"MOSFILM Studios" " What are you thinking about?" " Nothing." "You can't but think just about something?" "Not while I'm kissing." " Are you cold?" " Stop yawning." " You're sitting with a woman." " Sorry." "It's early morning." "I can't sleep." " I must look like hell." " You're dazzling." "Oh, stop it." "Where are we going?" "Maybe we should go back home?" " Don't be nervous." " I feel ill at ease." "This unending road and all." "Look, a church." "It's a burial yard." "The graves mean it's a burial yard." "I hate when you talk like that." " Like what?" " Like that." "In a magistral tone." "All the same you're in love with me, like a cat." "You're a fool." "Youngsters, you have arrived!" "Hurry up." "It's only a one minute stop." "Did you hear?" "She called us 'youngsters'." "Wait." "Kiss me." "Welcome." "Is it Saturday today or what?" " I don't know." " Sunday." "THE AUTUMN" "Written and Directed by Andrei SMIRNOV" "Director of Photography - Alexander KNYAZHINSKY" "Production Designer - Alexander BOIM" "Music by A. SCHNITKE Sound by Ya." "POTOTSKY" "Starring:" "Natalya RUDNAYA Leonid KULAGIN" "N. GUNDAREVA, A. FATYUSHIN" "L. MAKSAKOVA, A. DJIGARKHANYAN" "Zoya MOKEEVA" "Day One" "This bed is of 'I don't wanna get up' type." "They don't go in for such beds any more." "I bought it from my neighbors." "Their mother died before Trinity Day." "No, it was on May holidays." "Take a blanket, I'll bring you more." "Bring that blanket, the one in the chest." " Or maybe a feather blanket?" " No, thanks." "The nights're cold, you don't want to have your wife freezing." "You should both feel warm in your bones." "You can cook in a stove, it's in the yard." "You can kindle a stove, can't you." "We've a normal food-store here." "For delicacies - sausage, herring, wine - you should go to Buyanov village." "And you can have milk in any amounts." "My name is Ilya." "What is yours?" "Hey, tell me your name, you quietnik." " She must've forgotten it." " No, she hasn't." " She's Tanya." " She's a strange girl." "Now she's all so talkative, and then she's so taciturn." "Well, feel at home." "You must be tired after your trip." " Are you from Petrozavodsk?" " From Leningrad." "I'll also clean this for you." "Okay, let it be 1 ruble per a person, means 2 rubles a day." "Which makes 12 rubles for 6 days." "Right?" "And also we'll drink milk." "One litre a day maybe?" " Alex?" " I don't know." "Who knows?" "Ok, Dusya, here's 15 rubles." "Come over here." "You didn't like the owners of the house?" "No, they're lovely." "What's the matter then?" "You're so pale." "You underslept." "Lie down." "I'll open the window for you." "I don't want to sleep." "Damn." "I must ask for an ash-tray." " Maybe they don't smoke inside?" " Edik does." "Okay." "What're we going to do?" "Ilyusha, I'll soon turn 30." "Everything is not so simple." "Try to understand." "I understand." "Please, don't call me your wife." "You 'are' my wife." "You call Larissa 'my wife' too." "You can't have two wives at a time." "Don't be angry." "I'm so spiteful." "No, I prefer red liquors." "White wines are evil." "Fork out more mushrooms." "How much do you earn?" "If it's not a secret?" "It's no secret." "Last time it was 104 rubles." "And before that - 120." "Sometimes it comes to 1500." "Oh, stop lying." "To ladies." "1500, my foot!" "Kolya Mikhalev did a lump sum last time, about 1500." "You've never earned as much as Mikhalev." "Don't be ridiculous." "What do you need money for?" "Preserves?" "Also you can't buy health on money." "It's a cake walk to work on the machine, the machine earns you the money." "But to work in the field is smth different." "The machine can't work on its own accord." "You work in the field?" "No, she's a housewife, the babbler." "When you drink you talk like stupid." "Such a shame before people." "I was a milkmaid at the farm, then I had a maternity leave." "You studied at courses - I worked again." "To be a milkmaid is a hard job." "To work is always hard." "Why don't you eat, miss quetnik." " Have some cheese." " Thanks." "She's on an inch diet." "Afraid to get fat." "Cheese?" "It's curds." "Yes, but we call it cheese." "Do