(A few pages from the diary of aul teacher)

What a smart boy Bakhit is! Perhaps even adults are not so assiduously as he is. He captures everything and stores on the fly. Such as Nurkan just a stump compared to him, even if sitting beside.

Yes... they should send Bakhit to the city school, but his father gives to hold the baby. He says that there is no one to keep an eye on cattle,..

Yesterday I gave a writing task to Akhat, Nurkan and Sapar. I advised Akhat to describe our school. Today they brought their works. Here is what Akhat has written:

“...Anteroom of Alec’s home. The tight tiny room. One of the doors opens into the guest room, the other into the yard. The outer door does not close correctly and therefore the ice has frozen at the bottom, and the biting wind is walking on the hall... There is a long stove with boiler next to the door into the guest room. There is piled ash and pressed dung beside. Right there haphazardly strewn grimy bucket, basin, kumgan... What is there to say, Altynay is utter messy and slattern...

There is one half-broken single window. They have nailed plywood on its place. Another glass was cracked and the gap was plugged with nosy felt mat and rags. Was it impossible to come up with something better? Oh, Altynay, it will not be persuasion with you...

We are sitting around a round table. My place is just next to the stove, at the entrance. Back to back with Altynay. Oh my God, she is such a sad sack! When she gets a kettle or put a frying pan into the oven with flat bread, then soot and ash riseas a cloud to the ceiling.

And she does not care about that! She blames me, if accidentally burn her finger on the pan. She pushes me like mad, and shouts: “Move away, gawk!.. Anyway you will not be a mullah, and if you will, so you will not read a memorial prayer for me!..”

Perhaps even adults could not write as Akhat can. There are more than twenty teachers in our Talkainsk volost, most of them could not describe their school, could not write a simple statement. Last year, at the Congress of the teachers, it was necessary to file a petition to volost, to ask for financial aid. So some Kusain asked someone to write a petition, and he just rewrote it with weeded grief.

And some children are very capable. We need to uncover and help them in time. But their mentors are really weak. Here's the same Kusain... So what use of his teaching?..

Bai Alec came, furrowed brows, asked to pay a fee for the school premises immediately. It is necessary to contact the school board and give something to that insatiable dog. This git has so much cattle, that he cannot handle with it, but required a fee for the smoky hall! And Altynay is even scarier than Bai. She will not let study to anyone if she learns that the room is not paid, she will begin to rattle dishes and throw the ashes.

“Alright... I will go to the chairman of the school board, ask for some money for the wicked-Bai...”

***

«March 10.

Today I paid a visit to Ereke. Both he and his wife are sincere people. Fussed, bustled and did not know where to give me a sit. The host himself is a hard worker. He is a shoemaker all his life. Whenever I came to him, he was always making something, sewing, piles of different scraps and trimmings were around.

Wife was twisting a thread, preparing shoe-threads. Ereke is a real poor man. House is empty; an eye has nothing to cling to. Two skins are lying opposite the door near the wall. Children are playing on them, flashing with bare paunch. All his life Ereke sewed boots for people, and he has not got cattle, and the kids are not dressed, not shod. So it did not work out. So he tightly became a friend of the need.

Ereke is very good and unresponsive. If someone asks him to do something, he will never refuse. He sews and the wife weaves waxed thread from sinews. No one pays him and he does not ask. Once they will feed him with meat, next time they will invite to tea, or stand butter, well and good. He is satisfied with that. More than once, I had to hear how he got from his wife:

“Well, why are you working for Bai?! He will not even thank you. He will not stand you even a stack kumis, when you will come to him in summer...

That is true: Ereke sews for all Bai’s relatives, and does not get even a penny. I alluded him one time:

“You can claim payment through the court.”

Ereke waved aside:

“What do I need their payment for? We must be satisfied with the grace of Allah.”

And his wife muttered:

“Yeah... he is doing like this all the time...”

Idlers likes to lounge around the working man and make chin music. People gathers every day at Ereke. When I come to a cobbler, they usually instantly change their conversation and start to tease me. And this time Tyshkanbay got grin:

“Tell me, teacher, did you disband children and now probably are walking? I'm afraid you run away now from the Bai’s house, huh?..”

Saying the Bai house, he means, of course, school premises. It becames his habit to contrive talking about the school at meetings with me. I did not stay indebted, immediately attacked Tyshkanbay.

“I remember the whole winter you were hard grinding by your tongues, that it is necessary to build a school in the summer. Here is a spring has come, so how about your promise?”

Tyshkanbay thinks seriously.

“Really, it is time! We fed up with the grace of Bai. Damn this Bai with his hall. Let’s do this together.”

“Together is good. Together we can do everything. There is more than twenty yards only in our aul, except Bai’s. And everyone has children. If we will make it all together, we could do it in two ticks”, Rakhmet supported him.

Everybody start speaking.

“If you make the walls, I will do the roof!”, Ereke said and pulled waxed thread with such fury that it snapped.

“Yeah... he is doing like this all the time...”, his wife said reproachfully , she felt sorry for the thread.

