Khorezm branch of uzbekistan writers union

-Don‟t hit it, it got nothing wrong 
And Dalavoy said: 
–Hey, stay far away! 
He was quite infuriated and was foaming at his mouth like his horse. He grabbed 
the rope and took the horse trembling in pain to the corner of the house. In one hand 
the rope of the horse and with the other he began unwinding the goat. Mum grabbed 
the rope as she was crying like a child and said with a little fear: 
–I don‘t give it. Do whatever you can!
My elder brother who was standing quietly next to me, abruptly jumped off the 
supa*, ran towards the rope and grabbed it firmly. He and Mum were pulling it to one 

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94 
side and Dalavoy was pulling it to the opposite. The Mum‘s wrapped shawl around 
her head fell down the ground and Mum‘s hair unrolled. The goat also began resisting 
as if it had understood something. Our little dog also started barking at them once 
again. The dog‘s voice sounded weak and it was helplessly circling around them. It 
was only me who became shocked and didn‘t know what to do. As a result of pulling 
from one side to another, the poor goat began choking. At that time possibly because 
of the noise my little toddler brother began crying in the patio, naked and his nose 
was running. Mummy feeling hopeful begged for Dalavoy‘s mercy, by saying: 
–Please at least, look at these young children and consider their future. May God 
give you kids like them! 
 
Dalavoy didn‘t let go of the rope and looking at my toddler brother he said – - I 
would never want to have stupid children like these!
Mum felt shuddered and let go of the rope having looked at Dalavoy‘s face in a 
manner replete with hatred. Her thick lips began trembling
. 
- Take it!
She said in a trembling voice and abruptly burst into tears. 
– You can insult me but who gave you the right to insult my children!? You 
unscrupulous man!

Her next words came out very expressively and sentimentally as she was crying.
-Oh, God! May this man never hear the cry of his own child! May there never be the 
voice of a child in his house
! 
 
Dalavoy stood for a while murmuring to himself. Then he dropped the rope and 
turned back. 
–
Take it away!
 –
Mum said insistently. 
- If you are a Man, Be one! Don‘t renege on your word! 

Dalavoy had taken just three steps when he heard these words and he quickly 
took a hold of the rope and dragged the goat away from the house. Having seen that 
those little kids of the Mother goat went after their mother. My elder brother ran 
towards them and caught one of them. That little kid wiggled trying to escape and it 
was bleating in a terribly sad way, but my brother didn‘t let it go. It was when I 
realized the horror of what had just happened. What would I feed then? What would I 
bring to the pitch with myself? How could I play with Vali and or Toy then? Mum 
was in the middle of the backyard and her face had grown pensive. Then she went 
towards my little brother, who was still crying, wiped his nose, lifted him and went 
into house.
In the evening Daddy came hurriedly, went into the house and took his double 
barrel rifle out of the house. Seeing that Mum clung to the rifle crying: 
– You‟ll be imprisoned for that! 
A
nd Dad answered: 

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95 
–Stay out of my way-, 
he was trembling in anger. Then he pushed Mum gently with 
his elbow and said: 
- I‟m not afraid of that!
And Mummy said: 
- 
Please, gather your wits, no need to do that. 
Mum‘s words affected Daddy and he sat down grabbing his head with his hands. 
– 
It is of no use to fight against a civil servant 
Mum said so to soften Daddy. 
– It‟s not what the government says! 
Dad hit his knee in anger.
-
The government has not ordered to take someone‘s last property. It‘s that drunk 
who‗s created such rules!
 
