by Kanat Malim
Lost in her thoughts, she began to doubt that he was in love with her.
“Maybe he thinks of me as a little sister? Especially since there was a girl he had planned to marry. What if he remembers her and decides to return to her? No wonder Aina Apa hid the album with their photos; it was because she was sure that when his memory returned he would go to his girlfriend... If I hadn’t accidentally found a photograph of Aina Apa, Ataq and that girl together, I would never have known about her existence,” Saule, forlorn, continued telling herself.
But she didn’t find any answers to her questions.
Her thoughts were interrupted by loud laughter and shouts in the distance. They were announcing the Qyz quu game. She moved toward that area.
As she approached, Saule clearly saw a girl on a horse galloping behind a guy, then catching up to him and mercilessly beating her whip on his back as if she was pouring out her dislike for him.
“It must be a guy who the girl doesn’t like. The novel I read had stories where the girl lost on purpose because she wanted her boyfriend to win. According to tradition, if a man was able to kiss the girl in this game, he had the right to marry her. These places hold the heart of Qazaq customs and traditions,” thought the beautiful young woman.
Confirming her speculation, not one jigit volunteered to chase the next girl. She was replaced by another pair who apparently had agreed in advance to ride with each other.
Ataq was still not to be seen anywhere.
“If he doesn’t come right now, it’ll be the twelfth of never before I make baursak for him again,” Saule decided, and she went looking for him.
The audience immediately noticed the star of today’s event. Anyone who didn’t notice the golden-haired beauty had to be blind.
Everyone began to ask her in chorus if she was trying to escape a jigit’s kiss. She tried to refuse them, but no one paid any attention to her.
The crowd was interested in seeing how well a European would do in the role of a girl from the Qazaq steppes.
Seven or eight jigits were already lined up, and the crowd could be heard yelling at the guys not to miss getting a bride. Saule, with a confused smile, said something to them in return.
When she asked if she could wait for her jigit, no one responded. Her voice couldn’t be heard over the loud noise of the curious crowd.
Emotions were running high...
She was told to choose one of the seven jigits before they started to fight over a chance to chase her. But she didn’t care, because they were all the same to her.
None of them had his strict and at the same time funny and piercing gaze. Her pain from missing him reached the depths of her soul, but Ataq was treacherously absent.
He wasn’t there, and she was waiting for him to defend and protect her, just like the time they met the pack of wolves. The horsemen rushing in pursuit of her seemed like those wolves, and Saule was ready to cry from her feeling of utter loneliness, even though there were so many people there.
Bowing her head, she abruptly jerked her horse toward the finish line. People began to shout at her. One of the jigits was more alert than the others and rushed in pursuit of the beautiful girl, mercilessly giving his horse fierce strikes with the whip.
The girl galloped far ahead of her pursuer without realizing what she was doing. A fire burned inside her, and though the wind held them back, her eyes were brimming with warm tears.
She wanted to scream, to shout, but feverish crying couldn’t ease her distress.
As she struggled with her emotions, she began to slide off her horse. The horse felt it and instinctively slowed down.
To people watching from afar, it seemed that she was giving in to the jigit pursuing her by reducing her speed.
Seeing her ‘groom’ on her left, the only thing she knew was that she had to run away from him.
Frantically wiping away her tears, she completely forgot that she could beat him with her whip, so it was easy for this guy to kiss ‘Goldilocks.’
Immediately there was gossip in the crowd: Some said that she was letting him catch up and kiss her, while others claimed that the two had agreed in advance, while still others predicted that the two young people would soon be wed...
But the girl had no time for jokes.
12. Ataq’s memory returns
Briefly, here’s what happened next.
Returning with a huge bunch of flowers, Ataq learned that the guy who overtook Saule in the game had kidnapped his bride. Ataq knew this guy well. He rushed off in pursuit.
He caught up with two jigits on a high cliff and saw that Saule had been tied up in a cart.
It was two against one, but nevertheless he jumped into the unequal battle. Though he took a beating from the other guys, he continued to defend the honor of his beloved.
He was hanging onto the edge of the cliff with all his energy, when he suddenly remembered a scene like this from his past. The jigits didn’t let him fall off the cliff. The Qyz quu winner conceded the girl to Ataq.
The couple returned home.
The trip back took several days. Aina Apa and Saule were extremely happy that Ataq’s memory had returned. The young people admitted to each other that they were in love. Now Ataq was ready to tell his beloved about his past. It went like this:
Due to the successful growth of his business, Ataq decided to develop a new project that showcased Qazaq cultural traditions. He bought a building in the center of the city and planned to build a monument in the shape of a dombra. He himself was an avid fan of this fine instrument and played it well. Since the project was non-profit, Ataq’s partner wouldn’t agree to his proposal and began a lawsuit against him. One day Ataq went with his girlfriend to his dacha, and some strangers were waiting for them. They acted threateningly, and Ataq was forced to fight them. After that he couldn’t remember anything.
