Thief
“Theft is not good for the body”, Proverb
The morning light illuminated the edge of the yard, and Ravshan aka, as always, headed for the barn. Carrying a bundle of hay in his hand, he entered the roof. But… he couldn’t believe his eyes: the yellow cow was gone!
“Maybe it got loose and wandered around the yard,” he consoled himself. But no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find it. It was as if there was no trace, it had disappeared.
“Jamila!” he called out anxiously. “Who tied the cattle yesterday?”
Jamila answered in a low voice:
“Lutfulla dad, I tied them. But… there’s no cow?”
At that moment, Rustam Baba appeared at the door of the yard. His face was worried, and his eyes were filled with sadness.
“Did you hear that?!” A thief has appeared in the village!
— Oh no! — said Lutfulla. — They stole Akmal’s five chickens!
— Astagfirullah! — said Ravshan aka with a heavy sigh. Could it be that our cow has also fallen into the hands of thieves! They say that thieves are masters of their craft…
Lutfulla looked at the ground and whispered:
— Dad, not even a fly can enter our yard! How can a thief get in? After all, an ox’s jawbone is hung above the tandoor. If a person enters, he will immediately be thrown into the eye…
— Now is not the time for this! — said Ravshan aka, getting angry. The cow that trusted me with my secrets will not come back!
— More stings, hot peppers, eye thorns… — Jamila glared sharply at Lutfulla again. — These protect the yard from misfortunes. Our grandmothers have repeatedly warned us. Oh, don’t interfere in something you don’t understand.
— Ravshan aka, who locked the gate yesterday? — Jamila asked again.
Then Robiya slowly approached:
— Excuse me… I forgot. When I woke up in the morning, the gate was open. I couldn’t say that my brothers had gone out for a run with their friends…
Rustam Baba, he started talking again.
— Someone stole your cow. But don’t rush: someone has been watching your house for a long time, someone did it… They say, “It’s easy to catch a thief from the field, but it’s hard to catch a thief from home.”
Then she turned to Jamila:
— Jamila, hurry up and go to the police station. Only someone who knows would have done this.The morning had not yet dawned, the night was still hanging over the earth, and it was drifting over the village like heavy thoughts. Jamila Yanga, with the anxiety that was tearing at her heart, set off for Sister Zulfiya’s yard. The gentle breeze on the street caressed her face, intensifying the wind of anger in her heart. Sister Zulfiya’s yard was already full of people, everyone was filling their patience cup with their own problems. Jamila Yanga waited. Her legs were shaking, her heart was pounding. Finally, the door opened with a “clack”…
— Ola stole your cattle… your own relative, — said the policeman, breaking the silence that reigned in the yard. — He has been watching you for a month. The day your gate was left open, he accomplished his intention. Now he will sell the cattle to someone who came from Karachay at the Wednesday market. If you don’t believe me, go with your husband and see for yourself. Now, leave your vows and leave.
Jamila Yanga’s heart sank, and the blood drained from her face. She went out into the street and whispered in a daze:
— Really? My own liver, the one I support… How many people have we troubled for this cow… What if her father hears this?
— No, no… — she said to herself. — It’s not for nothing that they say, “A person who steals a needle or loses a cow from someone is suspected”…
The next morning, Ravshan aka and his son Lutfulla set off for the cattle market. They both scattered in two directions and began to look for the cattle.
— Dad, what if what the polvin said turns out to be true?
— Never mind, my son. If it’s true, this will be the day when the earth will crack and we will be buried. We can’t walk with our heads held high.
In a far corner of the market, Ravshan aka saw a young man holding a cow tightly next to someone who had come from Karacha. He approached cautiously. His instincts were right — it was Jamila Yanga’s nephew.
— This cow is mine. I’m sorry, it’s not for sale. Get out of here quickly! — Ravshan aka said, swallowing his anger.
Lutfulla ran over when he saw his father leading the cattle.
— Dad! Did you find the thief?
— Yes, I did.
— Then show me?
— It’s better that you don’t know you, my son…
— Dad, how many people have we bothered…
— What can I say now? Should I say that my wife’s nephew was stolen? Let the closed pot remain closed.
— Dad, he will be caught one day anyway. Even if you hide it, he will steal again. There is no use in hiding it!
Ravshan aka looked at his son with love. Suffering and the heavy burdens accumulated over the years were visible in his eyes.
— You are still young, my son. One day, you will understand what I have done, — he said, frowning.
When they returned home, Shukr Baba had already arrived, sipping tea. He seemed to have noticed everything.
— But your goods were found in the market. Who stole them? You had half the village investigated. You took up people’s time. You shamelessly suspected even young men who were strangers and came from abroad… Tell me, who was the thief?
Ravshan aka averted his eyes and answered with difficulty:
— I am very tired, Shukr Baba…
— Understandable, so my suspicions were correct. That’s it, be healthy. From now on, don’t forget the gate lock. After all, they say, “The copper of a copper pot will come out, and the smell of the one who closes it will come out.” Everything will be exposed one day anyway.
And Lutfulla, with a broken heart, apologized to all his fellow villagers…
…Six months passed.
While someone was untying the rope of a black ox in the dark courtyard of Zarif aka, who lived in the village of Kiyokli, the owner’s son Azamat caught him and handed him over to the police. This was the same man – Jamila Yanga’s nephew. He swallowed hard and confessed to all the thefts he had committed.
— This is probably what it means when a thief steals and sets off on a journey, and in the end he gets caught…
That day, Shukr Baba said this at a neighborhood meeting:— Ravshanjon kept the secret for six months, but the truth was still revealed. Ravshan deceived so many people. However, the thief was his brother-in-law’s son. Because always be careful of the person who enters and exits your house… It’s not for nothing that they say, “Hold on to yourself, don’t hold your neighbor a thief” _ Shukr Baba…
Abdisattorova Khurshida Suvon qizi was born on November 9, 1997, in the village of Olmazor, Chirakchi district, Kashkadarya region. She is currently a third-year student of Sports Journalism at the University of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Her articles have been published in the newspapers Hurriyat and Vaziyat, as well as on the websites Olamsport and Ishonch. She is also a participant of the international scientific-practical conference titled “Future Scientist – 2025.”