Prison people. Witness

Prison people.* Witness. I often mentally return to the question: what is a conscience? How do we determine what is “good”, and what we are ashamed of all our lives? When the conscience wins fear, and when fear is a conscience? In the story that I will tell you how the human name and some details of events are usually changed
* Continuation. See the New Times No. 27 , 29 , 35 and 38 , 2011
Lesha Badaev is an ordinary Buryat guy from a distant village. A wide, round face, black, as if constantly narrowed eyes. He doesn’t remember his parents, he lived with a aunt. I went to school 2 classes, then worked as a shepherd of a public herd.
On an unlucky day, he clung to a thief trying to steal a ram, - threw a stone at him and fell into his head. But the thief turned out to be a strong man and quickly recovered. The run -up Lesha was frightened, panicked and made irreparable - he hit the stone again. Then - again.
Realizing what happened, - threw the herd and fled.
They caught him by accident, a few months later, a thousand kilometers from the house when he tried to steal food.
The court, the sentence for the murder is 6.5 years. Fair, taking into account all circumstances. A colony for minors and now - an “adult” prison.
Simple scene
I met with Lesha in the sewing production, where he found a refuge. A hardworking guy, silent, invisible.
After some time, the penalty was announced to me, and I sued the administration. Suddenly I find out that Lesha is a witness. I have no doubt - it will say what they will require from him. There are many ways of "conviction" in the camp.
And now - the court. All the “main people” gathered: the head of the camp, the head of the operational department, the deputy. The meeting is held by the chairman of the city court.
Call Lesha. He is clearly bewildered and frightened, he says, stabbing, but the truth! We glance with a lawyer, not understanding anything. Opposite us our opponents are also exchanged.
The judge releases Lesha, he goes out the door and immediately returns.
“He,” Lesha points to the head of the operable, “gave me two packs of cigarettes and told me to lie.”
I look at the sitting opposite. The operas are outwardly calm, the boss is slowly vigorous.
- But I did not lie, told the truth. And cigarettes - here they are.
And gives the judge a pack of LM, admitting:
- And the second I meant. I never had such cigarettes.
As they say, the "dumb scene."
-Well, will I go or do something else?
“Go, go, you already said everything,” the boss’s voice comes.
Lesha comes out, the “dumb scene” continues. Finally, the chairman of the court says:
- Everything is in the protocol. If something happens to this guy, I will give a move to the protocol.
After the trial, I go to Lesha.
- Why did you do this? You know, there will be problems.
He raises his narrowed eyes:
“You didn’t do anything bad to me.” I can't do that.
And leaves.

Who are we bargaining with?
Then there were camp life and inevitable reckoning. Sometimes, leaving the Karter, I found out that there was Lesha. It was removed from production. But in case of random meetings, Lesha smiled: "Everything is fine!"
Of course, what happened became in detail to the whole camp. And when I asked me to inform me immediately, if someone still tries to beat Lesha (such methods are quite common), I was surprised: “And who will decide? The administration is afraid, the prisoners are now respected ... "
Six months later, I was taken to another prison. Leshin has long ended. What happened to him? I don’t know and do not want to find out so as not to create problems for a person. But I really hope that he goes through life without fear and with dignity.
A deal with a conscience - to lie, silent, “not to notice” for the sake of your calm, hiding behind the interests of your family. To reassure yourself that “such a time” is that “all like that”.
Who are we actually bargaining with? How do we find out that the “that side” - our conscience - refused the deal? When will we find ourselves alone with trouble?
Or then, on the edge, summing up the final result of his life, painfully realizing that “running between streams” is over and only memory remains? But you can’t change anything?