
 - diax, kargi kacis natqvamia eg sityvebi, magram arc imas umodzghvrebia cudad, vinc stqva: "sifrtxiles tavi ara stkivao".

 - ki, magram xandaxan sifrtxile sifrtxilis ganayofia! - chailaparaka ghimilit elizbarma da siamovnebit shexeda shalvas.

 - agulianeb? - stqva wyenit zaalma. - tqven shegidzliat tqveni tavi gaswirogh, magram qveyanas ras erchit? imas agharas hkitxavt?.. ori atasi mxedari iq gavwyvitot... chAvklat! aq vingha davaxvedrot, roca garisxebuli chvenze movlen?.. mag urchobit mefes gaviwyromebt da meti ara gamova ra... jer, asea tu ise, tavis windaxedulobit batonma mefem qartli sheinaxa. yeenis guli mogebuli aqvs da chven rad gavuxdet mizezad, rom amdeni xnis mecadineobam chalad chauaros?

 - avi, amistana qveynis shenaxvas!.. - wamoidzaxa cxared kidev shalvam. - kaxeti gatatrda; qartlis mefe, mironcxebuli vaxtang, dacvetil shahnavazad gadaiqca... samoc qal-vajs garda, dghes kidev ori imdens vagzavnit xarkad yovelwlobit... qveyana godebit aivso, - meti unedureba ragha daadgeba qveyanas?!.. dghes tu xval, qartlic aghar iqneba, isic kaxetivit aoxrdeba. gansxvaveba mxolod is iqneba, rom kaxelebma saxeli mainc naxes, xorci gaswires da suli gadairchines, da chven ki sulsac vwymendavt!..

 - martalia, - daamata elizbarma. - "mteri moyvrulad mosuli mterzedac uaresiao!" - shah-abasis melakudoba pirveli ar aris... manamde efereba shahnavazs, sanam esachiroeba da mere ki ukuagdebs! unda, rom jer kaxeti chahylapos da mere qartlsac moswvdeba... mteri pirdapiri ise sashishi ar aris, rogorc moyvrulad shin melasavit shemoparuli.

 - cheshmaritad makvirvebs tqveni ganzraxva!.. me chemi mxrit verc aras gavbedav da uars shevutvli im chems sidzes da tqven ki ghmertma xeli mogimartot! ar inanot bolos ki!..

 didxans gastana matma saubarma: shalva cxarobda, zaal motminebidan gamodioda da elizbari or cecxlshua iyo, orive mxares agongrovebda, rac ki moxerxdeboda. bolos iqamde midga saqme, rom qsnis eristavebi usadilod apirebdnen wasvlas... ukmayofilod wamodgenen zeze, magram akri gaigho da shemovida mariami. xelshi wminda giorgis xati echira: "ghmertma ketilad daagvirgvinos eg tqveni qristianuli ganzraxva da es iyos tqveni winamdzgholio!" - dausvena xati. samive zeze wamodga gakvirvebuli. "chemo batono! - miubrunda qmars, - qveyniuri goneba camdisac rom uwevdes, mainc ver miswvdeba ghvtis gangebas!.. nu ewinaaghmdegebi da eurchebi amat survils, romelic iq turme, cashi, daskvnila da aq mxolod sagulisxmod gadmotanila!.. shemodi, mamao, da amxile!" - gasdzaxa mariamma, shemovida kirile da gacherda. eristavebi ertmanets shescqerodnen, titqo ekitxebodnen ra ambaviao? - "aba, mamao, ras ityvi?" - ganagrdzo mariamma.

 - egeni gaxlavan, sheni chirime, vicani!..

 - mghvdelo, ras dagijinia: vicanio? es meored ambob... ra vqnat mere, rom icani?.. gamocana gergeba, tu? - hkitxa gulmosulma zaalma.

 - aki mogaxsenet, batono, isini arian-metqi!..

 - xom ar gadareulxar?.. mec vici, vinc brdzandebian.

 - ara, batono, me xom magas ar mogaxseneb!..

 - ra dagemarta? rogor ver gaige? sizmarshi rom naxa... - gaawyvetina mariamma.

 - siz...mar...shi?! - gaocebit ikitxa eristavma da piri gaagho.

 - diax, chemo batono! - stqva kirilem da mohyva tavidan sizmars...

 eristavebi gaocebit ugdebdnen yurs. roca mivida kirile im adgilamde, sadac saydarshi shesulma gmirebi daxocili naxa, zaalma ucbad gaawyvetina sityva: - mesame, mesame vin iyo, veghar icani?..

