"THE THIEF" "I was born just after the war in 1946." "My mother was going to see some relatives in Jaroslavl' and she gave birth to me on the side of the road." "I never saw my father." "He came back from the war wounded and died six months before I was born." "But I thought about him throughout my childhood." "I tried to imagine him." "THE THIEF" "In 1952, I was six." "My memory then confused what I saw and understood after that." "But I knew I'd remember that train for the rest of my life." "Get rid of one." " What should I get rid of?" " Hearts." "Hearts..." "I don't have any." " Mommy!" " What?" "Can I go up there?" "You're not allowed." "But there's nobody up there." "There was just a stop, maybe someone's coming." "So who is the queen married to?" "The jack or the king?" "The queen?" "That's enough, I've had it." "Hello." "Hello." "Let's play some more." "Cards, huh?" "Just like at home." "Come on." "I've been robbed!" " Where are you going without shoes?" " What's going on?" "A woman was robbed." "People." "Stay in your seat." " I'm going, you stay here." " Mom, please!" "Listen, squirt." "Here you go." "What are you doing?" "Don't worry." "Keep an eye on my stuff, okay?" "Excuse me." "Excuse me, let us through." "Why cry?" "It's too late." "Shall we have a smoke?" "Are you crazy!" "What's your name?" "Mine?" "Katja." "Daddy!" "Where are you going?" "Well..." "I don't know." "We got off with Uncle Toljan in some random city." "My mom said that from then on we would live with him and that I would have to call him Dad." "We walked through the city looking for a room or a small apartment to rent." "Do you have a room?" "The accountant and his wife live there." "An engineer and his daughter, there." "Here's the kitchen." "The bathroom." "An artist lives here, my husband and I there." "Varvara teaches the accordion there." "A drunk woman lives in there, but she's harmless." "The room isn't mine, it's my sister Anna's." "She's in the hospital now." "And I'm Aunt Tanja." "Sanjec'ka." "Aunt Tanja." "I'll give you the down payment in a few days." "My housing money and passport are at the military headquarters." "You know how the army is." "Okay." "Whenever." "You're a father, a soldier." " You're not a con artist." " Thanks." "No problem." "Mommy!" "What's wrong?" "Calm down." "It's nothing, honey." " What's wrong, Sanja?" " It's nothing." "He'll go back to sleep now." "Now Daddy will tie the chairs together so you won't fall." "He was choking you?" "What are you saying?" "I heard it, you know?" "You were dreaming." "I'm sleeping here!" "Not on your life!" "Lie down here." "I'm staying with mommy." "Goddammit!" "I sleep here." "If you say another word, I'll throw you out the window!" "You don't believe me?" "So?" "Don't worry." "Put a nail up." "Why?" "To hang up your uniform." "Okay, I'll put it up myself." "And what are these?" "They're for you, I bought them at the market." "Just for me?" "For you, for you." "For me?" "It's for me?" "It doesn't fit." "Stop it." "Stop it, get out." "And don't make any noise, or they'll send us away." "Your passport isn't at headquarters." "You never went there." "I'm on leave." "I have two days left." "If you bring it to the woman, she'll know I'm not your wife." "So what?" "So what?" "She'll kick us out!" "She won't kick us out." "You're Sasha?" "My name is Inessa Pavlovna." "Are you the drunk?" "No." " I haven't had a drink in a month." " Sanja!" "Go out and play!" "I don't want to!" "It seems the girl liked me." "She thought they beat me up because of her." "In fact they beat me up because I was different." "I don't want to live here!" "They beat me up!" "What's wrong?" "They'll throw us out for sure." "Don't yell." "Why are you a tattletale?" "Show 'em." "What do you mean, Uncle Toljan?" "I'm not your uncle, I'm Daddy!" "Go and defend yourself!" "Defend myself..." "But how?" "Use your fists, bite, kick." "This way, they'll remember." "If not, you're not a real man." "Now turn off the water." "Caterina!" "Are you there?" "Come and see what your son has done!" "What a mess!" "You shouldn't have rented it to them, with a child!" "That's not a rag, it's a towel!" "Sorry." "Hey, asshole, come out here!" "Listen!" "Is this your son who's been hitting these kids with a stick?" "He's crazy!" "Discipline him, dammit!" "Let go of his ear or I'll come down there and smash your face in." "Go ahead, come on down!" "They move in and you can't let the kids play in the courtyard