Free A man who cried by Yelena Kopylova Page A

it’ll have to remain where it is.” Yet as she spoke she pushed the tray a foot or so
    nearer towards Abel, and he, reaching out with his manacled hand as if to touch it, suddenly
    brought his other arm forward and threw the rod in a swirling movement full at her.
    Her unearthly scream filled the barn and when her whole body left the ground and seemed to
    hover in mid-air for a moment, Dick joined his voice to hers. It wasn’t until she lay twisted and
    silent on the stones that Abel could find his voice and yell at his son, ”Shut up! Shut up! will
    you?”
    In the silence that followed he had no power left in him to direct the boy, it was as if the iron rod had stunned him too. Then he was brought to his senses by something that went beyond the
    suggestion of her being stunned when Dick whimpered, ”Is . . . is she d ... dead, Dad?”
    He gazed towards her. Dear God in heaven! she looked it. But the rod had only caught her on the
    arm; she’d likely hit her head when she fell. His own voice now came out on a stammer. ”Go o ...
    o ... over to her and 1 ... look in her pockets for the key.”
    50
    When Dick hesitated he exploded. His voice high, almost reaching a scream, he cried, ”Go on, do
    as you’re told!”
    As Dick approached the twisted form he fully expected her to spring from the ground and grab
    him by the throat, and his fingers tentatively touched her coat three times before he could put his
    hand into the pocket of it.
    When he found the pocket empty he hastily withdrew his hand as if it had been bitten and,
    turning towards his father, he muttered, ”There’s nothin’in it, Dad.”
    ”Try the other one.” ••••.-,••>,
    ”She’s . . . she’s lying on it.” <•• «>
    ”Well, turn her over!” Again Abel’s voice came as a shout. ”Straighten her legs and . . . and
    she’ll roll on to her back.”
    Fearfully the child pulled one heavy booted leg straight, then the other, and when the body
    seemed to become alive as she rolled on to her back, he sprang away, crying, ”Oh, Dad! Dad!”
    ”Boy, listen to me.” Abel’s voice was very low now, but it held more command than when he
    had bawled. ”If you don’t find the key that will unloosen these locks she might well die, an’ me
    with her. You understand ?”
    Dick understood nothing at this moment only his own fear, but he whimpered, ”What’ll I do
    then, Dad?”
    ”Open her coat and look inside for a pocket in her skirt.”
    It was a full minute later when the boy, as if he had found a treasure,cried, ”I’ve found them, Dad
    ! I’ve found them, the keys.”
    ”Fetch them here, quick.”
    Abel looked at the keys in the palm of his hand. There were four on a ring and one by itself. He
    tried that first. Fumbling, he inserted it into the lock of the iron bracelet, then paused for a split second before turning it, and when it moved with ease as if it had been newly oiled and the two
    half circles fell apart, he slowly slid to the floor and for a full minute he stayed there as if he
    were about to go to sleep while the boy stood looking at him open-mouthed.
    When he did move it was almost with a spring, then he was on his feet, and with both hands he
    tore at the shackle around his ankle.
    Now he was standing over her, and as he gazed down on her a new fear enveloped him. She
    looked dead; there was blood running down the side of her face from her hair. Oh my God! He
    put his hand tightly across his mouth, then turned his head slowly to-
    5i
    wards Dick as the boy said, ”She’s bleedin’, Dad^he’s bleedin’.”
    Reluctantly, he lowered himself down on to his knees beside her on the stone floor but he had to
    force his hand out to take hold of her wrist. When a pulse beat came to him he closed his eyes
    and drew in a long breath. With more courage now, he took her by the shoulder and called to her
    as if she were at a distance, ”Wake up ! Come on, wake up!” But the only movement she made,
    and that an