 - axla eseni rom vnaxe, isic momagonda... tqveni sidze gaxladt, swored is iyo!..

 - bidzina choloyashvili? me xom ar ginaxivar?

 - ara, sheni chirime, tqven iq ar brdzanebulxart!..

 "da is ucxo mxedaric es iqneboda! - miashvira xeli mariamma wminda giorgis: - gwyalobdet da giwinamdzghvdrosto!.." - eristavebi gaqvavebulsavit idgnen sagonebelshi chavardnili da xmas veghar ighebdnen. bolos elizbari moubrunda zaals: "axla raghas ityvi?"

 -iyavn neba uflisa! ragha metqmis?.. aq windawinve saswaulsa vxedavt... tqven samica kmarixart! xom xedavt, me nametani vyofilvar... me mefis urchi ver gavxdebi... magra, tu kirile modzghvris shegonebit chemi saymodan wamogyvebat vinme, ar davushli, mit ufro, rom me ara vici ra! - gaicina da chailaparaka: - mamao kirile, imedia, shen tu sheagoneb da jvrit xelshi win waudzghvebi, wagyvebian.

 - ghmerto, shenit! - stqva kirilem, gamoisaxa pirjvari da emtxvia xats.

 - amin! - gaimeores eristavebma da emtxvivnen isinic... mere dasxdnen da sheudgnen tatbirs: moilaparakes, dro danishnes, magram gaafrtxiles ki ertmaneti, rom es saqme saidumlod yofiliyo. sparselebis saxelic ar unda xsenebuliyo da mizezad imerlebi gamoegonebiat, radganac isini im dros dadianze epirebodnen galashqrebas. sizmrit gamxnevebulsa da daimedebuli eristavebis sixaruls sazghvari aghar hqonda. gaimarta lxini, rogorc aragvis, ise qsnis eristavebis sakadrisi. mzis gadaxramde sheeqcnen da mere gaudgnen gzas. meore dghes imerelmac chaidva ubeshi sadasturo werili, choloyashviltan gatanebuli, gaacurva tavisi axali bedauri "arabula" da im gzitve wavida, ra gzitac modioda... mouravi sheschereboda gamoghmidan da gulze muchs irtyamda: "vai, shens tyavs!.. batons imistana bedauri gamoalala mis gaxrekil baxshi da me zedac aghar shemomxedao" - wuwunebda guldawyvetili da aqet-iqit aqnevda tavs.

 tavi mesame

 ert dros saweretloshi bevri gamochenili aznauri iyo, magram baqara baqradzes ki veravin sheedreboda. mefis ertgulma, batonis morchilma da qveynis moyvarulma gvaric ki daawinaura, aratu tavisi saxli. weretlis mouraobam mainc sul fexze daayena. ertaderti samwuxaro misi is iyo, rom shvili ara rcheboda, magram, roca mezoblis rchevit, axalshobils "glaxa" daarqva da ghvtis saxelobaze gaushva, isic martla chitivit wawmoezarda. vajs kidev ori qali tan mohyva tyupad da aman xom sul mtlad daagvirgvina misi bedniereba. magram "sofeli gana didxans vismes axarebso?" martali natqvamia: "erti xidan jvaric gamova da barico!.." sul sxvanairi kaci iyo misi umcrosi dzma kiko!.. ojaxze gulavardnili da garewari, ambobda gunebashi: "sadac kvamli maghalio, mec imisi mayario" da lxini, an dgheoba arsad gaucdeboda. aqet-iqit xetialshi sadghac saxads gadaeyara da shin saormoco sneba shemoitana. tviton moixada, magram dzma da rdzali ki, orive, erti kviris ganmavlobashi gamoatxova wutisofels. darchnen oblebi bidzis sapatronod. kiko daawva savse ojaxs tavze da nel-nela gautkba batonoba.

 patara qalebi gaabara ghvimis monastershi da vaji ki miushva nebaze, rom egebi fexi sadme waamtvrios, safrtxeshi chavardes da ojaxi me damrches sakutrado! magram natqvamia: "kvici gvarze wavao"; dghiti dghe parata glaxuki siketeshi shedioda da teqvsmeti wlisas im axlomaxloshi vegharavin sjobda. ertxel, sasaxleshi mimavalma shenishna, rom didi da patara, baton-ymiana, yvela ertad ezos xes gars exveodnen. chishkars rom miuaxlovda, gadaxta, cxeni yoreze miaba da qveitad eaxla batons. "oh, gamarjoba sheni, - miayvira weretelma, - swored kai dros moxvedi!.. gaqeben da, tu martalia, axla gamochndeba: qori chamoekida xis wveroze da unda aushva rogorme".

