Trŭnčovica 2

Trynchovica2.new_.mp3

1 (b) [0:01] [I’ll tell you about how] I went out to plow. When I was little

às

nom 1sg

1sg pres aux clt

[...]

go sg f L.part I

comp

plow 1sg pres I

and

1sg pres aux clt

sg f L.part cop

little sg f adj

2 (b) [0:04] I was left without my father at a year and a half,

1sg pres aux clt

remain sg f L.part P

from

my sg m def adj

father sg m

orphan sg n

year sg f

and

half sg f

3 (b) [0:07] and my mother was compelled to make a second official marriage,

and

my sg f def adj

mother sg f

acc f 3sg clt

force 3pl pres I

still

one sg m adj

time sg m

comp

acc f 3sg clt

wed 3pl pres I

4 (b) [0:10] because her father had no boys. There were no boys. So I grew up,

because

not.have 3pl pres I

boy pl n

father sg m

dat f 3sg clt

pres neg exist

boy pl n

and

grow 1sg aor P

nom 1sg

5 (b) [0:14] and reached eight or nine. And I had a grandfather who was fifty years old.

and

become 1sg aor P

eight

nine

year pl f

grandfather sg m

have 1sg impf I

fifty

year pl f

6 (b) [0:18] My stepfather had a brother, and [these] two brothers married two sisters,

father sg m

dat 1sg clt

repeater sg m def

still

one sg m adj

brother sg m

lead 3pl impf I

two f

sister pl f

and

two an.num

brother pl m

7 (b) [0:23] and we all lived in the same house. I don’t remember my stepfather coming

one sg f adj

house sg f

live 1pl impf I

nom 1sg

neg

remember 1sg aor P

my sg m def adj

stepfather sg m

comp

come 3sg pres P

8 (b) [0:27] to say, “Child, time to go out,” or, when you could see the weather [would go bad],

comp

say 3sg pres P

son voc sg m

adrs

go sg imv I

and

when conj

see 2sg pres P

weather sg n def

9 (b) [0:31] “Go get the oxen and bring them back.” No, nothing like that ever happened.

ox pl m def

gather sg imv P

and

acc 3pl clt

drive sg imv P

pres neg exist

such sg n adj

thing sg n

10 (b) [0:34] And uncle, now – uncle would relieve me from [some of the work] with the oxen.

disc

fut

come 3sg pres P

uncle sg m

dat 1sg clt

uncle sg m

nom m 3sg

fut

acc 1sg clt

relieve 3sg pres P

from

ox pl m def

11 (b) [0:38] When he saw bad weather coming, he would meet me [as I returned] from the field.

nom m 3sg

when conj

see 3sg pres P

bad sg n adj

weather sg n

fut

come 3sg pres P

comp

acc 1sg clt

meet 3sg pres P

from

field sg f

12 (b) [0:42] Once [when] I was out in the pasture, tending two water buffaloes and three oxen,

somewhere

1sg pres cop clt

pasture sg f

two

water.buffalo ct m

and

three

ox ct m

keep 1sg impf I

13 (b) [0:46] the water buffaloes would first enter the puddle, then the oxen would go crazy

what sg n interr

fut

most

in.front adv

water.buffalo pl m def

go.in 3pl pres I

puddle sg f def

ox pl m def

[...]

go.mad 3pl pres I

14 (b) [0:51] and run around the field (we had a lot of pastureland then, not plowed like now).