Of the twenty poor people of the aul, these are, perhaps the most business, most smart. They could easily build a new school if they take that seriously. I guess I should push harder on Tyshkanbay. I taught him to read the “Aul News”. I will talk to him one more time about the school. Children of course were dismissed until the new school year, but that does not mean that the aul teacher has nothing to do. We can say that there is nothing yet. It is necessary to take care of the future. It is necessary that people consciously helps teachers to educate their children.

Some say that aulnay came to Bai. I will go and see what news he brought.”

“April 20.

Apyrmay, there is sheer misunderstanding with this aulnay! He never gave me a newspaper, as it should be. He gives me through the number. And it happens all the time. Sometimes he sends me a whole stack, not even parsed, for the whole aul. Everyone’s newspapers are on this stuck! Try to sort them so everyone received a copy. As though I have no other concerns...

In one issue of the newspaper was a long article, entitled “Village correspondents must write the truth”. I do not know, like the others, but I am personally writing nothing but the truth. But honestly, I did not see sense from this yet. Last year, for example, I wrote about Rakhimzhan who beat his farmhand and drove him out without paying. I wrote even about the Kokbas arbitrariness that illegally seized the cattle from the widow. And I wrote about Medeubay, who sold his fourteen year old daughter for forty seven heads of cattle... And there is no result. Truly, by hearsay, the police, from the district, came to Medeubay, questioned him, but it is unknown how it all ended. If on signals of aul correspondents measures will not been taken in time, of course, there will be no wish to write...”

***

«May 20.

Today I have a greatest joy. Construction of the school, which seemed to me an empty dream, turned into reality. Tyshkanbay sent for me. I came and saw that the people has gathered.

“Teacher”, they said, “let suyunshi. Do you see, we are beginning to build the school.”

We took counsel how to build. Some say we will build with turf. It is, they say, faster. Others insisted, no, only from bricks. So we decided. There are only twenty teenagers in the aul, who are ready to work. We can make enough bricks in four days, if do it together. It is a noble idea hence we need to implement it as follows. I talked to teenagers and explained them everything. No one objected.

Tyshkanbaya was chosen for guidance the construction. Some people suggested me, but I insisted that namely Tyshkanbay was in charge of building a new school. He, of course, will try and justify the confidence. He is a reliable dzhigit, if he took he will do. Any way I will not sit idly by. I will not even go on vacation now. I will help in building. If we build a new school till winter, there will be no greater joy for me.

We collected money for the windows, frames, jambs, doors and roof. I gave my monthly salary. Ereke promised to give those three rubles, which owed ​​him for boots one Russian. That is it, what had a poor shoemaker...

Tomorrow we will make bricks. And I will also work, to make more fun for guys. While relaxing I will read them newspapers, books, poems,...»

***

«May 30.

Aulnay came to divide the land. He held a meeting. I came too. About twenty people gathered behind the house of Srym. More than half were from our aul. Our Council consists ten auls. Five representatives and it will be fifty persons. Meanwhile, a single person did not came from Sholaksay, Karykbol. Is that the way to hold general meetings under the leadership of aul council? And last year we have held elections with the participation of two or three auls. Our aulnay is lousy organizer, butterfingers, clumsy, lazy, and not capable to social work. I think so.

The teacher arrived together with aulnay to the meeting. There was talk about him that he devotes all his life to squabbles, and did not taught children. And last winter, I remember, he was touring at auls as a representative of the volost. Someone of the potbellied came to the meeting. I do not understand what attitude bai has to the division of land?! Aulnay opened the meeting. He dDid not even hint about the presidium. Announced:

“We will divide pastures and hayfields. I am giving the word to this comrade.”

Reporting this, aulnay smiled. I did not understand what his smile meant.

The teacher, who arrived from the volost, seen, climbs into the chiefs. With an air of importance of hapless bureaucrat he opened his folder, was dug for a long time, finally took out a comb and began to comb his hair. And his “report” was like this:

“Commissioner from the city came to our volost. A rigorous Kazakh! A rural municipality chief is almost crying. He says, that he’s never seen such a serve person in his life... So he decided to restore order in volost with land plots in one month... I was urgently sent to the auls to collect all the information about the land...”

From what so tedious mumbled representative teacher, no one really understood nothing. What the business to some severe Kazakh who arrived from the city, to the land of our aul? Maybe they want to impose aul with additional tax? Or anything else evil in the mind of the chiefs?

“So come on, lay out what the land you possess”, said chairman of aul council, opening his striped bag.

“You, my dear, explain at first what is what”, Tyshkanbay noted with disappointment. “What to write? To what, for example, record the desert expanses?”

“And what is there to explain? We write down how many land has each of you, and then will come the commission and determines who how much deserved”, aulnay answered.

“I think that is not quite so. I am reading the newspapers. There seems to be differently stated...”

Tyshkanbay looked at me.

“I do not know what they say in the newspapers. I'm doing instruction of the volost”, aulnay frowned.

It was found that, compared with aulnay and teacher-instructor, Tyshkanby representation of the distribution the land is much deeper and wider. However, he could not clearly and available explain it to others. He understands everything, but cannot express. As it is said, the tongue is short. That is why he looked at me as if asking for help.

