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had cards and she knew how to tell fortunes. Oi, Ciganka
Moldovanka! – howled Jukka, sang Jukka, whispered Jukka,
cried Jukka, but Madalina just laughed. She had survived
because of the cards, just because of the cards. Strong and
healthy people had died, but Madalina had not.
“Where is that God’s justice?” She yelled, when she got to
drink some
samogon –
booze, but no one answered.
Because no one knew where that God’s justice was.
Madalina continued to earn some money. For her fortune
telling she got a bit of milk, some potatoes, sauerkraut, and,
now and then, also some lard. Yes, and
samogon
, that too.
Even the wife of the
uchastk
oviy – the precinct boss – came
to see her. She, who was a comrade. The
uchastk
oviy was a
big boss, that’s why Madalina always laid out only good
cards for his wife. Just the very best. Cards that showed
happiness and wealth, a faithful husband, beautiful and
smart children and a climb up the ladder in the upper
echelons. The brighter a future Madalina forecast, the more
generous the wife of the
uchastk
oviy and other female
comrades would be. The comrades came and came, and
brought groats and flour. Most of all the women comrades
wanted to know about their husbands, that Laura couldn’t
miss.
Madalina shared with everyone. Madalina without legs,
which had frozen totally off in the deadly cold, she was the