run 3pl pres I

around

field sg m def

then adv

impf exist

pastureland pl n

many adv

exist impf neg

plow sg n P.part P

now adv

15 (b) [0:56] When we take them further away, there’s this ten-hectare area

when conj

acc 3pl clt

drive 1pl pres P

beyond adv

what sg n interr

pres exist

hundred

decare ct m

16 (b) [0:59] that we call “svat”, a marshland. I would lie in this tall strong grass, “belizma”

say 1pl pres I

dat m 3sg clt

rel

3sg pres cop clt

marshland sg m

tall.grass sg f

here adv

lie.down sg f L.part P

легна

səm

1sg pres aux clt

съм

17 (b) [1:04] and make ropes of it, and play. Five or six of us girls make ropes

and

acc refl clt

tie 1pl pres P

play 1pl pres I

dat refl clt

make 1pl pres I

rope sg n

fut

acc refl clt

five

six

girl pl n

18 (b) [1:10] and play. What would we play? [Sometimes] we had the idea to pretend to be brides.

and

play 1pl pres I

what sg n interr

play 1pl pres I

come 3sg pres P

dat 1pl clt

mind sg m def

comp

acc refl clt

do 1pl pres I

bride pl f

19 (b) [1:13] We cover our heads and get pretty, but now there’s no bridegrooms –

zəbràždəme

cover.head 1pl pres I

acc refl clt

and

acc refl clt

[...]

smooth.out 1pl pres I

but

now adv

bridegroom pl m

neg exist

20 (b) [1:18] the boys don’t want to, it doesn’t suit them. We’ll start to play

neg

want 3pl pres

and

boy pl n

neg

dat m 3sg clt

match 3pl pres I

fut

begin 1pl pres P

comp

play 1pl pres I

21 (b) [1:22] [a game] where, having sat down we spread our legs, and begin

where rel

how interr

1pl pres aux clt

sit.down pl L.part P

fut

dat refl clt

spread 1pl pres P

leg pl m def

and

begin 1pl pres I

22 (b) [1:25] to jump over one another. No underpants, nothing. When you jump,

ahead adv

fut

jump.over 1pl pres I

neg exist

pants pl.t

exist neg

nothing sg n

when conj

jump 2sg pres P

23 (b) [1:29] you’re naked up to here. That sort of thing doesn’t happen now.

here adv

acc refl clt

become.naked 3sg pres I

where interr

now adv

such sg n adj

thing sg n

neg exist

24 (b) [1:33] Finally I got to be big. And my grandfather was struggling

and

most

later adv

become 1sg aor P

big sg f adj

and

grandfather sg m

dat 1sg clt

acc refl clt

torture 3sg pres I

25 (b) [1:37] to plow. We had some land here, [in an areas] where now shepherds

comp

plow 3sg pres I

here adv

one sg n adj

place sg n

dat refl clt

have 1pl pres I

where interr

now adv

3pl pres cop clt

shepherd pl m def

26 (b) [1:40] tend sheep from the collective farm. We have fields – each one six decares –

economic pl def adj

sheep pl f

have 1pl pres I

field pl f

six

decare ct m

one sg f adj

field sg f

27 (b) [1:44] and my grandpa’s going to plow. And when you plow it’s like [it is] now –

and

grandfather sg m

dat 1sg clt

fut

plow 3sg pres I

and

when conj

plow 2sg pres I

disc

now adv

28 (b) [1:47] a little dry, and these hard lumps [of earth] keep turning up. [So I’d say,]

little adv

dry adv

and

ost

such pl adj

lump pl f

acc refl clt

turn 3pl pres I

29 (b) [1:50] “Grandpa, let me plow! Come on, Grandpa!” [I wanted] to replace

grandfather sg m

adrs

give sg imv P

comp

plow 1sg pres I

adrs

grandfather sg m

adrs

comp

replace 1sg pres P

30 (b) [1:53] Grandpa, I felt such sympathy for him. I’d slept in the same room as him

grandfather sg m

dear adv

dat 1sg clt

3sg pres cop clt

for

acc m 3sg

nom 1sg

dat refl clt

acc m 3sg

sleep 1sg impf I

31 (b) [1:56] ever since my mother had gotten married a second time. I was with him

when conj

wed sg f P.part P

my sg f def adj

mother sg f

second sg m def adj

time sg m

nom 1sg

acc m 3sg

32 (b) [2:00] until he died. So it was, “Grandpa, let me do it! Let me plow, Grandpa!”

