
 tatarma shexeda da erti biji ukan gadadga. cota sichumis shemdeg hkitxa: "sxvebsac xom hqondat eg jado, ragha marto shenze gaschra?"

 - ubralo shemtxvevis bralia: me uvaxshmod damedzina, sxvabi ki vaxshamnachamni iyvnen; da am jados mxolod mashin aqvs dzala, roca kaci marxulia.

 tatarma ichvneulad gadaaqnia tavi.

 - ara gjera? - dabejitebit hkitxa qalma. - mash, vcadot! magaze advili ragha aris?! ai, chamoikide gulze, eg sheni xmali momeci, me dagkrav, rac dzali da ghone maqvs, da naxe tu an kani gagichras!..

 tatarma gaicina:

 - isemc kargi dagemartos, magram, ucabedad rom gaschras, mere ragha vqnat?.. hm!.. mit ufro, rom wuxeli karga lazatianad sheveqeci vaxshams... sheni mosatyuebeli kbili, didi xania, movicvale.

 - shena ggonia, rom gatyueb? magas sifrtxile galaparakebs; aba chemze sinje: rac dzali da ghone gaqvs, nu damzogav, da naxav, tu kabisa da perangis meti gamichras rame! - gadaghma gulaghma qvaze da gulze daidva xati; tatarma gamosacdelad, tu martla ar sheshindeso, amoigho xmali da dauqnia, magram haershive sheachera. qali ar gandzreula da ghimilit utxra:

 - ar gitxari, rom veras damakleb-metqi?

 tatari darwmunda, rom es aghar xumrobso; jados xelshi chagdebis survilma waityua; martla mouqnia xmali, rac dzali da ghone hqonda. da shuagawyvetili qali naxevari iqit gadavarda da naxevari aqet. shekrta motyuebuli mxedari, shemoikra tavshi xeli: "gamabriyva am ubedurmao!" gadaaqnia mwuxarebit tavi aqet-iqit, erti kidev daxeda darcxvenit, chaago xmali da gashorda. amave dros ibriala da avarda saocari ali aoxrebul monasters.

 gaiges tu ara es samwuxaro ambavi telavshi, axlomaxlo soflebi agheldnen, magram mwuxarebis gamocxadebas rogor gabedavdnen? ar swyeniat mxolod qartvelebis mtrebs da sasiamovnod miighes yvela tatrebmac, garda ertisa, romelmac, gagonebis umalve, grdznoba-goneba dabneulma, gaaqana bedauri shuamtisaken. es erti iyo abdushahili. rom mivida, monasteri gadamwvari daxvda da sichume-araraobas moecva aremare; daghonda da pirvelad gaivlo gulshi salavati: "nutu, ghmerto, amistana msxverpli shentvis martla sachiro iyos? an ra vajkacobaa uiaragho, umweo, susti dedakacebisa da balghebis jleta? qristianebi amgvars aras schadian!.. tvit yacharebic ki eridebian am saqmes. am or-sam weliwadshi, vin icis, ramdeni ojaxi aikles, rogorc tatrebis, ise tvit qartvelebisac, magram, aba tu erti sadme ukadrebiat uiaragho dedakacebisa da bavshvebis xelis shexeba?" - am zraxvit gaiara didi ezo da ganakides miadga cacxvs; iq ucbad shecherda, daxeda gachexil qals, erti saocrad daiyvira, wabarbacda da iqve, cacxvs rom ar mihyudeboda, waiqceoda. didxans iyo ise xmaamougheblad. bolos sheidzra, daashterda mkvdars da sasowarkvetilebit stqva:

 - ra dagishave, ghmerto, rom cxadi sizmrad gadamiqcie? amas velodi? gahqra, wavida! chamiara ocnebam! magram rac ertxelve gulze ise natlad damercho, imas veghara amoshlis ra!.. tu cocxali davkarge, mkvdari xom mainc chemia! - daavlo xeli orad gachrils, miikra gulze da waigho iqitkenve, saidanac am ramodenime xnis winet iset netarebit mihqonda, magram sul sxvadasxva ki iyo mashin da axla. mashin, netarebit gabruebuls, maghlit ca exsneboda, da axla ki, ubedurebit sulshexutuls, dedamiwa uskdeboda! moitana wyarostan da dadva. didxans dahyurebda tavze da cremlebi ghapaghupit ecemodnen wver-ulvashze. im dghesve gaschra saflavi wyarostan, miabara saidumlod tavis dauviwyari gandzi samares da saflavis piri miaswor-moaswora.

 im dghidan xshirad, dzalian xshirad, amoidioda xolme da dzvirfas samarestan ghames atevda.


 tavi metertmete

 ertxel, mtvarian ghameshi, abdushahili mxar-tedzos wamowolili rom iyo da chveulebrivad, tkbili mogonebit gatacebuli, gabruebuli ocnebobda, shriali moesma; moixeda, daiyvira, zeze wamovarda, ramdenime biji ukan gadadga, moisva xanjalze xeli da gashra, titqo ena chauvardao: mis win idga is, visac is iglovda da stiroda.