anymore!" "Okay, okay." "Can't you take a joke?" "I'm coming down and I'm going to smash his face in." "Just wait." "He throws rocks!" "Little brat!" "If you touch him again, I'm going to smash your face in!" "Are these the guys who beat you up?" "Did you defend yourself?" "Did he beat you up?" "And you?" "Punch him." "I said hit him!" "Come on!" "Again!" "Hit him again!" "On the nose, in his face!" "Pound him!" "Okay, okay." "Now calm down." "We're leaving." "I should whip you." "You flooded the whole house!" "Sit down!" "Get me the belt." "Give it to me, I said!" "I forgive you." "Don't worry, I'm going to beat him." "Why do you want to hit him?" "It's better to teach him the accordion." "I don't ask for much." "What accordion!" "He's a pest!" "Learning how to play the accordion wouldn't hurt." "But his father's a soldier." "Today we're here, tomorrow there." "I would never have married a soldier." "Really?" "Sure, she'd never have gotten married!" "Look at her!" "Touch it." "Harder." "Understand?" "And this?" "It's to scare people." "If you scare them, they respect you and they listen to you." " And if they don't listen?" " Pummel them." "And if they're stronger than you?" "Whoever it is, you have to tell yourself:" ""I'm ready to kill for this cigarette for this ice cream. "" "The others understand that, and they will give you anything." "Understand?" "Is that Stalin?" "Why?" "He's my father." "Sure." "Really?" "Sure." "And he..." "Does he know?" "Yes." "But it's a secret." "Don't tell anyone, understand?" " Yes." " It's a secret then, squirt." "I hope it's okay..." "Feel how my heart is beating." "And you?" "Are you happy now?" "Go tell the neighbors you're sorry before they throw us out." "Go on!" "Go, Sanja." "Do you have kids?" "We had them." "We all had children once:" "Solomonich, Inessa, us." "Where did they go?" "Did they die in the war?" "Yes." "Look, the sole has worn away." "They're old shoes." "Not like your father's made of calfskin, new." "He's not my father." " So who is he?" " Uncle Watchamacallit!" "Sanja, where are you?" "Come home!" "You're an idiot!" "You could have looked at his passport at least." "And what would I have done with it?" "Anyway, he's a soldier." "We can always call headquarters." "Good morning, lovely ladies." "Please, help yourselves." "Aunt Tanja, have one." " What luxury!" "What do we owe" " We have to celebrate." "Speaking of which, how do we want to celebrate?" "To each his own." "It's better to celebrate together!" "I'll be in charge of organizing it." " And don't cry, Aunt Tanja." " I'll bring our daily bread!" "No, no." " None for her." " No way." "Comrades as a soldier, I travel a lot and meet a lot of people." "But I have never met people as kind and friendly as you." "For this reason accept as a sign of gratitude tickets for the circus!" "For Saturday!" "We'll go together." "You're crazy to spend so much!" "We are touched, really." "We'd love to come." "Especially on Saturday!" "To your health." "Why are we sitting?" "You men could ask us to dance." "May I?" " I can't come to the circus." " Why not?" "I have a play on Saturday." "And then?" "Some like to meddle in other people's affairs." "David Solomonich, a toast." "I would like to toast the man who made this day possible and not just this." "To the good, the wise the best of all men." "To Comrade Stalin." "I also have to drink to his honor." "What is this stuff?" "Water!" "I know you too well." "I've lived with you too long!" "Know what I think?" "When you're big, you're going to marry me." "Nice, huh!" "What time does Olga usually come home?" "It depends." "I understand." "Saniec'ka, I have to go out for a minute." "Don't go." "Please, don't go away." "I'm just going to the bathroom, and then I'll be back." "You promised me we would go back." " I'm not coming!" " Be good!" "You're a liar!" "Sasha, maybe we have to leave." " Right now?" "And Uncle Toljan?" " I don't know." "No..." "Stay here, I'll be right back." " What did you come here for?" " To get my things." "I'm leaving." "So take your things then." "You knew it, right?" "What are you doing?" "But what..." "What are you looking for?" "What are you doing?" "I don't understand!" " Where is your Olga?" " What fucking Olga?" "Get the boy, otherwise we'll miss our train." " So then you're not a soldier." " I am, actually." "They stick my rank on my ass, and they even give me a title!" "And I thought that now we would live together." "I love you." "And you..." " I did