Chapter 1
Plenty of Time
Time is a peculiar thing. It is like a large stream, something as the Danube at its lower section, never to have too big a rise or fall of its level, never to change, only flowing by at a constant pace, unaware of events on its banks. But living creatures feel it differently. They are individuals who see the world around them through their own eyes and it rarely happens that two different people find anything the same. For a person who is waiting for something a minute can seem as long as a day until he gets it at last, at the same time a vacation of two weeks can glide by as a short event.
My account of events in my life ended with coming home from Tengiz, Kazakhstan. When I found it so that answering ads for jobs cannot be enough pastime for me in the cold November weather making it unpleasant to go outside, I sat down and emptied quite a few half-empty ball-point pen refills trying to use up all my typing paper sheets in the house for giving an account of events during the first fifty six years of my life that far. Also, I have been in no hurry, as my severance pay from my last but one employer did not go out. The result has been a handwritten text that was like a sausage in the meat-processing factory with a right chronological order, but with no chapters to make it digestible. In about two months I arrived at the current date and tried to divide it into parts that can make it seem a little more organized. Then put it aside for some days.
My intention has not been clear about what to do with it. At fifty six I was to start my life anew, I didn’t want to settle for being on jobless pay until my time for applying for pension comes. I wanted to get a job anywhere (beside my two diplomas I spoke three languages) or to start a small business as a last resort. That means I was tireless in answering ads and going to interviews.
After a few days I decided I start to type it. That time I didn’t have any PC yet. During the first month of their stay in Moscow in 1992 my son and daughter-in-law purchased one (an IBM compatible 386) and later in Kiev a friend of theirs trained them on how to use it and what to make of it. It was a period of quick development in software, we got the first Word for Windows package and it was very useful for them to get acquainted with IT. I helped them as I could, they got from me a Japanese made Epson, a Star 100 printer. This was my opportunity in making a digital record of my manuscript. It was an immense task, it came up to about 400 pages – and about five ink ribbons for the printing.
It was a transitory period in the life of my family. My father-in-law passed two years before and my mother-in-law – having such ailments that could have killed her already years ago, but having been kept alive by her responsibility for her husband – went after him in a year. He had been spared till a very fine age, 93 at his death. Although it could have been even longer had he not given up taking his pills. His urinary tract was in a bad shape at such age and the family doctor could not stabilize his condition any more. She was in her 86th year when she gave it up. After their passing the younger generation occupied the largest room of the house that has been ours with my wife for thirteen years. The room made exclusively for the parents of my wife became again a store room. The young kept their PC in that room and used it sometimes. For about three months it became my study for typing my book.
I think in the original account I haven’t given any clue about what happened with our house after our return from the Big Brother. During my stay in Kiev I had some time to spare and made my drawings about an apartment within a space to be gained by building a pitched roof on our originally flat house. During my short holiday in 1993 I found an architect, and I hired him to prepare authentic drawings of such a complementary facility – according to my sketches – and get the official building permit for it. He did it, but caused a lot of debate by insisting my idea was not in line with those of the authorities about proper building regulation. He wanted to include some completely unnecessary expensive details and even wanted to do destructive examinations if the flat roof of my house was such as stated in the original drawings. I was decided to build that upper structure as I imagined it, so I told him to draw all as he wanted and get the permit, it was to be my job to bring everything to effect.
During my assignment in Moscow and Kiev – in spite of expenses because of taking my family with me – I was able to spare some money on my bank account. I also purchased a full truckload of timber for the above building process in Ukraine and sent it home. When we returned it was waiting in our garden. Although the people who unloaded the truck didn’t stick to my request that between layers spacers were to be laid and for this reason the next spring I had to rearrange all the pieces twice – first to make the place free and then to put all back with spacers – there occurred little bluing on the planks and beams. I hoped all this would be enough for me to have the upper structure built.