 - shors chemgan! shegachvenos mahmadma, tu farsagi suli ara xar! - miayvira xelis qnevit.

 - nu geshinia, me isa var, visac shen iglov da stiri! - miugo damshvidebit qalma.

 - suli, chem sanugeshod da dasatkbobad saiqiodan mobrunebuli?

 - swored shentvis da shentan mosuli, magram suli ki ara, xorcshesxmuli, cocxali adamiani, shens siyvarulze darwmunebuli da sheni moyvaruli.

 - rogor! gacocxldi?

 - me mkvdari ara vyofilvar.

 - mash es? - miutita gaocebulma saflavze.

 - shescdi: eg da iyo, sabralo pirmtvarisa, chemi tyupis cali da mgvani; me ki pirimzisas medzaxian.

 - dailocos, ghmerto, sheni gangeba! - daighriala abdushahilma, mivida da dauchira xelebi. - mitxari, mitxari, sizmaria tu cxadi?! rogor moxda es yvelaferi, amixseni, tvara goneba mekargeba! - metis aghelvebisagan fexze veghar dgeboda da chajda. qali miujda gverdit axlo da alersianad utxra: 

 - ai, xom xedav, rom ar geridebi? amitom rom da var sheni. tu gagondeba, swored am adgilas, gulshemoyrili rom gamomabrune, dzmoba mitxari da vici vajkacis sityva ar gatydeba. im dghidan mec sheni siyvaruli chamivarda gulshi, magram rogorc unayofo ram da ganuxorcielebeli. radganac rjulis sxvadasxvaoba chvens ertobas xels ushlida, is grdznoba gadavitane da-dzmur siyvarulze da davmorchildi beds.

 tatari gaocebuli usmenda da bolos xmis kankalit hkitxa:

 - dao, magram daze utkbeso! shematyobine, rogor gadarchi da an aq vin mogiyvana?

 - monasteri rom aikles, chven ramdenime agvarchies; tyved vundodit waveyvanet, magram im areulobis dros tvalsa da xels shua gavepare da iqve ucbad mivimale. maxloblad carieli qvevri meguleboda da shig chavdzveri. rodesac monasters cecxli waukides da wavidnen, gamovedi, aqve tyeshi davimale, giyure, sacodav chem das rom hglovdi da an roca damarxe; vicodi, rom me gegone da siyvarulze siyvaruli memateboda. mas aqet aq vdgevar ert gamoqvabulshi da xshirad gxedav xolme farulad aq mjdomares. dghes gulma aghar gamidzlo da gamogecxade. axla amis mets verafers gaigeb chemgan da, tu kidev meti ginda sheityo, wamomyevi sadgurze, magram im pirobit ki, rom rac unda naxo, ar gaikvirvo da arc iaraghi ixmaro. mendobi?

 - gind jojoxetshiac wamiyvano.

 - fici?..

 - vficav mahmads!

 - romelsac qristianebi ver vendobit!

 - mash tvit tqvens qristes!..

 - sheni ra aris?! ara! sxva tavdebi momeci. daifice vajkacis sityva.

 - vficav da zedac davamateb im chems ucnaur siyvaruls, romlis gamotqmac ar shemidzlia!..

 - axla ki mjera! - stqva qalma, wamodga, wamoayena kacic da xelixelchakidebuli shevidnen udabur tyeshi.


 tavi metormete

 shuagul tyeshi, ert titqmis miuval napralshi, gamoqvabulshi, isxdnen axalgazrda bichebi cecxlis win da mwvadebs ashishxinebdnen. iqve grdzeli sufra edgat, magram carieli, zed arc purebi ewyo, arc ghvino da arc shechamadi. garedan fexis xma moisma da shemovida qali mozrdili xelkalatit.

 - oh, melano, shena xar? - hkitxa ertma, romelsac metauroba etyoboda.

