Dancer from Khiva, The by Bibish

Author:Bibish [Bibish]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781848873742
Publisher: Atlantic Books

During the times when I was young, there weren’t any televisions or tape recorders. The young people used to go to the town park in the evening. There was a dance floor there, and an open-air movie theater.

So I used to go to the park too, with my friend Nina. She was my very best friend, we’ve been friends for more than fifty years.

It was spring, early March. The cherry and apricot trees were covered in snow-white flowers, the apple and peach trees were just beginning to put out pink blossoms. It was very beautiful.

At first Nina and I were going to go to the open-air movie theater, but then we heard the music from the dance floor, and went running over there. A brass band was playing. We really put our hearts into the dancing: the waltz, and the tango, and the foxtrot.

Then suddenly we saw some young men who lived on the same street as us. They were quarreling with someone. We went over, to prevent a fight, and persuaded them to walk home with us.

There was a young man about average height walking beside me. I hadn’t met him before. He had a dark complexion and curly black hair. We walked along without speaking, then suddenly he said to me:

“Are you from round here? I haven’t seen you before.”

“I’m from the district, I haven’t been here long.”

“What’s your name?”

“Raya.”

“My name’s Kadyr. Are you a student?”

“No, I’ve finished my studies. I work now.”

We talked for a long time. I found out he was in the Soviet Army, he’d come there on vacation, and his leave ended the next day.

He stuck close beside me. And then he said in a very familiar tone:

“I’ve really taken a liking to you. Let’s go to my place!”

I was indignant and I answered: “No!”

I had to stay with my friend for the night so that Kadyr wouldn’t find out where I lived. I said good-bye to Kadyr in front of her house, and we left him. He started banging on the door to be let in. But we didn’t react.

Early in the morning I had to go to work. I opened the door and saw Kadyr lying on the doorstep! He got up straightaway and said:

“Forgive me, please, but I couldn’t go away after I saw your blue eyes and light brown hair. I want to be beside you all the time.”

He walked me to work and left. After that I didn’t see him for a long time.

Time went by and I worked and helped my mother with the housework. One day my younger sister came back from the park and said:

“Listen, Raya, there was a young man asking about you at the dance.”

“Who’s that?” I asked, surprised.

“How should I know?”

“But what does he look like?”

“He’s medium height, with curly hair, very attractive-looking, actually.”

I realized who she was talking about and thought:

So, Kadyr has come back from the army. The next weekend I went to the park with my girlfriends to go dancing. When we got there, we sat down on some benches.

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