During my stay in Moscow and Kiev it had been impossible to take advantage of all my paid leave as replacement had been allowed only for four weeks. Thus Veronica had to accept my absence of about six weeks after my return to her crew. That time I utilized fine to organize construction. Michael M. commended me a small entrepreneur, who did the same work in his house. He did it to me at a reasonable price, but I swear, if there were such a situation for me once more, I would be my own entrepreneur and only professionals of different trades would be allowed to enter my property under short term agreements. Construction work was to be finished in three months, but it was about half a year late, and we were barely able to move in during late autumn after the remaining plumbing, packing, wallpapering, electrical and heating system installing was finished. Some additional necessary modifications remained to the following years.
My mother-in-law insisted soon to change their room for the one emptied by us with my wife, and the young could only take their former one. Life went on as before, only my father-in-law had to take his place on the covered terrace by a detour instead of going through the terrace door directly.
My wife and I became quickly accustomed to our new place. It was a fine flat, the first such one that has been designed by myself. It takes the lower half of the space under the roof, the same height has been left for an attic. I didn’t spare any effort of making it practicable. Its floor – the ceiling of our apartment – has been finished by the builders only at its underside, it has been covered with chipboard for wallpaper. At its upper surface the bear beams were to be seen. Of the surplus boards I covered it completely and made a tough bench for my DIY activity. Access to the attic was provided by a hatch and a light row of stairs that can be lowered, but usually stored in an uplifted position.
Well, our moving upwards in October 1995 made life easier for all of us. On the lower floor there remained only four persons for one toilet instead of six. And more breathing space means also more comfort. However, the old are susceptible to making mistakes. My father-in-law has been under strict medical monitoring, the family doctor came to us regularly – he always left with a bottle of something taken home from abroad – and he has been taking some remedies quite regularly. Alas, being well can create a false notion of being healthy. He missed some pills of his drug for keeping his urinary tract in order. His health turned worse. The first sign for me was that my son came up in a state of emergency telling that grandpa was sitting already an hour within.
It didn’t stop there. He was taken to the hospital, and from that to the hospice. He passed soon, in September. His funeral could even be said being well organized and memorable has it not been by dissipation of his ashes. It was the idea of my wife and nobody beside her was satisfied with it. At least he will not be placed in a mass grave alongside those disliked by him during life as it would happen with my father.
About the same time a year later my mother-in-law was taken to hospital. She has not been there long. Her funeral I cannot recall as I was already on my way to Tengiz on my first term.
There were changes in our direct neighbourhood. Our right-hand neighbour – daughter of the old couple that had been living there at the time of our moving in – acquired a small dog, a kind of beagle, but with a uniquely bad nature, in her apartment on the housing estate from where we moved into this house. With the dog it was hard in the flat and, as her parents had passed some time ago, she moved into their house with her husband and about ten years old daughter. Later it would be clear that the child is mentally retarded, but I believe it was due mostly to the environment where she has been brought up. A little earlier, when the construction workers had been unclenching siding boards from the terrace in front of the entrance to the upper flat, the wooden structure fell off and damaged their hutch built without permit and too close to the fence. We had to give them some plates of corrugated slate to mend the structure. From that time on, we had to be aware that the neighbouring site is not bare any more. With the dog I had a good connection first, because I offered him some surplus noodles via his master and he took it positively. Later there would come concerns, but I will report them at another place.
Leaving this line now I return to my stay at home after my second Tengiz month. When I finished typing and printing I visited my former boss, Veronica, and my former colleagues. She let me make some copies of the manuscript and also informed me about happenings within the company. There were serious changes and it mainly involved the sale of facilities. Their current site was to be sold first and the buildings razed to make place for a housing complex. They were – all of them at that time – moving to another site near my living place. They were wondering about me, but I couldn’t fulfil their curiosity.
I put aside my floppies and copies on paper and tried to get a job. I knew already that money is going out gladly, but an account can only be balanced when debited and credited sums are nearly equal. Around March 1998 I found an ad for a person with economist qualification and English skills. The person who answered the phone was speaking excellent English, only with an Asian accent. She invited me to an interview.