musicians earn a lot?" "Musicians?" "I don't know." "Why?" "Aren't you a musician?" "No, I'm a doctor." "And Alex is an engineer." "And I thought you were a musician." "Last year we had tenants who were musicians." "They were from Leningrad too." "Do you remember their last names?" "There was Lida, black-haired and pretty." "Pretty?" "She was too lean." "Our Tanya has an aching ear." " Can you examine her?" " I'm not an ear specialist, but I'll try to help." " Let me take a look." " You're drunken, you can't examine a child in such a state." "I promise that I'll examine her tomorrow." "It's not an emergency." "Do you have children?" "No, it's a pity we don't." "But I hope we will." " You're drunken." " Abso-bloody-lutely not." "We have been married only for a week," "though we've known each other for ages." "I was ten and she was seven when we met." "And they teased me as her groom." " So, they jinxed us." " Why being so long?" "Ask Alex." "We nearly got married ten years ago, but then she gave me a rain check." "Now we're starting anew." "Means it's fate." "How interesting." "Oh yeah." "We've run out of drinks." " We could go to Buyanovo." " How far away?" "Stay home, the road is all muddy." " Enough, Ilya." " Muddy?" "The sun is shining, we'll be back in 30 minutes." "Come on, it's a honeymoon, or rather a honey month." " We'll celebrate." " Stop it." "The road is accident-prone." "God keeps the ones in love and drunken." "It's a back-road and almost empty." "Girls, we'll bring yummy eatables." "Where are you going?" "Them town people would say on coming here:" "'I wanna live in the country-side'." "You are all welcome to." "But you guys won't come, means that town life is not that bad." "The air here is just something, you don't breathe - you partake of it." "And no spare parts in the country side." "Make a list of the spare parts you need." "I'll buy them for you in Leningrad." "One our tenant promised to, and then forgot." "Doctor, let's go, it's ten to seven already." "Look what we've got!" "Thank God you are alive!" "I thought no end of things happened to you." "Look, this is a vobla!" "Big as a shark!" "And beer, too." "For shame, Ilya." "We didn't come here for a drinking bout." "You left me in this strange house, all alone." "I nearly lost my mind worrying!" "Come on, what could happen to us?" "We just had a little warm-up in a tea bar." "We were waiting out the rain." "Here you are." "Alex, come on." "Calm down." "What's wrong with you?" "Hi." "You're my darling." "Day Two" "Don't be mad at me, Ilya." "We couldn't help it back then." "Maybe we would've been divorced already." "No, we wouldn't have." "Jesus, I was such a fool!" "I had been liking you since long ago, but something was holding me back." "You wanted to kiss too early in the day." "And now?" "I was seventeen, imagining all kind of things, like that everything would lead to me knowing you all the way through." "I nearly hanged myself from spite when you got married." "It was all stupid, everything, my stupid love affairs, my stupid marriage." "I have wasted my life." "you're still such a screeming meemy." "We've met again when you're still 30, not 70." "I haven't turned 30 yet." "The more so." "Stop crying, and let's have some tea." "I feel so light with you, afraid of nothing, ashamed of nothing, it's even frightening." "I don't need to pretend when I'm with you." "You've been pretending for 5 years, with Oleg?" "Oh." "Maybe I'm an evil woman, but am I that bad as to be unloved?" "I know that I'm better than other women, but I was being told that I was hysterical and had to correct." "It hurts." "I can see that." "Can you show me your throat?" " Like this?" " No." "Something is itching in my throat." "That might be a crocodile again." "Sometimes tiny crocodiles inhabit our throats." "Check up for one." " There is none." " And in your throat?" " Does it feed on kids?" " No, it wears dentures." "For chrissake, Dusya." "She has otitis, her tonsils are as big as fists." "It's not a joking matter." "She was wearing a compress almost all summer." "Wearing it all day long?" "No, we'd take it off in the morning." "I won't let