Everything began because of a black bucket. Aisha kept this bucket more than the apple of her eye. About three years ago before having lost it she had to run to her neighbours until her husband Birmaganbet having given way because of her constant pleases and blames brought from the shop and set in front of her a new black bucket.

-         I constantly hear only one word “a bucket, a bucket”! I am already sick and tired of it. And you see, instead of tobacco for myself I have bought this bucket for you. Take it and shut up! – Birmaganbet said stressing the whole importance of his action.

            But while pronouncing this Birmaganbet didn’t want to say at all that his wife was a slattern or a sloven. He just let her see that he was an honest man and didn’t brush aside the requests of his wife at all. The whole aul knew that Aisha was an accurate, economic and provident woman. She set store by each thing as if it was the only one from a thousand. Slattern who wished to demean and pinch “neatnik” Aisha mumbled sometimes:

-         And why is she always wrapping in cotton-wool all kinds of shit? All the same she will not give it to the grave! Miser!

            And only how this could happen: her black bucket was ruined!

            And the youngest Koshagul’s wife did it – a stupid, dirty woman – she was always hanging around the yards and asking for something, but when she took something – she never gave it back as others do. And today she suddenly needed a bucket. She showed up. Usually Aisha didn’t let even approach close such visitors to her house.

-         You are not poorer than me. You can buy it yourself, - she shortly answered them.

            But today she didn’t answer so. She had more serious trouble: it passed already the whole month since Birmaganbet had disappeared from the house! According to gossip he made up protocols about local bais by order of the district and sent these papers to the court. But what were bais to him? And why did he have to hang about somewhere on the side when at home he had his wife and his family? Already for several days Aisha’s head was full of such thoughts. Habitually she brought out ash, made fire under the fireplace, drove the only bright cow for watering, and as for herself she was constantly thinking and thinking about Birmaganbet.

            It was not the first year when he went around the auls. Already for three years he couldn’t sit at home. Since he had been chosen firstly a delegate at a farmhands’ meeting you could hear only the following from him: “a conference”, “a group”, “a statement”. If an authorized representative came in the aul – first of all he called for Birmaganbet. And then they walked together everywhere. They called people, hold meetings, an authorized representative made reports and when people being all abroad were keeping silent because a representative of the power asked to express somebody’s mind, - then Birmaganbet took the floor.

            - Comrades! – He said loudly.

            Everybody shivered and peeped into his mouth. And here Birmaganbet started taunting one people, teasing others and egging on the third ones:

-         Comrades! It is clearly seen that you are afraid of bais! Yes, yes! Somebody’s tongues have even grown numb from fear. Well, don’t funk! It’s enough to keep silent! I know that you have what to say. Am I right? Let’s do it, say!

            After these words everybody started taking the floor interrupting each other.

            When the meeting had been over and people had called it a night Aisha sitting at the fireplace started blaming her husband:

-         Why are you looking for trouble? Do you want people will call you a troublemaker? I wish you would sit at home and slurp your broth. No, contrariwise, he wishes obviously to take the floor!

            “Live your advice under your belt!” – as if Birmaganbet replied for this and having restrained Aisha with an angry look he pushed off the cup. Aisha knew that her husband had hasty temper and after this she didn’t speak about meetings any more.

            But everything could happen in their life. What else didn’t Aisha and Birmaganbet meet in the past with? Both indignity and dishonor, and bai’s beating, and his oldest wife’s abusing – Aisha withstood everything. Only four years ago she managed to have her own family. And even after getting married, Birmaganbet continued to work as a farmhand. Only last year he threw off the yoke. After the confiscation he got several heads of bais’ cattle.

            Since that time their household turned the cornet. Aisha spared and watched what she had. Her house was always clean and tidy. Sometimes they suffered from hunger or cold but she didn’t want even to listen about to cut or sell just a head of cattle. Once Birmaganbet tried to sell a reddish heifer and buy some clothes but Aisha made such a noise!..

-         Are you mad? It is impossible to sell the heifer. Earlier we also had been barefooted and empty-handed but we hadn’t died from hunger! And now we won’t die too!

