At the very moment that Yesirkep finished his dinner, the chair beneath him bounced up and down so hard that he nearly fell on the floor. Thinking that it was the antics of his five-year-old son, it did not take long for Yesirkep to slap him on the back. The boy, who at that moment was daydreaming of a Sunday trip to the town\u2019s toy shop, began to cry. \u2018Have you lost your mind?\u2019 Yesirkep\u2019s wife confronted him. He started to explain what had happened, but at that moment the chair he was sitting on started to move again. Yesirkep looked at his wife, at his son, and then looked up… The light bulb hanging from the ceil- ing on a piece of wire was swinging like a pendulum. \u2018Oibai! Everybody outside!\u2019 shouted Yesirkep and dashed out of the house. Stopping only in the centre of the yard, he took a breath and looked behind him. Wife and son were still in the house. \u2018Oibai! Kamasiya! Over here! Hurry!\u2019 Yesirkep shouted with renewed vigour. The ground stirred again. Yesirkep, who did not often think of Allah, now called upon him a thousand times for help, then, exhausted with terror, sank to the dust where he stood. At last his wife appeared in the open doorway. She held their son in her arms. \u2018Well, did the soul not fly away?\u2019 she inquired as she lowered the child from her arms onto the porch. Yesirkep gradually came to his senses. Seeing that he had unnecessarily hit the child, had rushed out of the house when he should have been thinking of his family, and that he was now sitting in the middle of the yard, Yesirkep felt shame run up and down his body in prickly goosebumps. \u2018Why are you sitting in the dust like a chicken? Get up!\u2019 his wife shouted, nailing him to the ground. \u2018Look how he treasures his life! And he boasted that as a child he had fought two wolves,\u2019 she laughed. \u2018Don\u2019t they have anything better to do than mess with you?\u2019 \u2018Alright, alright,\u2019 mumbled Yesirkep, kicking the dust out of his trousers. \u2018Hurry up and get up! God forbid people should see. You\u2019d better go to your car! Yesirkep looked around. Thank Allah, there was no one… He tapped his hand once more on his be- hind, causing a dusty cloud to form there, and went silently out of the gate. Akzhar used to be considered a large collective farm, but when the consolidation of farms began, the three collective farms were merged into one state farm and Akzhar became just a branch of it. As for Yesirkep, he was transferred from the new central farmstead here to the department as an engine mechanic. The department had innumerable farms, a shop, bathhouses, a clubhouse, a communications centre…. All this had to be supplied with electricity, but the department was far away from the high-voltage line, and on the orders of the district authorities two electric diesel engines were installed in Akzhar. This made such an impression on the villagers that it was as if a branch of the Moscow metro had passed through their village. Since then every mechanic in the department had dreamed of owning one of the diesels. In pursuit of this cherished goal, the men of Akzhar quietly invited the head of the department, Toiboldy, to a dastarkhan, where they initiated him into their dream. The diesel engines that had been installed raised Toiboldy\u2019s profile considerably, elevating him in the eyes of the people of the village. Rumours kept circulating among the villagers that someone would be appointed as a mechanic and others would be rejected by the bosses. One day the director of the state farm called Toiboldy and said that all his candidates were unsuitable, and that Yesirkep could do the diesel work better than anyone else. Two days later Yesirkep\u2019s fam- ily loaded their belongings onto two tractor carts and moved to Akzhar. The appointment of an outsider quickly affected the appearance of the ward. Pillars were erected in the winding streets, and real power lines stretched from house to house. Soon a light bulb was flashing outside the office as well. From the first day four subordi- nates — two assistants and two fitters — were assigned to Yesirkep. Thus, unexpectedly, he became head of the power station and therefore one of the most influential people in Akzhar. Not only that, the director of the state farm made it a habit to take Yesirkep everywhere he went, which was a great blow to Toiboldy, and in time became the main reason for his increased pressure. That year, the villagers in the ward were buying television sets by the dozen from the shop, and after a month of this competition, an aerial appeared above every house. The ever-proud parents, Ombai and Dombai, who would talk everywhere about their modest means, were among the first to buy colour televisions. Yesirkep was beginning to come into his own. He no longer agreed to everyone\u2019s invitations to visit, and if he did go to a dastarkhan, it was only for a short time, as befits a respectable, busy leader. But then the youngest daughter of the head of MTM suddenly married the eldest son of the current director, and Yesirkep had to participate in the celebration. Hearing a respectful \u2018Es-aga\u2019 from all sides, Yesirkep suddenly reported loudly: \u2018I fought two wolves as a child and skinned them both\u2026\u2019 It went very quiet. \u2018You must have had a gun,\u2019 someone suggested politely. But at these words Yesirkep started up like a diesel. \u2018What rubbish! I was unarmed. These hands and nothing else!