her go to a hospital." "You let her walk barefooted in the house." " Did she swim in summer?" " No." "Tomorrow you should take her to a doctor." "No, we have to lift the potatoes, or else they'll go rotten." "Are you in your right mind?" "Your child is ill, and you're talking about potatoes." "They enlarged the crop area, but the winter was snowless," "the crops were frozen and re-sown, but it kept raining, the sunless weather till August." "You can't reckon on crops in such inclemency." "So he'd keep saying about living in town." "His uncle worked in a garage there." "I found a job in town and we nearly sold the house." "Of course it's fun to live in town, cultural events there, beauty parlors and all." "But it was a shame to lose the cow." "Then he found a mistress, she worked in a canteen there, a shameless bitch, she's from our village, going hot on every man coming, even the baddest." "So I left Edik." "He'd stick in town for about a month." "One evening I went to milk the cow:" "and heard someone shuffling near the gate, fearing to come in." "There he was - his face white as sheet, pale like a dead man." "He'd stand on his knees, pleading." "Of course I forgave him." "He was my husband, after all, and our daughter needs a father, you know." "A man is a man, can't control himself." "You can't be too demanding." "Could you commit suicide?" "I hate dead people." "But you studied anatomy and autopsy, didn't you." "It's bedtime, stop talking abour ugly things." "What?" " I'm happy with you." " Thank God." "Do you have a folding bed back at home?" "No." "Where shall I sleep then?" "On the floor?" " I've a sofa." " I bet it's too short." " Let's buy a folding bed." " No, it's a normal sofa." "Then you'll give birth to our three children." " On the folding bed?" " Ok, two children." "Ok, as many as you wish to." "Maybe you are pregnant already?" "Go to hell." "We'll live a decent life." "Will you love me as you used to?" " Not as I used to." " Why?" "I used to think you had wings under your dress." "Day Three" " We could use the door." " It's bolted." "We'll wake the whole world." "Your bait is like mead to the fish." "Talk to me." "I can't stand it any longer." "I can leave, just tell me to." "Please, don't keep silent." "You keep thinking about her, you've pangs of conscience!" "It has been 7 years, between me and her." "What do you want?" "To steal a husband and feel sorry for his wife?" "I hate her," "I don't care even if she's the best." "So you feel sorry for her." "You didn't feel sorry for her when lying down with me." "And now you want to remain clean?" "Talk to me, Ilya." "You talk all so beautifully, sermonizing me, having only one thing on your mind." "What thing?" "Tell me." "You think I'm afraid to lose a match?" "Yes!" "Let's leave from here." "Don't be a fool." "Jesus, you hold yourself all so dear." "Are you that handsome or what?" "Or maybe you are rich?" "Going to foreign trips, bringing rags?" "Not a hell, Ilya." "Or maybe you are such a great lover?" "So what's the profit of having such a husband?" "You're a fool." "Give me a hand." "I can't live without you." "I love you." "Sit down and talk with me." "Your professor seems to be asleep?" "He was all so sullen today." "His fish didn't bait?" " Or maybe you had a disagreement?" " Yes." "Fights and quarrels, domestic strife - it's all the same with everybody." "Does he beat you?" " Not yet." " Thank God." "It happens a man has respective looks, and his wife's mug is all bruised." "And your man is a good doctor, not some cheap quack." "He sent us to the doctor, but the doctor turned to be a real blockhead." "And yours is a good professional," "lives true to his spectacles." "Does he earn handsome money?" "I have no idea." "How are you going to marry him then?" "Aren't you strange." "Love is not everything in this life." "Without love life is boring." "With me love is not so important." "I prefer to live in kindness, with someone who takes pity on me." "They first die from love, and then they get vain, vain and proud like generals." "They get spoiled so quickly." "I'm coming." " You're impossible." " Go out, we're undressed." "With