Trafika Europe 3 - Latvian Sojourn

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

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