“The boy Alexander was planing planks in the kitchen. The cuts on his fingers were covered with golden edible crusts. The kitchen opened onto the courtyard; It was spring, the doors did not close, grass grew at the threshold, and the water spilled on the stone glistened. A rat appeared in the trash bin. Finely chopped potatoes were being fried in the kitchen. They lit the primus. The life of the Primus began magnificently: with a torch up to the ceiling...”