THE CABBAGE MIRACLE Based on the short stories from Childhood 49 by L. Ulitskaya
Ipatyevna! That`s for you!
Don`t forget the bread, you hear me?
And no mischief on the way!
Leave the cat alone, Kolka!
In honor of the 7th of November festivities,
our lovely district brass band will play a song for you.
Please welcome!
Ah, you poor little brat... Get outta here!
Dang it...!
Enough sitting around, time to get started!
Daddy, lessgo home!
Daddy! Dad... Daddy!
Olya, Dusya, get off!
Father died at the front, mother was gone a year later.
You`re their closest relative.
Do I keep them, or do I send them to an orphanage...
Well, have a think, it`s your choice.
Quit banging, I ain`t got no spare ears!
Kolka!
Go to bed!
There`s no bringing your mama back...
my daughter-in-law died, and now...
Oh, as if I didn`t have my hands full...
Should I keep them, or give them away...
oh Lord... oh my...
What is she thinking, leaving her rags out here, right in our faces!
Zina, look! Halima`s drying her stuff!
Oh, I`ll spare nothing for you, here, have some.
You can`t look at these!
Bury your own treasure.
Ugh, Lord, as if that wasn`t enough!
Koluynya, come here.
Throw it all off, will you?
I wanted to hang my washing but there`s no room.
She didn`t leave any.
What if someone steals it?
Koluynya, take the fur coat to the attic.
Should I cut their hair? All of it?
What if there are still nits in there?
Oh what a disaster!
Poor kids. Use a comb, like this, a fine-tooth one.
Right, right, like this.
Bless them... I`ll keep them.
Maybe I got stuck with them in my old age for a reason.
Svetka, Svetka, why did you have to die?
What a little devil!
If I can get to that attic, it`s worth a try.
Take as much as you can carry.
And a kilo of carrots. Time to pickle cabbage.
There`s a ball on the roof! Shurka`s ball, the leather one!
The guys didn`t see where it went but I did!
I know for sure it`s on the roof! I swear!
If you can take the attic key from your mom, it will be ours only.
Forever!
I`ll be back soon.
Should`ve worn the valenki.
But the cat is sleeping on them.
Such a big girl, and doesn`t know how to wipe her nose.
Why are you closing when you`ve only just opened?
Lunch.
Aunt Nastya said to bring the brooms, they`re in there...
Ah, I see.
Hey, there`s no ball.
Where is it, huh?
What ball? Oh, the ball...
Probably rolled down there.
You sit here, I`ll get to that roof and check if the ball is there...
You alive, little one? Alive? Arms and legs working?
Oh Lord, you poor baby... Oh my God...
A devil! Not a boy, a devil!
Where did he tumble from? As if I haven`t had enough.
It`s snowing! Zina! Hurry up, it`s snowing. Take the washing off.
Well?
Miss, Miss! I lost the money.
I lost it on the way. Miss!
Go ask your mom for the money, I`ll let you skip the line.
Miss! There`s a hole in my pocket! See?
Go look for it, maybe it`s on the ground somewhere!
Yeah, as if you`ll ever find it. Sure!
Miss!
Move aside, kiddo. I`ll have a couple kilos of cabbage.
You poor thing.
What now? She`ll throw us out.
And where will we go then?
...where will we go...
Shura, can you imagine, I`ve run to the kiosk twice already...
They`re gone, they`re gone, my girls...
The gypsies took them or I don`t know...
You`ll find them! What use are they to anyone?
Don`t beat yourself up.
And how lovely they were... So good, so sweet...
What will they do without me?
And me? What will I do without them?
Forgive me, Halima. This is for you, God bless you.