«I remember when I was a young lad, something happened in our village. I’m in my nineties now, close to death, but I still remember it as if it were yesterday.»
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That year, the December frosts came earlier than usual. All my friends, bundled in oversized winter coats gathered behind the gates to play. That night, especially, there was a lot of snow piled up.
“Look, look! Here comes the Hare!” — shouted, as usual, the tallest of the boys. The one everyone looked up to. And the others immediately joined in his cry.
I still remember what he looked like. He was no longer young, with gray strands of hair sticking out from under his ushanka. He was poorly dressed and thin. He didn’t even have felt boots, imagine that!
Why did we call him such a funny name, “hare”? It was because of his harelip. That’s what the adults called him, and we children picked up on it.
However, whether out of strong love or just for fun, we decided to pelt the holy fool with snowballs.
We threw them in his eyes and down his collar.
“What are you doing, you wretches?!” – Baba Glasha, as she was called in our village, was a kind woman, compassionate, may she rest in peace.
“What’s the big deal? It’s just snow! And it’s all was just a game!” – Vadik, the tallest one, was so embarrasse. He blushed, but not from the cold.
“You’ve brought this on your own head! Come on, home now, you shameless boy!”
I should mention, Baba Glasha was his own grandmother. Vadik had long been without parents, as people said, taken by a bear.
“And aren’t you ashamed?! Such a sin on your soul! How can you harm a holy fool?” — Baba Glasha kept scolding him as the culprit, a head taller than her, trailed behind, head lowered.
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That night was cold and moonlit. There was no snow, but the frost cracked on the shutters. Sitting by candlelight, watching the patterns form on the glass — it was so beautiful. That night was one of those. All the boys, tired, scattered home. And I went with them. I stashed my boots by the warm stove and climbed onto it myself. My father had gone to the market and hadn’t returned yet, and my mother stayed behind to wait. I dozed off to the sound of her spinning wheel.
I slept restlessly. All sorts of frightening shadows and wild animals appeared to me. But I was asleep, and only by morning did I learn what had happened.
My neighbor, Baba Glasha, died that night. As if someone had struck her down, right on the doorstep. Vadik hid behind the stove and survived. But that night, his hair turned gray. And from then on, he couldn’t speak a word about it.
And then they found the axe! And it belonged to hare! The whole village thought about what to do with him and searched for him for a long time. But Hare went into the forest and drowned in the swamp.
And now I sit here, remembering. But Grandma Glasha told us that our holy fool was restless. That he would walk in his sleep at night, but when he woke up in the morning, he didn’t even remember. He was always scattering his things around the yard and never closed the gate properly.
In the village, they thought he was strange but harmless. But that’s how it happens.
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A gray-haired man takes off his glasses and rubs his nose. The apartment is flooded with yellow light. A red carpet hangs on the wall.
A student guest writes down the old man’s stories in an old, crumpled notebook. His suitcase with his belongings is thrown next to a folding bed. He will live here while working on his project.
“And today I had this dream… as if someone was rearranging my things around the house. I can’t find my case anywhere. How strange, I think I left it on the table last night. I’m getting so old and scattered!“
Author’s Notes:
- Ushanka – A traditional Russian fur hat with ear flaps that can be tied at the crown of the head or fastened at the chin to protect from the cold.The name comes from the Russian word “уши” (ushi), meaning”ears”.
- Holy fool – A person who acts eccentric or “foolish” to achieve spiritual truth and humility, often from a desire to avoid praise and to challenge conventional morality.
- Baba – «Old woman» or «grandmother».
- A red carpet hangs on the wall. – A tradition used for decoration or honor, symbolizing respect, status, or celebration.