\u2019 Yesirkep showed the villagers his hands. \u2018I don\u2019t believe you,\u2019 said a daring young man, thoroughly warmed up by the feast. \u2018How could you, when even Tashkenbai sitting in front of you was armed to the teeth, but he still ran without a backward glance from a single wolf\u2026\u2019 Yesirkep exploded. \u2018What\u2019s that got to do with anything? He is Tashkenbai and I am Yesirkep!\u2019 he shouted, trying to remember whether or not the man\u2019s house had paid for its electricity. An argument broke out. The feast was divided into two camps, some taking the lad\u2019s side, some of them with Yesirkep. \u2018Let\u2019s go and see which of you is tougher!\u2019 the young man teased. \u2018When you were a child you skinned two wolves. And Tashkenbai ran away from one. Now let\u2019s go and see who\u2019s braver now. Tasheke, are you ready?\u2019 \u2018I\u2019m ready!\u2019 Tashkenbai shouted fiercely. His mood did not please Yesirkep, but realising that he could no longer be silent, he declared that he was as ready as he had ever been. The wife knew her husband. Fearing that Yesirkep was likely to embarrass himself, she chose a moment to whisper to him: \u2018Come on now\u2026 It\u2019s embarrassing in front of the principal\u2026\u2019 \u2018Why should I stop?\u2019 raged Yesirkep. \u2018Even if Al- lah himself is present, Yesirkep knows the value of his honour. Hey, who wants to come out? Let\u2019s go!\u2019 The fight would take place at the mare\u2019s stall under the canopy. The lights had not yet been switched on. The young man who made the commotion switched on the headlights of the Zhiguli which was parked at the mare\u2019s stall. Old men and old women, girls and young women, boys and girls, the whole staff of the department were watching the fight with interest. The head of the department, Toiboldy, tried to prevent the fight, but it did not work — the sides were relentless. Knowing that the principal was sympathetic to Ye- sirkep, and bearing in mind his imminent retirement, Toiboldy lost his head in despair. The fight ended as quickly as it had begun. Ye- sirkep moved menacingly towards his opponent, but the latter suddenly used an unknown technique, and Yesirkep was soon seeing all the stars in the sky. The one who had once fled from a wolf did not stop there: he twisted the arms of his lying adversary and sat down on him. Then he took some cigarettes out of his pocket and smoked nonchalantly. Unable to stay in the crowd, Kamasiya grabbed the child and went back to the house. The department head Toiboldy, knowing there would be a big scandal, also slipped out of the crowd and escaped into the darkness as a precaution. Yesirkep climbed out from under the winner, looked intently at the fans and walked towards the power station. He burst into the duty officer\u2019s cabinet like an enraged bull. Shiftman Zhumat was dozing, resting his forehead on an oily metal table. When he saw the boss appear before him Zhumat shouted in a hysterical voice: \u2018No! I wasn\u2019t asleep!\u2019 \u2018Turn it off!\u2019 commanded Yesirkep. \u2018No, I wasn\u2019t sleeping! I never sleep on the job!\u2019 cried Zhumat. \u2018What are you jabbering about? Turn it off. Turn the engine off! \u2018Why? \u2018Do it!\u2019 \u2018Yes… How come…? People… They\u2019ll file a com- plaint…\u2019 \u2018Let them. Say the alternator\u2019s burnt out, the cyl- inder\u2019s jammed. Just shut it down! After a minute the roar of the diesel engine ceased and the village was plunged into pitch darkness. He climbed up onto the roof of the hut, looked in the direction of the house where the celebration was taking place, listened with satisfaction to the babble of the bewildered people, and said to his subordinate: \u2018If anyone asks, you haven\u2019t seen me.\u2019 At home, Yesirkep cursed angrily and collapsed onto the bed. \u2018Hey, you\u2019ll frighten the children, go into the oth- er room,\u2019 Kamasiya interrupted him. \u2018A man should know his limits. Shame on the whole village… And now your engine\u2019s stalled.