 - batoni brdzandebit! asvligh aval xeze, magram i shto rom veghar mimagrebs wveroshi?

 - hoda, saqmec eg aris, - miadzaxes aqet-iqidan kariskacebma, - tvara asvlit gana chven ki ver avidodit?

 - ara, sxva rame unda ifiqro! - daamata batonma.

 - mash, meti aghar gaewyoba ra, tofit unda avushvat, - moaxsena glaxukma.

 - tofit?! qori ki ar momikla!

 - ra brdzanebaa! - ghimilit utxra axalgazrda baqradzem da gamoigho tofi, romelsac, im drois mixedulobit, ar ishorebda da sul tan dahqonda. gadga ganze, wamoichoqa cal muxlze da amoigho nishanshi. yvelam suli gaikminda. daicheqa tofma dabla da maghla qorma sheifrtqiala.

 - eeh, wagixda! - miayvira weretelma.

 - rata, sheni chirime?.. qori orive fexebit gaxlavt chamokidebuli, gafachxulad, da erti tyvia orive tasmas xom ver miudgeboda? marjvena shevwyvite da axla marcxenas vesvri! - gatena meored tofi da esrola. qori dabla daeshva, magram jer shuamdisac ar chamosuliyo, rom ucbad haershive gadatrialda da hkra cashi kamara. gafrenil qors bazierebi daedevnen. yvelas dzalian gaukvirda es simarjve axalgazrda metofis, magram tviton imas arc ki sheumchnevia, tofs dauwyo ferva.

 - gamomitanet chemi yirimi! natqvamia: "tofi metofes da metofe sofelso". swored sheni sakadrisi yofila is tofi da ghmertmac shen mogaxmaros! - stqva weretelma. gamoitanes wvrilluliani, sul oqroti mosaltuli, grdzeli tofi da gadasces metofes.

 sasaxleshi bevrs aravis darchenia sasiamovnod axalgazrda glaxukis gamarjveba, magram magierad erti vinme ki sul sxva gunebaze daayena: koshkidan turme gadmomdgariyo axalgazrda weretlis qali da sarkmelshi uyurebda gulisfancqalit am ambavs. gagonili hqonda axalgazrda baqradzis qeba gulshi gasavlebad, magram dghevandelma nanaxma ki ise gaitaca, rom tavi veghar sheimagra da satrfialod gadaushala guli.

 tyuilad ar schioda dzvelad samghvdeloeba, rom "vefxistyaosani" saxarebaze ufro gautkba qveyanasao; saukuneebis ganmavlobashi, didi da patara, yvela imas ewafeboda; kacebi tariel-avtandilsa hbadzavdnen,qalebi nestan-tinatinobas scdilobdnen, mefe da kariskacebi - rostevan-sogratobaze sdebdnen tavs, msaxurni shermadinobdnen da moxele-gamdelebi ki asmatobas schemobdnen. aqac, am shemtxvevashi, weretlis qals gamouchnda asmati da gaimarta miwer-mowera. siyvarulis umecarma axalgazrda baqradzem igrdzno pirvelad ucnauri ram, gaimschvala sulian-xorcianad, mihyva siyvarulis mdinares, gadahyva sachqefes da shetopa morevshi, guneba sheecvala, chveulebriv rameebs tavi daaneba da marto xilvas edzleoda. "shorit bneda, shorit kvnesao", - ambobda gunebashi da satrfos saidumlod itvaliswinebda. im dros qalebi pirobas udebdnen sayvarlebs: "gvichvenet saqmeni sagmironio". es piroba chveulebisamebr axal sheyvarebulsac daudes, magram sad iyo im axlomaxlo misi saasparezo? mashin kaxetshi tatroba iyo da didi patara iq sparselebis ughels eweoda, - gansakutrebit tavad-aznauroba. eurchebodnen mxolod zogiertebi, aqa-iq mat ricxvshi axmetis batoni, bidzina choloyashvili, yvelaze ufro sheupovari iyo. imis gmirobis xma imeretamdisac uwevda da, ai, amas mimarta axalma avtandilma. moemzada saucxovod, gamoewyo samgzavrod, sheikazma "afxazura" da gaeshura aghmosavletisaken. gzashi sevdebi shemoawva, samshoblos datoveba gulsa swyvetda da sayvarlis moshoreba zed tanjvis cecxls ekvesebda. midioda da mighighinebda: 
