grandfather for the dowry she should have received.That dowry was withheld because the mother married in disobedience to the father.The two uncles agreed that the dowry should belong to them.In addition, of course, there were other trivial matters, such as who should run the dyeing workshop in the city, and who should run the dyeing workshop in the village of Navino on the other side of the Oka River, etc. They had long been quarreling with each other.

A few days after we arrived, a quarrel erupted while eating in the kitchen: the two uncles stood up suddenly, leaned forward, pointed at the grandfather across the table and yelled, baring their teeth like a dog biting.Grandfather knocked on the table with a rice spoon, his face flushed, and he crowed like a rooster: Get out and beg for food! The grandmother changed her face in pain and said: Alright, let's give it all to them, and take it all away, so that they won't quarrel again! Shut up, you are used to it!My grandfather is small, but his voice is surprisingly high and deafening.

My mother stood up, walked to the window, turned her back to everyone, and said nothing. At this moment, Uncle Mikhail suddenly rounded his arms and slapped his brother!The younger brother grabbed him, and the two of them rolled into a ball on the ground, panting, cursing, and moaning. The children were so frightened that they burst into tears.Aunt Netanleya with a big belly yelled and persuaded desperately, but my mother dragged her away in her arms.Yevgonia, the ever-cheerful pockmarked nanny, drives the children out of the kitchen.Uncle is now subdued by Gypsy, a young and strong apprentice, riding on Uncle Mikhail's back, and Gregory.Ivanovich, a balding beard, calmly tied his hands with a towel.The uncle was panting heavily, and was pressed tightly to the floor, his beard stuck in the cracks of the floor.

Grandfather stamped his feet and beat his chest, wailing: You are brothers!well! As soon as the quarrel started, I jumped onto the kang stove. I was curious and frightened, watching everything that happened in front of me.The grandmother washed the blood on Uncle Yakov's face with water from a copper basin, weeping and stomping her feet angrily.Sadly said: Wild species, it's time to wake up! Grandpa pulled the torn shirt over his shoulders and shouted to Grandma: Old woman, look at the beasts you have produced! Grandmother hid in a corner, crying loudly: Holy Mother, please teach my children some humanity!

Grandfather stood in front of her in a daze, looking at the mess in the room, he whispered: Old woman, you can pay attention to them and be careful that they bully Volvoa, maybe Ah, come on, God forbid, take off your shirt and I'll sew it for you!She was taller than her grandfather, and when he hugged him, his head was on her shoulder. Oh, let's break up, old woman! Divide it up, old man! The two of them talked for a long time in an amicable voice, but at last my grandfather roared like a rooster crowing. Pointing to his grandmother, he called out: All right, you love them more than I do!

But what kind of sons do you have, Mihiga [Note: Mikhail's nickname. ] is a heartless donkey, Yashiga [Note: Yakov's nickname. ] is a Freemason [Note: A mysterious religious group that emerged in Europe in the 18th century; most people think that they have free thinking and do not stick to social customs and etiquette, so Freemasons become curse words in the mouths of ordinary people. ], they will eat and drink all my property, just know how to squander I turned over on the kang stove and knocked off the iron, and fell into the dirty water basin with a splash.My grandfather rushed over with a stride, picked me up, and stared at my face, as if seeing me for the first time:

Who put you here?Is it mom? Myself. nonsense. No nonsense, I went up by myself. He tapped my forehead and threw me to the ground. Just like your father!Get out! I quickly escaped from the kitchen.I don't know why, my grandfather's sharp green eyes are always staring at me, and I am very afraid of him.I remember always trying to avoid him.He's so bad tempered, he's never nice to people, he's always taunting people and putting on a fight. Hi you people!He often has this kind of inexplicable exclamation, and the long hi is annoying. At rest, or at evening tea, my grandfather and uncles, and the fellows, came back from the workshop, exhausted, their hands reddened by the rosewood, and their skin burned by sulfates.Their hair was tied with ribbons, like blackened ikons in the corner of the kitchen.At this time, my grandfather would often sit opposite me and talk to me, which made his grandchildren very envious.

My grandfather was thin and sharp, with holes in his round-necked silk vest, crumpled calico shirts, and patches on his trousers.Even in such a suit, he is still clean and beautiful compared to his two sons who are wearing chest protectors and triangular silk scarves. After we had been here for a few days, he began to teach me to pray.The other children were all older than me, and they all learned to read with a deacon in the Usconier church.The golden spire of the church can be seen from the home. The quiet Aunt Netanleya taught me to say the prayers. Her face is round like a child's, and her eyes are so clear that you can see through her head and see what's behind her head. everything.

I absolutely adore her eyes, staring intently.She narrowed her eyes, lowered her head, and said quietly: Ah, read after me: Our Father in Heaven If I asked a question, she would look around, as if afraid of being seen. Don't ask, the more you ask, the worse it gets!Just tell me!Our Heavenly Father, speak quickly! I don't know why the more I ask, the worse it gets, and I mispronounce it on purpose.But the weak aunt just corrected my pronunciation patiently, not angry at all.It annoys me and prevents me from remembering my prayers. On this day, my grandfather asked me: What are you doing today, Valyosha?Let's play!I see a bruise on your head, and I can see how you did it.It is not a great skill to make a piece of green!Let me ask you, have you memorized the Lord's Prayer?

Aunt said softly: He has a bad memory. Grandfather sneered and raised his red eyebrows. Then you have to be beaten!He asked again, did your father hit you? I didn't know what he meant by asking, so I didn't answer.my mother said: Maxim never hit him, and told me not to hit him either. Why? He believed that no one could be educated with fists. What a fool!God forgive me for speaking ill of the dead!Grandfather cursed angrily. I feel insulted. Aha, you pouted! He stroked his grizzled red hair, and added: For the thimble thing, I'm going to smoke Sahiga on Saturday! What is pumping?I asked.

Everyone laughed.Grandfather said: You will know later! I began to think about the difference between whipping and beating. I knew what beating was like, beating cats and dogs, and the police in Astrakhan beating Persians.But I haven’t seen children beating, although when uncles punish children, they flick their foreheads or the back of the head with their fingers. The children seem to be used to it, and they touch the place where the bag can be flicked, and then go to play again.I have asked them more than once: Does it hurt? They always bravely answer: It doesn't hurt at all! There was a lot of commotion about the thimble, I know that.One night, after dinner, the two uncles and Gregory sewed the dyed material into bolts of cloth, and finally sewed a paper stick on it.Uncle Mikhail was going to play a trick on Goregoli, who was about to go blind, by asking his nine-year-old nephew to heat his thimble on a candle.Sasha was very obedient, he took the thimble between the tweezers and set it on fire, and when it was almost red, he secretly put it by Goregao's hand, and then hid.But at this moment, the grandfather came, and he wanted to help, so he sat down and put on the thimble without haste. When I heard the shouting and ran into the kitchen, my grandfather was dusting his ears with his burnt fingers, jumping up and down, shouting: Who did it?You bastards! Uncle Mikhail was lying on his stomach, blowing on the thimble with his mouth.Gregory still sewed his cloth, keeping his face on, a huge shadow dangling from his bald head.Uncle Yakov also ran in, covering his face with a smile.Grandmother is brushing the potatoes.Uncle Mikhail looked up and said suddenly: This is Yakov's Sahiga! nonsense!Yakov jumped up with a roar. His son wept and cried: Dad, he told me to do it! The two uncles scolded.At this time, my grandfather had calmed down, put potato chips on his fingers, and led me away.Everyone agreed that it was Uncle Mikhail's fault. I asked: Do you want to beat him up? want!Grandfather squinted at me. Uncle Mikhail got angry and shouted at my mother: Watch out your son of a bitch, Volvola, don't let me take his head off! The mother showed no weakness: you dare! Everyone was silent for a moment.Mother's words are often so short and forceful that she can push others thousands of miles away at once. I know that others are a little afraid of my mother, and my grandfather is also cautious when talking to her.I am especially proud of this, and once said to my cousins: My mother is the strongest!No one objected. But what happened on Saturday shook my faith in my mother. Before Saturday, I also made mistakes.I am very interested in the skillful dyeing techniques of adults. Yellow cloth turns sapphire blue when it meets black water, and gray cloth turns cherry red when it meets yellow-brown water.It's so amazing that I can't figure it out. I'd love to try it myself. I told this idea to Sasha from Yakov's family.Sasha is a good boy, he always hangs around the adults, gets along well with everyone, and obeys anyone who asks him to do something.Almost everyone praised him as a smart and good boy, only the grandfather disagreed, squinted at Sasha and said: Will play nice! Sasha of Yakov's family is dark and thin, with protruding eyes, out of breath when speaking, and often choked by himself.He was always looking around, as if watching for an opportunity.I kind of hate him. On the contrary, I quite like Sasha of Mikhail's family. He is always quiet and unobtrusive.The melancholy in his eyes is very similar to his mother, and his personality is also gentle.His teeth were so peculiar that his lips couldn't cover them, they were all exposed.He used to tap his own teeth for fun, if anyone else wanted to.He was always alone, sitting in a dark corner, or by the window in the evening.It was fun to sit with him, often for an hour without saying a word.We sat side by side in front of the window, watching the sunset in the western sky, and