            In fact Aisha had only the one wish: not to lose what they earned with such effort, better their household and wrest out at last from this damned poverty. She believed that they were not cut out to be poor men. They knew a bitter taste of a borrowed piece.

            So Aisha thought. And what about Birmaganbet? Wasn’t it he who had suffered from insults in ten times more than other ones? Did he think differently than her? And only now he achieved something, only now a beam of hope started glimmering in his soul. So why didn’t he care about his household? Why didn’t he think about his family and didn’t he care about his cattle? Why didn’t he swarm like other men, boil the pot and collect a kopeck to kopeck?..

            But these all were just trifles in comparison with the fact that had excited Aisha’s soul then. She decided to do the thing which she had never done, that she had thought never before about, that she had never kept in her thoughts, especially since she had got married. She couldn’t understand by herself how all this could have happened. Now she was breaking her head and could realize in no way: if she had done right or wrong. She tried to talk to Almagabet – he was her brother-in-law – but he turned everything into a joke and just trimmed her heart even more. And here when she was dizzying all of sudden there showed up this damned dirty callet and she wangled the black bucket.

 

***

            It happened in the following way.

            An authorized representative came in the aul and called all inhabitants for a meeting. The aul was small, there were about twenty yards or even less, and that’s why all people had enough room in Sartai’s house. All the women came too. Aisha was also among them. Kairalap having fluffed up his beard was sitting on the place of honour. Idris was sitting nearby having stuck out his fat chin. The both rich men were concussed thoroughly during the last harvesting and people gave them silent treatment-shreatment. If to remember Birmaganbet said at one meeting:

-         It would be good if there were no troublemakers-bais among us. Let only farmhands and poor men know about the affairs.

            And exactly then Kairalap and Idris were thrown away from the meeting. Now using the fact that Birmaganbet was absent in the aul the both bais came to the meeting without any fear and even sat nearby each other. Aisha was offensively affected by this. You see, how far they ventured! Did they think that if Birmaganbet was absent so they could give them an inch and they would take a mile again? Devil a bit! Tomorrow the husband will come back and Aisha will tell him about everything, and he will momentary nail the rich men down!

-         Come in, Aisha! Because of your husband you haven’t had many possibilities to visit meetings, - someone among young dzhigits cried out. – Well, take some kind of a floor until Birmaganbet is absent!

            And having felt a covert sneer Aisha became angry even more. The aul chairman – stammerer Orynbai dragging his canvas bag which he never parted with quietly spoke about something now to one then to another.   

            A foreigner with dark skin and disheveled hair was discontentedly keeping his watchful eye on the stammerer and said:

            - Comrade authorized representative! Is it perhaps enough to whisper in the background? Is it perhaps just time already to open the meeting?

            It turned out that the foreigner with dark skin was an authorized representative from the district. He made a report and finished with the following words:

-         Well, comrades, it is just time to finish with mindless small holding, change it into a large team production and get onto the method of the social husbandry!   

            People were keeping silent as if they were dreaming.

-         Do you have any questions? – The authorized representative asked for several times, but nobody even opened his or her mouth.

-         Iya, Allah, save us, sinners! – Kairalap sighed loudly.

-         Hey, why are you keeping silent? Say something!

-         There, Aisha has shaken up. Perhaps she wants something to say! – Someone of the dzhigits noticed playfully.

-         She is the wife of a militant. If she wants she can say so sharply, - somebody other replied.

            Whether Aisha completely waxed angry or she was really going to take a floor but she came forward at once.

-         Why not? I can say! Do you think I will be afraid of bais? I am not such one as you are!

            The authorized representative raised his head and looked attentively at Aisha. She confused and interrupted for a moment.

-         Say, woman! Be brave! – The authorized representative smiled.

-         First and foremost I would like to say: here are present two maikots¹. I wish them to leave our meeting.

            People exchanged looks. Satybaldy having frowningly looked at Aisha shook his head in surprise. The authorized representative went for the chairman of the aul soviet demanding to name these “maikots”. And having found out who they were he asked sharply:

-         Who has called you here?

