"DON'T GET OFF THE TRAIN, O CHUN!"

2024-01-28 11:19:00, Kulturë Agim Xhafka

Dawn Xhafka

Sunday stories from Agim Xhafka

As soon as Sofo saw Ben at the door of the cafe, what he had heard about him these weeks was buzzing in his head. They said, Ben has taken a young girl as his mistress, Ben, even though he married with love, even though he has a wise wife and a beautiful star, he goes to motels with his employee, Ben is rumored to be divorced, to marry his mistress .

None of this was believed by Sofo, but something of what they were talking about took root. Like rust clings to a garage door when sprayed with moisture from the morning dew. Sofo calls Ben his son since he and his father, Ferdi, grew up together.

They were together even when they got married, and luckily the families were housed in the same building. Soon the children were born, one after the other, and thus they were all connected as in a great hearth. Two years ago, Ferdi suffered a heart attack and fled, flew away. My wife moved to London a few years ago. Ben moved to a bigger apartment and now lives there with his wife, Silva, and Turi, the only child who now goes to high school.

- Come, come here! Sofo called out to him.

Ben's face lit up when he saw it. Run to the shoulders of the father's friend.

- I'm staying with you for a few moments, I made an appointment with a Swiss. We will make a contract for a hydropower plant, - said Ben in a slightly boastful, but also proud voice. He was a good engineer and the businesses profit skyrocketed every year.

Sofo didn't extend it, but he had it as a concern. He was struck by the word divorce that Ben could do with Silva.

- You have taken a lover, they told me. Really, huh?

"Not lovers, but lovers," Ben quickly corrected.

Sofo realized that the problem was serious.

-You want it?

- More than yourself. And she tells me so.

- Does Silva know?

- I believe yes, but no. As the old saying goes, husband and wife are the last to learn about their betrayals.

- Do you love the woman?

- A lot, a lot.

- Then? - Sofo was surprised.

- Then even I don't know what happened to me and I don't understand what is happening to me. All I know is that my day is beautiful, I have a lot of sun, I feel very young even though I'm approaching 50, I like noises, rhythms, music, travel, fun. Magic has entered my heart. What do you think, is love like that?

Sofo saw it in the pupils. He brought his head closer to his face and said dryly:

- This is nephews, son, it is not love. It's nephews.

He was silent, but after a few seconds he continued:

- I will briefly tell you an episode from my life. In short, you're waiting for the Swiss and you don't have time to listen any longer. When I was a student, my heart was pounding as the holidays approached. I traveled by train to Pogradec and then by bus to Korça. I had a lot of longing and my diaphragm wouldn't let me breathe.

Mbaj mend një vit, sa kishte kaluar java e parë e korrikut, ia hypa trenit mes zhegut. Kisha mbaruar me sukses provimet e përfytyroja lumturinë mes familjes e shokëve. Rruga qe e gjatë, vapa na mbyti, në vagonë s’kishte atëherë kondicionerë. Dritaret rrinin hapur e afshi përvëlues na rrotullohej mbi kokë, nëpër gjoks e kurriz si kamxhik i lyer me zift të nxehtë.

Te stacioni i Peqinit ndalte treni afër 5 minuta, sa zbrisnin ca udhëtarë e hipnin të tjerët. Te buza e shinave dilnin plot vendas me kana uji dhe bërtisnin, kush do një gotë të freskët. Nga që moti qe i nxehtë e në vagon nuk tregtohej asgjë, as shishe me ujë, poshtë dritares sime po qëndronte një fëmijë.

-Ma jep një gotë, -i thashë.

E mbushi shpejt dhe qelqi menjëherë u vesh me avull. Se uji qe i ftohtë mes atij përvëlimi. Por dora e tij nuk ma afronte dot gotën. Ishte i vogël në moshë e në trup.

-Ngrihu majë gishtave, o piciruk, -e nxita.

Ashtu bëri ai, u zgjata dhe unë teposhtë, madje gati po bija nga dritarja, por jo. Nuk e kapja. Atëherë u çova dhe vrapova drejt derës. Po kërcej te traseja dhe po marr gotën, mendova. Te dera një fatorino e shëndoshë dhe e qeshur më këshilloi:

-Mos i zbrit trenit, or çun!

Nuk e dëgjova. Kisha etje. Tamam-tamam kisha neps. Oh sa neps! Si gratë shtatzëna kur u teket për kumbulla në janar. U lëshova drejt çunit, i rrëmbeva gotën, nisa ta rrëkëllej me gërrqe e me kokën drejt diellit. Mbylla sytë, në fytyrë më godisnin rrezet e nxehta, por i sfidoja me ujin akull. E atë çast u ndjeva aq i lumtur sa thoja që isha me fat që zbrita. Po nepsi më shtyu të rrëmbej një gotë të dytë.

Gllënjkat këndonin glluk-glluk dhe nuk dëgjoja që dhe treni kishte nisur trokun e tij. Kur mbarova m’u duk se po lëvizja. Nga kënaqësia pandehja se po ngrihesha lart. Në fakt po vraponte vagoni në krahun tim. U sula ta kapja, e preka pak, sa cika fundin e shkallës prej hekuri që përvëlonte, por e lëshova vrik se u tremba nga furia e tij, gati po më hiqte zvarrë. Kaq vrull mori. Iku treni, u tret në luginat tej bashkë me valixhen, me ndërresat, teshat, me librat dhe me librezën e notave mbushur me dhjeta. U dëshpërova. Gati të qaja. U ula këmbëkryq mbi lëndinë. Pranë më erdhi çuni i ujit.

-Do dhe një gotë? E ke pa lekë këtë.

Nuk i fola. Dola në xhade dhe prita plot e plot orë. Se ato mote kur kalonte një makinë në rrugë bëhej festë në qytet. Më mori një kamion i madh deri në Elbasan. Pastaj copa-copa. Deri në Librazhd, një më çoi në Prrenjas, më tej mëngjesi më zuri në Pogradec e në Korçë mbërrita të nesërmen nga dreka.

Beni ishte gjithë sy e veshë. Edhe e kuptonte thelbin, edhe s’donte ta kuptonte. Syri iu zvogëlua. I iku ai gazi që përshfaqi kur nisën bisedën. Fytyra i mori pamjen e mendimit me dyshime. Që të qartësohej pyeti Sofon:

-Dhe?

-Dhe në çdo kamion që kërceja i thoja vetes, mos ndalo stacion më stacion o njeri! Vrapo për në destinacion, -i shpjegoi shkurt Sofo.

Ben after these words was rolling his eyes like internet google. He sought to find a clear, understandable explanation. But it didn't work out...

- The Swiss has arrived, - said the waiter.

- We'll talk another time, he said to Sofo and left.

- Ok. You find me on the train. I'll wait for you there, don't stay long in Peqin, - returned Sofo, noisily scraping the bottom of the coffee that had been sleeping for a long time in the white iced cup./ CNA