
 - esec imas iwereba! - stqva warbebshechmuxvnit. - diddzali jario?! hm... ase hgoniat, tu marto mattvis viyo moclili da meti saqme aghara mqondes ra? ara, axla dro ar aris! dros shercheva unda da me vici, rogor gadavixdi mashino. - daswera pasuxi da murtuzal-xanis xelit gamougzavna qartlis mefes. sapirfero da samliqvnelo sityvebit aavso werili!.. madlobas utvlida ertgulebisa da morchilebisatvis, magram urchevda, rom ase gulficxad ar mohkideboda saqmes. "martalia, ver unda gaebednat kaxelebs amistana saqmeo - iwereboda veragi - magram, rogorc shevityve, sul mandauri mmartvelobis brali yofila: winaaghmdeg chveni survilisa, did gachirvebashi turme chaugdiat qveyana da kaxelebic idzulebuli yofilan, rom magre moqceuliyvnen. veli shengan am saqmis gamokvlevas da dawvrilebit moxsenebas; amastanave gavaleb, rom eg gamochenili vajkacebi chems karze gamogzavno; me minda, rom samive chemi tvalit vnaxo da, rogorc windawinve chemgan shendobilebs, chemi pirit gamovkitxo yoveliferi tkbilad da ara mrisxanebit. vficav chem mzes da tvit mahmadis wverebsac, rom egeni aq sakadrisad mivigho da guldawyvetil-momduravi arc erti ar davabruno; winaaghmdeg shemtxvevashi, tu es chemi tkbili wyaloba ar daafases da kidev urchoba gamiwies, mashin vficav yovlis shemdzlebels, rom am chems ukadris sheuracxyofas aratu marto kaxets, mtlad saqristiano saqartvelosac vazghvevineb da, me rom ver shevdzlo, sashvilishvilo anderdzad davagdeb am survilso".

 orjer-samjer gadaikitxa vaxtangma es werili da muqara, mwuxared gaighima da stqva gunebashi: "mec amas velodi chemi werilis pasuxad! chven orive ert soroshi vart gazrdili! gicnob, rac xar, shah-abaz! jerjerobit lomoba rom aghar gagidis, meliaobas epotinebi, magram, ghmerti yovlis shemdzlebelia, sheidzleba isic mogicdeso!" chafiqrda naghvlianad da chahkida tavi.


 tavi metxutmete

 didi xania qartl-kaxeti ise mosvenebit ar yofila, rogorc 1659 welshi. shemodgoma miwuruli iyo, zamtris piri moaxlovda, magram mainc gazafxulis dgheebi idga, titqos qveynis damshvidebul guls tarosic ki etkbildasturebao. vaxtangma mteli qartlisa da kaxetis didebulebi shehyara salxino-sadarbazod. titqmis aravin hklebia da mat ricxvshi kaxetis gmirebic mohyven.

 mefem darbazi gamarta, shah-abazis mowerili wigni waikitxa da rcheva hkitxa didebulebs. umravlesoba uarze dadga. "rodis hqonda simtkice mahmadis wverebs sparselis pirshi da an yeenis sityva ra dasajerebeliao? cxadia, rom magati mityueba unda saghalatod da, es rom moxdes, chveni tavi cocxali raghad gvindao?!" zogiertebi sul sxva azrisa iyvnen da mat mxari misca aragvis batonma zaal eristavmac am sityvebit: - "martali aris!.. da vin ar icis, rom yeeni chvenze guls ver gaiwmends da moyvrobas ar dauwyebs eristavebs, magram jerjerobit garemoeba nebas ar adzlevs, rom tavisi gulis pasuxi gamoamjghavnos da mtroba gamogvicxados. an ra angarishia, axla rom shoridan muqarita da windauxedaobit saqme gaifuchos? martalia, dghes qartli sparsetis sakutrebas ar sheadgens, magram misi xeldebuli mainc aris. sifrtxile martebs yeens, ro sazghvars ar gadascildes, torem erti kidev amistana gamarjveba, rogoric kaxelebma naxes, da mashin idzulebuli sheiqneba qartlzedac xeli aighos. es kargad esmis shah-abazs da, tu ar samoyvros, samtros aras chaidens. uechvelia, rom kaxetis gmirebs sapirferod pativit miighebs da didebit gamoistumrebs; mere ki, roca dro xels moumarjvebs, melasavit shemogvepareba da ecdeba gvazghvevinos; es unda vicodet da mzad viyot! manamde ki unda dro movixmarot da mivyvet mis dghevandel neba-survils, mit ufro, rom sashishi ara aris ra; da, tu ara, mashin tavmoyvareoba imdenad gaabrazebs, rom ecdeba muqaris gamartlebas. darwmunebit shemidzlia vtqva, rom rogorc chem sidzes, ise eristavebs saxifato ara elit ra, tu ghvtis neba ar iqneba; da, tu misi nebaa, mashin, aqac rom iyvnen, mainc ver ascdebian gangebaso!"

 am sityvebma bevrs gamoacvlevina azri; mefec daetanxma da bolos jeri midga tvit yeenis motxovnilebaze. pasuxis nacvlad wamodga zeze moxuci elizbari, midga sarkmeltan, gaixeda shig da dafiqrda. darbazi gaocebit sheacherda. - "batono mefev! - mobrunda da stqva eristavma. - am tqven chadars ra damartnia es, rom fotlebi gascvenia?"

