1922

The next summer I was 16, no longer a shepherd. Next position – a farmhand. On the farm there was one farmhand on wages and one woman. My oldest brother Adams had taken over running the farm, even though mother owned it – she was sick a lot and was not a good manager. Adams also had control over the money. The farm work was very hard with long hours. Starting at sunrise at 4 AM, then a short break for breakfast that was carried out to the fields. From 12-2 PM we could rest, then 2-9 PM it was back to work until sunset. There was no pay for this. Summer dances were held in the open. Arturs and I waited until it was dark to sneak in without paying as we had no money. I felt very bad about this, insulted, that after a week of really hard work my brother would not give us the little money we needed for this. As autumn came I expected to go to the technical college. When I raised the subject with my brother he refused to send me to school anymore as it was too expensive. When winter came I refused to go to the forest to cut logs as my brother was spending all the money received for the summer crops on building materials which he had already collected and stored in every possible place. He though only about himself. Under the inheritance law the buildings belonged to the oldest son and the land to the other children. All along he behaved as if he owned the lot.

Jan 21, 2010