me a man's pity is enough." "What do you think?" "Does he pity you?" "Not just in words, but pitying you with his heart?" " Yes?" " Yes." "But we can't get anywhere with him." "I've a nasty temper, I'm scared of men and scare them away." "You're such fools, why are you fighting all the time?" "Happiness is not in a dreamland but in what you have at hand." "You once lost each other and didn't learn from this lesson." "Oh, you are so smart." "Of course I am." "Day Four" "Day Five" "Suffering again?" "I'm mad at myself for not having left her earlier." "Everything was clear from the very start." "We wouldn't talk for three days on end." "We would keep silent, just keep silent." "She'd want to make it up and I'd be rude just on purpose." "Why did she persevere?" "Maybe because she loved me." "Loved you for what?" "That's a big question." "Where do I come in?" " A viper, ruined your family?" " There was nothing to ruin." "There was no family." "At first we tried, but it didn't help." "Okay." "We're both happy, she lives her own life, I live my own life." "I don't know." "I always love for something and I know what this something is." "If there is no something, I'll make it up." "In her place I wouldn't persevere." "I would pack my garb and leave." "It's not so simple." "I once did smth like this and I'm not sorry." "So what I have cheaper rags, but I'm a self-supporting woman." "What about your parents?" "They wanted to use their money to interfere, I didn't let them to." "What are you babbling about?" "You're burning all bridges, you know." "What are you boasting of?" "What?" "You think I can't get married again?" "Many of them wanna marry me." "There is one physician, he is 40, he dedicates valentine poems to me." "But he is so stupid." "I'd say on the phone I'm busy and he'd call on the next day." "Instead of checking on me, of being jealous." "But instead he behaves like a tv set," "I push the button, and he switches on or switches off." "But I need to respect myself." "I would even prefer to have a baby from a stranger." "I only don't need a second-rate husband." "How original." "So, simply to be loved is not enough for you?" "You want to be loved according to your rules?" "Why all these books about love then?" "'War and Peace', 'Idiot' and others?" "If nothing like this doesn't exist in life?" "I tried my best not to let banality enter our life." "I don't mean cooking." "I can playfully cook and wash." "I only need a core reason." "Oleg would say:" "'You want us to live together for 100 years 'and still remain passionate?" "'That's impossible'." "But why is it not possible?" "Why was I born into this life then?" "Am I not a woman?" "If there's no one who could kill for my sake?" "Just a single person, only for me?" "If there is none, I won't die alone." "You think I'm putting up an act just to whitewash myself?" "I don't consider myself your wife, nothing in our relations obliges either you or me." "I fell asleep again." "What's the matter with me?" "What time is it now?" " A quarter past two." " Oh, my God." " It's a shame before Dusya." " It's raining all the same." "You must be hungry." "Can't I lie around just once in life?" "You could call your boss and ask for another two days, you can throw a sickie." "No, it's the end of the quarter, and, unlike you," "I'm on vacation at my own expense." "I haven't been on vacation for 4 years." " You were waiting for me?" " Yes." "What's the matter?" "Did you think about me?" "Yes, when I was feeling blue." "I knew there was someone who loved me badly." "And that man then got married." "you have changed very much." "If you didn't call me during the recession," "I wouldn't have recognized you." "You used to be so..." "You had an idiotic face when you were looking at me," " so funny, your ears sticking." " No." " They were, at that time." " No." "Because you had a close crop." "And you always had red-spotted knees." "They ain't any better now." "You were such a darling." "But you married Oleg." "Are you going to reproach me forever?" "'Darling', eh." "I would've died a spinster." "But Slava enlightened me." "He'd say: 'Cut that reading crap, 