-         Oibai, dear, it was said everybody to come to the meeting. That’s why we have come. I thought if I didn’t come I would be guilty again… - Kairalap started making excuses.

            The bais were ordered out. The authorized representative addressed to Aisha:

-         You may continue, woman.

            Aisha didn’t know what to speak next about. Nothing sensible came in upon her mind. But when the authorized representative asked to continue – she felt uncomfortable to keep silent. And she said shortly:

-         I can say in addition: everything what the authorized representative has spoken here about is absolutely right. I completely contribute him!

-         And do you have a cause not to contribute him: it must be the truth that your cattle are not earned by your sweat and labour, you have got it costless. It was taken away from ones and given to you. It is not difficult, of course, to give it to a collective farm. But let other people say, - Kusain noticed.

            To say the truth Aisha didn’t understand by herself what it meant to socialize cattle. But everything in the report of the authorized representative was clear for her. While listening to him she was thinking about her own business, about the fact that of late she couldn’t throw out from her head. And now she also felt uncomfortable.

-         I have a question, - Shaman gave mouth. – Well, let’s suppose that we will become a collective. We will unite all our holding and all our property. But what to do with our families? Will we, as before, leave each separate in his or her own hut or – as Smat’s relatives – will we begin slurping by forty persons from one tub?

¹a boycotted person

-         Of course, you will slurp from one tub; - Kusain stayed one jump ahead of the authorized representative.

            People started buzzing.

            However, the authorized representative took the floor, explained in details how they would build their collective farm and how the members of this collective farm guild would live, and all people calmed down.

-         Comrade authorized representative! – Tmakbai addressed. – Let’s take, for example, a poor man. He has nothing, so to speak. Nothing out of the common, the down-and-outs. He earns his living by sewing. Will you admit such one too?

            Shusup, Kadyrbergen and Shakip took the floor after Tmakbai. From their words Aisha clearly understood, that they were going to socialize cattle. But how could it be? Just recently they with Birmaganbet set up some kind of cattle. They denied themselves both clothes and food dreaming to rise their number of cattle at least in a little bit. And now suddenly everything will become common! Her poor brown heifer had an udder of quarter arshin size. After each milking it gave a bucket of milk. Last year during the confiscation of Bazaubai’s property the authorized representative called up Aisha. “Woman, - he said, - you with your husband have broken your backs enough for this bai. Well, take any cow from his flock”.

            The red starred breed had the most milkability among Bazubai’s cows. Her reddish cow was of the same breed. Aisha ran up to it and took its neck into her arms… And now suddenly her favourite reddish cow, benefactress, will become common, this dirty grubby callet Koshagula will get its milk and butter! Oh, my god, what does it mean? But the main thing was that there would be no host in the house, an owner of all the cattle. She wondered, would they socialize cattle at once or would they wait till Birmaganbet would come back?  

            The questions went out. The chairman of the meeting started the voting.

-         Well, who agrees to join the collective, lift your hands!

            The aul inhabitants looking at each other were keeping silent, waiting for something and moving around. Nobody decided to be the first one and lift the hand. Aisha remembered what Birmaganbet had done in such cases. He jumped off his place, lifted his hand and said:

-         Let’s vote!

            And at one bout people usually lifted their hands.

            Unexpectedly for herself Aisha also cried out:

-         Vote, comrades! So!

            Some people shyly lifted their hands and then all lifted their hands too. They took an elective resolution: “Let’s create a collective!” Then they had to choose a chairman. There rolled in different propositions. The authorized representative asked to say some words:

-         If you listen to me, I propose to choose as a chairwoman this very woman. You will not be sorry!

-         Come on! – Aisha jumped up with a starting.

-         It can be that nobody will object to this comrade, - Kusain started protracting and stumbling, - but she is illiterate…

-         Well, we can teach her reading and writing. Personally, I will readily vote for daughter-in-law Aisha. Let’s lift your hands! – Honorable Dosym said and after him all the people lifted their hands.

            In such a way Aisha was chosen a chairwoman of a new guild “New Way of Life”.

