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Our street is situated in one of the oldest quarters of Baku city. Like Icherisheher, the Maiden Tower, Seaside Boulevard of Baku, our quarter has its own qualities. Most of the inhabitants of our quarter are the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren of those who had once left their villages for the capital in search of happiness. Among them there are different professionals, some are rich and some are poor, but all of them chose this place to settle down.
Since my childhood years I saw smile on the faces of these people. Who knows maybe the reason of their smiling is that they want the spirits of their grandfathers or great-grandfathers who left their homeland for Baku in search of happiness be glad.
Though our quarter is situated in the outer part of the city there is also Millionaire
street, the middle quarter resembling the centre of the city and the outer quarter surrounded with skyscrapers. Our street is in the middle quarter, the back of it is the Millionaire quarter. In fact, nobody knows the inhabitants living in that quarter are really millionaires or not. Simply the estates which are built there are nice and charming, that was why everybody calls that quarter as ‘ Millionaire quarter’.
The children of our quarter distinguish from the others. The children of our quarter make friends with one another not according to their ages, but according to their interests. That is to say, there are bird-fanciers, dog-fanciers, those who keep exotic fishes, horse-fanciers, cat-fanciers, or who keep rabbits, tortoises, sea mice. So, the children group according to their interests for the animals.
It is true, among the groups there are the children who are football fans, music-fans or who love cars or different clothes. The inhabitants of our quarter have special love for the animals.
Still I don’t belong to any of the fan groups of our quarter children. It has only one reason, it is my love for the books.
At times when I borrowed my favorite book from the library, before heading our home I stopped at the children playing in the yard, looked at their dogs, carts or doves. Then I realized that it was impossible to read a book while talking with the animal fans. So, I headed our home, wanted to read the book.
Our neighbor Servaz is my classmate. Both of us study at the class 9 A. Servaz and his brothers are in the group who keep fighting cocks. As they were our next-door neighbors , and the cock-fanciers gathered in front of their yard, I often associated with the members of that group.
Servaz is also my friend. They have a large hencoop. The cocks they keep are aggressive that is why they don’t let them outside of the hencoop. If while the cocks fought there were noises in the yard, or if the cocks attacked the persons whom they didn’t like, our other neighbor nicknamed Chappa Ismikhan, whose main job was to write complaint letters used to inform the field officer . The field officer had warned the cock-fanciers for the last time, that was why they organized cock fights in one of the villages of Baku, and were satisfied by gathering in front of the hencoop of Servaz and talked in whispers.
When I was in the primary class I sat side by side with Nuru at the desk in the corner. Nuru was the fan of the aquarium fishes. During the lessons Nuru always talked about his fishes so eagerly that neither him nor I could listen to the lesson. That was why our class teacher Musa was obliged to seat me side by side with the girl named as Senuber who was sitting at one of the front desks.
Since my first form I like Senuber. To tell the truth , I fell in love with her, maybe all the boys of our school loved her secretly.
Senuber was a very beautiful girl, she used to wear expensive clothes. Since the first form a private driver drove her to school. The bald headed driver who had appearance of sportsman was also her bodyguard.
Though since the first day I saw Senuber, I dreamed about marrying to her, travelling all around the world with her, Senubar paid attention neither to me nor the other boys.
It is true, when teacher Musa let me to sit side by side with her, firstly I was glad, but then my sorrowful days began, because Senuber talked with me little. Except greeting words we never talked. When I saw the photos of film-stars and models on her copybooks I saddened, I went crazy because of jealousy. I could do nothing , didn’t know what do for making Senuber to be friendly with me.
The boy called as Aydin who lived in the back quarter often drove his motorcycle in the street and seeing him the girls of our class gathered at the window. They said that his motorcycle was one of the most expensive motorcycles of Baku. Aydin wore expensive skin waistcoat, and black helmet, and most of the schoolchildren rumored that Aydin wandered at the school in order to see Senuber.
All what I could do was to read books in the wings of my wishes.
In order to join my lovely Senuber I had to study my lessons well, and when I was in the library I had to strangle my longing and jealousy inside of me.