until conj

die 3sg aor P

grandfather sg m

adrs

give sg imv

dat 1sg clt

comp

plow 1sg pres I

adrs

grandfather sg m

33 (b) [2:04] “Ah, get out of here! I’m going to piss in your woman’s frying pan!

excl

remove sg imv P

acc refl clt

comp

piss 1sg pres I

frying.pan sg m def

dat 2sg clt

female sg m adj

34 (b) [2:07] You do the plowing? You can’t [even] walk through the field, much less plow!”

fut

plow 2sg pres I

neg

can 2sg pres I

comp

walk 2sg pres I

around

field.for.plowing sg f def

and

fut

plow 2sg pres I

35 (b) [2:10] “Oh, let me, Grandpa,” I’d cry. “Come on, let me do the plowing, Grandpa!

give sg imv

adrs

grandfather sg m

cry 1sg pres I

adrs

give sg imv

comp

plow 1sg pres I

adrs

grandfather sg m

36 (b) [2:13] You’ve gotten so worn out, Grandpa!” And again he would begin

and

nom 2sg

acc refl clt

tire 2sg aor P

adrs

grandfather sg m

nom m 3sg

again adv

fut

begin 3sg pres P

37 (b) [2:16] to scold me. The man plowed and plowed and [only] finished one decare.

comp

acc 1sg clt

scold 1sg pres I

plow 3sg aor I

man sg m def

plow 3sg aor I

plow 3sg aor P

one sg m adj

decare sg m

38 (b) [2:20] He re-harnessed two oxen and a female water buffalo, all three so as to plow.

prepr’àgə

harness.again 3sg aor I

two m

ox ct m

one sg f adj

water.buffalo sg f

harness.again 3sg aor I

acc 3pl clt

three def

comp

plow 3sg pres I

39 (b) [2:25] “Come on, Grandpa, harness the oxen and give me the plow.”

hort

harness sg imv P

grandfather sg m

ox pl m def

and

give sg imv P

acc 1sg

plow sg n def

40 (b) [2:28] So I plowed till evening and the next day felt unwell.

and

evening sg f def

plow 1sg impf I

and

next.day adv

ill sg f adj

1sg pres cop clt

41 (b) [2:32] But he didn’t dare confess to my mom that he’d –

but

nom m 3sg

neg

dare 3sg pres I

comp

notify 3sg pres P

Mom sg f

that conj

acc 1sg clt

3sg pres aux clt

42 (b) [2:34] that he wasn’t letting me plow but that I kept on wanting to.

that conj

nom m 3sg

neg

dat 1sg clt

give 3sg pres I

comp

plow 1sg pres I

but

nom 1sg

want 1sg pres I

and

43 (b) [2:37] He didn’t dare tell her. So it went on: today, tomorrow, for some time,

neg

dare 3sg pres I

comp

dat f 3sg clt

notify 3sg pres P

today adv

thus adv

tomorrow adv

thus adv

one sg n adj

time sg n

44 (b) [2:41] and I grew up some more. My stepfather (not my husband) lifted two plows –

grow 1sg aor P

nom 1sg

still adv

stepfather sg m

dat 1sg clt

not

husband sg m def

lift 3sg aor P

two n

plow pl n

45 (b) [2:45] the last war, the Serbian-Bulgarian war, had ended, and when it ended

finish 3sg aor P

already adv

war sg f def

last sg f def adj

war sg f

srɤ̀psku.bɤ̀lgərskətə

Serbo.Bulgarian sg f def adj

сръбско-български

vujnɤ̀

war sg f

война

46 (b) [2:50] my father liked to act the rich man and [partake in] animal trading.

