Riding a yellow genie

– I am Azrael.

– Azrael?!

– Yes, I came to take your soul…

– Mom! I don`t want to die!!

– Shut up! Do you know a boy called Khoshim?

– Yes, dear Azrael yes, I know him!

– If you know him, why didn`t you give him your bicycle to ride?

– I gave it to him!

– But then you and your brother beat him!

– Please forgive me!

– Anyway, your soul is now mine! – I put my hands on his neck like I was trying to choke him.

– Oh dear Azrael, please don`t take my soul! Forgive me!

– Why are you cheating?

– My mother told me to do so…

– What did she say?

– She told me to say “Amin”, and play those drums.

– You are a liar. You even told everyone at school that you hear the voices of God.

– My mother told me to do so…

– So everything is a lie?

– Yes, Azrael…

– You will go to school and tell everyone that you are a liar, otherwise…!

– I will, I will do this today!

– OK. We shall see…Do your homework, and if Khoshimjon ever asks for anything, never refuse,

understand?

Afterwards I decided to check the medicine Sorahon was giving to her “clients”. They were simple drugs available in drugstores. My revenge hadn`t finished. I took some money from the pocket of Sorahon, went to the drugstore and bought some laxative medicine. Then I replaced the medicine in the pockets of clients with the laxatives. Ten days have passed and the whole reputation of Sorahon was badly damaged.

With the help of my cap, things have gone better since then. Everything was great. Even all my marks at school were excellent. I had no need to copy out homework. My glory has gone so high, that even teachers were smiling each time they saw me.

Unfortunately, one day I made a big mistake. I lost all my good reputation after this.. I took the record book and put some excellent marks for me and my best friend Kosim, even though the school year was not finished. All teachers knew this wasn’t right and they called me and my friend Kosim to the room of our principal. There were seven teachers in the room.

– Khoshim, dear, come here. Look at this, do you know who could have put these marks in the record book? – Our principal, Otajon Azizovich asked.

– I don`t know…

– Is it your work, Kosim?

– What are you talking about? – Kosim replied surprised.

– You both have done this! – said one of the teachers.

– No, Khoshim wouldn`t have done this, It must be Kosim who did it, – said another teacher.

It seemed like everyone was satisfied with the last comment. The situation was getting worse and tears appeared on Kosim`s face. I had to do something…

– I did it!

– Why??! – All of them asked.

– I did it! Kosim didn`t even know about it.

This was the end of my good reputation. They said that such a boy like me can never become an agronomist

, an engineer or even a zootechnician

.

– No! – I said, without wanting to retreat.

– Never! Without knowledge you can`t even become a cattleman

!

– I will!

– Don`t talk too much you! – shouted the principal.

I shut the door and left them. At that time, I really believed that with the help of my cap I could become anything I wanted.

That was my last day in the village. I decided to begin my journey and prove to everyone that even without knowledge from studying, a person can achieve everything.

Good bye my dear village! Good bye dear trees, dear lakes! From now, no one will damage your branches, since I`m leaving you! Dear mom, please forgive me for all I did! Dear sisters, please also forgive your brother, and if you ever miss him just look at his photos! Do not cry! Some day he will surely return! He will come back as a hero! He will come back with dozens of medals! Dear homework which I had to do, good bye to you as well!

I was leaving the village at midnight and even though I had tears, my soul was full of joy…

Chapter 3