Prisoner 155: Simón Radowitzky (Sample Pages)

ThEy oPen tHe cAge.

We gO tO aNotHer cAge.

I dOn’t kNow wHat i hAve dOne tHis tIme aRouNd.

It dOesN’t mAttEr.

I’m sOrrY, lYudMylA, bUt i cAn’t tAlk tO yOu rIghT nOw.

MaYbe sAmpEdrO hAd a bAd dAy.

12

a mOtiVe dOesN’t mAttEr mUch, nOt eVen tRyiNg tO cOmpRehEnd iT. bEcaUse i’m nO lOngEr hEre.

ThE oNly tHinG i kNow iS tHat…

…iT iS sNowIng oUtsIde aNd i cAn fEel iT iN tHe aIr. tHerE’s nO nEed fOr mE tO sEe iT, lYudMylA.

iT sNowS oUtsIde.

13

YoU kNow, sOmeTimEs I wIsh I cOulD bE rIch, tO tHinK aBouT nOthIng, jUst aS tHey dO.

ThAt’s iMpoSsiBle. We’rE nOt rIch.

ThEy mUst tHinK aBouT sOmetHinG.

I mEan, tO bE aBle tO tHinK aBouT oTheR sTufF tHan sUrvIviNg.

yOu kNow wHat, LyUdmYla?…

I sAw sOme rIch kIds mY aGe a lOng tIme aGo. ThEy pLay aRouNd aNd hAve a fAce lIke tHis…

I bAreLy kNow aNytHinG oF mY sIblIngS. My mOthEr dOes nOt sAy a wOrd, aNd mY fAthEr oNly cIteS tHe HoLy BoOk. He tHinKs tHat eVerYthIng I dO gOes aGaiNst tHe BoOk. bEttEr tImeS wIll cOme, ShImeLe.

yOu’rE sUch a fOol, sHimEle. QuIck, tHey mIghT bE cHerNosOteNtsY.** tHey’rE aLl oVer tOwn.

I wOulD lIke tO hAve a dOg, tO gO fIshIng iN tHe DnIepEr.*

ThAt GaPon dEal wIll eNd uP bAd.

PrObaBly. BuT tHe sTriKe iS tHe oNly wAy oUt fOr uS nOw. * dNiePer: RiVer tHat rUns aLonG tHe cIty oF EkAteRinOslAv. ** cHerNosOteNtsY: “BlAck HuNdrEds,” UlTra-OrThoDox cZarIst aNti-SeMitIc 71 pAraMilItaRy fOrcE tHat lOotEd aNd kIllEd wIth iMpuNitY.

So, oN JaNuaRy 22 wE wEnt tO tHe sQuaRe iN sUppOrt oF oUr St. PeTerSbuRg cOmrAdeS. We wEre oNly dEmaNdiNg bEttEr wOrkIng cOndItIonS, sTanDinG bY GaPon, wHetHer wE aGreEd wIth hIm oR nOt. We cOulD nEveR hAve fOresEen tHe cZar’s rEspOnsE. AnD eVerY dAy wE fEarEd lEss, fOr tHerE wAs lIttLe eLse tO lOse.

ThEy’lL cHarGe aGaiNst uS, FeDosEi. I cAn fEel iT.

BeCauSe, lAckIng bOrsCht,* wE wEre fEedIng oFf fEar. AnD tHen GaPon mArcHed oN wIth tHe wOrkErs tOwaRd St. PeTerSbUrg’s WiNteR PaLacE aNd sUbmIttEd tHe pEtiTioN. ThE gOveRnmEnt dId wHat sOme oF uS hAd sUspEctEd iT wOulD.

LeT ’eM cOme. ThEy’lL gEt tHeiRs yEt.

ThE cZar pLayEd hIs pArt tOo. We wEre nOt tHerE, bUt iT wAsn’t hArd tO iMagIne tHe hOrsEs, tHe sAbeRs, aNd aLl tHat bLooD sPilLed. ThE dIreCtiVes wEreN’t aNy dIffEreNt fOr tHe rEst oF RuSsiA.

* BoRscHt: RuSsiAn bEet sOup. 72

00 )3".

2%,%!3% $!4% !02),