when conj

finish 3sg aor P

father sg m

dat 1sg clt

little adv

like 3sg pres I

act.landowner 3sg pres I

animal.trading sg m

little adv

47 (b) [2:55] He cheated [some folk] here and there, acting the big shot. “Hey Necho,” [he said]

lie 3sg aor I

to.here adv

beyond adv

when conj

landowner sg m

Necho sg m name

adrs

48 (b) [2:59] (that was the name of my father’s brother), “Necho, you go get

thus adv

dat m 3sg clt

3sg impf cop

name sg n def

uncle sg m

brother acc sg m

Necho sg m name

fut

lift 2sg pres P

49 (b) [3:02] two plows, either metal or wooden, and go with Anzhela

two n

plow pl n

two m

plow ct m

and

fut

go 2sg pres P

with

Anzhela sg f name

50 (b) [3:06] and [the two of you] will plow a while. And I’ll come to see [you] there.”

fut

plow 2pl pres P

little adv

and

nom 1sg

fut

come 1sg pres P

fut

go 1sg pres P

comp

see 1sg pres P

there adv

51 (b) [3:09] So we had vetch, peas, a lot there. We had many fields,

[...]

[...]

have 1pl pres I

vetch sg m

peas sg m

have 1pl pres I

vetch sg m

have 1pl pres I

all.kind sg n adj

have 1pl impf I

many adv

field f

52 (b) [3:14] a big estate, combined from three households. So we would go to the field

gather pl P.part P

from

three

house ct m

estate sg m

much adv

and

fut

go 1pl pres P

field sg f

53 (b) [3:19] Uncle would harness up – oxen for me and water buffalo for him, and we’d plow.

uncle

fut

harness 3sg pres P

for

acc 1sg

ox pl m def

for

acc m 3sg

water.buffalo pl m def

and

fut

plow 1pl pres I

54 (b) [3:23] I’d plow in front, and Uncle would plow in back. We plow and plow – and

nom 1sg

fut

plow 1sg pres I

in.front adv

uncle sg m

fut

plow 3sg pres I

behind adv

plow 1pl pres I

plow 1pl pres I

55 (b) [3:27] nothing. “Hey uncle, let’s [stop to] eat! We didn’t eat in the morning,

neg exist

uncle sg m

adrs

hort

comp

eat 1pl pres I

adrs

neg

1pl pres aux clt

eat pl L.part.impf I

for

morning sg f

56 (b) [3:30] and look – now it’s eleven o’clock!” “We’ll eat at home,” [he said]

excl

become sg n L.part P

eleven

hour sg m def

eat 1pl pres I

dat refl clt

at.home adv

57 (b) [3:33] “I’ll unharness the oxen there, and the water buffalo, and we’ll eat.”

nom 1sg

fut

[ ... ]

[…]

ox pl m def

there adv

and

water.buffalo pl m def

and

fut

eat 1pl pres I

58 (b) [3:36] The water buffalo and oxen are harnessed to the plows and we – we stopped

bɨ̀vulete

water.buffalo pl m def

ox pl m def

harness pl P.part P

plow pl n def

and

nom 1pl

[…]

let.go 1pl aor P

59 (b) [3:40] to eat. [As] we were eating, Uncle said, “What shall we do [now]?

comp

eat 1pl pres I

eat 1pl aor I

acc refl clt

uncle sg m

what sg n interr

fut

do 1pl pres I

call 3sg pres I

60 (b) [3:45] You’re probably all tired out.” “No, I’m not!” – I didn’t dare say

probably adv

that conj

2sg pres aux clt

acc refl clt

tire sg f L.part P

neg

1sg pres aux clt

and

neg

dare 1sg pres I

61 (b) [3:47] to say that I’d gotten tired. [He said] he’d leave one plow [behind]

comp

say 1sg pres P

that conj

1sg pres aux clt

acc refl clt

tire sg f L.part P

fut

leave 3sg pres P

one sg n def adj

plow sg n

62 (b) [3:50] and plow just with one. “I’m not tired, Uncle, I’m not!

