And in the little dank grey cottage next to Old Abraham's, lie seven of the seventeen Pravyks snoring while the others labour, twitching, turning, dreaming, whispering, muttering, their quick, sharp minds, blunted now, lie together as closely as their bodies do, unable to separate their own thoughts, uncertain where one ends and one begins, all dreading the thunderous reverberant factory bell; and, slipping through the dark, they dream of
MOTHER PRAVYK : This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed at home, this little picket had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy went
VOLODYMYR PRAVYK : Wee wee wee wee wee!
MOTHER PRAVYK : All the way home to
KIRA PRAVYK : Mama? Ma-ma!
MOTHER PRAVYK : Yes, Kira love?
KIRA PRAVYK : The baby is crying. Stop the baby crying.
LESYA PRAVYK : Poor little mite.
DANYLO PRAVYK : Of course he's crying.
PAVLO PRAVYK : But Kira's the baby.
LESYA PRAVYK : Leon is the baby.
PAVLO PRAVYK : We have a Leon?
DANYLO PRAVYK : And little Volodymyr.
PAVLO PRAVYK : Does our Papa know?
LESYA PRAVYK : I would hope so, he's Papa.
DANYLO PRAVYK : I'm surprised they have time.
KIRA PRAVYK : Time for what, Dany?
MOTHER PRAVYK : It doesn't matter.
KIRA PRAVYK : What doesn't matter?
MOTHER PRAVYK : Nothing important.
PAVLO PRAVYK : When did we get a new baby?
DANYLO PRAVYK : Oh, some months ago.
PAVLO PRAVYK : Are we keeping it?
MOTHER PRAVYK : Of course we are.
KIRA PRAVYK : Will Papa be home soon?
LESYA PRAVYK : When the big bell rings.
DANYLO PRAVYK : He'll only want to sleep, though.
LESYA PRAVYK : So leave him well alone.
MOTHER PRAVYK : Be quiet for Papa.
DANYLO PRAVYK : And for Oleksandr,
LESYA PRAVYK : For Jaroslav,
DANYLO PRAVYK : Oksana and Dmytro,
LESYA PRAVYK : Milla and Petro,
DANYLO PRAVYK : Yuriy and Lina,
MOTHER PRAVYK : Hush, my loves, hush. And don't forget Maryna.
KIRA PRAVIK: Mama? Ma-ma?
MOTHER PRAVYK : Yes, my love?
KIRA PRAVYK : The baby is still crying. Tell him to quiet.
MOTHER PRAVYK : Hush, little Leon.
DANYLO PRAVYK : Hush for Mama,
LESYA PRAVYK : For Danylo,
PAVLO PRAVYK : Hush for Lesya,
KIRA PRAVIK : For me, me, me!
PAVLO PRAVYK : That's not fair!
KIRA PRAVYK : Well, I'm sleeping, too!
MOTHER PRAVYK : We're all sleeping.
DANYLO PRAVYK : Until that old bell shakes me out of bed,
LESYA PRAVYK : And demands I go back to the clack-cracking,
DANYLO PRAVYK : Backbreaking, heartbreaking, soulless,
LESYA PRAVYK : Purgatory of the mill floor.
MOTHER PRAVYK : Why don't you stay at home with the children, then?
KIRA PRAVYK : Mama, Ma-ma! Watch me, not Vovo or the baby!
PAVLO PRAVYK : What about me? Don't forget me!
DANYLO PRAVYK : You'll be old enough soon.
LESYA PRAVYK : Old enough for the factory.
PAVLO PRAVYK : I don't want to work.
DANYLO PRAVYK : Doesn't matter if you stay home or not
LESYA PRAVYK : If you're old enough
DANYLO PRAVYK : You work like us
LESYA PRAVYK : Or like Mama.
PAVLO PRAVYK : She doesn't work.
VOLODYMYR PRAVIK : Wee wee wee wee!
KIRA PRAVYK : Mama, look at me, not Vovo!
PAVLO PRAVYK : No, no, no!