Here new dwelling of parents of Vukol. In the depth of the yard of the gloomy brick house with an inscription on a column of gate: Kolchinas house there was a superstructure over the coach maker, in the form of a svetelka, the external wooden ladder conducted there.
In a svetelka there were three small rooms from which Elizars family occupied one.
Elizar worked at foundry, did models of difficult mechanisms. He usually stayed at home at a table and wrote with a pencil on the sheet of paper, sometimes taking compasses in hand, measuring something in the drawing developed before it. Work it demanded the accuracy of calculations and special technical knowledge.
Vukol climbed on a chair, laid down on a table all breast. The pencil left ranks of interesting, various signs on paper.
What is it? the son asked once.
Figures! absent-mindedly the father answered. Having looked at the son, thought and added: You want, I will teach you to figures?
I want! Vukol was joyfully delivered on a chair.
Elizar put work aside.
Well, look: this stick one, here with a head and a tail two, and this big-bellied the three!
The father densely and largely drew figures, and Vukol remembered them at once. It seemed to it that they as people, everyone has the person: the three thick, with a pointed nose is similar to a duck, the five cheerful, six with a pot-belly and a small head, eight as the dealer on a market, and the nine the same six, only down a head ridiculous.
Having examined the pupil, the teacher was surprised.
Э, the brother and you are retentive? And you want to know letters?.
Letters were even more entertaining: the father drew them and shaded as though cut out from a tree, such Vukol saw on signs. The artist drew long, lovingly trimming with a soft pencil each drawing. While drew, Vukol remembered all alphabet.
Well, it is enough for today! tomorrow I will ask you as call each letter if you do not forget I will learn you to read.
And then told mother:
I will try on new, by a sound method which began to be applied only recently! much easier and leaves rather!
Thus Vukols training in the diploma began. Soon he already read magic fairy tales.
And here at Vukol desire with own hand to draw heroes, athletes, supernatural beauties such by what they were presented to it for the first time was.
Model of picturesque art the picture printed in paints, hanging on a wall of their room in a frame under glass seemed to it: The Bay of Naples has a family of fishermen. There everything was fine: the azure waves running on the sandy coast, a bright sun and in particular the reclining fishermans daughter. Hair at it dense, black, on hair a scarlet bandage, a dark face, thinly and gently outlined, fine and proud. Vukol represented it as live, and she seemed to him one of those beauties because of whom in basten fairy tales knights and heroes made the surprising feats. Someone forgot this picture at Elizar when he lived in Siberia.
There passed two more years.
Behind a partition there lived the mail carrier with the krivoglazy wife, a young soldatka and the master of musical instruments it and the musician: the man of huge growth, with a big fair-haired beard, doing violins. Will make, will play and will sell, then begins to make new. In the evenings the master went to theater to play in orchestra. Often it played and at home. Vukol listened to his game for hours and hours. The musician showed it receptions of a game. Then announced Elizara:
At your fellow perfect ear appeared! Give I позаймусь with it! Yes, here still that: children it is necessary on the stage! There is The Russian wedding! Release with me Vukol: the fifty-kopeck piece on gingerbreads or on books will receive and start up orchestra listens. Who knows? Perhaps bread will be for it later.
Vukol had no concept about theater and went there mainly because of an opportunity to earn a fifty-kopeck piece.
The building was theater old, a strange look. Got together with the musician illegally there and came to be behind the scenes. There was a turmoil, narrowness, noise and abuse.
The scene which it was visible between the scenes represented an interior of very strange room with stranger people: boyars and boyars in bright suits of country breed talked unnaturally loudly, and from the underground doghouse someone prompted to them loud whisper.
Vukol with greed watched at all this from the scenes waiting, what will be farther. It together with other children was dressed in a color kosovorotka with a corbel, by wide trousers and yellow boots, with a hare soft pad spread and powdered cheeks and prepared all for an exit.
On the stage it was noisy: boyars drank from empty wooden gilded ladles, the striped clown in a yellow cap with bells played a balalaika without strings, and actually played violins in orchestra, then on a scene at the opened door pushed out children and Vukol together with them. All of them sat down on a floor along a linen wall which began to hesitate when Vukol tried to lean against it a back, strong holding an own cap in hand.
