But a house means family, children, grandchildren. You are not going to spare any money for it, believe me.
Anna. Sure you won’t spare! But where are you going to get money?
Levan. Money is just lying on the ground. Just take it, don’t get lazy!
Анна. Oh, Levanchik where have you been while we together with Vasil were looking for our money on tops of the mountains?
Vasil. We were looking for them but didn’t find.
Tomov. Are you sure you didn’t?
Vasil. Well, there is some.
Anna. It’s not your business!
Tomov. Anna, would you remind me: was there any information about a pigsty in that newspaper classified?
Anna. I think no.
Tomov. Then don’t waste your time – it’s not your variant.
Anna. Why do think so?
Tomov. Where are you going to breed your pigs? Right in the house?
Anna. Vasil, just listen!
Vasil. What’s that, my sweat heart?
Anna. Oleg is laughing at us again.
Vasil. God damn him!
Tomov. Vasil, listen, here is a funny story! Allochka, you too. Once a photo reporter visited a young farmer at his place. Everything goes well: welcome dinner, photo session and stuff like that. On the next day, the farmer looks through the newspaper and sees a photo: he is embracing a pig. And there is a slug on the bottom: “Petka, the boar on the left, Vasil Korobko on the right”.
Vasil. Hey, you, go to hell!
Alla. Are you serious?
Tomov. I told you this is an anecdote.
Alla. No, I mean are you serious that those guys are really going to change mountains for pigs?
Tomov. I am not kidding. Vasil, I saw you yesterday reading a book. What was the title?
Vasil. Yesterday? Oh, yes! It was «Breeding of Sows at the Arctic Circle”.
Tomov. He is an expert, I told you! Are you also keen on these grunting creatures?
Alla. Are you crazy? I don’t care about this pig’s life!
Anna. What did you say!
Alla. What’s the matter?
Anna. Aren’t you a Muslim?
Alla. Oh, my God!
Anna. The Muslims can’t stand pigs. The Koran forbids them. It says that pig is a dirty animal.
Alla. Such a prejudice!
Anna. And what do you know about them?
Alla. About pigs? Actually, I haven’t thought of them…
Anna. In your opinion pigs are just dirt, stench and scream?
Alla. No, it’s also lard and meat.
Anna. By the way, a pig is a very smart animal!
Alla. Smart?
Anna. And noble. There are even poems devoted to pigs.
Alla. I would never think!
Anna. And not bad poems, I tell you. Nobody would write such poems about you, Oleg.
Tomov. You shot me dead, Anna!
Anna. Here you go!
Tomov. I promise you: when I get my own apartment I will buy a little piglet with a pinky snout.
Anna. Are you going to keep it at your balcony?
Tomov. No way! On the rug at the corridor.
Anna. Vasil, did you hear that? What fun!
Vasil. Don’t feel hurt, my girl! He is a good guy.
Anna. I am okay.
Vasil. Well, you said, fifteen hundreds square meters?
Anna. Yes, fifteen. Facing the mountains…
Victor Mancev is sitting on a bench in front of the camp building. Cyril Sumyatov comes out.
Sumyatov. Wouldn’t you mind?
Mancev. No, take a seat. Have you come out to smoke?
Sumyatov. To breath with fresh air.
Mancev. Anyway, help yourself. (Offers him a pack of cigarettes).
Sumyatov. I prefer pipe. (Shows his pipe).
Mancev. Amusing thingy!
Sumyatov. One craftsman carved it. You wouldn’t believe it: when you hold it, it warms you up like a stove. It is absolutely indispensable in the mountains. Especially at nights.
Mancev. You are right, it’s cold here at nights. Although, the stars are bigger and brighter. You just can’t take your eyes of them.
Sumyatov. Charming?
Mancev. I can’t get used to such beauty for many years already.
Sumyatov. One can get used to everything.
Mancev. Eternal mountains, eternal stars, eternal peace – and a human small and fussy. Such a big contrast. I feel it since my childhood.
Sumyatov. Where were you born?
Mancev. At one small town. If you look at the map you can see mountains around it. But in fact it’s located in a valley. There is no even a small hill around up to the horizon.
Sumyatov. It’s amazing!
Mancev. Life is even more amazing.
Sumyatov. So, you didn’t see mountains in your childhood?
Mancev. Sometimes, on a sunny calm day I saw their vague outlines.
Sumyatov. Maybe it was a miracle?
Mancev. The mountains seemed to be painted on a big canvas. But should a slight wind blow they disappeared immediately.
Sumyatov. Did anyone except you see them?
Mancev. Don’t take me for a dreamer or madman.
Sumyatov. Oh, no, I didn’t mean that!
Mancev. Everybody saw them. But most of people just didn’t notice. They were so common for them.
Sumyatov. I quite understand them. Our life is so short. A human doesn’t care about eternal mountains.
Mancev. You might be right. But at that time I thought that I am eternal too. Did you have such feeling in your childhood?
Sumyatov. I did. But it faded away quickly.
Mancev. When I learnt that in fact it is not like that I started crying at nights. I used to bury my head in the pillow and howl. I have never felt such despair since that time.
Sumyatov. Have you tried to run away to the mountains?
Mancev. Not once. My poor father! He used to give me good smacking in order to knock this bullshit out of my head – as he used to say.
Sumyatov. I think he wished you only good.
Mancev. My parents wished I were a banker. It was their great dream.
Sumyatov. They can be proud of you even more after conquering the Devil’s Fang.
Mancev. They haven’t lived to see it.
Sumyatov. I am sorry.
Mancev. They passed away with a sad feeling that their sun is loafer and loser.
Sumyatov. There is one more paradoxes of life.
Mancev. But you know what? Sometimes I am worried by a feeling that they were right.
Sumyatov. I’d rather have a smoke…
Mancev. Getting cold?
Sumyatov. I feel chilly.
Mancev. Then, smoke your stove quickly!
Sumyatov.