Jargal's day begins with fire. After getting the flame going with kindling and flammable rubber strips that fill the room with thick, biting smoke, she walks to a nearby mine shaft to gather chunks of coal. She breaks them up with an ax and fits them into the fire, then heats water for tea. Life amid coal is taking its toll. Jargal, who is in her 30s but looks 10 years older, says she has unspecified kidney problems, and she worries about the effect of coal smoke on the children.
Accidents are a constant concern.
I don't understand what's so nice. After breakfast, Jargal does what she can to wipe the coal dust from the floor and the steel furniture in their rooms. She ladles water from a steel drum to wash her hands and face. In between the business of survival, Jargal can only hope for her children. For her and her husband, however, she says the cards have already been dealt.