it for the boy too..." " Tell me about it later!" "Let's go." " Don't take anything, let's go." " What?" "Look what a mess!" "I beg you!" "I love you." "We have a child to raise..." "C'mon, we'll miss our train." "Why am I so unlucky?" "Let's go, the train's leaving." "Think about it later." "Now let's go." "No!" "Then leave me the address." "Maybe I'll write you from prison." "You know..." "I have no address." "C'mon, squirt." "Here you go, chief." "All set." " Did you look at it?" " All set." " Mommy." " Be quiet." "Mommy, look!" "This is mine!" "Give it to me!" "Give it to me, I said!" "Be quiet." "Leave them alone." "If they ask, it's not our stuff." "Would you like tea?" "Everything's fine, Katiusha!" "Now we can enjoy ourselves!" "Oh, my sweetheart..." "I love you so..." "Listen to my love song..." "You are my happiness..." "Oh, my sweetheart..." "I love you so..." "I hate you!" "Take it." "Never, ever." "You'll take it and then tomorrow you'll go to the market and sell it." "Me?" "Here!" "And so I saw the Black Sea for the first time." "Good morning, comrades." "Who's in charge here?" "My wife and son are down there." "Comrade Captain!" " Comrade Captain!" " C'mon, let's go..." "Put the bags in the left luggage." "Hurry!" "It would have been better if you hadn't come back." "Liar." ""Shipr. "" " What?" " Shipr cologne." " We'd like to rent a room." " We're no trouble." "My husband is in the service, my son is well-behaved." "Yes, I understand, but we don't rent." "Too bad." "But there's a collective apartment in the basement." "I think they rent there." "Katja." "Are you sleeping?" "No." "What's wrong?" "What's wrong with her?" "Bring her some water." " Stop!" "You new here?" " Yes!" "Hello..." " Don't you say hi?" "Your name?" " I'll kill you, damn you!" "Are you a new tenant?" "Yes." " Don't you say hello?" " Hello." "What's wrong, Katja?" "I'm scared, Toljan." "What do I do with it?" "Drink it." "Actually, go out and check things out." "Take a good look, then tell me." "Stop giving him lessons!" "Do you want him to become like you?" "What's wrong with that?" "Sanja, want to become a soldier?" "Yes." "Good." "Now get out!" "You promised it was the last time and then we would have a normal life!" "You were the one who said you'd write me from jail!" "If I keep going like this, I'll end up like you." "And who will I send postcards to?" "My son in the orphanage?" "Don't yell!" "I haven't made money in a while." "I always find poor people's houses." "One good deal, and then I'll stop." "Just my luck!" "Get rid of this crap!" "I have a boy to feed!" " Here, Uncle Toljan!" " I told you to call me Daddy!" "Say it!" "Daddy!" "Stop it!" "I'll kill you!" "Go ahead." "You know the rules of the game?" "If you pull a knife, you have to use it." "Go ahead." "Otherwise I'll hit you." "Leave me alone!" "Sanja, are you in there?" "Stay in there, it's good for you!" "Citizens!" "Do you have an accordion?" "The soul needs music." "Do you have an accordion?" "Good idea, putting the bed between two night tables!" "Will you avenge me, my son?" "Daddy!" "C'mon, Comrade, play." "The night is short." "At least tell us why we're celebrating." "Really, Anatolij, please tell us." "It's my birthday." "Citizens this is what I want to say:" "I liked you right from the start, like a family." " And for this reason" " There'll be no circus." "For this reason..." "I want to drink with you to Comrade Stalin." "Hello." " What's wrong with your hand?" " Nothing." "I smashed it." "But you're hurt." "We need some iodine." "I have some at home." "C'mon." "C'mon!" "Come in." "My husband is a very important doctor." "He amputates all the time, 24 hours a day." "He's always at work." "I have lots of free time." "You're not any trouble." "Give me your hand." "We'll clean it up." "Does it hurt?" "Does it burn?" "You have to disinfect it, otherwise you could get tetanus." " What is it?" " What?" "Tetanus." "Tetanus is..." "I don't even know." "It's something dangerous." " Who is it?" " Call the soldier uncle!" " He's not here." " Call him!" "Do you understand Russian or not?" "Tell him his son has climbed up the fire escape and can't get down." "If he doesn't come right away, we'll call his mother, got it?" "There you are!" " No!" " Don't worry, I'll be careful." "There he is!" "So, squirt, what should I do?" "Leave you here?" "You need an escort!" "Look, look!" "Hold on, squirt." ""Shipr"..." "Your mother will show us "Shipr"." "What are you