Following the incidence with the coffin Usta Garib had long been going to town to see the leadership of the Enlistment Office to find out the whereabouts of his son. The officers reassured him that the search work had begun.
At last Allayar had been found. Looking up at the sky Usta Garib said:
- God be praised! Tank God, I haven"t lost my only child! You are really gracious and merciful, like the clergyman say!
I congratulated Usta Garib. Presently, Ramazanov turned up at the door and announced the good news:
.- Usta Garib, give me a hundred roubles for vodka. Your son has returned from the Army!
- Stop kidding -Usta Garib said.
- Run home, you fool - Ramazanov cried.
- Oh, good for you! What a joy! Oh my God, I thank you once again!
Usta Garib gave Ramazanov the money and ran home. As he was running by my side he said:
-Come on, Al Kizim, you will help me slaughter a sheep. We will arrange a toi
to-day!
We ran headlong, and when we came to the house we saw Usta Garib"s wife stand in yard crying. Taking his breath, Usta Garib said:
-Well, congratulations! Didn"t I tell you that he was safe and sound?! And you kept crying. Go and call your son. Where is our soldier boy? Usta Garib"s wife went on crying:
- Oh, them rascals! May their houses burn to the ground! Damnation! What have they done to my son! May you be consigned to hell for ever!
-Stop it! What are you talking about, you crazy woman! - Usta Garib said.
Now Allayar himself came onto the porch. Usta went up to him with open arms saying:
- Well, hello, sonny! How are you?
Allayar hugging his dad said:
Zauri, bizho, genazvali! Gamarzhoba! Is that you Zauri? You"re alive? Haven"t you been stabbed in Kandagar? No, no, you are not Zauri. You are arruvakh! Be gone! Be gone!
Opening his eyes wide Allayar glanced at his father and pushed him. Usta Garib stepped back and said:
- What"s the matter with you, sonny? Don"t frighten me. Are you kidding?
Allayar walked up to the oven and taking the spade lying there gave it to his mother.
- Karalanyan, Norik, here"s the grenade cup discharge, take it. Why are you standing like that? There"s an enemy sniper beyond the rock, do you see? Fire! The dushmans are there!
Usta Garib"s wife, holding the spade in her hands, kept crying. Allayar went up to the grate with a fire burning in it, took a burning log out and, turning to me abruptly, cried:
- Death to dushmans!
He threw the log at me. I ran out into street and shut the gate behind me. The log hit the gate. I was standing outside the house, in a state of confusion. After some time I left. I walked home cursing war that had taken millions of innocent soldiers and turned beautiful cities to ruins and billions of peaceful people to refugees.
Toi - a fiest, celebration, wedding party, birthday party
Dushman - enemy, villain