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– I have heard that you fought against Orif!
– No way! He started first!
– You are a liar! You never do your lessons, don`t help with chores, play all day long!
I’ll punish you!
At that moment I realized that if I would not slip away immediately, I could get a smack. I didn`t know where to go and I was very hungry…
Chapter 2
How I pricked God`s arm with a needle
Frankly speaking, mom did a good job by forbidding me to enter the house. Because at that time I was busy seeking a magic cap, searching for it in abandoned houses and yards. Everything started a month ago, when my grandma came to us and told me a story about a magic cap. Anyone who gets this cap can become a superhero, she said. But, it is impossible to find it.
– Dear grandma, what is the color of that cap? – I asked.
– It is made from a white wool.
– Where can I find it?
– The last owner has hidden it at one of the yards nearby.
– Do you think, can I find it?
– Why not? If you seek it, you`ll surely find it son.
I have been searching for the cap all day long and have lost my mind already. I have visited each place in the village. But there is only one place left. It is located in the ancient part of the village. Nobody knows whose yard it was before.
When I reached the destination, I discovered how ugly the place was. Wherever I looked, I saw a ghost or something evil staring at me. I even saw a wolf. Then I realized that it was a cat. Searching every corner didn`t give any results.
I was very tired and thirsty and started to fall asleep. No way! I should not sleep, I told to myself. Then I entered deeper. There was a rag on the floor. I took it into my hand. Can you believe that I finally found it! It was exactly the cap I was looking for! Made of white wool and so beautiful!
– Hello my dear cap! – I cried out.
– Hello Khoshimjon! – the cap replied.
– I have been looking for you for a long time!
– I have been waiting for you all the time…
I put the cap on my head and flew back home like a bird. Because I had to test it. When I entered the house my mom was sewing a dress for Dono. I approached her and with a low voice called “Moooom”. She looked around but saw nothing.
– Oysha, did you see your brother?
– I don’t know mom, – said Oysha.
– Oh my poor boy, where are you?…
– This is all your fault mom, you always punish him…
Standing near the fridge I took my cap off. Both Oysha and mom were surprised and asked:
– Where have you been?! How?!
– I was inside the fridge…
Mother started crying and kissing and hugging me.
– Oh dear boy, you must have caught cold…
With a hot tea they prepared a blanket for me. After each sip I coughed and did my best to look like I have got sick.
Visiting Sorahon, the soothsayer
was the first thing on my agenda the next day, as our teacher always says that Sorahon is a cheater. If she is a cheater, I wonder, why so many people visit her. You can`t even find so many people in the hospital. Moreover, all of them bring something, someone could bring a sheep, someone could bring somsa (Uzbek food), and most of them surely bring money. Her son Mirobiddinhuja is my classmate and has two bicycles! People believe that Sorahon can talk directly with God. Mirobiddinhuja always boasts that they hear God`s voice every day.
When I entered her yard I saw seven women, five old men and three kids. All of them seemed sick. With the help of my cap I entered the house. A woman with a kid was sitting in front of Sorahon, the madam soothsayer.
– A yellow genie must have attacked your son, – said the soothsayer.
Then I heard strange voices sounding like a drum playing coming either from the wall or from the roof. Thank god I was not alone. Otherwise who knows what would happen. Once those voices ended, I heard someone saying “Amen”.
Sorahon continued:
– You have to bring a yellow goat as a sacrifice, then wrap your boy in its skin.
– Amen! – another voice came from nowhere. The woman with a child looked very
frightened.
Sorahon said, “God will help, listen to those voices!”.
I found some strength and with the help of my cap I decided to see this genie. I headed towards the place that the voice was coming from. There was a ladder leading down to the cellar and a huge pot. Then I recognized another man entering the room. Sorahon told him “Oh dear, a black jinee must have cursed you!”. I was petrified when I found that the voice was coming from inside the pot.
