A blizzard. Wind falls with such fury that it is possible to suffocate. Snow fells prickly and hard. It gushes, whips in the face and seemed, that it wants to turn a man into an icicle.

“Hey, wife! Did you see how catch a draft. It is glacier, but not a house. Find something and lighting-up a furnace”, Kairakbay grumbled.

And in the low and crude dugout the wind howled too. Window, door, walls - everything is covered with a bluish rime. Not that people, even the dog would freeze in this shack.

“And what can I do? It is nothing to burn. I’ve already burned the roof of a barn. We with Damesh picked up the straw from under the snow today... and here you can see how it burns.”

Shrynkul sat down by the fire, stir in the oven with iron tongs, but could it be a lot of heat from rotten reed. The flame flares up and goes out. Desperation took possession of Shrynkul.

“Oh my God! Will there be an end to this damn beggary?! There is just water in the home! The stomach is empty for the second day. It’s unbearable queer feeling in the pit of the stomach. And what is next? How will we live?!”

And the tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Kairakbay has sunken eyes and sharp dry cheekbones. Eight year Tansyk, wrapping in a tattered coat and looking at his father, with gleaming and hungry little eyes. But emaciated Damesh is the most sad and completely depressed. She glances with pitying to her crying mother, then to frozen in an inescapable melancholy father. It is painful to see the girl; certainly there is not a trace of her joy and beauty - so bright and catchy two or three years ago.

Not only hunger oppresses her, but also a strange sense of guilt. Kairakbay has two children - Damesh and Tansyk. There is no demand from Tansyk, of course, but she is an adult, she is already sixteen. In her age the others works and supports parents. And what about Tansyk? How could she help her parents, who fed and nurtured her? There were no even crumbs in their mouths for two days. So how long could they hold that. And most importantly - what's ahead? Or they will suffer the same fate as Ultarak? They will go around the world hand in hand. And then would freeze in some abandoned house.

 Damesh’s heart shrinks from these thoughts. She fancies that she culprit of all their troubles and misfortunes. Oh my God, why isn’t she a man? Then she could become a farmhand or, at worst, to collect alms. Whatever it was, she would not give parents go hungry. And the girl is in tears. She cries because of helplessness and pity to herself and her family. Evening falls and it becomes very cold in the freezing dugout. Now it would be nice to melt a stove and to light the lamp. But there’s no neither the furnace nor candles. Kairakbay bent back against the wall. Tansyk froze, buried his nose under Kairakbay’s arms. Damesh crouched near, resting her head on brother. Kneeling Shrynkul frozen a little aloof, straight, like a stake in the steppe. All are silent, everyone thinks about their gloomy thoughts.

A blizzard is raging behind the wall. It snaps its teeth and rattle, then cries overwrought with a guttural voice. It seemed that inevitable darkness and icy cold tightened in its grip the whole world.

The snow gritted and steps were heard. Someone scratched into the door. Then, teetering, staggered into the dugout.

“Hey, who is this?”

“Gods guest...”

“Miserable, do you think that you can find anything at our place? We howl with the pack because of hungry. You should go better to Bais!”

With creaking boots and shifting from foot to foot, guest mumbled with dying voice:

“I'm hungry and unmounted. No one let me in their houses. Let me, for the sake of Allah, at least spend the night at your home...”

Shrynkul sighed:

“Well... Make yourself comfortable, take a sleep.”

***

“Hey!”, Shrynkul called her husband. “Raise your head.”

“And, what do you need?”

“So what will we decide?”

Kairakbay did not answer, but more hung below his shoulders.

“You buck up! What we could do against God’s will? We must accept it. Otherwise, we will freeze. If you do not have the courage, I will tell them everything by my own?.. So?”

And after a while Kairakbay mumbled:

“As you wish.”

“Dear daughter... Damesh!”, Shrynkul called.

“What, mom?”

“Wake up. Listen to me... See, what we came to? After all, that's how we die! And what to do?”

“I don’t know, mom. I would willingly sacrificed myself if I could save you. But how?..”

Damesh choked with tears and did not finish.

“My dear... Dear daughter!..”

“What, mom?”

“You know, there is one way out. Only you can save us from certain death...”

“Tell me, mom! I agree to everything. Maybe we can save at least Tansyk.”

 “If you do that, we will all be saved”

“Well, tell me, Mom, tell me!..”

Shrynkul paused, finally decided and began to speak:

“Honey, what is the reason to talk about the past, you know that we affianced you in the childhood. Your fiancé suddenly died last year. Now, according to the customs of amenger, his elder brother wants to take you as a second wife. Our hair has on end raised when we heard about that. We tried at any cost save you from this fate. All the cattle - five or six goals – we have given to the Bai, just to pay a bride-price for you. Then we had one wish, to defend you. Because we wished you happy, dreamed to give you to an equal, but you see, Allah has judged differently. He did not heed our plea. Now we are standing at the precipice. And there's only one way out: to sacrifice you to save the rest. We want to sell you, my daughter!

