THE SIN OF JESUS
lomna, took one look at Arina, hefty and red-cheeked: "Oh, you cute
little belly," he says, and so forth.
Isai
Abramych, the old codger, heard about this cute little belly
and
he is right there, too, wheezing toothlessly:
"I cannot wed you lawfully," he says, "after all that happened.
However, 1 can lie with you the same as anyone.... "
The old man ought to be lying in cold mother earth instead of
thinking such things, but no, he too must take his turn at spitting
into her soul.
It
was like everybody breaking off a chain-kitchen
boys, merchants, foreigners. A trading man-he likes to have his fun.
And that is the end of my tale.
Before she was laid up, because three months had rolled by in
the meantime, Arina went out into the hackyard, behind the janitor's
rooms, raised her monstrous huge belly to the silken sky and said
stupidly:
"See, Lord, what a belly. They hammer at it like peas out of
a bursting pod. And what's the sense in it-I cannot see. And further–
more, 1 have no wish to see. . . . "
With his tears Jesus washed Arina when he heard these words,
on
his
knees the Saviour dropped before her.
"Forgive me, Arinushka, forgive your sinful God. What have 1
done to you? . . . . "
But Arina shook her head and would not listen.
"There's no forgiveness for you, Jesus Christ," she said, "no
forgiveness at all, none."
(Translated from the Russian by Mirra Ginsburg)
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