watching the black crows circle the golden dome of Usconier Church.The crows flew around, covering the dark red sky for a while, and then flew to nowhere, leaving an empty sky.Looking at all this, I didn't want to say a word, a kind of happiness, a kind of sweet melancholy filled my intoxicated heart. Sasha of Yakov's family speaks in the right way.When he knew I wanted to dye the cloth, he asked me to try a white tablecloth from the holidays in the cupboard to see if I could dye it blue. He said: I know, white is the best dye! It took me a lot of effort to get the tablecloth into the yard, and just after pressing a corner of the tablecloth into the bucket of indigo, the gipsy came out of nowhere.He snatched the cloth away, twisted it vigorously, and shouted to Sasha who was watching my work: Go, call your grandma! He knew something was wrong and said to me: For this, you have to be beaten! Grandmother ran to her, yelled, almost cried, and cursed: You Permi [Note: Live in Kemi.Finns of the Permi National Autonomous District. ], ghost with big ears!I really want to throw you to death! But she immediately persuaded Gypsy: Vanya, don't tell the old man!Do your best to keep it a secret! Vanya wiped his hands on his colorful apron and said: I won't say it, because I'm afraid Sasha won't be able to keep the secret! Well, I'll give him two kopecks!Grandmother led me back to the house. Saturday.I was called to the kitchen before evening prayers.It was dark in the kitchen, and there was a steady autumn rain outside.In the dim shadows, there was a tall chair on which sat a gloomy gypsy.Grandpa was fiddling with some sticks soaked in the bucket, dancing one from time to time, whizzing.Grandmother stood a little far away, smoking snuff, and muttering: Oh, it's fun, troublemaker! Yakov's Sasha sat on a small stool in the middle of the kitchen, kept wiping his eyes, and his voice changed, like an old beggar: Please, please, please, forgive me Next to me stood Uncle Mikhail's two children, my cousin and my cousin, who were also dumbfounded and stupefied. Grandfather said: Okay, I'll forgive you, but I'll beat you up first!Come on, come on, take off your pants!As he spoke, he pulled out a stick. The room was eerily silent, and despite the sounds of grandfather's voice, Sasha's buttocks moving on the stool, and grandmother's feet scraping against the floor, nothing could break the ambience of the dark kitchen. A silence that will never be forgotten. Sasha stood up, slowly took off his trousers, carried them with both hands, and lay down on the bench unsteadily.Watching his series of movements, my legs couldn't help shaking. Wanika tied Sasha to the stool, holding his feet tightly with both hands. Alexey, come here, come closer! Do you hear me?I want to show you what smoking is!Grandpa yelled at me like this. After speaking, he swung his arms and started hitting with a snap.Sasha's howl rose sharply. Pretend garlic, so you can also call it, try this again! Every stroke is a red and swollen line, and the cry of my cousin killing a pig is deafening. Grandfather was unmoved: Hey, you know, this is for the thimble! My heart goes up and down with my grandfather's hand. Cousin started biting me: Oh, I don't dare again, didn't I tell on the tablecloth dyeing didn't I say Grandfather said calmly: Whistleblowers are not exempt, ha, this is for your whistleblower! Grandmother rushed over and hugged me: No, devil, I won't let you hit Alexei! She kicked at the door and called to my mother: Volvoa! My grandfather rushed up with a stride, pushed my grandmother down, and snatched me over.I struggled desperately, pulling his red beard and biting his arm.He screamed wildly and threw me onto the stool, breaking my face. Tie him up and kill him! Mother's face turned pale, and her eyes were bleeding: Dad, don't hit me!give it to me! My grandfather's beatings made me faint.After waking up, I was seriously ill again, lying on the bed for several days.In the little room in which I was staying, there was only a small window in the corner, and there were some glass cases for holy images, with a small ever-burning lamp burning in front of them. This illness is deeply engraved in the depths of my memory.Because during the few days when I fell ill, I suddenly grew up.I have developed a very special sense of sensitive self-esteem. Grandmother and mother had a quarrel, and the black and huge grandmother pushed mother to the corner of the house and said angrily: You, why didn't you snatch him over? Me, I'm scared silly! Don't be ashamed!Volvola, you have grown so big for nothing, even my old woman is not afraid, but you are so scared! Mom, stop talking! No, I say, he's a poor orphan! Mother cried out: But I myself have been an orphan all my life! They sat in the corner and cried for a long time, and the mother said: If it weren't for Alexei, I would have left this damn hell long ago!Mom, I can't take it anymore Grandmother persuaded softly: O my darling, my darling! I suddenly discovered that my mother was not strong, she was afraid of her grandfather just like everyone else.I got in her way and kept her from this damned family.But after a while, my mother was nowhere to be found, and I don't know where she went. On this day, my grandfather came suddenly.He sat on the bed, touched my head with his cold hand, and