Tamta Melashvili’s first book Counting Out was published in 2010 and later translated into German, Russian and English languages. The book was hugely praised by critics. It’s a novella about two teenage girls who live in a provincial town located within a conflict zone. The war provides a sullen background to the story. There is no date or any geographical names mentioned in Counting Out. This is a story which can happen anytime and anywhere. War is a gloomy metaphor chosen by the author to fully show human nature. Two small girls are involved in drug trafficking to earn money for food. They share all the troubles of adults. The psychological initiation into the world of adults also coincides with a physiological one – the first menstrual bleeding. Counting out is a tragic story with a startle ending written without a false note.

 

EXTRACT
Translated into English by PJ Hillery  

CONFLICT ZONE

Wednesday

Mother said: I’ve got no more milk, that’s why he’s crying.
She’s got no more milk, that’s why he’s crying, I said to Nintso. What will you do? Nintso said. The Gvelesianis again, there’s no other solution. She was fiddling with the handle of the gate. Yesterday he had a convulsive fit, I said. From crying, then I again dipped my fingers in wine and put them in his mouth. Then he fell asleep again. I’m telling you. The Gvelesianis’ pharmacy is the solution. That’s what we must do. She’ll kill me, I said. I felt sick. That child will die on you and then let your mother say that God is taking anagels to be with Him, Nintso said, her voice becoming shrill. Don’t be blasphemous, I said. Why are both of you such morons, mother and daughter? I grabbed hold of Nintso’s hand on the gate han-dle. Stop that, the sound is getting on my nerves. Hey. Nintso let it go. Don’t you know what she’s like? I said. She cursed me for an hour over the tea and macaroni stolen from Manana’s shop. Hey, Nintso said, she again grasped the handle, how did she find out? Didn’t you tell her the aid agency women gave them to you? Yes, I told her, only I forgot to remove the prices. Why are you such a moron? Why? Hey, let go of the handle. You let go. You let go first. Hey! We were quiet for a time, we looked at each other. Come in and let’s go out together, Nintso said, she turned her eyes away. Zaura was sitting in the yard. He was looking in one direction. He was wearing an old suit, he had gathered all his rubbish on it, it hung on his chest. Look at him, is he off his head? Nintso said, he sits like that the whole day with those medals. Look, how she walks about, Zaura said. She’s raising a slut. You’re raising a slut, too. Her grandmother as well. Her. She’s dying in her room. Grand-father, Nintso said to him, go inside, don’t you see they’re flying about. Just in case.
Oh dear, Zaura said, he looked in the other direction. Nintso had dug up the earth for some flowers, I began to stamp it down. I’ll change and come out, Nintso said. Her grandmother is dying, Zaura repeated. I didn’t answer him. What kind of war is this, Zaura said, this isn’t a war. These over here, those over there, still nothing in between. They’ll open a corridor, I told him. What? Who said? Never mind a corridor. That’s what they said, I told him, my classmate’s father said so. Oh dear, Zaura said, they won’t open one. Look here. They’ll massacre us. They’ll open one, I said, my classmate’s father said so. They’ll open one any day now. My classmate’s father, my classmate’s father, Zaura said, pulling a face. Leave that soil alone. They’re flying like, he looked up. Like what, I said. Like that. They’ll massacre us. But in that case, I said to him, they’d have already massacred us by now. Just tell me one thing, girl, Zaura said, am I to be believed more or your classmate’s crip-pled father? My classmate’s father, I said to him. Oh dear, Zaura said, he fell silent... (See PDF) 


In case of using the information, please, indicate the source.