... But we were able to learn to read and write, I sometimes had difficulties with arithmetic, Bakhatov with humanitarian disciplines, but I emphasize: we were normal. Especially for me and Bakhatov, the manager got textbooks prepared by the Ministry of Education for schools in Central Asia in Russian. Moronic primers did not satisfy our mental hunger. Sometimes teachers from a normal school came to us and talked about Africa and other countries, and the manager showed how to glue envelopes....