said: How are you, master?Talk, why don't you say anything? I didn't even look at him, I just wanted to kick him out. Ah, look, what have I brought you? I glanced at him.He sat there shaking his head, his hair and beard redder than usual, his eyes shining, and he was holding a bunch of things in his hands: a sugar cookie, two sugar cones, an apple and a packet of raisins.He kissed my forehead and patted my head again.His hands were not only cold but also burnt yellow, yellower than a bird's beak, it was dyed by dyed cloth. Oh friend, I was a bit too much!You scratch and bite, so you got hit a few more times, you deserve it, your relatives beat you for your own good, and they want you to learn a lesson!When outsiders beat you, it can be said to be humiliating, but if your own people beat you, it doesn't matter!Oh, Valyosha, I was beaten too, very badly!Others bullied me, even God shed tears!But how about now, I am an orphan, the son of a beggar mother, and I have become the leader of the guild, and I have many people under me! He began to talk about his childhood, his thin body swayed slightly, and he spoke very fluently.His green eyes sparkled with excitement, his red hair quivered, and his voice grew thick: Ah, I said, you came by steamer, by steamer.When I was young, I had to pull the fiber with my shoulders and swim upstream along the Volga River.The boat is in the water, I am on the shore, and there are piercing stones under my feet!Pulling and pulling forward day and night, my waist bent like a shrimp, my bones rattled, my hair was tanned like it was on fire, and sweat and tears flowed down together!Dear Valyosha, there is nothing to say about suffering!I often fell face down on the ground, thinking that it would be fine if I died, and everything would be over!But I didn't die, I persisted, I walked three times along our mother river, the Volga, thousands of versts!In the fourth year, I finally became the head tracker! I suddenly felt that this skinny old man had become very tall, like a giant in a fairy tale, he dragged a large cargo ship upstream alone! He gestured while talking, and sometimes jumped on the bed to perform how to stretch the fiber and how to drain the water in the boat.He talked and sang, and jumped back into bed.He went on, his voice more serious: Ah, Valyosha, dear, we too have our moments of joy!That's when the breaks are eaten.At dusk in summer, at the foot of the mountain, a bonfire is lit, porridge is cooked, and the hard-working trackers sing together!Ah, that singing sound is so good, it makes people get goosebumps all over the body, and the water in the Volga River seems to be flowing faster and faster!How wonderful, all sorrows go away with the song!Sometimes the porridge cooker just sings and the porridge overflows, and he will be hit on the head by the handle of the spoon.You can play however you want, but don't forget about business! While he was speaking, people looked into the room several times to call him, but I held him back and wouldn't let him go.He smiled and waved to the person who called him: wait a minute He talked like this until dark, and bid farewell to me affectionately.Grandfather was not a vicious villain, not terrible.However, I will never forget his brutal beating of me. Everyone followed my grandfather's example and came to talk with me and try to cheer me up.Of course, it was my grandmother who came the most, and she slept with me at night. What impressed me the most was the young man Gypsy.Broad-shouldered and curly-haired, he came to my bed one evening.He was wearing a golden shirt and new leather shoes, as if for the holidays.Especially his snow-white teeth under his little black beard are particularly eye-catching in the dark. Ah, look at my arms!He rolled up his sleeves while talking, you see how swollen it is, and it's much better now!Your grandfather was crazy at the time, and I used this arm to block that branch, so that when your grandfather went to get another willow branch, I could carry you away.But the tree sticks were too soft, and I was hit hard a few times! You are lucky, little guy!He laughed, a very gentle smile, alas, you are so poor, your grandfather is smoking like hell!He blew his nose hard, like a horse. I think he is very simple and cute.I told him this feeling, and he said: Ah, I love you too, that's why I went to save you!If it were someone else, I wouldn't do it!Afterwards, he looked around for a while, and whispered to me: Let me tell you, next time you are beaten, don’t hug your body tightly, but loosen it, stretch it out, take a deep breath, and scream like a pig, understand? ? Do you still want to hit me? You thought this was the end?Of course it will hit you.He spoke very calmly. Why? Why?The reason is too simple, your grandfather will continue to find fault with you!After a pause, he said again: You have to remember that when he hits you, it is best to lie stretched out.If he knocks down the branch and then pulls it back, it will take your skin off. You must turn around with him, remember? Then he winked mischievously and said: No problem, I am an old hand, kid, you must know that my whole body has been beaten hard! Seeing him happy as if he was talking about other people's pain, I couldn't help but think of the story about Prince Ivan and Ivan the Idiot told by my grandmother.