'compliment a girl on her toes and curls," " 'and then turn off the light'." " How disgusting." "At the institute I was still a virgin." "From time to time girls liked me." "They'll come and sit down and listen to my dull talking." "And then I'd see them kissing with Slava in the corridor." "I was desperate and at last took his advice." "And I started telling girls all that bullshit about their toes and curls." "And it became a piece of cake." "I realized they didn't care for my soul." "It was all so mechanical, like in sports." "Is it mechanical, between you and me?" "You..." "Let go!" "I didn't recognize you at first." "And they I did." "You had changed." "You had become mature." "And that moustache of yours..." "So I fell in love." "Do you remember how you came to me after the wedding?" " Whose wedding?" " My wedding." "And you said with an arrogant smile:" "'Stop pulling his leg." "You'll be mine'." "Maybe you were drunken?" "I don't remember." "I was pregnant then and going to have an abortion." "Your visit took my bitch." "You mean at that time it was all bad between you two?" "Why did you come then?" "Did you tell your husband about my visit?" "No, I didn't." "What's wrong, Ilya?" "Who is there?" "Hi." "Don't forget to lock the door." "Are you upset by something?" "No, it's okay." "It's cold." "I'll go inside." "Day Six" " Hi." " Hi." "How much longer?" "Within an hour." "Leningrad!" "I'll wait outside." "Lora, it's me." "Hi." "Don't be silly, who told you this?" "It happened so..." "I'll explain when I'm home." "Go home." "Go, I'll join you in a minute." "What's wrong?" "Why is Tatiana so quiet?" "She's watching a goodnight program." "Shall I maybe feed her?" "Better take care of your mushrooms." "They are boiling already." "I can't wash off mushroom spots." "The cow is nervous." "I'm afraid she's getting ill." "It is hard to milk?" "Make a try." "Whoah." "Don't squeeze her, she's a delicate lady." "Whoah." "Hold the tit with your five, put you pinkie on the nipple, squeeze lightly and then pull at it, for the milk to run out." "Hey, she's nervous, she got used to my hand." "At first my hands were aching like hell." "Has your man returned?" "No," "he's taking a walk." "You came but on a short visit." "Come and live here in July." "You'll swim and pick no end of berries." "Though it would be too late, in July." "Why?" "You'll have given birth to a child." " You counted already?" " It's easy." "Now it's October, means you'll be in labor by July or maybe August." "What are you listening?" "Go away." "Were you married for long?" "For four years." "And he abandoned you?" "No, I left by myself." "Aren't you courageous." "How did you manage not to get pregnant?" "Or maybe you are ill?" "My husband was against this, and my parents, too." "They said we were too young yet." "How funny." "He got married and wanted to be childless?" "You could have gotten pregnant all the same." "I was a fool." "What do you want?" "My mother used to tell me that when a child was to be baptized, the priest would count back 9 months, lest the child had been conceived on a fast day, it was a sin to touch a woman on a fast day." "Such a child could even remain unbaptized." "There used to be no end of fast days." "But now..." "October, February and August - a real harvesting of newborns." "Now it's a holiday upon holiday:" "New Year, May Day, October Holiday..." "My hair stood on end when I realized..." "My Tanya was born on February 2, means she had been conceived on May Day." "What?" "Can you take care of my mushrooms?" "Go, and don't worry." "You can find a job anywhere." "I would run away from here if I was unmarried." "There's nothing good here." "After the Army I had fun for one month..." "Hi, guys." "...and then I felt bored." "Then of course I got married." "I'm still young, and I don't care to stay here..." "What are you guys talking about?" "He is a vacationer." "He likes it here a lot." "Are you a reporter?" "No, a vacationer, from Leningrad." "Leningrad is a good city." "Your Zenith lost to Ararat yesterday, 1 to 3." "If all of us leave here from boredom, it would've been only wolves left here." "Of course