Chapter 16 sacrifice for the revolution

Yefim took off his boots and held out his feet for me to see.At first glance, nothing special.But if you look closely, you can see several scars on the soles of the feet. Yefim said sadly: "It's getting better soon. It can't be helped, it's already the seventh year." "What's going on here?" I asked him. "Did you say this?" Yefim said: "Dear comrades, this is an injury I suffered during the October Revolution. It has been more than six years since the revolution, and now who doesn't want to get a little bit of the light of the revolution: this Those who say that I participated in the revolution also say that I have shed blood and made sacrifices for the revolution. You see, I have real evidence. There is no way to talk nonsense... Dear comrades, although I was not a worker in the past, in terms of status, I am Citizens of Kronstadt, but I was lucky, and I really sacrificed for the revolution at that time. Honored comrades, I was crushed by a revolutionary car."

Speaking of this, Yefim glanced at me with a high spirit.Wrapping up the foot wrap, he said, "Yeah, I was crushed by a truck, it's not the same thing as a passer-by or some unknown person hit the car, and it wasn't because of any carelessness or eyes. It's not good. I came across this at the height of the revolution. Do you know that old Count Orekhin?" "do not know." "That's the way it is. I used to be a servant in this count's house, and I cleaned the floors of his house. Anyway, I have to go twice a week, and of course I have to wax once. Those counts like floor waxing. It's all nonsense and squandering, if I say so. Of course, the waxed floor is smooth. The earl is rich enough to have anything he wants.

"Once something happened: let's say I cleaned their floors on Monday, and there was a revolution on Saturday. The floor was cleaned on Monday, and the revolution was on Saturday. On Tuesday, four days before the revolution. , the concierge of their house came to me and called me: "Go, call you! The earl's house was stolen and lost, and I suspect you did it. Go! Or your head will have to be moved!" "I put on my coat, stuffed some food in my mouth, and ran to the master's house. "When I arrived at the master's house, I opened the door and entered the house.

"Look, the wife is in a fit of temper, standing on the carpet and stamping her feet. "When she saw me, she cried and asked: 'Ah, Yefim, you stole my lady's watch, ninety-six carat gold, surrounded by diamonds.' "'Madame, what are you talking about! I am a man, what use is your watch? Isn't this a joke. I beg your pardon for my rudeness.' "She cried aloud and said, 'No, you stole it, it must have been you.' "Suddenly the earl came out in person, and he said to those present: 'I have plenty of money, and I don't care if I lose a watch, but it can't be over like this. I don't want to smack your mouth and dirty my hands, I want to call the court Recover my losses. Get out of here.'

"I took a look out the window and went out. "When I got home, I fell down, not to mention how uncomfortable I was. Because I really didn't take their watch! "I lay in bed all day, and day after day, without thinking about food or tea, wondering where I could throw that diamond-encrusted watch. "On the fifth day, something suddenly popped into my head: God, I just threw that watch into the compact. I picked it up from the carpet and thought it was a necklace, so I put it away. It's in the powder box. "I put on my overcoat and ran out into the street without thinking of eating. The Count lives in the Rue des Officers.

"I was running on the street, and for some reason I felt a little puzzled: Why are the people on the road walking sideways in a weird way, as if they are afraid of being shot and shelled, what's the matter? "I asked people passing by, and they replied: 'The October Revolution happened yesterday!' "I quickened my pace and headed straight for Officers Street as hard as I could. "When I arrived at the gate of the old man's house, I saw a large group of people and a car parked next to it. I was moved: don't let the car crush it. But the car didn't move...Okay, it's okay. I went to ask: 'What's going on here?'

"'We're arresting the aristocrats and putting them in cars. We're going to destroy this class.' "Suddenly I saw someone approaching over there, it was my master, I pushed everyone away, and shouted: 'Your watch is in the powder case! That damned watch is in that small powder case! ' "The Earl is really not a thing, he ignored me and got into the car. "I ran over to the car, and the goddamn car was whining right then and there. The wheel just hit me and threw me over the side. "I thought: 'Well, that's a sacrifice for the revolution.'"

Speaking of this, Yefim took off his boots again, and looked at the scar on the sole of his foot in frustration.Then he put on his boots again and said: "Dear comrades, you have seen it. I have suffered for the revolution, so it can be said that I have made sacrifices. I am not saying that this is great, but I can't let others bully me. The Housing Management Committee When the director measured the area of ​​my room, he included the area under the chest of drawers in my room. He also bullied people, saying that the bottom of your chest of drawers should be about half a meter. Is the cabinet occupied? Why should it be counted? This cabinet still belongs to the master’s house.”

(1923)⑧ Translated by Gu Yaling and Bai Chunren