My parents were glad seeing my interest for the books, but from other side it worried them. My father was anxious for my spending much time with the books, and obliged to register my name to the swimming school.
Though I went to swimming unwillingly afterwards I liked it and my love to swimming grew day by day. My muscles became strong and my appearance changed.
Recently I felt that the school girls looked at me with interest except Senuber.
If I became champion in swimming I would buy the most expensive ‘ Harley Davidson’ for me. If till that time the motorcycle driver Aydin didn’t get Senuber from my hands, I shall take her for a drive in all the streets of Baku.
I put my swimwear, rubber cap and a towel into my rucksack and clasped it. Soon there will be Baku championship of the teenagers of Baku city. That was why I had to train every day.
After coming down the stairs and reached the street I saw our neighbor Jafar who lived in some houses’ distance from us. He was in the roof of their house. As soon as he saw me he began to jump up and down, showed me the dove he was holding in his left palm, and with his right hand he beckoned me . Jafar is a bird-fancier, he keeps doves in the wooden box in the roof. Including he loves rap music. In the rap world he is known under the name of Jem. All the young boys and girls of Baku listen to his rap. As Jafar spends most of his time in the roof, alongside with his doves he could see all the sides of our quarter. And that is why he knows more things about the inhabitants of the quarter.
Through the roof Jafar told me that the door to the roof was open. I passed through the gate, went through their yard to the back yard, and then with the iron stairs I climbed up the roof.
‘Come on! You are welcome! Do you see this dove having a black forelock? My speckled dove defeated him. He isn’t my own cock, he enticed him and brought here. Ha-ha!’
Jem was so happy, as if he had wings to fly.
He began to go around and sing a rap.
My speckled dove is winged,
He is famous in the quarter.
Nobody can reach to him,
He defeated the stranger’s dove.
My speckled dove has speckles
It might do whatever he wishes.
My speckled dove is courageous,
We are in need of him.
Let him come to our quarter
Eh, keep silence, be quiet.
My speckled dove has speckles
It might do whatever he wishes.
From the downstairs we heard hoarse voice:
‘Freedom to the birds!’
It was the voice of Chappa Ismikhan, our neighbor.
Jem stopped singing rap, and frowned.
‘ Damn curse him! Again he disturbed me.’
I had heard from the other neighbors that Chappa Ismikhan set up unity protecting the rights of the birds. In former days he had been a correspondent of one of the newspapers. Now he is cooperating with different sites. He has a little dog. His dog’s name is Chappa. Since his youth years Ismikhan likes to drink, for the sake of chappa glass which was one of his favorite glass he took nickname Chappa for himself.
Ismikhan was devoted to his former habit and took his dog Chappa for a walk. Each time when he took his dog for a walk he visited the small café in the entrance of the quarter.
Those who kept different sorts of dogs at times went to dog fighting. But all of them didn’t tell about it to Ismikhan. Or Ismikhan would mention the name of the famous sites and threaten them about informing.
The yard of Ismikhan is seen from the yard of Jem very clearly. He stood straightly and addressed to Jem.
‘ Ey, my dear, haven’t heard the news?’
Jem pretended as if he didn’t hear his words, he kept looking at his dove.
‘ They say that there appeared a hunting setter in the quarter of Millionaires. And that setter stoles the hens of the neighbors. Free these doves, or that setter will get into habit to our quarter too.’
Jem got furious, turned to me.
‘ You see , what that foolish man is saying, He says he is struggling for the freedom of the animals. But if he drinks a glass of vodka he might sell all the animals of the world.’
It is obvious that Ismikhan was drunk, it was felt through his voice.
Ismikhan’s dog Chappa was barking facing to upwards.
Jem took some dove eggs from the wooden box of the doves and put them into a synthetic bag, then tied it with a rope and lowered it into Ismikhan’s yard.
‘ If I don’t give anything to him, he will complain till the end of the day, will disturb me till night.’
I also looked down the yard. Ismikhan wasn’t in the yard. He had taken the eggs and entered his room.
Seeing that Ismikhan had gone , Jem began to sing his rap.
My speckled dove has speckles
It might do whatever he wishes.
As soon as Jem finished his rap I asked him.
‘ Don’t you know why Ismikhan live alone?’