Directly against a scene the enormous dark hole filled with the audience blackened. Vukol very much was embarrassed, feeling awkwardly before such big confluence of people.
Bright light of a set of the lamps throwing the light only on the stage blinded him. Heart is disturbing fought for nervousness, hands and legs grew cold.
Nothing could be understood from this what boyars shouted of and sang to the sound of music the orchestra driving the bows in a low hole over which, sitting on a high chair, raged, swinging a small stick, the uneasy person in a suit having a tail. It was unknown why released on the stage of children in a special dress, and when time to leave came, Vukol so began to bustle that forgot a cap on a floor, but the old woman who remained on the stage in an elegant sundress threw it behind the scenes, having told: take a cap though the underground person who was looking out of the doghouse did not prompt it these words.
Home Vukol was turned back together with the musician late at night when in a svetelka all slept, except his mother who was patiently waiting for return of the little actor.
After this case of Vukol called in theater to step on the stage in different representations, and soon he became the person: all actors and actresses knew it.
Changed clothes and made up, he participated in theatrical processions, was the queens page, jumped among little imps or angels with white wings.
It was always unpleasant to step on the stage, but free minutes of expectation of the exit he fell in love to watch and listen from the scenes to the events on the stage.
During the winter Vukol saw a set of various representations ridiculous, sad and terrible.
The play Prince Serebryany seemed the fairy tale in persons. Thirty years, or the players Life concerned. But here put Auditor, and Vukol to tears laughed together with public of theater. Looking from the scenes at the mad father offended by ignoble children the king Lear cried with pity. The execution of Maria Stewart shook. On Richard Tretyem blood was paralyzed in veins with fright.
In theater human life misfortunes, sufferings, quarrels, tears, crimes, murders and suicides was represented. Even in vaudevilles comic actresses played барынь, fainting because of pure trifles.
I do not love actresses! sincerely Vukols mother spoke. Slightly what now crack in a faint, is also ready! And here at us in the village and slykhy not to hear about faints! It is visible, only actresses also fall in a faint!
I do not love actresses! sincerely Vukols mother spoke. Slightly what now crack in a faint, is also ready! And here at us in the village and slykhy not to hear about faints! It is visible, only actresses also fall in a faint!
The father smiled, listening to it.
Everything that was represented in theater, was interesting, often sad, sometimes is terrible or ridiculous and silly, but it seemed invented.
On boondocks of the city where the poor, the working people lived, nobody ever fainted and if cried, suffered and died, then really, without monologues and it is absolutely ugly.
* * *
Studying at the musician to playing a violin, Vukol daily brought from the house in a workshop a lunch to the father; waiting until he eats, walked on huge, similar to a shed, squeal of saws, knock of axes and hammers, chisels and chisels stood a workshop where weight to the people in linen aprons worked with bibs. People planed, sawed, worked behind workbenches and lathes.
Elizar was in the same apron, as well as all. Through work noise, mixing up with it, under a high ceiling of the huge building loud human voices floated.
Elizar came back from work only in the evening, tired, with the hardened callosities on hands long ago.
Over a cup of tea spoke to the wife:
Work is strict, difficult, exhausts all force, and, by the way, pay cheap. I want more piecework on holidays to do!
Yes then it will be even more difficult! Masha objected.
Well! There is enough force while! It is necessary to raise children!
Three-year-old Vovka captured all attention of mother. Thought of himself extremely because it on a forehead had a scrofula. Vukol who is eternally shipped in reading and drawing looked a senior in the house.
Elizar often spoke:
I did not get an education I want that children studied! For children it is necessary to live! I do not want that children semiliterate were. Vukol, to read, draw and likes to play a violin to passion! In school it would be time to attach it eight years to the fellow! But means are necessary! What to me holidays? Empty days! Not to go to a tavern to the family person as all at us go! Wild also our dark working people! Even such as I, am a little: at all plant one-two and miscalculated! The others everything as a holiday, so to drink, and then all barefoot yes fragmentary go, starve!
Elizar began to go to a workshop for all day on holidays. It caused displeasure and condemnation of companions: work on holidays was considered as a sin and a sign of godlessness. The baptized person still could not go to church, but in a tavern it is obligatory. In a tavern there was the only communication of workers: there were on friendly terms, quarreled and fought, then were reconciled.
