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favour. ..."
"One second, Comrade Kashkatayev." Kerimbekov rose quickly to his feet. "Members
of the Bureau, aren't we making a terrible mistake? I have another proposal:
that we limit ourselves to a severe reprimand and warning. At the same time, I
propose that we reprimand Segizbayev, a member of the Bureau, for insulting
Comrade Bakasov's dignity as a Party member and a human being, and for
Segizbayev's intolerable method of work as a District Committee representative."
"What demagogy!" Segizbayev shouted.
"I must call you to order, comrades," Kashkatayev said. "You're at a meeting of
the District Committee Bureau, not at home, and I request that discipline be
maintained."
Everything depended upon him now. And he did exactly as Segizbayev expected he
would. "I do not think it is necessary to institute criminal proceedings against
Bakasov," he said, "but he certainly cannot be allowed to remain in the Party.
Comrade Segizbayev is absolutely right about this. We will now put it to a vote.
All those in favour of Bakasov's expulsion will raise their hands."
There were seven members of the Bureau. Three voted for expulsion, three voted
against it. Kashkatayev had yet to vote. He paused, then raised his hand in
favour of expulsion. Tanabai saw nothing of this. He discovered the outcome when
he heard Kashkatayev say to his secretary:
"Enter the following in the minutes: 'By a decision of the Bureau of the
District Party Committee, Comrade Tanabai Bakasov has been expelled from the
Party'."
"That's all there is to it," Tanabai thought, feeling his body turn to ice.
"But I insist that Segizbayev be reprimanded," Kerimbekov persisted.
This did not have to be put to a vote, the motion might have been declined, but
Kashkatayev decided they would vote on it. He had a secret reason for this, too.
"All those in favour of Comrade Kerimbekov's proposal will raise their hand."
Once again it was three to three. And once again Kashkatayev raised his hand to
make it four, and thus saved Segizbayev from being reprimanded. "I wonder
whether he'll understand and appreciate this favour?" he thought. "Who knows? He's
cunning and treacherous."
Everyone began moving their chairs out, as if getting ready to leave. Tanabai
decided it was all over. He rose and headed for the door without a word, without
looking at anyone.
"Where are you going, Bakasov?" Kashkatayev said. "Surrender your Party card."
"What?" Now only did he realise what had happened.
"Leave it on the desk. You are no longer a member of the Party and have no right
to carry a Party card."
Tanabai did as he was told. The card was under his jacket, under his sweater, in
a little leather pouch Jaidar had made for it. He wore the pouch on a strap over
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his shoulder. It took him a long time to extract it in the dead silence of the
room. He finally pulled it out, took out his Party card, heated by his chest,
and placed it, warm and smelling of his body, on Kashkatayev's cold polished
desk. he shivered as if he, too, felt the cold touch of the wood. Then, still
not looking at anyone, he worked the pouch back under his jacket and prepared to
leave.
"Comrade Bakasov!" Kerimbekov's voice was sympathetic. "Haven't you anything to
say? You haven't said a word. Perhaps it all happened because things were so
difficult. We hope the door has not shut and that sooner or later you'll be able
to return to the ranks. Do you want to say anything?"
Tanabai turned, feeling awkward in front of this strange youth who was still
trying to soften the blow.
"What is there to say?" he said sadly. "I can't outtalk everyone. All I can say
is that I'm not guilty in any way, even if I did raise my hand against him, even
if I did speak badly. I can't explain it. So I guess that's all."
The silence was oppressing.
"So you have a grudge against the Party?" Kashkatayev spoke irritably. "Aren't
you forgetting yourself? The Party is setting you right, it's kept you from
being prosecuted as a criminal, yet you're still dissatisfied, you're still
resentful! That means you really are unworthy of being a Party member. And I
doubt whether the door back will ever open to you!"
When Tanabai left the District Committee building he seemed calm. Too calm. And
this was bad. It was the end of a warm, sunny day. People were walking and
riding in all directions. Children were running around in the square near the
clubhouse. Tanabai found it unbearable to look at them. He was disgusted with
himself, too. He had to get back to the mountains, back home. Before anything
else happened.
Gyulsary was tied up beside his horse at the hitching post. He was big and
strong, he shifted his weight when Tanabai approached and his dark eyes were
calm and trusting. He had forgotten how Tanabai had battered his head with a
pitchfork. After all, he was a horse.
"Forgive me, Gyulsary," Tanabai whispered. "I'm in bad trouble. Very bad trouble,"
he sobbed, throwing his arms around the horse's neck, but controlled himself,
ashamed to weep in front of all these passers-by.
He mounted his own horse and headed home.
Choro caught up with him beyond the Alexandrovka Rise. As soon as Tanabai heard
the familiar cadence of the racing pacer behind him he scowled. He did not
bother to glance back. A feeling of hurt darkened his Soul, darkened his eyes.
Choro was now a different man from the one he used to know. Take today, for
example. No sooner had Kashkatayev raised his voice at him than Choro had sat
down as obediently as a schoolboy. Now what? People had faith in him, but he was
afraid to speak the truth. He was cautious, he chose his words carefully. Who
had taught him to be like that? While Tanabai was just an ignorant man, a plain
hard worker, Choro was educated, he knew everything, he had held important jobs
all his life. Couldn't Choro see that things were not as Segizbayev, Kashkatayev
and all the others like them said they were? That their words were pretty on the
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outside, but false and empty inside? Whom was he fooling, and what for?
Tanabai did not even turn his head when Choro caught up with him and fell in
step beside him, reining in the heated pacer.
I thought we'd start out together, Tanabai, he said, "but when I looked around,
you were gone." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]