Between two mountains. Juan Gabriel Borges

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СКАЧАТЬ with great pleasure. After selling the bucketful of raspberries his parents would buy him a nice white shirt, black trousers and shining shoes, for him to put on the next day in the ceremony of the last bell ringing. Unal wondered what his lover Unal would tell seeing him in the new clothes.

      His father took two buckets of black raspberries, went out of the gate, put the buckets at the gate in one side of the road. Unal’s mother said to him: “ Why not to take the buckets of raspberries to the bazaar situated at the end of the village, we can sell the blackberry much expensive there.”

      Recently, some of their fellow-villagers took buckets of black raspberries to the end of the village, sold in the place which looked like a small bazaar. They didn’t put the buckets at their gates and waited for hours to sell.

      But each time when Unal’s mother wanted to go there for to sell raspberries, father worried, he was against to go there and sell raspberry there. He used to say that they could sell at the gate too.

      But this time Unal’s mother insisted on going to the small bazaar situated at the end of the village. Because he was afraid that might be they couldn’t sell the raspberries, and wouldn’t buy new clothes for Unal. Mother said: “ If we can’t sell raspberries we can’t buy new dresses. I can’t send my son to the ceremony of the last bell ringing dressed shabby clothes. Soon, Unal is going to enter the institute. Why don’t you want the raspberries to be sold? I wonder are all the people gathering there, mad? “

      But Unal’s father again didn’t want to go there. – “ Yes, those who gather in the place like a small bazaar, are as if like mad. They don’t know what they are doing. They want to get money but forgot about everything. The day will come on which for they or their children will have to answer for it. All the money gained there is forbidden.”

      Unal’s father’s words arouse mother’s interest. She continued in her insisting.

      –Well, let’s go there, I want you to see everything with your eyes.” –his father was obliged to go, took the buckets and began to go in the direction of the end of the village. Unal’s mother was following her husband.

      Their fellow-villagers were standing along the road placing the buckets at them. Mother saw that except their buckets, in the buckets of none of them were black raspberries. It appeared that all of them were selling red raspberries. The woman calmed for a while. She hoped that soon they would sell the buckets of black raspberries.

      “Mercedes” coming from the city stopped just at them. The man wearing black glasses got off the car, looked at the buckets at Unal’s parents, then he approached to their neighbors whose buckets were full of red raspberries. “ How much is gram of it?” –saying thus he said: “ Put this bucket to my car.” Then he again got on his car.

      Unal’s mother couldn’t realize anything, looked at the “ Mercedes” . She said to herself: ” I wonder do they sell raspberries in grams?”

      The neighbor came up the window of the car, stretched out something folded to the man wearing black glasses. The man snatched the folded thing, hid under the seat of the car. He took out hundred dollar from his pocket, gave the neighbor. Then he drove the car, stopped at the buckets of Unal’s parents. Unal’s mother began to praise the blackberry: “ Take these ones, you can’t find like this anywhere.” Unal’s father waved his head hearing her words. “ Let him go. He isn’t in need of black raspberries.” The man wearing black glasses drove his car, withdrew.

      The neighbor whose buckets of raspberries were still at him, as if struck dumb. He put the buckets on the earth, stood silently. But his eyes were smiling.

      That day a lot of new and nice cars stood at the villagers stood near the road, and then they withdrew in a moment.

      It was towards evening. The buckets full of black raspberries were

      still at Unal’s parents. Firstly, mother looked seriously at his husband, then she said to her well-off fellow-villagers: “ I think all go mad. Nobody wants to buy black raspberries. I wonder why do all the cars stop at those who sell red raspberries? What does it mean?”

      All of a sudden as if Unal’s mother struck dumb, she began to shout:

      “ Dishonest! Ignoble! Shameless! Indecent! Just now I understand that all of you sell narcotics. Let the heavens punish you!”

      The fellow-villagers looked at Unal’s father’s face and asked him: “ How long are you going to stay here? Take her home away!”

      Unal’s father turned to his wife said quietly: “ But I had told you, we didn’t have to come here “. Then he said to his fellow-villagers: “ The day after tomorrow there will be my son’s ceremony of the last bell ringing. We must buy new dresses for him. Or I would never come here.”

      – 

      What can I do? You don’t want to sell red raspberries, – the neighbor who sold red raspberries smiled cunningly.

      Unal’s mother didn’t know what to do because of anger. She couldn’t calm herself. ” See, who live in my nice village? Shameless! Rascals! Dishonest!”

      Policeman’s car was seen from far….

      The neighbor who sold red raspberries, was confused, turned back: “ Unal is a good boy. He must put on new dresses at the ceremony of the last bell ringing.” – saying thus he took out money from his pocket. He reached out the money to Unal’s father, said to the boy standing near him: “ Take these buckets my home, we may cook jam.”

      –Don’t stand here. Go home, – he said to Unal’s parents.

      Unal’s father took the empty buckets, began to go towards home. Mother was following him muttering to herself….

      ***

      Today is the day of last bell ringing ceremony. Unal put on his snow-white shirt, black trousers, shining shoes bought by his parents a day before, and directed towards the school in the side of the wide road. The other pupils also went out from the yards of home built at the roads, took steps in the direction of the school.

      When Unal entered the school yard, firstly, with his eyes he looked for her lover Paknur. There was smile on the faces of all the pupils gathered in the school-yard. Soon the ceremony of the last bell ringing would begin. Paknur was standing in the front rows on the stairs leading to the school. She was shining as the

      best chandelier sold in the south bazaar.

      Unal was standing in the behind rows and looking at his lover. He would have a talk with Paknur after the last bell ringing. He would open her his heart, would tell him how deeply he loved her. He would tell her that he would also choose the group of foreign languages at the test examinations. He would tell her that he didn’t want to be a teacher any more, he wanted to live in a foreign country together with her. He would tell her that he also wanted to have a villa and a car like “ Lamborghini” for to travel together with her.”

      The official part of the ceremony of the last bell ringing began. The teachers and excellent pupils spoke. The director summed up the ceremony, and declared that the last bell would be rung soon. The bell ringing couldn’t be heard because of the booming sound of the turbo motor of the car coming towards the school. All who were in the school yard turned back and looked at the gates of the school. Unal also was watching the car. One side of the car of Abisalam could be seen there. One door of the car was opened and then was shut. Nobody could see who opened and shut the door. Unal СКАЧАТЬ