There are many women around the world have lost their shoes. Shoes drop, while they are travelling on horseback, in a cart or on coach or by railway.
One of my friends said that a few years ago he and his wife went to Khorasan. During their travel his wife’s shoes slipped off thirty-four times, twenty-one times while getting up and down the railway stairs and at least one hundred forty-six times along the horse track on the way to Iran.
Now, friend of mine says that when someone talks about Khorasan trip it reminds him his wife shouting “Don’t let my shoes to slip off”
Another friend of mine who always says: “I never in my life been on a trip or went for a walk with my wife.
When I ask him a reason, his answer is: “Just because, she may shout one day “Don’t let my shoes to slip off”
Eventually, a lot of women’s shoes slipped off around the world. In another word, it is not a big shame or casualty to lose a shoe. If shoe slipped off it is enough to shout at your husband “dear, my shoe fell off” and your husband will stop a coach or train to pick it up. (but nasty railway workers may not care about your shoes)
Yes, a lot of women lost their shoes but, believe me none of them was in as much trouble as Aunty Fatma.
Aunt Fatma’s husband Kerbelayi Khalikverdi, who is a resident of Gatir urkuden village bought a horse from Tezekli village. The horse was beautiful, but it had one bad habbit: when there was a chance to escape he used to leave his new owner’s house and head to his former owner Mashadi Nurali’s house at Tazakli village. Then Kerbelayi Khalikverdi would go to Tezekli village and bring his horse back.
One day Aunt Fatma told Kerbelayi Khaligverdi: Now that you have bought a horse, please take me to Heyderli Pir, we don’t have to walk anymore. Kerbelayi Khaligverdi’s first answer was: “please, don’t bother me”, but later on he agreed to take her there.
It takes 2 hours to go to Heyderli Pir from Gatirli village.
It is the road leading to Tezekli village till Gurbagali river, after leaving the city . Once they cross the river it takes an hour to go to Dovshantutan village and then there is Heyderli Pir.
Heyderli Pir is very miraculous place. We can talk a lot of things about this sacred place, but for the sake of Shamakhi people we won’t do it.
Kerbelayi Khaligverdi led the horse out into the street,got on the horse with Aunty Fatma and they set off.
They were talking while riding. Husband said something like: “Fatma, it seems the horse is stumbling a bit. I wonder if blacksmith Ali has nailed the his leg.
Then wife asked in return: tell me please, aren’t these blacksmiths afraid of horses kick while they are nailing horseshoe on their leg.
Kerbelayi Khaligverdi answered: “If God protects someone, nothing will happen.”
They were talking like that and suddenly Fatma shouted: hold on, my shoe slipped off. Kerbelayi Khaligverdi stopped the horse, turned and checked the road, but he didn’t see it. He got off the horse and told his wife to hold on the horse’s rein, so he would look for the shoe.
After hearing directives of her husband Aunty Fatma answered in panic: No, please don’t, I can’t touch the horse’s rein. The husband tied the rein to the horse and said: “Ok, if you don’t move, the horse will stand still.” Then he returned and continued looking for the shoe. The horse stood still a little while and then took a step. Aunt Fatma shouted: “Oh my God!” The horse took another step. Aunt Fatma shouted again “Oh my God” Then the horse slowly moved forward. After a while Kerbelayi Khaligverdi was so far from his wife, that he couldn’t hear her screaming.
The horse remembered its old barn and it was on the way to Tezekli village. Poor Aunty Fatma raised her both hands and yelled “Oh my God!”
While horse is on run, I will tell you little bit about Tezekli village.
Mashadi Nurali, the former owner of the horse, was sitting in front of his door and he was talking to Mullah Gurbangulu, the village mullah. There were a few villagers around who were listening to mullah. Mullah Gurbangulu said:
– Women must not go out of their house. There are some dishonest men who take their wives to their relatives. One of the villagers told Molla Gurbangulu: “Dear mullah, I swear to God, I have never taken Jafar’s mother (sorry for my words) anywhere.” The other villagers also swore that they hadn’t committed such a sin.
Mullah Gurbangulu continued to his words:
-You have to keep your women at home and lock the door.
Mashadi Nurali turned to mullah and said: “Mullah, you are speaking very well, can you answer my question? For example, if a woman needs to bring water from the well, how can she go out if she is locked in the house?
Mullah Gurbangulu answered loudly: Woman can’t go out and bring water. You must bring water. You can’t trust woman. You must keep woman at home and lock the door and keep the key in your pocket.
After a while, Mullah Gurbangulu asked Mashadi Nurali: “Who did you sell your horse?” Mashadi Nurali answered that he had sold the horse to Kerbelayi Khaligverdi,a habitant of Gatir Urkuden village. As soon as Mullah Gurbangulu heard the name, he began to praise Kerbelayi Khaligverdi:
-I know that Kerbelayi Khaligverdi is a true Muslim. I have known him for a long time. When I go to Gatir Urkuden village, I do always visit him. He is real servant of God. I have never heard his wife’s voice and neither seen her. Well done, Meshedi Nurali, you have done a good job by selling the horse to him.
Mashadi Nurali also weighed in with mullah and said that Kerbelayi Khaligverdi is really very religious and honorable person.
While the villagers were talking about it, they noticed approaching horse with a woman on the saddle. The villagers yelled together: Damn!
Mullah Gurbangulu said: “Oh my God!”
The woman on top of the horse was Aunty Fatma. The poor woman was holding the horse rein with both hands and because of that she couldn’t hide her face. When approached the villagers she looked at the them and at mullah ashamedly.
The horse reached Mashadi Nurali’s door and entered the yard. Mullah Gurbangulu looked astonishingly a bit and then he spat on the ground and said: Goddamn. May God damn women. Because of you there will be no divine in the world.
Other villagers also cursed Fatma and they were all gone.
The horse entered the yard and stuck his head into barn and began to eating grass straws.
Then Mashadi Nureli’s wife and other women of the village unsaddled Aunty Fatma.
After half an hour later Kerbelayi Khaligverdi arrived there.
Poor Aunty Fatma!!!
“Molla Nasreddin”, September 29, October 6, 1906 № 26, 27