\u2019 At night Yesirkep snored as if he was being strangled. Convinced that it was impossible to sleep next to him, his wife moved the children into the next room and shut the doors tightly. Toiboldy came around at dawn. We have to fix the station by all means, he said. He was followed by the MTM superintendent. One by one the head of the club, the watchmen of the bathhouse, shops and ware- houses came in. They all heard the same reply: \u2018The diesel is out of order. Until a spare part is delivered from the centre, there will be no power\u2019. In the afternoon the street in front of Yesirkep\u2019s house turned into a bazaar. In the evening the second episode of Kyz-Zhibek was to be shown, and the people of Akzhar were begging and pleading with Yesirkep. All of his ancestors (up to the seventh generation), he and his offspring were praised so much that it seems even Allah could not resist. Yesirkep did not lift a finger. He himself, when he lived on the central farmstead, had already watched the film, so he couldn\u2019t have been calmer. \u2018You\u2019ve got golden hands! You can do anything\u2026\u2019 \u2018What do you mean, a jammed cylinder? For a master like you that\u2019s a piece of cake,\u2019 came the familiar voice of a young man, feeling the insults of the day before gradually fading away. \u2018We gave that rascal a good reprimand,\u2019 someone in the crowd said, unaware that he was tapping at the power station manager\u2019s sore spot. \u2018He doesn\u2019t know how to escape shame; he says he may forgive me, and I am ready to present him with a horse and a chapan! He slaughtered a sheep and is humbly waiting for you in his house. Please, do your best, and give us some light for the evening. \u2018To fix the cylinder is…\u2019 Yesirkep began very weightily, about to give his consent. But then someone in the crowd said: \u2018If you trust me, the MTM mechanics will fix it,\u2019 he announced, screwing up the whole thing. Yesirkep faltered again. But the young man imme- diately shut the impatient one up: \u2018Are there any worthwhile young men in the MTM?! Nobody here is capable of fixing the cylinder. Stay there and shut up,\u2019 he shouted. \u2018Okay,\u2019 said Yesirkep, with a sigh. \u2018If that\u2019s what people want, I\u2019ll try. There will be light in the evening! \u2018Hurrah! What a guy! That\u2019s the boy!\u2019 people be- gan to disperse slowly. When he arrived at the power station, he took apart the innocent generator and the intact motor for show. While he had promised to have light by the evening, Yesirkep was at a loss when he saw the pile of parts. When the roar of the diesel engine sounded in the twilight, Yesirkep was overjoyed. Coming up to the panel, Yesirkep switched on the switch. The electric lights above the village shone. Knowing that they were coming for him, he hur- ried home as soon as the engine started. Taking his wife with him, he got into the car that had been sent for him. Just as importantly he stepped into the courtyard of his victor. He answered the peo- ple\u2019s greetings with importance. He took food from the dastarkhan. Before Kyz-Zhibek started the kuirdak had been eaten. For some reason the master of the house did not show his face. Every now and then Yesirkep glanced towards the door, waiting for the moment when he would come and ask for forgiveness. But that moment did not come. It was about ten minutes before the film started. When all the guests had settled in front of the televi- sion screen and were clamouring for silence, there was a sudden shout from the street. Yesirkep recognised the voice; it was Tashkenbai. \u2018Oooh, you wretches! Pay, pay for my sheep! You\u2019ll pay me for it, you freeloaders!\u2019 heard Yesirkep and felt that something unforeseen had happened. Tashkenbai showed up ten minutes before the film started. He was wet and dirty. Unspeakably sur- prised by the unexpected feast in his own house, he asked why there was a celebration, but it was difficult to understand the people\u2019s reason, and Tashkenbai started shouting: \u2018Get out! I\u2019ll kill them all! Where\u2019s that blabber- mouth? I\u2019ll show him how to turn out the lights when there\u2019s a wedding.\u2019 The people all jumped on Tashkenbai in droves. \u2018Oibai, my brothers, calm your anger. We\u2019re all doing this as friends. Why are you jumping on Ye- sirkep? Yesterday you smoked while sitting on him, isn\u2019t that enough? Tomorrow you\u2019ll get two sheep from us. We only wanted your name. So you won\u2019t suffer a loss. Better go and say hello to Yesirkep. Kyz-Zhibek is starting in three minutes.\u2019 People were pressing on all sides, and Tashkenbai had to give in. When the film started, he, supported on both sides, was already sitting by the television, occasionally dropping his head on his chest. Astonished at what was happening on the screen, Tashkenbai shouted out, \u2018Oh, God!