Elizar had well-wishers from elderly and those who are more sober, but such there was a little: alcoholism on holidays considered the majority a religious duty.
Wildly and apart treated Elizar, the scientific worker who was not observing posts, not going neither in church, nor in a tavern, differing from the companions in a flowery language in which along with proverbs foreign words met, names of scientists, writers and poets were mentioned.
About Elizar said that he is an atheist and probably some switch or the Molokan.
Once on Sunday it as usual worked in a workshop whized boards for model. The workshop was empty. There were only a watchman and two elderly workers who incidentally came behind some business.
Suddenly in a workshop the drunk joiner Andrey Maslennikov, from the company sacredly observing custom of Sunday alcoholism, people of years of thirty with a small blond beard became hollow.
Slightly reeling and being drawn by the intoxication, it approached Elizar and as if unintentionally pushed it with a shoulder. That discharged it the left hand, without ceasing to whiz right.
Do not disturb, Andrey! he told quietly. Drank on четвертак, and you break for seven hryvnias!
I will disturb here! you знашь why I came?
I do not know! Elizar frowned, continuing to work.
Not знашь? Well, so I will tell why: came to disturb! To dismiss you! The artel sent me! You пошто do not go with us, turn back a snout from artel? Ya-hundred scientific! such, syaky, nemazany, dry, in Peterburkh worked! And for what you in Siberia were? We know all! The Molokan you, do not believe in God, on a holiday alone work! Well, we efty will not allow! Artel on you in offense, Elizar! Ours all now in a trakhtira sit and talk about you!
Drunk threateningly moved on Elizar and gave a hand to stop the jointer plane.
Elizar took away his hand again.
Do not disturb, I speak; you walk, so go from here, walk!
Have you ever seen anything like it Andrey increased tone, trying to razdrazhit himself where slykhano that the working person супротив artels went? The artel speaks to me: Go, Andrey, you are more sober than others, give him in a muzzle that blood washed! Andrey threateningly clenched fists. We will set those as artel not to esteem! We so will blow up those to new brooms will not forget, will remember!
He seized Elizar by the rolled-up sleeve baring unusually brawny hand, drunk, but too a strong and strong hand.
Lets go in трахтир, put artels a food! ask from us forgiveness!
Elizar silently continued to move the jointer plane, askance watchfully monitoring Andreys actions.
So you so, материн son? Molokan, stolover!
Three people stood in the doorway of a workshop, is indifferent listening to a dispute.
Elizar solved, povidimy, not to answer stickings drunk, but all this more inflamed Andrey.
I speak to them: you want, now I will go and I will give it a box on the ears? And they purposely provoke: Where to you? You will not go! Here I will go! Here both came and I will give in a muzzle if you will not stop working! You turn back a snout, the swine!
Elizar was silent.
Throw the jointer plane, I speak! Well!
Andrey, panting, suddenly turned pale, grabbed from a workbench the iron hammer on the short handle and with the face distorted by rage very much hit Elizar with the hammer in a temple. The blow of a drunk hand was incorrect, Elizar otkachnutsya instinctively and resisted standing though on the person its wide stream blood rushed. Drunk, at most own blow, fell, but immediately jumped and with a roar rushed on Elizar covered with blood again.
Then the modeller, being protected, lifted a heavy oak bar of the jointer plane in a hand and, appear, slightly only touched them Andreys forehead.
That was unexpectedly burst backwards and заскреб by legs.
Only here the audience ran up.
Elizar, pale as a cloth, with the lowered jointer plane in a hand, was motionless, frightened and amazed. The blood beating from a temple filled in to it a face and a shoulder of a shirt.
Andrey last time bryknut legs in the grounded boots, shuddered all over and calmed down. Terribly blown up bruise covered a half of his forehead over the left eye.
Killed! Elizar whispered, dropping the jointer plane. In eyes darkened. Hands and legs weakened. For a minute he fainted, but regained consciousness soon, having felt the wet towel which quickly reddened from blood on the head.
At this time in the doorway Vukol with a food small knot appeared.
The boy stopped, without understanding that he happened and that the red turban on the fathers head means. His face twitched.