Baurzhan Gubaidullin is Kazakh writer and journalist. He was born in 1965 in the village Qyzylzhar in West Kazakhstan region. He is author of five books – three of them are for children, one is the collection of short stories for adults and one is publicistic (journalistic) collection. B. Gubaidullin is member of the Writers Union of Kazakhstan and also he is member of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan. His short stories have been translated to English, French, Persian, Russian, Bengali, Kyrgyz and other languages.
Author Baurzhan GUBAIDULLIN
Kazakh writer
“White butterfly”
Dad of Aqkerbez was ill with flu when he returned from business trip from Astana*. He get caught in the heavy rain and get drenched while he was waiting for a transport at bus stop.
– Oh, you caught a cold, – worried mum of Aqkerbez.
– All right. I will be treated if I drink hot soup and hot tea with lemon for a couple of days, – replied dad.
– May be I should obtain leave from work for 2-3 days to look after you?
– No, it is not essential. Do not miss your work. Now it is holiday time for Aqkerbez. If you cook soup before you go to work, my daughter can brew the tea for me.
– But she is a little girl. I worry that she may get burned.
– My daughter is as nimble as her mum, – replied Aqkerbez’s father with joke even if he felt himself sick.
The next morning Aqkerbez’s mother woke up early and cooked a soup before leaving for work. Several hours later while dad, who had a good sleep, was drinking a hot soup Aqkerbez, who switched to the fourth class, prepared a tea for him. By the way, when a tea was brewing, she brought a lemon from the shop which is located near the home.
– Thank you, my daughter. I sweated and now I feel myself much better, after drinking hot soup and hot tea.
That day at the evening mum prepared dumplings, which were already ready for cooking. The next morning Aqkerbez boiled a water into saucepan, after her father get up. Then Aqkerbez’s dad put dumplings into hot water, and cooked them. He also put dill and green onion into the food, before switching of the gas stove. Today the dad, who added pepper into the soup, sweated more than yesterday. So, daughter looked after her father by preparing his food, and giving him a tea with lemon and jam, until he was totally treated. Thus, dad was cured after 2-3 days as he said himself.
Since dad used to call his daughter “My white butterfly”, because of she flitted as butterfly and wished to treat her father quickly as possible.
*capital city of Kazakhstan
A little “commander”
Mr Daulet and Mrs Yrysty are our neighbors, who live in the right side of our dacha*. Both of them are retired since 4-5 years and both of them are good gardeners. Also they are very generous. Therefore their grandchildren often visit them. Of course, elder grandchildren help to their grandparents. In early spring and in cold autumn it is not easy for old people to dig ground, clean the yard, tear weed grasses and make garden watering. Therefore, all of their adult children and grandchildren try to be with Mr Daulet and Mrs Yrysty when they need help. But there are also grandchildren who do nothing. Especially, Yerkhan, who is five years old, behaves as a boss. Every time when he comes with his parents to visit grandparents, he starts demand to eat immediately after he enters the yard.
– Grandad, is melon riped already?
– Of course, my dear. Please, try it.
– Grandad, I came to eat watermelon!
– It is great, my son! Now I will cut big watermelon as lamb for you.
– Grandmother, I want to drink cherry compote.
– Please, my soul, drink it. I prepared it yesterday, as I feel that you will come today.
– Grandmother, what about strawberry jam?
– It is also ready, my dear. But eat it with bread. Otherwise, your teeth will be ill.
So, in this way Mr Daulet and Mrs Yrysty do all the things, which are asked by their grandson.When I look at him I think: “will this little “commander” care for their grandparents as they are caring for him now, when he grows up?”.
*country house
Hospitable Qutzhol
This year we were forced to keep two dogs one after one. To make the case clear for you let me explain everything from the beginning.
My father started to establish a dacha in early spring. First of all he fenced our private ground. Then he poured the foundation of the little house with his friends. After that we realized that the time for garden sowing has already came. So, the next days we planted fruit trees as apple, plum, cherry and sowed vegetables as tomatoes, cucumber, melon, watermelon, pumpkin and potatoes. Then father decided that we need a dog as a guard of dacha. I was very happy when heard this thing. Because we live in multi-storey house and until that time I did not have opportunity to keep a dog. It was my big dream. So, my dream will come true! Now, we have to find a puppy. Soon I heard that the alabai* dog of my brother Edige, who live in village, gave birth to five puppies. When we went to the countryside, I took one of them and brought to the city.
On the neck of puppy there is a white line as white lace, so we decided to call it Moynaq**. It is so cute as any other puppy. But he is very gluttonous, as his breed is enormous. It used to put forward legs onto plate, while eating and swallowed food straightly, instead of chewing. This was very funny for me. He did not bark a lot, despite it ate so much. Moynaq always slept, if he was full.
In month July we went to Shymkent*** to our uncles. We asked our neighbor to look after our dacha and Moynaq, until we come back. In Shymkent we were 2 weeks as usual. I enjoyed everything there. We visited homes of all relatives as guests. Even we went to Tashkent****. But from the first day of travel I could not forget about Moynaq. “What is it doing? Did it grow up? Is not it hungry?”. But at that time I did not know that I was anxious vainly. Because Moynaq get lost in the next day after we sit to train. I was so unhappy to hear this. Our neighbors looked for it everywhere, but they could not find.
- He would be enormous dog, I prefer someone stole him, – muttered our neighbor.
After we returned to home I also looked for Moynaq. But I could not find. Then we decided to keep another puppy. It is puppy of ordinary dog. We called him Qutzhol. We hold Qutzhol in chain, to prevent it being lost, as did it Moynaq. If we release Qutzhol from chain, it used to run and play as foal.
My second puppy turned out to be a nimble. It always barks to strangers and always plays with us. It eats not so much. It is also feature of our puppy. Birds as sparrow, crow, magpie eat the foods which remain after it. Hospitable Qutzhol sits and watches how birds are eating. I like humility of my puppy. But sometimes I am anxious about gluttonous Moynaq.
“What happened with him? Is he alive? If yes, what person is keeping it?..”
*Central Asian Ovtcharka Dog Breed
**in English it means “white neck”
***city in south Kazakhstan
****capital city of Uzbekistan
Translated from Kazakh by Alpamys FAIZOLLA
