MARINA TSVETAEVA
501
our life . The samovar stands in the basin because when the potatoes
are boiling it splashes everything around. All the garbage is thrown
into the basin. The basin is carried out during the day, and at night I
rinse it out in the backyard. Without the basin - it would be impos–
sible to live . Coals-sawdust-puddles ... And the stubborn desire
to keep the floor clean! I go for water to the G-mans' by the back
stair: I'm afraid to run into the husband . I return happy: a whole
bucketful of water and a tin can! (Both the bucket and the can - be–
long to others, mine have all been stolen). Then the wash, dishwash–
ing: the dishpan and the primitive pitcher with no handles, "the play–
school one," in short: "Alya, get the playschool ready for the
washing! " - the cleaning of the copper mess kit and the milk can for
Prechistenka (an enriched meal from the patronage of that same
Mrs. G-man) - a little basket containing the purse with the lunch
tickets - a muff- fingerless mittens - the key to the back entrance
around my neck-and I'm off. My watch doesn't work. I don't know
what time it is. So, having mustered the courage, I ask a passerby :
"Excuse me , could you please tell me approximately what time it is?
If
it's two o'clock- I feel heartened (Come to think of it, what is the
present tense? Feel heartening? Doesn't sound right.)
The route: to the kindergarten (Molchanovka, 34) to drop off
the dishes - along Starokoniushennyi to Prechistenka (for the en–
riched meal), from there to the Prague cafeteria (with the shoe–
makers' tickets), from the Prague (the Soviet one) to the old Gener–
alov's - to see if by chance there's bread on sale - from there back to
the kindergarten for the lunch - from there - along the back stairs,
with pitchers, bowls and cans hanging from me - not a finger free!
and fright in the bargain : has the purse with the lunch tickets fallen
out of the basket?! - along the back stairs-homeward . Straight to
the stove . The coals are still smoldering. I blow on them. Warm
them up . All meals-go into one pot: soup that's more like kasha.
We eat. (If.Alya has been with me, the first order of business is to
untie Irina from the chair. I started tying her up after the time she
ate half a head of cabbage from the cabinet when Alya and I were
out.) I feed Irina and put her down for a nap . She sleeps on a blue
armchair. There's a bed, but it won't go through the door. I boil cof–
fee. I drink. Smoke. Write . Alya writes me a letter or reads. About
two hours of quiet. Then Irina wakes up . We heat up the remains of
the mush. With Alya's help I fish out the potatoes left stuck at the
bottom of the samovar. We-either Alya or I-put Irina to bed.
Then Alya goes to bed.