doing?" "What are you doing there?" "We're going to the bathhouse." "Take some straw and scrub your ass." "Like that." "Like me." "Don't worry, squirt." "If you're brave, yours will grow too." "I'll pour the water on you." "You peed in your pants." "Don't worry about it." "It happens to everyone." "One time..." "I pissed blood for three days." "Blood?" "Five people kicked me in the kidneys with their boots." " Who?" " It happened." "They hit me here, and here." "They broke my ribs, but I didn't say a word." "I didn't speak." "I lay in the blood for three days, like a stuck pig." "Just remember, squirt." "You can pee in your pants 100 times, but then you have to win." "Understand?" "Good boy." "Another one?" "Go get another beer." "Go on, hurry." "Friends, today is my lucky day!" " Want some bread with salt?" " Your turn!" "Look, I have another ten and the ace of spades!" "Wait a minute!" "I have the ace of spades too!" "Bastard!" "They're fighting in there." " Documents, Captain." " You want documents too!" " Documents." " What are you talking about, guys?" " Documents, I said." " Take a look then." "They cooked me alive in the tanks, I rotted in the swamps and I fought on the front lines, so you could ask for my documents?" "Stop it!" "Documents for you, shithead?" "Here!" "I should show them to him!" "Go to hell!" "We're just wasting time." "That's it, good boys, go on." "Always carry a little salt with you." "It can come in handy." "Give me your hand." "This is our neighbor, Rosa L'vovna." "Have a seat." "Okay." "Let's go." "Where?" " Climb up, Sanja." "I'll follow you." " Why?" "You just have to open the door." " What are we doing?" "Stealing?" " What?" "I'm on a mission." " What mission?" " A secret mission." "Go on." "Sanja!" "Are you wetting yourself?" "Are you a little girl?" "Want a bow?" "I'm not a little girl." "Hurry up." "There's no time, squirt." "Don't be afraid or we'll fall." "I'm not going up." "We're like thieves." " They'll put us in prison!" " What's wrong?" "Did you sleep too little or eat too much, squirt?" "What thieves?" " You know who my father fights?" " Which father?" "Stalin?" "He fights the enemy!" "Understand?" "An enemy lives up there." "A spy?" "I'm on a mission, and you're ruining everything." "Are you an accomplice?" "I'm not an accomplice." "I swear!" "Then prove it!" "Prove you're a real Soviet!" "But I have to pee." "Hold it in!" "You can do it if you're brave." "The lock." "Shake it!" "Harder!" "You have to do it, or I won't be able to pull you out!" "Push!" "You're a weakling, squirt!" "Push, or they'll shoot you!" "I can't!" "Push, I said." "Push!" "I'm going to see where he is." "Citizen, I can't see through you." "Sit down." " Thanks for looking after it for me." " No problem." "Where's my son?" "His father took him with him." "He said to go straight to the station and wait for him there." "Thank you." "Hey!" "What are you doing up there?" "What's your problem, Savel'evna?" "Someone must have entered from the doctor's window." " Oh come on." " I'm sure of it!" "Call the police, so they can take a look." "You think?" "The windows are dark." "There's no one home." "Savel'evna, everyone's asleep." "You always imagine the same things." "You see thieves everywhere, bandits." "You need help." "It's open here." "I'm calling the police." "They'll take care of it." "Is this her?" "Get in!" " Hurry!" "Let's go!" " Where's Sanja?" "C'mon, let's go!" "This time it was a fiasco." "Why did you take the boy with you?" "Just because." "And then I didn't know how it'd go with the madame." "We're going to the Molotovka stop." "No one will find us there." "We'll take the train." "I'm going to leave you, Toljan." "This time, I'm really going to." "Where?" "To Ivanovo." "I hear they need workers there." "Then go." "Maybe you'll find someone better." "Maybe..." "But I won't love him like you." "Here's the ticket." "One seat, me and the boy." "Seat 15." "Enough." "Go on." "Maybe they'll give room and board at Ivanovo." " The boy'll go to school." "If you" " Katja, don't start." "I like the life I live." "I don't want another one." "Take these to help you get started." "Did you buy these for me at the market as well?" "So, squirt." "Even you want to leave me?" "I have your gun in my suitcase." "Keep it." "I don't need it." "It'll be an excuse to see you again." "Get on!" "Go on." " Sanja!" " Where are you going?" "Freeze!" "Stop or I'll shoot!" "Shoot, he's getting away!" "Stop!" " What did he do