            It seemed to Aisha that the events of that day had been a strange dream. Quite unexpectedly the reins of the power turned out to be in her hands. Why? For what deserts? How would it finish? With something good or with shame? Will Birmaganbet be glad? Would he do the same if he were here? Or, contrariwise, would he keep silent with a petrified face?

            Aisha came home, and at home her eight-year-old son Kuandyk, having gathered all his friends from the whole aul, turned everything upside down. Usually Aisha ordered out these little devils from the house without any pity, and kids feeling that they could get beams spread out when they just noticed Aisha. But this time Aisha didn’t start crying as usual and didn’t chuck out these hesitating stormbirds. Pushing each other and crowding they went away, and Aisha having noticed nothing leant her back against the stove and stared at the window. Blizzard broke out. There grew a big snow drift out of the window. Severe wind swooped down upon it, raised snow whirls and howled dreadfully. The blizzard covered the window from below, and it became dark in the house.

            Collective! Was it created for luck or for grief? Somebody proposed half-joking, half-seriously at the meeting:

-         Let’s socialize women too.

            The second one momentary replied him:

-         Eh, we know, know, that you are aiming at Sheksen’s young wife!..

            But what will happen if they really socialize women… Aisha remembered how hot-tempered her Birmaganbet was. Besides, he was jealous, fussy and irritable. He said sometimes: “You are my greatest love. When somebody looks at you everything topples over inside me”. Well, what will happen now? If… My god, what am I thinking about!..  

            The youngest Koshagul’s wife showed up exactly at that minute. Her shaulyk was dirty and greasy. Her leather galoshes were down at heel on one side. She was out of breath as if somebody followed her with a stick. She scratched her back against the stove, stood so sometime and started chattering:

-         Apyrmai, what is it going with the weather? The sky seems to have fallen down. Every blessed day we have either snowstorm or blizzard, or windstorm. You can become mad. And in such a whirl some people are brave enough to visit these meetings. They might be to well off and have too much time on their hands. There showed up five people from “Birch Peg”, you see, they came with a visit. They sat at ease as if their native father had come! And what are people just thinking about? I had no food for treating. We cut for winter one crappy cattle and just yesterday we already divided its aitch-bone. There was left nothing more, we are bare as a bone…

            She got her breath and started again:

-         I decided to make them tea to get rid of them, but there was no reason to hopscotch just with one bucket in such blizzard. Could you, my daughter-in-law, give me your black bucket?

            Aisha was listening to this dirty callet absent-mindedly and with half an ear. She understood only the fact that she needed her black bucket. Earlier Aisha would not have let even come up her close to this bucket but now she wished so much to get rid of this intrusive guest and stay alone with herself, with her own thoughts that she waved with her hand:

-         There, in the corner, it is! Take!

            There came evening, it grew dark and she had to go for water. And exactly now Aisha understood how much she had blundered and she became cold. The youngest Koshagul’s wife was a rare sad sack. If anything got in her hands you can think that it has got lost. When she took a bowl she broke it into two pieces, if it was a teapot – and no mistake she beat off a spout or a bail, if she took a bucket… And having broken down Aisha ran out from the house. She ran stumbling and sinking down in snow drifts. But she didn’t notice this. She wished just to get to that dirty sloven. First and foremost she wished to see her black bucket…

            Having let her hair down and raising whirls of ash Koshagul’s callet was sitting at the stove. Having seen that Aisha had run into the house she started furiously poking pieces of coal with long tongs. There showered ash and spurted out black smoke.       

-         I have come to take back my bucket, - Aisha said apprehending something bad.

-         This… stupid boy… I have belabored him so much that he will remember it for ever… - the dirty woman mumbled not having a free moment from the stove.

            Not having remembered herself Aisha approached dreadfully. Having lost courage a little the dirty woman cheeped:

-         What’s up with you? Calm down! Have respect before the oldest one! Calm down! Here is your bucket.

            The bucket – deformed, with the sunken bottom – laid at the threshold. Aisha gagged with anger and offence. She grasped the deformed bucket, threw it into the unkempt callet and started crying.