we have difficulties here, and no bananas growing in our parts," "and many were killed during the war." "Say, Zina the barwoman here, is from Krasozero too, many of our village folks are her relatives." "I mean the Parfenovs." "Her granddad was a smith, and her dad's brothers used to live here too." "Her oldest uncle was killed by Banderovtsy." "The war ended long ago." "What's these words written on their backs?" "It's a Latin saying." "'Through steep ways to the stars'." "And back home..." "This summer the students built a pig enclosure here." "And they made a poor job of it." "We have a beautiful wood around here, a wood second to none." "The last summer was scorching, the wood could burn down." "The hares were frantic, roasted by heat, you may say they were ready to serve." "The English prefer to buy only our timber since Ivan the Terrible times." "We live a nice life here." "Only there is no fear of God, people are hell-bent on their freaks." "Degrading people, tangled, bearded and uproarious people." "Having no respect to anything." "Hang them all." "They should be cropped clean and sent to hard labor." "That would serve them right." "You feel bored, eh?" "A good hiding would serve you right." "Are you crazy, pops?" "Just you wait!" "I'm old enough to be your father!" "You're still wet behind the ears, you, giving me the lip!" "You should be more humble, young man." "Get lost, now!" "Did you hear that?" "I'll have you arrested!" "What are you sitting here?" "Okay, guys," "keep order, and I must be off on my duty." "How did you get here?" "On a witch-broom." "I see." " Let's go home." " I want to sit here a bit." "Meet Alex, my wife." "Do you want some beer?" "It's a bit sour." "Zina must be watering it." "Ok, we must be off." " Bye." " I was glad to meet you." "So you felt happy?" "To find new friends?" "Because you've nothing to talk with me about." "I can read some verse to you..." "Inside the train the air was stale..." "I let a weakness to prevail," "An impulse of a certain ilk" "Inherited with mother's milk." "All through the poverty and war" "Which all of life incinerates" "I silently in Russians saw" "Their incomparable and dear traits." "With adoration in my heart" "I looked at them sitting around:" "A peasant woman and a smith," "A carpenter - a simple crowd." "Not villeins, no, their features were" "Unmarred by hardship and discord." "For tragedies, bad news and sad" "Each one of them took like a lord." "I've become too talkative." "Ilya, my darling!" "Please, don't abandon me." "I love you so much." "I didn't even know my love could be so strong." "I'll do everything for you!" "I can stand on my knees before you!" "No, Alex, get up!" "It's a shame before people!" "I'll take my life!" "Stay with me!" "Alex, let's go." "Ilya, tell me that you love me, that you have always loved me." "I'll stop being so bad and spiteful!" "Only please don't leave me!" "Day Seven" "Write down what you want me to buy." "I'm too dumb to keep it in my head." "The plugs for Jupiter and a nipple." "Write it down." "Hey, take the apples!" " We've nowhere to put them." " Come on." "Open the bag." "You'll have smth to nibble at." "Take this." "Will you come for a visit?" "Yes, what gift will you give me?" "Well..." "For shame, you little beggar." "Come on, you scribbler." "Tanya will be a better one." "May God keep you." "You should have that baby." "A man's like snow - it melts and is gone, and the child will be always here for you." "The firewood will get damp from your tears." " Godspeed." " Sit down for godspeed." "I wanna take a pee." "Have some patience." "Couldn't you have some patience?" "Will you come in summer?" "Or you could tell your friends to come, we'll make them comfortable here." "Bye, Edik." "Take care, Tanyukha." "Day Eight," "The Last One" " Go." " Stop it." "Can't you see what I am in for now?" "Go." "Nothing is possible between us." "And don't you dare to come back." "I'm serious." "It's all my guilt." "I've just cheated myself." "I have never loved you." "You fool!" "I will never marry you!" " Hi." " Hi." "Hi, Victor." "It's Sasha Nikitina." "Can I talk to your mom?" "Margo?" "Did