‘ Ismikhan had a gentle, calm wife. All day long Ismikhan gathered his reveller friends and drunk in the yard. Khanik was among them. I mean Khanoghlan. He lived in ten houses’ distance. One day Ismikhan slandered Khanik saying that he hinted at his wife. Khanik couldn’t bear his slander and beat Ismikhan cruelly. Then they arrested Khanik, and Ismikhan was taken to the hospital. Since that time his wife left him . And after being released from the hospital Ismikhan began to keep a dog. Even he couldn’t keep his wife near him. Because of being hard drinker he loses his friends one by one. I feel pity for Chappa, because Ismikhan made that poor animal be as double-faced as himself.’
I glanced at my watch, I didn’t have to be late for training. I said good -bye to Jem. I climbed down the iron stairs and reached the street and went to training.
When I reached the bus station I saw a motorcycle when it braked. From the outwear and helmet he wore I could see he was Aydin who lived in the back street. He looked at me and asked without taking his helmet.
‘Are you the boy who sits at the same desk with Senubar?’
‘Why do you ask?’
‘Well, you are still a child, you don’t know what love is. You must help me.’
‘ How can I help you?’ I asked him.
Motorcycle Aydin took an envelope out of his pocket and reached me the envelope.
’My dear, this letter must be delivered to Senuber, but I warn you not to open it.’
Then Aydin took much money out of his other pocket, handed me ten manats.
‘ Please, take it, let be yours.’
I pushed his hand aside.
‘ I don’t need your money, keep it for yourself.’
When Aydin reached the letter to me, I told him.
‘ Well, I am not a postman for you.’
Then I turned my face and walked away.
Though I didn’t like Aydin as a person, I liked his motorcycle. As I left him, he came after me, pulled out the motorcycle near me.
‘ It appears you don’ t want to help me, doesn’t it?’
‘I can help you, but on one condition,’ I said to him.
‘ On what condition?’ he asked me.
‘ I want you to borrow me your motorcycle for at least one day.’
‘ You are still a child, you don’t have any permission to drive motorcycle,’ he said.
‘ If I am a child, in this case, Senuber is a child too.’
‘ It isn’t your business.’
‘ Be off! Let me go!’
Aydin got furious, wanted to stop his motorcycle.
‘ What did you tell? Come here, child!’
His motorcycle got over other side. Aydin ran towards to me, clenched his fist for to attack me. But I didn’t let him to fist me, I struck him on his chest and feet, he couldn’t keep balance and fell on the ground.
I took his helmet and flung it out.
After some minutes Aydin looked at me attentively .
‘ You were killing me,’ he said.
‘ But you were saying I am a child.’
***
The bus was seen in the bus stop. Seeing that Aydin wasn’t badly damaged, I ran towards the bus stop.
The bus was rushing towards the city. Though I was watching the street that the bus rushed through, I was still thinking about Aydin. Look, he is so fraud that he tries to get my love out of me with my own hands. Then I comforted myself saying that all the people in the city know him only for his motorcycle. To tell the truth, I like his motorcycle , but I would never wish everybody call me as Motorcycle Vasif. Even I don’t wish they call me as ‘ Mercedes’ Vasif, or ‘Jeep’ Vasif. I want all the people call me as Vasif. Or I want the others call me world champion , Olympic champion Vasif. Well, it would be wonderful. I remembered how Aydin fell on the ground after my attack. I never raised a hand to anybody. But he made me so furious that I couldn’t keep myself. As if it wasn’t enough he tried to get my lover from me, he also wanted to beat me. I wonder if Senuber saw how I hit Aydin, what she would think about me. If only she saw how I attacked him I think she would never love him anymore.
When I entered changing room in the Olympic compound my friends Aykhan and Nuru were changing their clothes. Aykhan is my main opponent. Probably both of us would be in final stage in Baku championship. But as usual Aykhan was watching his muscles in the large mirror in the changing –room.
Our coach Fateh came in the changing-room and greeted us.
‘ Hey, guys, don’t hurry to change your clothes. Because of technical problems they again didn’t warm the water. I don’t want you to catch could before competition and fall ill. If you fall ill, all our training would be in vain.’