Then Mum said: 
–He had a document in his hand-
, her misted eyes were rolling. 
–
What are you talking about again?! 
Dad hit his knee in anger once again and seemed to be blaming Mum for it. – Nobody 
has told him to do it in that way. It‘s that miscreant blackening the government‘s 
name! Can you understand it or not!? 
–Okay-,
said Mum wiping her eyes with her sleeves
. 
-
Every dog has its day! Okay, we‘ll see what future holds for him!-, and she added 
sadly. –―Thank god, the war ended, hopefully, these days will pass as well. Sooner 
than later our kids will grow older‖ 
Having said it Mum‘s voice trembled. Seemingly she recalled what Dalavoy told 
about us.
•
It‘s okay if he insults me but who gave him the right to insult my sons! -, she 
said once again.
Mum was right. Those days did not last long. Everything began going smoothly. 
One day a strange plump lily-white woman went into our house hurriedly as if she 
was scared of something, Mummy went towards her and welcomed her. Having 
greeted with Mummy that woman burst into tears. It was when I noticed a bruise on 
her left cheek.
•
He hits me every other day, tells me that I‘m a ―farrow cow‖. What else am I 
supposed to do if having children is not written in my fate? He says: ―I will divorce 
you and marry a girl who has never been kissed by anyone‖
.
 
She was crying bitterly and uncontrollably and went on talking.
•
―It‘s you who blackened my name‖ he says to me. What has he done well, 
actually!? He is always wasting what he earns on alcohol. Yesterday he came home 
drunk again and said that you are also one of those who cursed him. I don‘t know 

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96 
whom to share these problems with. Whoever I tell about them they scoff at me. I‘m 
stuck in rut and have no idea how to lift myself out of these difficulties, dear sister. 
Then I realized that that woman was Dalavoy‘s wife. I was wondering looking at 
My Mum and Dalavoy‘s wife turn by turn. 
–Oh, don‘t say that! 
 
Mum slapped her on the back in a friendly way: 
- 
Who am I? The Prophet? Maybe, I told something in anger, yet I have already taken 
my words back, dear.

Mummy passed the tea to her
. 
•
Are you still thinking about that? Don‘t do that, take things easy! You 
remember me when you have many children, dear sister, trust me. You‘ll have twins 
let alone for a child, then those who have badmouthed you will get embarrassed 
themselves!
Dalavoy‘s wife smiled with her brimmed eyes looking at my Mum and said in a quiet 
voice. 
•
May your words come true! 
However, Dalavoy did what he had said to do. He divorced his wife and got 
married with a girl ‗‘who has never been kissed‖. It proved true as the saying goes 
that ―a bead will never be left on the street‖*. Dalavoy‘s ex-wife got married with a 
carter named Abdy. Sometimes she visited Mum lifting one of her sons and pulling 
the other by hand. They had long-long talks and gossips together.
Dalavoy‘s second wife did not have a child, either. Yet this one was as good as 
Dalavoy, himself, at knowing her rights, ―the law‖. Once Dalavoy hit her calling 
―farrow cow‖ as he did to his ex-wife, seemingly she informed the ―government‖ 
about that since Dalavoy lost his job as a taxman after it. But Dalavoy did not change 
his attitude. He still rode his chestnut horse wearing his fashionable clothes; however 
he did not have his leather bag around his shoulder any more. As the saying goes 
―accidents will happen‖, one day Dalavoy was coming home drunk and his horse 
dragged him as it flinched according to the news broke out. He was admitted to 
hospital, his leg and his back were broken. It took him long to recover… 
These days I see him nearly every single day. He sells sunflower seeds in the 
entrance of small bazaar in the neighborhood.
-
Roasted sunflower seeds
 
Those who know him don‘t negotiate with him. If someone conflicts with him, 
he taps the ground with his stiff and disabled right foot. 
•
Hey, don‘t teach me what to do! 
He says, red in anger, slightly bristling his moustache.
•
I know the rule better than you! I slogged for people just like you!

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97 
Every time when I see him strange feelings disturb me. I somehow feel sorry for him. 
Probably, he did what he‘s told to do or maybe he had to do so at that time. Yet 
human‘s character is weird. One can forget good deeds yet it‘s quite hard to forget 
something bad that has happened to you, specifically if it‘s a childhood memory… I 
always remember him insulting my Mum every time when I see him and I imagine 
those misted eyes of my Mum.