Personal Stories/Opinions
Last Updated:
A DAY IN THE LIFE
DATE: 1962. Hard to know what time my day started at but as it was the
Farmer priest who was calling me to serve mass I guess it was very early.
Being able to tell the time in these gulags wasn't given any priority. We
kind of went through our day too the sounds of bells. There were bells for
every fucking activity. A bell to rouse you, a bell to tell you to line up
for washing, a bell to tell you to line up to receive your bit of toothpaste
- two lines for the toothpaste as some of them were being tested with
colgate while the other line got the gulags own brand. A bell to tell you
that washing yourself was over and a bell to tell you to get dressed. A bell
to tell you to make your bed. A bell to tell you to line up for inspection.
If you had a "tide-line" on your face you were put on the list for the
Office. If your bed was not made properly your name went on the list for
the Office. Being put on the list meant you were going to be punished. A
bell to tell you to line up for leaving the dorm, you were marched down the
stairs into the yard where another bell told you to line up in ranks. You
had to stand to attention in the yard whether it was raining, snowing or
whatever. The black garbs would then issue the instructions "Attention,
Right Turn, Go Ahead " and rank by rank we would troop into the the "Ref",
that's what we called the refectory. Once inside you had to stand to
attention with your hands joind and one of the black garbs would begin to
say the "Grace Before Meals"..."Bless Us Oh Lord, For These Thy Gifts..."
where we all had to join in and finish saying the grace. I could never
understand why we had to thank God for what we were about to eat: lumpy,
salty, foul tasting porridge and a skinner (thick slice of bread) with
dripping, also a dishwater called tea. Jesus Christ Almighty it was fucking
slop, to give this fare to pigs would be illegal and insulting to them.
Imagine that! Thanking God for THAT. Oh, We each had our own aluminium mug,
plate and some of us even had weird shaped spoons. "THE KNITTER"
Email the Author
