A Sea Nomad. Prose/проза. Firuz Mustafa

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СКАЧАТЬ his short life could be ended so tragically. No, he couldn’t meet such meaningless ending so cold-bloodedly. He wasn’t defeated yet.

      All of a sudden among the heavy waves, through the waves raging as dreadful dragons, the kind face of his mother enlivened before his eyes. There was a girl near mother; she was Shahla. Both of them, mother and the girl, were

      praying reaching out their hands towards the raging heavy waves. Mother was calling the sea for help.

      As if suddenly one unseen hand pulled the boat, which was as if it was going to sink in the whirlpool, and lifted it onto the sea. The boat shook a bit and waved inside of the sea.

      Tuqay looked around the sea. All around was surrounded with grey, turbid waters. Neither the shore nor mother was seen.

***

      The fish which was too thirsty, was floundering between the talon of the eagle. Even, at least it would slip, fall on the rocks and would be torn into pieces. For the eagle it was impossible to carry the fish to the far sea. Alongside with the far distance of the sea, Yaqut was out of breath. The eagle felt that its friend was sick of the thirst. During those moments water was life for Yaqut.

      After some time hoarse murmuring was heard from below. At last, it was a river! River! It could easily feel the smell of pure water flowing downwards through a valley. See, the eagle began to fly down, above the river! The fish floundered and freed itself out of the talon of the eagle, it went round in the air and threw itself into the mountain river flowing so fast. For some time the eagle went round the head of its friend and then it screamed madly. The fish raised its head through the water and looked up; as if the fish wanted to say good-bye to its friend. Only the God knows, when they will meet again. Seeing the fish, the eagle spread its wings more widely. It meant that Ayqut wanted to fly to the expanse of the height, to the depth of the sky.

      The stupefying smell of the water kind of made Yaqut faint. But its pleasure didn’t last much. The fish which had spent most of its life in the great waters, the fish which had firstly tasted the ocean, then the expanse of the sea couldn’t feel itself comfortable in a mountain river.

      The fish once, had accidentally fallen into the net of a fisherman. When it was thrown into the pool in the yard of Tuqay, it had felt like this. Firstly, the warm, sweet water of the pool seemed to the fish a bit strange. Then little by little it was accustomed to the smell, taste of the strange water. Now Yaqut believed that it could be escaped. Because just inside of this mountain river it could smell the pleasant taste of the native water coming from far; it was gigantic water. It was salty sea water and Yaqut wanted to plunge into that gigantic, salty, familiar water. Without doubt, this mountain river inside of which the fish was swimming downwards, at last would join to that gigantic and salty sea. The fish was sure about it. That was why the fish was rushing forward passing near the small fishes, tadpoles and frogs. In this mountain river there wasn’t seen such kind of big, strong fish. Though the sharp, strong “wings” of Yaqut at times were caught by the submarine grasses and the roots of trees, it didn’t want to return. Spreading its wings it was beating off all that was in its way, and swimming confidently forward. From far it could feel the pleasant salty water of the native sea.

***

      It was getting dark But the dog had no wish to stop, to rest for a while. It wanted to find even a trace of its friend. The smell of Tuqay was as if in the nose of the dog. If Tuqay was near these places the dog would easily find its friend. But here there was no trace of Tuqay; there wasn’t any smell of Tuqay.

      The dog approached the rocky places at the seashore. The heavy and dreadful waves were howling like rabid dogs and were struck against the huge flat stones. There still was no trace of Tuqay. If Tuqay was in those places, the dog could easily define his place, and would run towards his friend, even it would frighten a bit him too. Because Tuqay and Qayut would make jokes specific only to them.

      Once there had happened such an event like now; Tuqay who had to return from the journey to the sea, hadn’t come home. At that time mother was worried like now. When it was getting dark, Qayut couldn’t wait any more, it left the yard and went to search for his friend. That night there was a storm in the sea, and it was raining heavily. But the dog had already felt the smell of its friend; its friend was somewhere in the forest! That time the dog rushed into the forest, the thickness of the trees. Well, it appeared that Qayut wasn’t mistaken; in order to escape from a sudden raining Tuqay had hidden himself in the forest guard’s shack. Seeing his friend at the shack Tuqay was firstly surprised, then he choked with joy and embraced the dog that was wet under the rain. After some time they, the dog and Tuqay returned home together. Upon seeing the “friends” return home safe and sound mother was very glad!

      But now….It didn’t feel the smell of Tuqay here. Now the dog had no intention of returning home without Tuqay. But mother was waiting for the

      “friends” return home together.

***

      The eagle went round above the mountain river flowing downwards for the last time, then it spread its wings widely and flew towards the open sky.

      All remained in the past; the house of Tuqay, mother, Shahla, the fish, the mountain river carrying the fish downwards. However the dear friend of the eagle, the dog was far away. But there was the sea in front. The shores of that sea were rocky places. Once the eagle was met by the bullet of a hunter and was wounded here. In order to escape, it had hidden itself behind these grey rocky places. At that time Tuqay had seen the eagle and sleeked its head kindly, then brought it home and had fed it. The oil put by his mother soon had healed the wings of the bird. But after being recovered, the eagle didn’t leave the yard. The eagle was warmed in its heart, it was accustomed to this hearth, to this home.

      Now disappearance of Tuqay all of a sudden had also shaken it, Ayqut, like all. The sorrowful faces of both mother and Shahla were before the eyes of the eagle. No, it couldn’t bear anymore. Three of the “friends” had gone to search for

      Tuqay; without doubt, they would learn something about Tuqay. They did how they wanted; they decided to go in the direction that Tuqay had gone. The

      “friends” could understand each other without any word. … Tuqay had gone to the sea. But the sea was endless, it had no bounds.

      The eagle could feel the smell of the sea from far. Its heart began to beat fast. See, there, at the seashore there were rocky places and just behind those rocks once it was shot at. If the eagle saw its enemy now it would rush towards him and would take vengeance on him; the eagle would either pull out the eyes of its enemy or would tear him into pieces after scratching.

      There was nobody in the rocky places. Usually if Ayqut felt a breathing nearby, there was a strange trembling inside of it. As if during those moments

      “waves” were passing through its heart. The strangest thing was that each had its own “wave”; the “waves” of the dog, the fish, mother and Shahla. In the stream of these “waves” Tuqay has his own “wave” too. If now Tuqay was at the seashore, around these rocky places, the “waves” inside of it would obviously be felt, would warn it beforehand.

      But the “waves” were as if sleeping. The waves of the sea were striking the rock at the seashore.

      The eagle perched on the top of one of the rocks.

      The sea was singing its eternal song. The cockleshells were listening to the song of the sea.

***

      – Shahla, СКАЧАТЬ