 - rogor tu ra damartnia?! - miugo gakvirvebit mefem. - ragha dros fotlebia? zamtari dgeba!..

 - vaitu gaxmes ufotlod?

 - rogor tu gaxmes?! gazafxulze gana aghar sheifotleba?

 - diax, sheifotleba, chemo xelmwifev, da chemi pasuxic es aris dghevandel sadarbazo kitxvaze. - rogorc mefe, ise darbaislebi gaocebuli sheacherdnen: egonat, tavis gonebaze aghar aris da bodavso, magram eristavma naghvliani ghimilit ganagrdzo: - "didebulo xelmwifev! rac fotlebia xistvis, chven iseve vart chveni qveynisatvis da, rac weliwadia fotlebisatvis, is saukunea chventvis. naxevari saukunis ganmavlobashi arc erti aghar viqnebit, sxvebi daicheren chvens adgils: "erti wava da sxva mova turfasa sabaghnaroso". saqartveloc chveni cxovrebis xea, sakutar qartul niadagze danergili da zed qristes sjulia damynili. sanamdis misi dziri ar shesustdeba, ghero ar sheindzreva da fesvebi magrad eqneba gadgmuli, shtoebis sherxevita da fotlebis dacvenit ara uchirs ra. chvenc erti fotoltagani vart, adre tu gvian dasacveni, da chveni mizezit rat unda miadges gachirveba samefos? ara, chveno didebulo mefev, chven, uechvelia, unda veaxlot yeens da, rac mosavalia, mogvivides!"

 - batono mefev! - wamoidzaxa choloyashvilma, - chveni samives satqmeli eristavma mogaxsenat da me mxolod davamateb, rom xe, rogorc mcenare, mourwyvelad ver ixarebs; ise erovnebis xesac dziris gasamagreblad da fesvebis ganze gasadgmelad ofltan ertad xandaxan wminda mowamebrivi sisxlic echirveba sarwyavad!.. amgvari msxverplis uchveulo ar aris chveni qveyana da dghes, tu gangebas chventvis wilad uxvedrebia samsxverplo zvarakoba, sasoebit mivegebebit da morchilebit tavs davdebt!.. saqartvelos chiric wagvighiao!.. - mivida da amoudga eristavs gverdshi.

 "amino!" daidzaxa shalvam da gadadga biji matken. darbazs jruantelma dauara. chamovarda xangrdzlivi sichume. mivida mefe xmaamougheblad, gadaexvia samives da gadakocna. ramdenime kurcxali gadmogorda init sheghebil wverze da daeca dzirs. vaxtangma miutita zed samives da utxra: "ai, es iyos sawindari chemsa da tqvens ojaxebs shuao!.."

 am ambis shemde ar gauvlia did xans, rom shalva, elizbari da bidzina aghmosavletisaken gzas adgen da sparsetisken midiodnen. swored imave dros dasavletisaken gadaeshvnen kortoxs sami cxenosani: abdushahili, pirimzisa da bashi-achuki. xmaamoughebliv miachqarebdnen cxenebs sxvadasxva fiqrebit moculni. abdushahilisatvis yvelgan baghdadi iyo, sadac ki misi satrfo iqneboda; siyvarulit gamschvalul pirimzisas echqareboda, rom samshobloshi gadaetana tavisi bedniereba; da bashi-achuks ki maincdamainc magdenad arafrad epitnaveboda imereti, radganac gaigo, rom misi kaxetisaken gadavardnis mizezi rachis eristavisatvis miutxovebiato.

 imeretma dedashvilurad miigho orive vajkaci.

 bashi-achuki daubrunda tavis saxlkarobas da abdushahilic chaesidza. martalia, devi yurit ar daucheriat sidze-colisdzmas, magram bevrjer ki kargi samsaxuri gauwies imerets turqebtan brdzolis dros da samagierod adgil-mamulic bevri sheidzines saweretloshi. cxovrobdnen myudrod da mxolod ertxel ki sheshfotdnen. es mashin, rodesac gaiges, rom mati sayvareli kaxetis gmirebi sparsetshi uwamebiato.

 bevrs echira tvali sasidzod bashi-achukisaken anu, rogorc shemoklebit edzaxodnen, bachukisaken, magram gaucruvdat imedi: is col-shvilis mokidebas ar apirebda, sanamdis wereteli ar mokvda da eristavic ar miicvala! mashin ki gadavida rachashi, moitaca qvrivi da jvari daiwera. ushvildzirod arc sidze da arc colisdzma ar gadasulan: abdushahilis chamomavloba dghesac arian chvenshi - abdushelishvilebi da etyobat kidec, rom kargi winapari unda hyolodat. rac sheexeba bashi-achukis an bachukas nashiers, isini ufro gamravlebulic arian dghes, magram bachukishvilobas swunoben da baqradzeobaze sdeben tavs, da, daubrundebian tu ara bachukishvilobas, is ghmertma icis.

 1896