“Mommy! To sell! Am I a thing? Allah, Allah!.. But if it is your will, and I can save you, then I am... ready...”

“Really, my dear?”

“Really, mom! I’m ready for everything...”

“Then listen. Tleumaganbet wants to take you as a second wife. He will not give us any cattle, but will feed our whole family for one winter.”

Damesh’s heart frozen over. She began to shake.

“Т... т... Tleumaganbet?!”

Tleumaganbet was sixty years old. He is Bai. Married and separated the two sons. He had two wives, but the youngest died in the summer. So why now the decrepit old man need the young women?! Until he’s not dead, better would give her to one of his sons. Even if the second wife. If she would be sold in any way, so better she would marry the youngest!

Damesh seemed frozen. She wanted to cry but she was afraid to offend  already murdered mother.

 She cried, biting her lip, trying not to make a sound, feeling the hot tears running down on her chest.

Beggar, curled up on a bed, rolled over and groaned in a dream. He raved, or had a dream.

“hey, wife!”, he muttered. “ The bread burns. Take away the frying pan. Tear off a piece of flat bread...”

“Bre-a-d!..”

How much misery in the world because of bread! Such a good girls like Damesh, dying of hunger, walking the world with wallet, sold for a song to save her father-mother from starvation. Be damned poverty!..

“Dear daughter!” trembling voice of Shrynkul was heard.

“What, mommy?”

“Well, what you decided?”

“I’m agree, mom, agree! I will do everything for your sake and for the sake of a small Tansyk... I would give even thousand lives.”

***

“...Dear Rahila! It turns out, that you are alive!

I just found out today about your life and about your destiny. We have seen each other a long ago. You were ten years old... So now, it is the seventh year since our last meeting. Do you remember, in the fall, when we went to fetch water, you sat on the mound and began weeping bitterly? “If I could pick up two buckets of water, you said, I would be the happiest in the world.” Then you have to dream about much more. Even about a piece of bread. In the year of famine, your father went around the world. Your mother was out of mind. In ringing frost, you and your brother ever left your miserable dugout, and, hand in hand, went around the world. I remember you standing on a snowdrift, trembling and said: “How the man who never separated from childhood friends should be happy!” We were unbearably sad. I carried you to the pass over the aul. On the hill, where the road passed, you and I hugged each other and cried. Then I followed with eyes for a long time, how you with your mother, stumbling, wandered down a deserted winter road. When I came home, my chest was wet from tears.

... That day was just the beginning of the black sorrow. Adversities collapsed one after the other. And we caught up with your fate. We did not have a little piece of bread for a few days. We were threatened with death from starvation. Father was willing to beg for alms, but my mother did not let him. They said that it is better to die, than bear such a shame. it was especially hard to see Tansyk. The poor boy turned yellow, dried up and only bones were left from him.

We dutifully waited for death. But it’s easy just to talk about it. And not so bad just to die, but to die the whole family - it is terrible. I would die with no regrets, I really did not care, but father, mother, brother! And I would be happy to die if this price could have saved them.

However, this price was too insignificant. I cost almost nothing. Do you remember Taeumaganbet? Let root up his whole frigging race! He took me as a second wife. What can I say to you? I obeyed, resigned myself...

Tleumaganbet pledged to feed us during the winter, but did not fulfill the promise. I hoped that in the summer the parents would take care of themselves. I told my father about that many times. But Tleumaganbet thought otherwise. “I have supported you during the winter, you should work for me for this” that bastard said. And it so happened that I was married him on my own wish. So my father began to graze the Bai’s sheep, mother began to carry water, wash and heat the oven. Tansyk tasked keep an eye on calves. Grumpy Kanysh-baybishe hissed like a snake, and did not give us to live. Call us bosikan. Stray creature. And these words are just pierced right through me. There was no one to protect, we had to listen to everything. In the evenings we, unfortunates, gathered in our dugout and all cried together and it was getting easier.

I had no thoughts of a better life, could not hope that our lives would change. I stupefied and hardened. But it turned out, that with diligence you can beat the strong fetters. I became convinced in that by myself. Then it happened in May. The days were tender, the women gathered in a large yurt, spun from the hair halters for foals. Suddenly, two men entered, among them fair-faced, tall, with a barely visible mustache, curly hair, urban dressed, attracted at once. I do not know why, but I could not take my eyes from him, as if expected from him a miracle. As if only he could heal the wounded soul.

Bai and baybishe tried to kick me when visitors came, particularly important or bosses. Even if I accidentally came for some cases, I were hardly probable not pushed out. At first I could not figure out what was going on, and then began to wonder: “Apyrmay, why would they worry? Or afraid that I'll yelp to the chief? And maybe, in spite of them, and really somehow to complain?” And this time, as soon as the guest arrived, they began to expel me. And then something took me, that I immediately decided: “Oh no, nix on that game!” I looked at the visitor without stopping. But it seemed, that he did not notice me. Baybishe gets angry, furious. And I suddenly got so brave. I still do not understand how I blurted out:          

“Are you a chief?”, I asked him.