Now Ataq didn’t want his ex-girlfriend to return, because during the past five years of suffering and illness, she had never come to visit him. He felt very hurt by her.
It turns out that Ataq’s mother gave her their address in the steppes when they left the city.
When Saule learned of his decision, she was ecstatic. They spent every day together and it seemed like they were living in a fairy tale.
Because of their mutual love of music, they formed a music group along with the other shepherds and organized concerts in their area. Saule composed a pop song which became a hit in the neighborhood. The only thing left to do was to get married.
One day Saule presented a wonderful idea to Ataq: According to her plan, all the shepherds would form a cooperative with their agricultural holdings, and together they would make a vacation destination for tourists.
Visitors would come from many places to this vacation area, not only from Qazaqstan but also from all over the world, to experience the full flavor of steppe life.
This would solve the issue of artificial price dumping on the part of livestock buyers. It wasn’t a secret that buyers had taken advantage of the shepherds’ lack of unity.
In this way, Ataq would be able to achieve his dream of reviving the rich Qazaq culture.
The energetic jigit liked this idea, and they immediately began to develop and carefully think through a plan.
They walked through the area, drew up the necessary blueprints, and carefully thought out every detail. Once the farmers had united, each member of the group would have their own responsibilities for serving the tourists.
They prepared a presentation and decided to gather all 40 shepherds’ families in the pasture. In order to get everyone to come, they would have a concert.
As planned, all the residents in the area came to the event. Most of them came to hear Saule sing their favorite songs.
After the concert, they were introduced to the project. Presenting the project along with a concert in which their close neighbors participated made a favorable impression.
With the realization of this project, their gray daily liv
es could turn into inspiring action. Confident of this, they unanimously voted in favor of the program with a ‘YES.’
And the most attractive part of the idea was that any interested tourists could take part in the everyday work of the shepherds.
The participation of an entrepreneur who had done well in his business would serve as a guarantee for the implementation of the program.
13. Britney Spears
From that day on the shepherds’ life turned around 180 degrees: they took the first steps to implement their plan.
Ataq and Saule had to go into town to buy several vehicles with money they had collected from the families that lived on the steppe.
Ataq was torn by the same thoughts that had previously tormented Saule. They both believed that a trip to the city would return her memory. They had already noticed her memories came back in brief spurts, but she was determined to see the big city.
Ataq was worried about the fact that Saule would have a boyfriend who she wanted more than a Qazaq jigit, or there would be other serious circumstances that would force her to return to her homeland.
Because of this, he delayed the trip to the city. But the shepherds had entrusted them to carry out the project and now they were waiting for action on their part.
Ataq decided to go to the city without Saule, but she didn’t agree with that and insisted on a joint trip.
She had a strange feeling of anxiety that wouldn’t leave her in peace. Sometimes it seemed that someone was calling her, that someone was waiting for her to return.
She felt she had left a man dear to her at home, but her heart told her that this man was not her beloved. With tears in her eyes she convinced Ataq to take her with him.
If she had known she was married, she would have recognized her tormented maternal instincts.
Steppe girls marry when they reach the age of 18, and their difficult life is reflected on their faces. Saule looked younger than local unmarried girls, so no one thought about her being married. And Ataq thought she wasn’t older than 18.
Saule promised she would not leave Ataq for another lover, and after that he agreed they could go together to the city. Saule added that even if her parents forbade it, she would not be afraid to come back and live in Qazaqstan.
They agreed to the following condition: If her family came, Ataq would take care of all financial costs associated with bringing them here.
They arrived in the city. On the first day that the girl was in the city, her memory returned. How did this happen?
It happened when they visited a shopping center to do some dressing up. The girl was not wearing makeup and her hair hadn’t been done, so no one recognized her yet.
Walking around the shopping area, they decided to go to a hairdresser. He went to sit in the men’s section, and she to the women’s. Ataq was finished in a half-hour, and he waited for Saule in the lobby.
The woman who was working on her did the same makeup and hairstyle that Britney Spears had. When the hairdresser asked if she was Britney, her client jokingly said that her name was Saule.
Not believing the resemblance, the beautician wondered and asked whether she knew English. Saule answered her in English.
During the conversation, the hairdresser learned about the purpose of her visit to the city, and all her doubts disappeared — in front of her sat the legendary Britney Spears!
The hairdresser, who followed entertainment news, recalled that a few months ago all the media carried stories about a search for Britney, who had gone missing somewhere in Qazaqstan. A good reward had been promised for information about her.
The sly hairdresser assigned her to the VIP lounge, and also invited Ataq at Britney’s request, explaining that foreign nationals who knew the Qazaq language so well were going to be given a prize – the keys to a car – which the mayor would present to her. The hairdresser said that it was also possible that journalists would be present.
