and began to drag nettle bare my stomach. Eyelashes closed my eyes desperately fluttered, but her body lay motionless. Lenya Ochkolyas tenderly watched from their «hiding place» for a while. He was very flattered that nettle, which he so lovingly chosen this morning on the way to kindergarten, do not fade in vain. Thus ended my preschool childhood…
Chapter Seven
At home, I met my grandmother.
– Tomorrow, on Sunday, go to Buzova on the market. – Solemnly informed me Lavrentevna Eugene. Bazaar was far, six kilometers from Shpitek. The locals call this place «Bazaar in Buzova». Location Farm Buzova ranges from Kiev on the thirtieth thirty- first kilometer of the highway Kyiv Brest- Litovsk. Grandma announced this news, and happily added:
– Maybe I cannot go. I’ll go even in the last…
Morning I was awakened by a light touch of my grandmother.
– Get up already. – She leaned over me in a clean white handkerchief and patted me on the head.
I rubbed my eyes. Rose, sleepily trudged into the kitchen. It stood on a stool bucket of water and a mug, and nearby, a stool near a garbage can. Scooping a mug of water, scored in his mouth, then poured out of his mouth his arms on a garbage can. And, soaped wet hand soap, wash. For my grandmother went to two middle- aged women.
It had two aunts in white colorful shawls. A distant relative, Aunt Manya from the neighboring village from Lychanka. And another, the eldest daughter of the grandmother, Maria, or, as everyone called her, too, Aunt Manya. They were, like the grandmother in white kerchiefs. At Aunt Mans from Lychanki wearing red woolen skirt and brown shoes without heels. Aunt Manya from Shpitek dressed in a light and spacious long cotton skirt in gray and brown peas. On her feet she had sandals. And my grandmother was wearing soft slippers, in which she was, she said, it will be convenient.
The sun with its rays touched the tops of the trees, coloring it with soft pink color. On the grass glistening with dew. Potatoes in the garden bloomed white flowers. It was a calm field work. That time when the crop absorbs moisture, fertilizer and heat – matured.
Farmers could make a break. End of July, beginning of August. Then, to gather strength and to harvest, to stock up for the winter.
– Cam on, let’s go soon, the still us go. – Quickly said goodbye to Kate, we moved on. It was nice to meet tribeswoman as «away» from home and we have to see it, too.
A field passed when the sun warmed significantly in the back. But the first trees by the side of the highway hid shadow walkers, and go easier. Grandma decided to rest under a tree and sat down on the grass, at the same time and shod. Buzova with its bazaar was across the highway. It is enough to just two hundred meters. Noise trading crowd, grunting, bellowing and growling animals, merged into the distant hubbub is near the bazaar.
In the bazaar of Aunt Manya Lychanki bought a pig. He hid in bag wild cries. With this pig, endlessly screaming in the bag, we went to the bazaar, attracting everyone’s attention. Trade here all the horses, cows, puppies, kitchen utensils, shoes, clothing, animal feed, seeds and so on… I could not understand that looking for my grandmother. But when Aunt Manya from Lychanki went to a woman, holding a child in the hands of school uniforms, began to bargain, I understood. Grandma made me wear a jacket. All at once I nodded approvingly, and the form became my ten rubles. Pig in a poke, then died away, then again frantically yelled at the whole market. And only then, when Aunt Manya from Lychanki stayed with fellow villager, fodder- trafficked, we got rid of the pig screeching. She left on a cart with a fellow villager. And we have come in the same way home late at night.
They came. How nice it was after a hot sunny hike dip in the cool clean house. We were met by the mother in a white scarf tied at the Bolshevik- style red kerchiefs. Nice to see her welcoming smile, this was extremely rare.
– Well, bought form? – See the purchase; she said she was glad grandmother. And Grandma pushed the knot. And I got a school uniform there.
– Have you tried on Valik form? – She asked anxiously, – Go ahead, Valik, put on.
I put on a very uncomfortable uniforms jacket with metal buttons, cap with a badge and become like a little cabin boy with a sailboat, only was not the sea, and only the school.
– Well, now you can in school. – Out of nowhere, a voice Nyuska.
Nyuska considered a cousin, but behaved like an older sister and allowing yourself the different educational lunges at me. She was of medium height, she was sixteen. To distinguish malicious endearing demeanor, and now she was trying to be sarcastic:
– You as a minister in the ministerial form.
She was living with Olga Andreevna was a daughter or aunt Feodosia as everyone called her mother, his sister Olga Andreevna, Aunt Fenya.
So the bride went well. Grandmother Eugenia Lavrentevna no longer makes such long journeys and engaged in farming. Cooked food from the oven, cleaned walnuts, assisted cleaning potatoes from the garden. Because of concerns come September 1st. By this triumph mother prepared in full. I had a brand new bag, notebooks, ABC, pen, ink, ink, and all the essentials that you need to first grade…
Chapter Eight
1955 has come, and the day came 1 September. I came with my mother to the school and saw a few familiar boys and girls’ kindergarten. Basically, most of the children I did not know. The first with what had to face, it is a place at a school desk.
I went to class at a convenient place, it seemed to me at the center of a number of school, I sat down at the desk. But then came a girl with a round face and a thick protruding in different directions pigtails.
– This is my place! – Frowning, she said angrily. I tried to argue.
– I first got here! – What the girl said:
– Look under the desk, there is my portfolio.
Lifting the lid desk, I saw a briefcase. As I rose to make room, the class quickly filled with first graders. Without losing a moment longer, I rushed to the vacant lot next. Once settled there, immediately looked under the desk lid, it was empty. But immediately in front of me became blond boy from my growth:
– This is my place! – He said – I took it!
I replied angrily: – Then you do not have your books. I’m not going anywhere from here, you will sit at me behind the back.
The boy wanted to protest, but his mother sat at the next desk behind. When the first bell sounded and the parents left the class, suddenly, I felt a terrible pain in hair. A moment later, I realized that I was that there are forces that pull hair. I instinctively grabbed the enemy’s hands and jumped up. The boy, leaving his fingers to tear pieces of my hair, barely lifted his hands on my head. My rabies was no limit. Losing control because of acute pain, I did my best hit the neighbor in the head with his fist. The boy immediately settled in their place, started to cry, and from his nose gushing blood stream.
At this time, the teacher entered the class. She saw him bleeding, ran to the victim, and a handkerchief to stop the bleeding from the nose. Then, as nothing happened, began the first lesson. She introduced herself:
