It was Sunday. I sat in the reading-room of our library reading Karl Marx"s "Capital". At this moment Robia, Abdulkasym Kakharovich"s secretary, came up to me and said that the Director wanted to see me.
I went to the Director"s office.
-May I come in? - I said standing the doorway - Did you want to see me?
-Yes - said the Director pointing to the chair.
. -Sit down.
As I took my seat the director lit a cigarette staring at me intently. I felt ill at ease. After a minute of silence he said:
- Uncle Al Kizim , we like you and respect you and want you to be happy. There is good news for you. It seems that your suffering has come to an end. To make a long story short, your wife has come to take you away from here.
- I took these words as an insult and said angrily:
- What have I done to you? Why are you turning me away? I don"t want to go home. If they are here, tell them that I am dead. I don"t want to see them. They shouldn"t have come. I shall never forgive them. If you insist on my leaving along with them, I can tell you, this will never happen. I"ll run away following my nose from these rascals.
- All right. It"s up to you. But bear in mind, we have never turned away anyone, all the more you. You are a nice man and a good guard. I just want you... Well, let us not talk about it. I told you the main thing. Now I want to introduce you to the woman, ok?
I agreed.
The director pushed the button and the bell rang "ding-dong". The secretary Robia peeped into the room.
- What is it, Abdulkasym Kakharovich? - she asked.
- Please invite that woman here - said the Director.
The secretary went out. Five minutes later a woman entered the room. When I saw her I nearly went mad. It was Salima. She was smiling through her tears. I stood sock-still for a moment. .
- Salima! - I said and somehow wanted to cry. I burst into tears. When we hugged the director went out.
Salima threw her arms around my shoulders. We kissed, and it was a long kiss of love and
affection.
- How on earth have you found me? - I asked kissing her.
- Well, I couldn"t bear my husband"s beating and arrogant behavior - she said. I ran away from home. I took your home address from Mulla Zhavatakhun and went to Matarak. But I didn"t find you there. Your sons and your daughter-in-law gave me a welcome and didn"t turn me out. I told them the whole truth. Arabboy and Sharabboy realized their guilt. They were sorry for having hurt you. They said:
- You are our mother now. And you will live with us. Then we will look for father. We"ll find him and ask him to pardon us for everything. And we will all get along happily together.
He will forgive us...
I beg you for God"s sake, forgive them. The are nice and kind men. If you love me, you should forgive them. Do you promise?
- Yes, I forgive all now. It"s such a joy you have come to see me. I am happy. Thank you.. god, you have given me what I asked for! Saying this I kept kissing Salima.
Then she said:
Ok, that"s enough. They are waiting for us outside. Let me go.
- No, - I said - I don"t want to let you go. I have been missing you so! I can"t...
- Compose yourself, dear. Later, at home... she said.
We went out. There were two elderly men in the corridor. Matvey Zahkarich, balalaika in hand as ever, and Georgy Gulitashvily whose lips were trembling.
He said:
- Congratulations, Al kizim. We are glad they are taking you out of here. The elderly people were looking at me enviously.
I told them:
- O.K., don"t trouble. You, too, will be taken out of here soon. Don"t be upset.
- God grant, let"s hope so - they said
We all went out into the yard. My sons were there. When they saw me they dashed towards me. As I hugged them they began to ask me to forgive them, and I did. We cried for joy. Then I saw a little girl and asked:
- Who is this girl? Is it your daughter, Arabbboy?
He smiled through his tears and looked at Salima. She blushed..
- It"s your daughter - she said
- Oh, really? Oh my Lord, is she really my daughter? - I uttered gasping.
- Yes - Salima said turning to the girl and continued:
- Come up to your daddy, Mukhabbat, hug him and never let him go, or else he will run away somewhere or fly away in a balloon.
Everybody laughed. But I wept. I cried for happiness. I took my daughter and raising her high I looked at her as if I was looking at the sun. I kissed her on the cheeks and the forehead. She touched my hair with her little hands and said: "hedgehog". Everybody laughed. She had given the precise description of her unshaved father.
I thanked everybody for everything and said good-bye to the Director and all those standing around. Saying good-bye I promised to come to see them in future. Finally, the elderly people sang the anthem of the Retirement Home. Then we got into the car and left for home. On the way
I asked them:
- How did you find me? After all, you didn"t have any information about my whereabouts. The boys laughed, and Salima said:
- Your daughter-in-law and I once were watching TV, and I suddenly saw you. I nearly went mad. I couldn"t believe my eyes. Meanwhile they showed the Retirement Home several times giving the telephone numbers. We put down the address, and that"s the way it was.
Telling this Salima put hear head on my shoulder.
- Well, thank those who have invented advertising - I said.