“ What's it to you?!”, in one voice roared Bai and baybishe.

I see that guest pricked up his ears, looking at the bai, then at baybishe and then at me and waits.

«If you are the boss, I need to talk to you”, I said.

Guest smiled:

“Well, I'm the chief, a small, but you can still talk to me.”

It could be seen, that Bai felt what I wanted to talk about, and just got mad.

“Get out, dog daughter!”, he growled and grabbed the white staff. “Go chase yourself!”

“I will not go away until I tell everything to the chief”, I said firmly.

And then Bai started to beat me. Well, I was habitual to the beatings, I turned around, concealed my face, held up my back, but he hit me that my eyes went dark. And suddenly all has calmed down. I looked around and almost choked with delight. I looked, Bai all white and shaking, and the visitor throw down a gun on him. Staff was lying on the floor. And baybishe’s jaw dropped.

“So, tell me everything”, the chief said. And then the offense rushed from me, like water, which made a breach in the dam, and I said:

“It's not about me. I will bear everything. But pull out my parents from the clutches of this villain!”

I started to speak.

And the chief told me, hearing all, that those days are gone, when women were sold like cattle.

“The Soviet court,” he said, “makes bai pay to your parents wholly for two years. And you will be able to get married whom you wish.”

My benefactor was head of the county Board of Education. He hand us on his cart and took to the city. He lived in a two-room apartment.

 

He gave us one room. He had intended to sue quickly from Bai wages for labor of father and mother and settle us in any nearby aul. However, the case dragged on. Bai did not come to court stubbornly. Bribed witnesses were found. Everybody has different conscience. There were those who stood up for bai. In general, we have lived with the captain Hasen almost three months. And all at his expense. It was not easy, of course, ashamed, but we could do nothing. We thought that we get share of the Bai through the court and the first thing will pay in full with him.

...It was evening. It was drizzling rain. I was standing at the window, gazing into the distance.

“Damesh”, someone called me, “please come out.”

I turned around. Hasen stood and smiled at me at the threshold, opened the door. My heart began to pound. Hasen, still smiling, calmly said:

“Autumn has come. Children are rushing to school. It's time to define Tansyk to school.”

I like crazed with joy and thanked him. And he suddenly asks:

“Or maybe you wish to study? If you want, I could arrange you to school? Now a lot of women are studing. And you are still very young. Listen to my advice take classes! I will help!

“Thank you!” I said.

And the very next day I crossed the threshold of the school.

Only in the middle of winter, the father finally paid off with Bai. Honestly, he received twice as many head of cattle than had previously. Parents immediately have settled in the aul in ten miles from the city. And I stayed to live with Hasen to continue studies. Such a parental fate, that do not cease take care even about adult children, just before leaving to the aul, my father took me aside and said:

 

“My dear daughter, we leave you here. Be a good girl. Take care. Run everything by Hasen. He is like an angel among the people. And he loves you.”

My heart almost jumped out of my chest from the word “loves”. And what, I thought for the first time, perhaps, he really likes me. I'm inattentive wally. Maybe I just did not notice.

I held the winter in school, overcame the letter, learned to write a little. It was the happiest time of my life. I never thought, never dreamed of this. And now I thank my lucky stars... I met as an uncovered flower the bright spring month of May.

I was going to the aul. My father promised to come for me on the cart. I will not withhold anything from you. The day before departure, Hasen took me to the theater. I have went there with him several times before that, in the winter. We came back late. It was a warm May night. I was like a drunk. I wanted to wander endlessly through the steppe and to inhale the sweet spring air with the whole chest. I wandered as in a dream. Hasen took me by the arm. I casually let my head lie against his shoulder, it was a little uncomfortable, even ashamed, but in fact I was ready to wander here all night...        Not likely!.. The whole life! And I would not feel any fatigue. I wished with all my heart that this happy state lasted for a long, long time...

Hasen was very polite and sensitive. Suddenly stopped, smiled as usual:

“Will you become angry, if I will tell you something?”

“No”, I answered, “tell me”.

And he said.

So we got married with Hasen. I became his faithful companion in life. My happiness star began to shine. Our son is growing. Like his father. I named him October. By the way, here is a thought occurred to me while I am writing. You're better educated than me, you are studying in the big schools, and we are preparing for momentous celebration, the tenth anniversary of October.

So you could describe, to that day, all that has gone through and has seen. It should turn out well, I read one of your note in the newspaper. Describe his entire life. It will be your gift to the celebration. Describe everything in details, how it was: about how, thanks to Soviet system, we have seen the world, how we received education, how become people. If there were no a new government, then our bones would smoldered in the ground...

I do not know what you went through after we parted. But imagine, that you were not easily achieved your goal. Write to the newspaper, certainly write! Let people read. And I will read with them too.

Congratulations! Sealed with kiss! Have a good life!”

1927