I tried to calm down and wanted to look at the jinee. Guess who was sitting there? It was our Mirobiddinhuja! “The almighty himself is Mirobiddinhuja! Maybe you are also a yellow jineeee?”, – I thought to myself. I was so angry and pricked his arm with a needle.
Oh Gooooood! – Mirobiddinhuja cried. “Dear, your situation is awful, listen, the jinees
are crying” said Sorahon.
I was crazy with anger because of those cheaters, so I pricked Mirobiddinhuja again and again.
– Moooooom! – crying, Mirobbinhuja called his mom.
– Shut up you! – I said.
– What?! Who are you??
– I am Azrael.
– Azrael?!
– Yes, I came to take your soul…
– Mom! I don`t want to die!!
– Shut up! Do you know a boy called Khoshim?
– Yes, dear Azrael yes, I know him!
– If you know him, why didn`t you give him your bicycle to ride?
– I gave it to him!
– But then you and your brother beat him!
– Please forgive me!
– Anyway, your soul is now mine! – I put my hands on his neck like I was trying to choke him.
– Oh dear Azrael, please don`t take my soul! Forgive me!
– Why are you cheating?
– My mother told me to do so…
– What did she say?
– She told me to say “Amin”, and play those drums.
– You are a liar. You even told everyone at school that you hear the voices of God.
– My mother told me to do so…
– So everything is a lie?
– Yes, Azrael…
– You will go to school and tell everyone that you are a liar, otherwise…!
– I will, I will do this today!
– OK. We shall see…Do your homework, and if Khoshimjon ever asks for anything, never refuse,
understand?
Afterwards I decided to check the medicine Sorahon was giving to her “clients”. They were simple drugs available in drugstores. My revenge hadn`t finished. I took some money from the pocket of Sorahon, went to the drugstore and bought some laxative medicine. Then I replaced the medicine in the pockets of clients with the laxatives. Ten days have passed and the whole reputation of Sorahon was badly damaged.
With the help of my cap, things have gone better since then. Everything was great. Even all my marks at school were excellent. I had no need to copy out homework. My glory has gone so high, that even teachers were smiling each time they saw me.
Unfortunately, one day I made a big mistake. I lost all my good reputation after this.. I took the record book and put some excellent marks for me and my best friend Kosim, even though the school year was not finished. All teachers knew this wasn’t right and they called me and my friend Kosim to the room of our principal. There were seven teachers in the room.
– Khoshim, dear, come here. Look at this, do you know who could have put these marks in the record book? – Our principal, Otajon Azizovich asked.
– I don`t know…
– Is it your work, Kosim?
– What are you talking about? – Kosim replied surprised.
– You both have done this! – said one of the teachers.
– No, Khoshim wouldn`t have done this, It must be Kosim who did it, – said another teacher.
It seemed like everyone was satisfied with the last comment. The situation was getting worse and tears appeared on Kosim`s face. I had to do something…
– I did it!
– Why??! – All of them asked.
– I did it! Kosim didn`t even know about it.
This was the end of my good reputation. They said that such a boy like me can never become an agronomist
, an engineer or even a zootechnician
.
– No! – I said, without wanting to retreat.
– Never! Without knowledge you can`t even become a cattleman
!
– I will!
– Don`t talk too much you! – shouted the principal.
I shut the door and left them. At that time, I really believed that with the help of my cap I could become anything I wanted.
That was my last day in the village. I decided to begin my journey and prove to everyone that even without knowledge from studying, a person can achieve everything.
Good bye my dear village! Good bye dear trees, dear lakes! From now, no one will damage your branches, since I`m leaving you! Dear mom, please forgive me for all I did! Dear sisters, please also forgive your brother, and if you ever miss him just look at his photos! Do not cry! Some day he will surely return! He will come back as a hero! He will come back with dozens of medals! Dear homework which I had to do, good bye to you as well!
I was leaving the village at midnight and even though I had tears, my soul was full of joy…
Chapter 3