fut

plow 3sg pres I

only adv

with

one sg n adj

neg

1sg pres aux clt

uncle sg m

acc refl clt

tire sg f L.part P

neg

1sg pres aux clt

63 (b) [3:52] I’ll plow!” So we plowed until midday, and stopped for [the] midday [break].

fut

plow 1sg pres I

plow 1pl impf I

comp

become 3sg pres P

midday sg n

release 1pl aor P

for

midday sg n

64 (b) [3:57] [But] Grandpa Nikola’s not here! Not anywhere! No trace of him!

grandfather sg m

Nikola sg m name

acc m 3sg clt

pres neg exist

pres neg exist

acc m 3sg clt

pres neg exist

acc m 3sg clt

65 (b) [4:00] He (= Uncle) said, “He’s not going to come,” he said. “Let’s,” he said,

nom m 3sg

say 3sg pres P

fut neg

comp

come 3sg pres P

say 3sg pres P

hort

say 3sg pres P

comp

[ … ]

[...]

66 (b) [4:03] “unharness the water buffaloes and we’ll both go,” he said,

comp

release 1pl pres P

water.buffalo pl m def

and

fut

go 1pl pres P

and

two an.num

say 3sg pres P

67 (b) [4:06] “to let the water buffalo wallow in mud somewhere in some puddle,

comp

soil 1pl pres P

water.buffalo pl m def

somewhere adv

one sg f adj

puddle sg f

68 (b) [4:09] and [then] water the oxen. Or [how about] you take [the oxen]

and

ox pl m def

fut

acc 3pl clt

water 1pl pres P

nom 2sg

fut

acc 3pl clt

drive 2sg pres P

69 (b) [4:11] to water them, and I,” he said, “will see the water buffalo to the mud.”

comp

acc 3pl clt

water 2sg pres P

nom 1sg

say 3sg pres P

fut

soil 1sg pres P

water.buffalo pl m def

бивол

70 (b) [4:14] So when these “muddied” water buffalo started to move off, I – how can I tell you? –

and

thus adv

soil pl P.part P

water.buffalo pl m def

when conj

walk 3pl pres I

nom 1sg

how interr

comp

dat 2sg clt

say 1sg pres P

71 (b) [4:17] I fell flat – boom! I couldn’t see anything. Only my eyes glittered out [to others].

fall.hard 1sg aor P

entire sg f def adj

nom 1sg

neg

can 1sg pres I

comp

see 1sg pres P

only

eye pl n def

dat 1sg clt

twinkle 3pl pres I

72 (b) [4:20] Mud everywhere – they’d made me all muddy. How was I going to plow?

everything sg n adj

mud sg f

nom 3pl

acc 1sg clt

make pl L.part P

all adv

mud sg f

how interr

comp

plow 1sg pres I

73 (b) [4:25] So I tied a piece of clothing over me, something my mother had sewn for me,

tie 1sg aor

dat refl clt

one sg f adj

garment sg f

above adv

one sg f adj

3sg impf aux

dat 1sg clt

sew sg f L.part P

mother sg f

dat 1sg clt

74 (b) [4:28] like a blouse from a piece of blue printed fabric [that she’d sewn] when she couldn’t

one sg f adj

blouse sg f

from

one sg f adj

blue sg f adj

printed.fabric sg f

because

neg

can pres imprs

75 (b) [4:31] see me [and get my size]. Back then [we had] thick woven shifts,

comp

acc 1sg clt

see 3sg pres P

one sg n adj

time sg n

weave pl P.part P

shift pl f

thick pl adj

76 (b) [4:34] they weren’t washable. “Oh, what are we going to do now, Uncle?”

neg

can pres imprs

comp

acc f 3sg clt

wash 3sg pres P

excl

what sg n interr

comp

do 1pl pres I

now adv

adrs

uncle sg m

77 (b) [4:38] “Well, take off that outer [garment] and plow in your white shift.