-         Oibai-ai! – The dirty woman started bawling about the house with evil voice. – This da-a-amned wretch has ki-i-illed me!

            Koshagul came in. Icicles on his beard and moustaches melted and drops of water fell on his breast. His naturally wide eyes grew wider even more. It seemed that they were about to goggle out.

            He stood for sometime, chewed his lips and sighed:

-         Why do you, my daughter-in-law, hit our callet?

-         Don’t let her take and break other people’s things!

-         You are right, of course. It is not good to break. But why do you say “other people’s”? You have been at the meeting, you have heard, what the authorized representative has said. “All necessary implements of production will be socialized”. He has said so. And as for the bucket it is also an implement of production. And it is necessary too. It means that we must use it in common. It is no good to break. I agree. But if it was broken by chance, is it good to put up a fight at once? The authorized representative won’t praise it too. Besides, you have been chosen as a chairwoman. If we write a complaint that, they say, the chairwoman beats people you – have it in mind – will be brought to justice in two ticks.

            Aisha kept silent. She felt ashamed because of her outburst. All the words that had been said at the meeting about the socialization of implements of production really flew out from her head. The bucket was really common now. Well, this dirty woman took it. What a right did she, Aisha, have to rage? But however, it was acrimoniously thinking about this. The deformed black bucket was flickering before her eyes.

Then Koshagul’s dirty callet unkempt like a witch flickered too. Aisha felt both fear and offence. She jogged home droopingly and confused, being unable to calm down the shivering.

            … It was night. The window was covered with snow. Blizzard was raging; wind was blowing, howling and whistling. Aisha crouched in the darkness having cuddled Kuandyk. Dream left her. The woman was caught by unhappy thoughts. She sighed heavily.

            Somebody gave the door a yank. Aisha jumped up in fear:

-         Who is this?

-         It’s me!

            It was the well-known, native and long-awaited voice. Aisha ran to her husband in trice and started helping him to take off the clothes.

-         Apyrmai, are you so brave that you have come in such blizzard?!

            Birmaganbet was all in snow. His beard was covered with hoar; his moustaches were all in icicles. Being of a low statue and having a red face he was puffing and blowing happily taking off the clothes.

-         Oh, you, my darling, you might have been worn by anxiety and missed. Well, let me kiss you!

            Being cold, awkward and in thick clothes he pulled her to himself trying to embrace her and Aisha flashed like a girl, bent and moved up her face.

            She hasn’t seen him, Birmaganbet, for ages! She had such a grouch on her husband that she had threatened to herself even not to look at him when he came. But now being glad and happy she obediently moved up her cheek for kisses. That was Birmaganbet! What else Kazakh coming back home after a long parting would name his wife “darling” and will kiss in addition! Other ones thought that it was dishonorably even to greet with a wife. And Birmaganbet was not such one at all! He had a special character…

            Aisha told in details everything what had happened in the aul while he had been absent. Birmaganbet was mumbling approvingly. And when he learned that his wife had joined the collective and that she had been chosen as a chairwoman, became glad very much and started laughing.

-         Wait, don’t laugh. I haven’t told everything yet!

-         Well, speak up.

-         They want to bring me to justice!

-         Who?!

            And being excited, choking with anger and offence, with trembling voice she told the story about how the black bucked had died.

-         Ugh, you have found whom to be afraid of! – The husband shook his head.

-         Koshagul! Do you know at all what he is? Huckster! Mullah! This autumn he spoke still through his nose a knell for dead Bekbola and took away a red cow for this. I have said Kakimshan’s son many times to tax the old man. But that one, a mean person, protects him all the time. They mustn’t be even allowed coming close up to the collective! Call all the members of the guild tomorrow, I will publically disclose him and we will kick him away hammer and tongs. Well, but if he even joins the collective so it doesn’t mean at all that he has a right to break other people’s things. Can a bucket really be socialized?!

-         And what for a cow?.. Can it be? – Aisha asked with sadness.

            … At dark night lying in the bed nearby her husband Aisha suddenly saw for a moment her bright cow with a large swollen udder. And in addition it seemed to her that the black deformed bucket appeared for a while before her eyes too.

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