to you?" " He threw salt at me!" "The suitcase!" " So why did he escape?" " He ran after the boy." "He thought something had happened to the boy." "They wanted to check his documents and he threw salt at the sergeant!" "He didn't do it maliciously." "He was injured in the war." "He'll get five years for this, if he's lucky!" "We should knock his head off twice!" "Have mercy on him!" "How can you leave a boy without his father?" "I'm not moved by whimpering or by kids." "The sergeant has two." "What if he'd been blinded?" "Maybe we can help his family out." "I have a ring and some earrings." "Would you let him go?" "I don't know." "After my shift, I'm going to see the sergeant in the hospital." " I can try to..." " I'll be right back." " Right away!" " Hurry up!" "I'm not going to wait all night." " Give them to me." " What?" "Where are they?" "He gave them to you!" "Where are they?" " Here?" " I don't remember!" "Look for them, Sanja!" "I'm asking you in the name of God!" "We'll surely find them." "We have to!" "Where could they have gone?" "He left." "One moment, citizen." "I don't understand." "You want to bribe me?" "Me?" "Bribe me?" "I'll send you to Siberia to cut down trees." "See what they do to you!" "Whore!" "Get out of here!" "Get out before I reconsider." "At least let me see my husband." "They've taken him to the city, to Molotovskoe." "Look for him there." "Our efforts were in vain." "They didn't find out about the burglaries in the apartments but they gave him seven years anyway." "We waited in front of the prison to see him before the long separation." "My mother didn't know it would be her last time." " Do you know when they call them?" " I don't know." " When do they call them?" " Who the hell knows?" "They don't tell us!" "My son, my son..." "If you hadn't run away he would be with us now." "Everyone back!" "If anyone moves, I'll shoot!" "Mommy, what does this mean?" "Number one!" "Keep your head down!" "Number two!" "Keep your head down!" "Vanja!" "Vanja!" "I'm here!" "Pasha!" "Serozha!" "Nina had a baby!" "What is it?" "It's a girl!" "Back!" "Micola!" "Your father died!" "Keep your head down!" "Toljan!" "Sanja!" "Daddy!" "Don't leave us alone!" "Daddy!" "Don't leave us alone!" "From that day on..." "I never saw the image of the soldier of my real father again." "Maybe because on that day..." "I betrayed him." "Come with me." "My little boy." "Mom, what's wrong?" " Did you eat?" " I ate." "What?" "The cook gave me a potato and some jam." "Tell her to give you mine too." "Mom, what are you saying?" "Does it hurt?" "What operation is it?" "They talk about an operation, but I don't understand." "Ladies' stuff." "What is it?" "That's all." "Nothing very good." "Get well soon." "I'm bored by myself." "I'll get well soon." "Mom, sing me our little song." "Not now, I'm tired." "It was the "Three Witnesses"." "My mother died of peritonitis after a botched abortion." "I heard some of what the doctors said but then I couldn't understand any of the details and they weren't important." "From that moment on I had no one else in the world closer than Toljan." "My mother's watch and the gun were the only things left from that life." "Fortunately I was able to hide the gun." "I hid it often, later in the orphanage." "For years, I lived with the dream that Toljan was free and he would take me away with him." "Chigariov, straighten your back!" "Grab the handlebar." "Let's go!" "Faster, hurry!" "Let's go!" "Bastards!" "Idiots!" "What are you doing, boy?" "You selling a handlebar?" "Squirt." "You looking for someone?" "You." "Me?" "Why is that?" "I'm Sanja." "So?" "I'm Katja's son." "Do you remember Katja?" "Which Katja?" "On the train, with the little boy." "Wait, wait." "Her name was Katja?" "And you..." "So you would be..." "You'd be..." "Sanja." " Right, Sanja!" " Toljan!" "You're a real piece of work!" "You had a kid with Katja and you don't even remember!" "Oh shut up!" "So squirt what do you want?" " You want money?" " For who?" "You drink with mine!" " Who's this Katja?" " Can't you see I'm talking?" "Katja!" "Admit it, you old dog!" "Katja, he says..." "C'mon, I fucked one on the train, that's all." "Tell her I'm not your father, squirt!" "You tell her!" "Look, look." "She's jealous." "I've fallen in love with this one..." "like a little boy." "Go to your damn Katja and take your friends with you!" "Good times..." "Tell your mother I said hello." "Tell her "From Toljan"." "She'll remember." "Now go on."