disc

throw sg imv P

this sg n adj

upper sg n def adj

and

plow sg imv I

with

white sg f def adj

shift sg f

78 (b) [4:41] There’s no wind, no rain, nothing [to make any problem].”

disc

neg exist

wind sg m

neg exist

rain sg m

neg exist

nothing sg n

79 (b) [4:44] So that’s how I spent my life. And finally [I’ll tell you about when]

and

thus adv

1sg pres aux clt

experience sg f L.part I

life sg m def

most

later adv

80 (b) [4:47] we go to mow. Our house was small – above the ground.

fut

mow 1pl pres I

our sg f def adj

house sg f

3sg impf cop

little adv

when conj

[…]

above.ground adv

81 (b) [4:50] but covered with bristle grass. And swamp grass – we go to mow swamp grass.

but

cover sg f P.part P

with

bristle.grass sg f

swamp.grass pl f

fut

go 1pl pres P

comp

mow 1pl pres I

swamp.grass pl f

82 (b) [4:55] [My father] mowed two or three tracks, then: “Necho, are you going to mow?”

nom m 3sg

mow 3sg aor I

two m

three

disc

track ct m

Necho sg m name

fut

mow 2sg pres I

interr clt

83 (b) [4:59] “Yes, I’ll mow,” [he said]. And my mother’s older sister –

disc

and

fut

mow 1sg pres I

big sg f def adj

sister sg f

my sg f def adj

mother sg f

84 (b) [5:03] she’s not officially married, but [rather] married in another place –

nom f 3sg

neg

3sg pres cop clt

wed sg f P.part P

other sg n adj

place sg n

marry sg f P.part I

85 (b) [5:05] she has a son my age. “Come on you, struggle a bit here. [You go] with Anzhela.

but

have 3sg pres I

boy sg n

with

acc 1sg

hort

nom 2pl

acc refl clt

torment pl imv I

here adv

with

Anzhela sg f name

86 (b) [5:08] She’ll mow and you’ll gather the bristle grass, and each tie up what you can.

fut

mow 3sg pres I

fut

gather 2pl pres I

bristle.grass sg f def

fut

tie 2pl pres P

which sg m interr

what sg n rel

can 3sg pres I

87 (b) [5:13] You’ll mow [too], Lecho.” So he mows, that guy, and the two of us in back

nom 2sg

fut

mow 2sg pres I

Lecho sg m name

nom m 3sg

mow 3sg pres I

person sg m def

mow 3sg pres I

disc

nom 1pl

two an.num

behind adv

88 (b) [5:16] gather it and tie it up. And leeches burst out. Leeches this big, like ropes,

gather 1pl pres I

tie 1pl pres I

run 3pl pres I

and

leech pl f

ost

such pl adj

rope pl n

leech pl f

89 (b) [5:20] [jumping] around the water. “Oh, Uncle! I’ll mow,” I said. “I’ll mow,

around

water sg f def

excl

uncle sg m

nom 1sg

fut

mow 1sg pres I

nom 1sg

call 1sg pres I

fut

mow 1sg pres I

90 (b) [5:24] because when I sweep my scythe around the leeches go away.”

because

when conj

wave 1sg pres P

with

scythe sg f def

and

run 3pl pres I

leech pl f def

91 (b) [5:27] I managed one or two tracks till evening, and took turns

nom 1sg

one sg m adj

track sg m

two m

track ct m

evening sg f def

acc refl clt

exchange 1pl impf I

92 (b) [5:30] with my aunt’s son, the boy who’s the same age as me.

with

aunt sg f

dat 1sg clt

aunt sg f

dat 1sg clt

boy sg n def

1pl pres cop clt

one sg f adj

year sg f

93 (b) [5:35] He finished two or three tracks, and I did two or three tracks.

and

tòj

nom m 3sg

той

iskàrə

get.through 3sg aor P

two m

three

track ct m

nom 1sg

two m

three

track ct m

94 (b) [5:38] And still no trace of that Grandpa Nikola. He came only in the evening.