\u2019 He glared fiercely at Yesirkep, but allowed himself nothing more. However, this incident undermined Yesirkep\u2019s hitherto unquestionable authority. Uzun-Kulak had done his dirty work, and even on the central homestead there were some snide jokes about Yesirkep, so that he now had an excuse for stopping the station every day. Gradually he resumed his humility and silently endured the taunts. Today he was quite sure that no one had noticed his behaviour during the earthquake, but for some reason the rumour spread throughout the village. In the evening he came home angry and attacked his wife from the doorstep: \u2018I will kick you out! Divorce! If it comes to that, Yesirkep can do without his wife. Go back to your parents!\u2019 His wife knew what had happened. \u2018What\u2019s got into you?\u2019 she asked calmly, putting the noodles into the pan. \u2018Have you slept with evil spirits?\u2019 \u2018Urgh, wretch,\u2019 cried Yesirkep. \u2018The rumour has spread all over the village, and now she pretends not to understand anything. Who but you saw me hit the child?\u2019 \u2018Stop talking nonsense!\u2019 said Kamasiya as she con- tinued with her noodles. \u2018Change your clothes, wash your hands and sit down at the table. Dinner is ready.\u2019 \u2018Don\u2019t change the subject! Who else could have told those chatterboxes how I hit the child and jumped out of the house?\u2019 \u2018Who could have told? Your son did. He\u2019s been playing outside all day.\u2019 Yesirkep, bewildered by this simple explanation, was momentarily confused. Kamasiya hummed into her palm and, unable to restrain herself, clutched her stomach and laughed until she cried. Yesirkep became alarmed. \u2018Hey, hey, that\u2019s enough! The children will hear you!\u2019 he hissed miserably in a voice that had settled with confusion. And then he ran out into the street. If a Kazakh starts to make a fuss over someone, no good can come of it. Yesirkep\u2019s peers were tirelessly spreading new stories about him, presenting fiction as truth, and turning the truth into God\u2019s punishment. Who would have thought that people had such a good memory! Lately there had been talk in the village that the department would be connected to a high-voltage line and there would be no need for a power station. Some preparatory work had even been carried out… It was the first year that Yesirkep got a holiday. He spent it on the Black Sea coast. His friends saw him off noisily. While Yesirkep was resting, the department was connected to the AEP… Yesirkep was welcomed by all his peers who lived in Akzhar. In the railway station restaurant they cele- brated the return of their comrade. Tarakbai, having softened up, complained to Yesirkep, who was unspeakably pleased with the welcome he had received. \u2018After you left, that backstabber got cocky.\u2019 \u2018Yes, there\u2019s something to be said about him,\u2019 Tashkenbai seconded, nodding his elongated head. \u2018What happened?\u2019 Yesirkep looked around at them all and asked. \u2018What\u2019s he all worked up about?\u2019 \u2018Alright, tell him everything!\u2019 said Tarakbai with bitter determination. \u2018Remember when his eldest son married the youngest daughter of the MTM superin- tendent, there was a misunderstanding between them?\u2019 \u2018Well…\u2019 Yesirkep tensed up. \u2018So, now the youngest daughter of the station manager is getting married to the eldest son of the MTM manager. Tonight is their wedding night. Za- vtokom says he will never forget Yesirkep\u2019s shenanigans, neither in this world nor in the next. It is better for him if he stays as far away from our party as possible. We told him that you were not to blame for this, but the old man said that if you spoil the feast a second time, he will tie your hands and send you to the place where they ride dogs. He didn\u2019t invite your wife to the wedding either. We all fought over it at the back of the house and said that if your family was not invited to the wedding, we would not go either.\u2019 \u2018Thank you,\u2019 said Yesirkep excitedly. \u2018So you wer- en\u2019t invited\u2026\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s a good thing you\u2019re here tonight, to spite him by turning off the engine and going to bed. Don\u2019t go outside. If he really comes at you, we won\u2019t stay away.\u2019 Yesirkep was anxious to get to the village as quickly as possible. His friends had been stoking his resentment and anger all the way… The car stopped in front of the station. As soon as Yesirkep opened the door, Zhumat jumped out of the office, as if on cue, and smiled at the boss apolo- getically. \u2018Shut it off!