Ataq and Britney sat in a closed room, naively waiting for the mayor to arrive and preparing themselves to be interviewed by journalists.
Meanwhile, the hairdresser telephoned all the local news media (to make sure she would receive the reward money) and presented the sensational story about Britney Spears visiting the hair salon, and that she had lost her memory.
The hairdresser tested everyone’s patience by keeping them waiting until the maximum number of journalists had arrived. An hour later, when she had 30 in front of her, the press conference began.
The moment of truth had arrived!
The double doors swung open and a group of journalists with cameras burst into the room like wild animals, startling Britney with bright camera flashes.
Four days later...
Britney — is in a hospital bed. She doesn’t start to improve until the second day.
She remembered everything to the last detail after the trauma she experienced. Relatives who have flown in from America come one by one to her room. Each of them visits her several times.
Only Ataq has not been in to see her in the past two days. He sits in silence in the lobby of the hospital. Completely alone...
14. Britney’s memory returns
Ataq is told the whole story by Britney’s producer:
A few months ago a small charter plane crashed over Qazaqstan. Britney and three other people from her team were on board.
The crew of the plane decided to make an emergency landing on the thick snow of the pastures. A dilemma confronted the passengers: if they were afraid of the outcome of the emergency landing, should they jump with a parachute, or should they remain on board with the crew?
They decided on parachutes. Three of them were found in different villages the very next day. Only Britney was missing.
Rescuers found her parachute, but her tracks were hidden by recently fallen snow. However, a half-mile away from the parachute there stretched a fresh trail of human footprints.
The parachute they found was 10 miles from the highway. Rescuers were convinced that Britney had safely reached the highway, judging by the tracks she had left. But her fate after that was unknown.
Later, when he arrived home, Ataq realized that the tracks they had found were made by the shaman, who had gone to the city on business.
The shaman said that he had traveled on horseback until he was 10 miles from the highway, and then he released his horse to run home to avoid encountering horse thieves. In that area the risk from thieves was great.
Snow covered the area for 8 miles; the tracks leading from the shaman’s house, just like the tracks from Ataq’s caravan, were hidden under the snow. Wolves, picking up the smell of blood, had carried the parachute several yards away.
Two days before, after his last conversation with Britney, Ataq came out very hurt by her.
Briefly, here was their conversation:
Britney had two children in the United States and their father refused permission to let them go with her to Qazaqstan. Britney was divorced from him. In the future he would not consent to the children moving to Qazaqstan, so the only opportunity she would have to see her children would be if she lived in the United States.
Of course, Britney could not bear to live without them for a single day, so she suggested that Ataq go with her. She understood that Ataq would never let down the shepherds who had placed great hopes in him. But he could not just abandon his business project, which was now the most important thing in his life.
Ataq suggested that she do the impossible — leave her children and start a new life with him. She wished she could do that, but she couldn’t imagine life without her children. Their conversation had reached a dead end.
And now he was sitting on the first floor of the hospital. Today was his last meeting with Britney. She was about to be discharged and in three hours she would fly away with her biological family to the United States.
Ataq knew that their conversation would be short. He was going to leave in the morning for the steppes, but Britney convinced him to
wait and stay with her until she got on the plane.
Opening the door into the hospital ward, he was determined to say goodbye to her forever and leave quickly, but their conversation dragged on. Each wanted to prove they were right.
Britney knew that he would not fly with her, so she only asked him to not forget her and wait for her until the court reached a favorable decision about the custody of her children.
She gave him an audio cassette:
Britney: - Take this and promise me that...
Ataq: - What is it?
Britney: - You listen to it first...
Ataq: - What...
Britney: - It’s an audiotape. It’s a recording of our song on the day that we presented the project. All of you played your musical instruments so well. It’s true, and my voice doesn’t matter. I was worried...
Ataq: - Well, why would I...
Britney: - Listen to the end – you’ll understand. Don’t interrupt—please. I wanted to prepare a surprise for the guests... and above all, for you. After all, it’s your favorite song... Eventually I wanted to re-record it in a professional studio to improve the quality, but you know how things went...
Ataq: - And how did you record this?
Britney: - Is that so important now? I want you to...
Ataq: - No, what did you record it on? Tell me... I’m just wondering...
Britney: - Promise to keep quiet about it?
Ataq: - Well, I won’t tell anyone, I won’t say a thing.
Britney: - I asked the shaman to find me a tape recorder, and he brought me his. The tape recorder was very old, but it recorded. He didn’t want others to know that he, too, listened to music. I promised him to keep it a secret, and he would be offended if you told him about it.
Ataq: - And is that important to you now?
Britney: - If you really want to forget me, then bring this tape and give it to me yourself. Only then will I believe in the firmness of your decision to forget me. Until that happens, I’ll do my best to seek a way out of this situation and try to get back to you, but only with my children. I promise I won’t get tired of fighting...!