 - me var, sando veravin vishovne, rom gamometanebina da meti ragha gza mqonda? movdiodi, magram shishit ki muxlebi mikankalebda. male damicalet!.. mdzinari balghebi marto davyare shin! - stqva melanom da gadasca xelkalati.

 - ha, vaxshams gavatavebt da kidec gagatant visme samshvidobomdis - utxra, ufross rom hgavda, imanve. melanom wynarad gadiara da mijda kutxeshi tavistvis. xelkalatidan purebi amoalages, xeladit ghvino, qotnit shechamandi, daawyves sufraze. - "gaumarjos medzghvnes!" daidzaxa ertma iq myoftaganma: "samagierod chvenc chveni dghevandeli nanadirevi vuziaroto!" dastanxmda yvela da diddzali aso-asod aqnili shvlis xorci chauwyves kalatshi.

 ucbad zarnashom daikivla; wamocvivdnen sufridan, moavles iaraghs xeli da gavardnas apirebdnen karshi, rom zarnashos xma ar shewyvetiliyo da nacvlad wroms ar daewyo wivili. shemobrundnen isev. stqves: "albat metvalyureni shescdnen, magram ra xumrobaa? chven ki guli gadagvitrialda da!"

 shemovida pirimzisa da sicilit stqva:

 - vaitu sheshindit! metvalyure shecda, kargad ver gaarchia sibneleshi, chemi tyve mtrad miigho da nishani mogcat. kidev kargi, rom male gavagebine da samshvidoboze gadavida.

 - tyve? tyve? tyveo? - ikitxes gaocebit aqet-iqit.

 - diax! mogiyvanet damorchilebuli! iaraghic ar amiyria, rom vajkacisatvis sircxvili ar mechmia. miighet, rogorc stumari! sawyeni ara hkadrot-ra!

 am sityvaze ucbad gavida garet da shemoiyvana abdushahili.

 wamocvivdnen suyvela zeze da sheacherdnen. abdushahili shemosasvlelshive shecherda da gaocebit daidzaxa: "bashi-achuk!"

 - diax! abdushahil, es bashi-achukia da me amisi da!.. kurtxeul iyos tqveni sheyra da fexbednieri aq shemosvla!

 chamovarda sichume. yvela gaocebuli uyurebdnen ertmanets. abdushahilma xelebi aapyro maghla da stqva: "dailoca, ghmerto, sheni ucnauri gangeba! vedzebdi, rogorc mteri, da shevxvdi, rogorc moyvare". bashi-achukma gaicina da upasuxa:

 - chemi satqmelic eg aris!.. shen stumari da chven maspindzeli!

 mivida, gadaxvia xeli, wamoiyvana da moisva gverdit.

 - moulodnelad ghvtis mocemulo stumaro, nu dagviwuneb sufras! gharibia, magram mxiaruli, - utxra bashi-achukma da shemousxdnen sxvebic gars. gaimarta lxini, magram simgheris magierad saubari gaabes dablis xmit. gagrdzelda vaxshami; bevri ram itqva, titqmis yvelam gamoamjghavna mokled tavisi tavgadasavali da bolos, jeri rom midga, mohyva abdushahilic:

 - me erti utvistomo kaci var: ar vici, vin yofila chemi mama-papa da saidan movxvdi ardalanshi? dzlivs magondeba da odnav maxsovs, rac sabralo dedachemisagan gamigonia!.. odesme, ert sofels, sadghac lekebi dascemian, aukliat mteli sofeli, chveni ojaxic amouwyvetiat, ase rom me davrchenilvar dzudzumwovari da dedastan ertad tyved wauyvanivart; myolia kidev erti ufrosi dac, magram is sxva sofelshi yofila gabarebuli mghvdeltan da gadarchenila. amis meti ara vici ra...

 melano sulganabuli ugdebda yurs; ucbad miayvira: "eqvsi titi xom ara gaqvs marcxena fexzeo?" da, dasturi rom miigho, mivarda, gadaexvia da daiwyo qvitini: "ghmerts ar sdomebia chveni ertmanetisatvis dakargvao".

 mayureblebi gaocebuli pirjvars iwerdnen, ghmerts madlobas swiravdnen da ulocavdnen axalsheyrilebs. abdushahilma aghar icoda, ra unda eqna! chamovarda sichume. pirimzisa miubrunda da utxra abdushahils: 

 - mec momilocavs!.. axla, raxan namdvili da gamogichnda, chveni dadzmobiloba agharaferi sachiroao.