that sg m adj

grandfather sg m

dat 2sg clt

Nikola sg m name

acc m 3sg clt

neg exist

even adv

evening sg f def

dat refl clt

come 3sg aor P

95 (b) [5:41] You wait for him to come to mow [but probably in vain].

and

nom 2sg

wait sg imv I

fut

come 3sg pres P

comp

mow 3sg pres I

96 (b) [5:43] What hardships I’ve been through, since I was small, and even to now.

what.kind sg n adj

hardship sg n

1sg pres aux clt

get.through sg f L.part P

nom 1sg

from

little sg f adj

and

now adv

97 (b) [5:46] Even to now. That which has made me ill till now is going to finish me off.

now adv

how interr

acc 1sg clt

3sg pres aux clt

fall.ill sg f L.part P

thus adv

fut

acc 1sg clt

make.fatally.ill 3sg pres P

доболея

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Trŭnčovica 2

1 (b) [0:01] [I’ll tell you about how] I went out to plow. When I was little

2 (b) [0:04] I was left without my father at a year and a half,

3 (b) [0:07] and my mother was compelled to make a second official marriage,

4 (b) [0:10] because her father had no boys. There were no boys. So I grew up,

5 (b) [0:14] and reached eight or nine. And I had a grandfather who was fifty years old.

6 (b) [0:18] My stepfather had a brother, and [these] two brothers married two sisters,

7 (b) [0:23] and we all lived in the same house. I don’t remember my stepfather coming

8 (b) [0:27] to say, “Child, time to go out,” or, when you could see the weather [would go bad],

9 (b) [0:31] “Go get the oxen and bring them back.” No, nothing like that ever happened.

10 (b) [0:34] And uncle, now – uncle would relieve me from [some of the work] with the oxen.

11 (b) [0:38] When he saw bad weather coming, he would meet me [as I returned] from the field.

12 (b) [0:42] Once [when] I was out in the pasture, tending two water buffaloes and three oxen,

13 (b) [0:46] the water buffaloes would first enter the puddle, then the oxen would go crazy

14 (b) [0:51] and run around the field (we had a lot of pastureland then, not plowed like now).

15 (b) [0:56] When we take them further away, there’s this ten-hectare area

16 (b) [0:59] that we call “svat”, a marshland. I would lie in this tall strong grass, “belizma”

17 (b) [1:04] and make ropes of it, and play. Five or six of us girls make ropes

18 (b) [1:10] and play. What would we play? [Sometimes] we had the idea to pretend to be brides.

19 (b) [1:13] We cover our heads and get pretty, but now there’s no bridegrooms –

20 (b) [1:18] the boys don’t want to, it doesn’t suit them. We’ll start to play

21 (b) [1:22] [a game] where, having sat down we spread our legs, and begin

22 (b) [1:25] to jump over one another. No underpants, nothing. When you jump,

23 (b) [1:29] you’re naked up to here. That sort of thing doesn’t happen now.

24 (b) [1:33] Finally I got to be big. And my grandfather was struggling

25 (b) [1:37] to plow. We had some land here, [in an areas] where now shepherds

26 (b) [1:40] tend sheep from the collective farm. We have fields – each one six decares –

27 (b) [1:44] and my grandpa’s going to plow. And when you plow it’s like [it is] now –

28 (b) [1:47] a little dry, and these hard lumps [of earth] keep turning up. [So I’d say,]

29 (b) [1:50] “Grandpa, let me plow! Come on, Grandpa!” [I wanted] to replace

30 (b) [1:53] Grandpa, I felt such sympathy for him. I’d slept in the same room as him

31 (b) [1:56] ever since my mother had gotten married a second time. I was with him

32 (b) [2:00] until he died. So it was, “Grandpa, let me do it! Let me plow, Grandpa!”

33 (b) [2:04] “Ah, get out of here! I’m going to piss in your woman’s frying pan!

