
AnteroRouskuworksasawarehousemanatapaintshop.Hisworkisoftherawmusclekind,whereshadesofpaintaremixedandrenovationmaterialscarriedfromoneplacetoanother,inordertoearnone′sdailybread.Rousku,however,isnotcontentwithmerebread.Instead,hesellshisemployer′swarepasttheofficialbookkeepingtoJylh?korpi,whofrequentstheshop.Jylh?korpiisadevoutandoutspokencommunistgiventounscrupulousstealinginspiteofhisideology,orperhapsbecauseofit.Rousku′sworkmateatthecellarwarehouseistherun-of-the-millworking-classguyRaninen,whoselifeconsistsofworkandarguingwithhiswife.And,inaddition,ofdoingthelottery,butthewayRaninenwantstowinistogetthewinningnumbersinpreciselytheordertheycomespinningoutofthelotterymachine.Notthesharpestpencilinthebox,therefore,ourRaninen…Rousku′sfreedomisthreatenedbyarelationshipwithKarita,thesalesgirlatthepaintshop.Rouskuwantstokeepthewomanatanarm'slength,apartfromwheninherbed.Karita,however,hasdecidedotherwise,andthenoosetightensaroundRousku′sneckwhenKaritaannouncesshe′spregnant.