I made ​​a proposal:

“Your report was way too scanty and unintelligible. People can not understand anything. Meanwhile, the distribution of land is a complex issue. With this act, the government intends to put an end to every injustice in the land use. It wants to provide land to the poor, who all their lives were depending on the Bais. All this is necessary to explain thoroughly to the common people. Rushing in this matter can do much harm only...

Aulnay did not like my words. He turned gray and moved his eyebrows:

“I know what I should do. And I do not need no one’s advices!”

He is stupid... Why he hackles?!

Meeting has ended. It seems that commission for the distribution the land was elected. And only scoundrels got in there. Bai Rahimberdy was among them... There would be no use of this commission.  I should write a letter to volost. I will tell them about the meeting, about all violations and perversions...”

***

“... The shouts and uproar came from the street. What happened? It turns out, Hassen scuffled with Dospol. I run. Tyshkanbay came upimmediately... Dospol bears. There was bruising on his face. What is the matter? It turned out that Dospol has wooden mortar in which he cuts and shallower chewing tobacco - nasybay. Hasen asked him to pound tobacco. And his boy, playing, chopped a stupa with an ax. Dospol’s wife saw it, cracked the boy a couple of times, and he roared. Hasen became furious: “Why are you hitting the little boy?!” And cursed a woman. Then Dospol cast up. And there it goes...

“He is always bullied on us!”, fired the Dospol’s woman. “When the husband of my Shrayla came, we stabbed the cattle, and he took away all the meat, not even gave a part.”

Dospol and Hasen are relatives. And the stupa isn't the point. But in this fight for the stupa is hiding another. Nurpeis the slicker is involved here. He likes to make the feathers fly nothing better than everything...

I heard, that Dospol went to aulnayu. It can be seen, he has decided to file a complaint, take a charge. He promises to revenge to his offenders and once again will take. Because of wood, which is not worth a dime. Dospol probably lose two lambs. That's how the hustlers lead round the poor people around the fingers.

Oh, simpletons!.. Oh, the night of ignorance!..”

 “June 20.

The building continues. We’ve already begun the roof. I went for the saw to Zhantak, walked outskirts and saw that near the cart Altynkul is milking cow. Upon meeting with me she always strains, alarming, immediately forgets about all the things... She would be offended if I walk on by in silence. I walked over and said:

“Let increased your milk yield!”

“Let not increased. I do not wish good to Tnymbay”, she replied.

“Why are you saing that? Or baybishe scolded you?”

“Who does not scold us? Allah created us for this”, Altynkul sighed.

She is young, now she is only twenty. Cheeks are like an apples. She has a sharp tongue... Her father, a poor man, gave his daughter as a second wife to Bai Tnymbay for the sake of cattle. Altynkul cries with bloody tears. “How happy should be the ones who marries an equal!”, she said wistfully. Every time begging me to rid her of the hated Tnymbay. She hopes that I will do it. And I foolishly did promise to take her from Bai. Well... I would have a good wife. I do not refuse from my words, but I am afraid it will not work. Now I'm busy with school building. I have to teach and educate children. Would I be able to leave them? My marriage undoubtedly will hurt to the school business. It happens just as with Shanbay. He, the poor man, was also a teacher, then led off a wife from one aul man, then there was noise, and all finished that he was kicked out, and the school was closed. I can not take that risk.

Aw, poor Altynkul... You look at me with your clear eyes with a prayer and hope...”

***

“June 25.

When we started to build the school, bais and their henchmen were grinning mischievously: “The poor men are setting to work. What fun there will be!”

But really, where it's could been seen that poor men undertaken a case without the knowledge and approval of aul bigwigs! And we was not dismayed, gathered and build the school. Not just bais, we were surprised by ourselves. And all the people opened their mouths too. The school has turned out to fame, spacious, light and three rooms. Separately, all on conscience. “Our school! Our children will study therein. So let’s do it, women!”, Tyshkanbay’s wife said, Ayshakul, gathered all the young married woman and ten days plastered, smearedand and whitewashed. And it becomes so white! It gleams in the sun so that the eye is happy. Passers-by and visitors were unwittingly looking back... And I'm so glad, that I cannot sit at home, cannot bring calm a piece to the mouth, everything pulls me to a new school. Here I come, I resemble in classes that the soul rejoices with joy and wants to sing. Oh, and in honor of the school opening we need to prepare an evening concert. When the children would be free from their own works, we shall start immediately...

The teacher tooks small but bright and cozy little room at the school. It is all sparkles as well pureed mirror. I went in today, went to the window and saw the house of Alimbay across. Not a house but a squat monster. Once he haughtily towered over all the aul, proudly puff out, like he said, look at me, who else can compete with me? And now there is nothing to look at, subsided, dotarded, is about to fail. Truly said: “Do not make a parade of your growth. When you will fall across the giant, you will rolled back your eyes!” It can be seen and Alimbai felt it. Not for nothing sighs so often lately...”

1928