34 (b) [2:07] You do the plowing? You can’t [even] walk through the field, much less plow!”

35 (b) [2:10] “Oh, let me, Grandpa,” I’d cry. “Come on, let me do the plowing, Grandpa!

36 (b) [2:13] You’ve gotten so worn out, Grandpa!” And again he would begin

37 (b) [2:16] to scold me. The man plowed and plowed and [only] finished one decare.

38 (b) [2:20] He re-harnessed two oxen and a female water buffalo, all three so as to plow.

39 (b) [2:25] “Come on, Grandpa, harness the oxen and give me the plow.”

40 (b) [2:28] So I plowed till evening and the next day felt unwell.

41 (b) [2:32] But he didn’t dare confess to my mom that he’d –

42 (b) [2:34] that he wasn’t letting me plow but that I kept on wanting to.

43 (b) [2:37] He didn’t dare tell her. So it went on: today, tomorrow, for some time,

44 (b) [2:41] and I grew up some more. My stepfather (not my husband) lifted two plows –

45 (b) [2:45] the last war, the Serbian-Bulgarian war, had ended, and when it ended

46 (b) [2:50] my father liked to act the rich man and [partake in] animal trading.

47 (b) [2:55] He cheated [some folk] here and there, acting the big shot. “Hey Necho,” [he said]

48 (b) [2:59] (that was the name of my father’s brother), “Necho, you go get

49 (b) [3:02] two plows, either metal or wooden, and go with Anzhela

50 (b) [3:06] and [the two of you] will plow a while. And I’ll come to see [you] there.”

51 (b) [3:09] So we had vetch, peas, a lot there. We had many fields,

52 (b) [3:14] a big estate, combined from three households. So we would go to the field

53 (b) [3:19] Uncle would harness up – oxen for me and water buffalo for him, and we’d plow.

54 (b) [3:23] I’d plow in front, and Uncle would plow in back. We plow and plow – and

55 (b) [3:27] nothing. “Hey uncle, let’s [stop to] eat! We didn’t eat in the morning,

56 (b) [3:30] and look – now it’s eleven o’clock!” “We’ll eat at home,” [he said]

57 (b) [3:33] “I’ll unharness the oxen there, and the water buffalo, and we’ll eat.”

58 (b) [3:36] The water buffalo and oxen are harnessed to the plows and we – we stopped

59 (b) [3:40] to eat. [As] we were eating, Uncle said, “What shall we do [now]?

60 (b) [3:45] You’re probably all tired out.” “No, I’m not!” – I didn’t dare say

61 (b) [3:47] to say that I’d gotten tired. [He said] he’d leave one plow [behind]

62 (b) [3:50] and plow just with one. “I’m not tired, Uncle, I’m not!

63 (b) [3:52] I’ll plow!” So we plowed until midday, and stopped for [the] midday [break].

64 (b) [3:57] [But] Grandpa Nikola’s not here! Not anywhere! No trace of him!

65 (b) [4:00] He (= Uncle) said, “He’s not going to come,” he said. “Let’s,” he said,

66 (b) [4:03] “unharness the water buffaloes and we’ll both go,” he said,

67 (b) [4:06] “to let the water buffalo wallow in mud somewhere in some puddle,

68 (b) [4:09] and [then] water the oxen. Or [how about] you take [the oxen]

69 (b) [4:11] to water them, and I,” he said, “will see the water buffalo to the mud.”

70 (b) [4:14] So when these “muddied” water buffalo started to move off, I – how can I tell you? –

71 (b) [4:17] I fell flat – boom! I couldn’t see anything. Only my eyes glittered out [to others].

72 (b) [4:20] Mud everywhere – they’d made me all muddy. How was I going to plow?

73 (b) [4:25] So I tied a piece of clothing over me, something my mother had sewn for me,

74 (b) [4:28] like a blouse from a piece of blue printed fabric [that she’d sewn] when she couldn’t