I wake you up?" "Well, I don't know." "Anytime." "Shall I bring smth to eat?" "Mom, Sasha is here." "Hi, Margo." " Do you hear me?" " Of course I do." "There you are." "Sit down." "I'm watching a program about Africa." "Don't give him that crap." " It's chocolate." " He has diathesis!" "Victor." "Have some and get lost." "And none to him." "We'll have the rest." "You look so strange." " Have some beer." " You took to drinking beer?" "It's nerves." "Are you hungry?" "Skobkin will come and feed all of us." " How you doing?" " It's a long story." "But is he..." "What?" "Are you crazy?" "I can't do that, only your dad can." "How did you pass the exams at the institute then?" "It's none of your business." "Your dad wrote cribs for me." "Go." "Where you going?" "Sit down." "There you are!" "Welcome back!" "Hi, Vic." "Skobkin, we are starving." "My little princess." "You, chain-smoker." " The ashtray is full." " So empty it." "The dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes." "Feed the kids first." "I want to have a comfortable dinner." "Come on, Vova, your mother has no shame at all." "Come on, old boy." "What shift is ours tomorrow?" "The morning shift." " What is new at work?" " We're all in a rush." "You owe me one, 'cause they gonna give you a bonus." "The boss is all grimaces." "We put in a word for you, especially that new guy, the one" " who looks like Kobzon." " Baryshnikov?" " He has a crash on you." " So what about the bonus?" "He said: 'Okay, 'this bonus is for her work, not her character'." "How is your love affair?" "May I crash with you?" "We'll put the kids to bed and chat." "Eat." "Don't cry." "Don't be nervous." "It's bedtime, old man." "Don't be nervous." "What, honey?" "Good night." "You drove the poor child to tears." "Let's go." "It's smth unbelievable." "He used all his cooking magic." " I hope it's not poison!" " I'm not hungry." " Just try some." " No, I'm not hungry." "Stop pampering her." "Just take in the smell." "It's mutton with vegetables." "Where is the beer?" " Is there nothing left?" " Yes." " We must've drunken it all." " 'We'?" "Why didn't you warn us?" "Thank God I stashed away three bottles." "Stop putting on airs." "You'll sleep on the folding bed tonight." " Oh." " With your dear sons." "Great." "Stay with us, Alex." "I'll have to work all night with my drawings." "Well?" "It's very delicious." "Have some from my plate." " Some beer?" " He's a cheap dauber, and we're factory hacks." "I hate work." "If Margo had been an evolution monkey, we would have still been clambering the trees." "No, it's you who was the monkey." "And I was a cow." "And here comes another ex-monkey." "The spitting image of his father, though, a beardless one." "What, you bore?" "Dad, it doesn't jibe with the answer." " It should." " No it doesn't." "I ain't going to solve it for you." "Oh, come on." "Let me help you." "Why torturing the child?" "You want him to be the best and go mad?" "She keeps silent." "She must be feeling like hell." "Where have real men disappeared?" "Ain't I the one?" "We've done it." "You're so square, you need someone like Skobkin." "It's okay with me." "No way you'll get rid of me." "Don't imagine she's so fine." "Which of you they like most at the factory?" " Me." " Oh really?" " Yes." " I'm a real woman, and she's a half-wit." "She's a champion of rights, a pensioner with a scout's fire in her heart." "You need a tourist ticket - Nikitina will retrieve it." "They all love her 'cause she'll bring that ticket in her teeth." "The boss puts a cardiac pill in his mouth on seeing her in the corridor." "Shishkina once said " "I mean Tamara Shishkina, our a winder and a real bitch, too." "She said: 'Come on, Alex, 'with your looks you should ride in super cars 'and dine in super restaurants'." "Tell me:" "will he marry you or not?" "Don't try to marry me off." "Grow up." "When will you live a normal life?" " Oh, Margo." " What?" "Maybe you're right and I'm a halfwit?" "You're impossible!" "Alex, where are you going?" "What's wrong with you?" "Wait, come in and let's have some coffee." "Damn, no." "Come on, come on." "Translated by Svetlana Chulkova �"