\u2019 commanded Yesirkep. \u2018What? \u2018The engine.\u2019 \u2018How did we break down? Is the cylinder jammed? \u2018Say it\u2019s broken, that\u2019s all!\u2019 \u2018Will do.\u2019 The people standing in the back made a ruckus: \u2018Yeah! Let\u2019s go! Zhumat will shut it down himself as well. Yesirkep got in the car and slammed the door with a crack. There was indeed a wedding going on at the house behind the gate. The young man, having dropped Ye- sirkep off at his house, drove away quickly. He took the key from the hand-washing stand and entered the house. \u2018The poor woman,\u2019 he decided, \u2018must be staying with the neighbours; she cannot have fun at the wedding because of me.\u2019 He suddenly felt pity for his wife and children. He was deeply moved and lay down to listen to the sounds from the street… He woke up to loud voices. \u2018Oh, I think your dad\u2019s here! That\u2019s right, his suit- case!\u2019 He heard his wife\u2019s voice and finally woke up. \u2018Well, where do you go, you little foals!\u2019 He got up from the cushions, fumbled with the children in the dark and kissed them. \u2018Why are you lying in the dark? Shall I turn on the light?\u2019 said the wife. \u2018We\u2019ll talk about that later… There will be no light today,\u2019 said Yesirkep. \u2018Light the paraffin lamp.\u2019 \u2018What do you mean \u201clater\u201d?\u2019 What happened to the lights? Come on!\u2019 His wife flicked the switch, and the bulb on the string under the ceiling flashed dazzlingly. \u2018Oooh, the dog! Still not jammed!\u2019 Yesirkep frowned and began to put on his boots. \u2018Where are you going? You\u2019re crazy!\u2019 His wife snapped her hands in a sorrowful voice. Yesirkep, wasting no time, jumped out into the street. The village was flooded with bright light. Ye- sirkep listened… The diesels were silent. He staggered on, lost in thought, when suddenly, like lightning, an idea flashed into his mind… \u2018Listen, those four were giggling suspiciously when they came to the wedding,\u2019 Kamasiya said thoughtful- ly. \u2018Maybe they are up to something again…?\u2019 \u2018Who are you talking about?\u2019 The wife said who she was referring to… Yesirkep stood in one place for a long time. Then, exhausted, he sank down on the block and wept. At dawn he knocked on the door of the head of the department. Toiboldy was still asleep. When he opened his eyes and saw Yesirkep leaving for the Black Sea, with a face that looked as if he had just killed a man, the head of the department pulled his head away from the pillow. \u2018Oh… Wh-what happened? \u2018Two carts are needed,\u2019 Yesirkep muttered. \u2018What do you need carts for? Is everything alright?!\u2019 \u2018Everything is alright. Give me two carts. I\u2019ll bring them back in the evening.\u2019 When he received the carts, Yesirkep began noisily loading his belongings into them. \u2018Where the hell are you going?\u2019 cried his wife, followed by the children. \u2018Wherever you go… Shut up! Shut up!\u2019 Yesirkep shouted, throwing things at the carts. When almost all the belongings had been packed, a crowd of old men, led by Tarakbai, suddenly came into the courtyard of his house. Among them were the four men. Struggling to comprehend after yester- day\u2019s feast what was going on in Yesirkep\u2019s house, they looked at the tractor carts full of household belongings for a long time… Finally, having understood what was going on, Tashkenbai clutched his head: \u2018Forgive us, we are such fools! How were we supposed to know you\u2019d be so worried?!\u2019 He wailed hysterically. By lunchtime, the belongings had been unloaded and put back in their places. Tarakbai cut up a sheep and the others ran to the shop. In the evening, a big toast was held at Yesirkep\u2019s house. All four of them repeatedly asked for forgive- ness. And they wept tears of remorse. Yesirkep also wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. Tashkenbai raised his glass and made a toast: \u2018Happy housewarming! \u2018What bastards you are,\u2019 said Yesirkep, smiling happily.<\/p>\n
1984<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At the very moment that Yesirkep finished his dinner, the chair beneath him bounced up and down so hard that he nearly fell on the floor. Thinking that it was the antics of his five-year-old son, it did not take long for Yesirkep to slap him on the back. The boy, who at that moment was daydreaming of a Sunday …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-narratives"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=573"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":575,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573\/revisions\/575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}