THE WORLD OF THE STRONG

Finally, the plane took off. He will be home in a few hours. No matter how many houses you have — big, luxurious, in the richest and most beautiful countries in the world – there is only one home. The one that is on your land, in your homeland. His house is in Shenik village. Grandpa built it. It is a three-story house with a large garden. He remembered her grandmother’s face and smiled involuntarily. When he said that he had to serve in the Armenian army, they were silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then the grandmother asked the most unexpected question.

Q: Did you want to serve in Armenia or did your father decide it for you?

He was confused for a moment like a student who did not know the lesson.

Q: Comrade Zohrabyan, you have been a pedagogue for a thousand years. If the student does not know the lesson, can he answer by prompting?

Grandma laughed.

Dad suggested the idea of serving in the Armenian army, but I was the one who decided.

“Good for you,” said the grandmother.

Grandmother told the best about Armenia. She spoke in beautiful words. She was making people cry with pride. Cuneiform inscriptions, scrolls, Tigran the Great and Vardan Mamikonyan, poems and hymns, Genocide and the heroic battle of Sardarapat … Grandmother was a teacher of Armenian language and literature, she knew how to touch the most sensitive wires of your soul. If he had stayed in Armenia, the grandmother might not have told with such inspiration. At a time when his father and two uncles lived with their families under one roof, his grandmother’s stories were about kindness, compassion, helping the weak, raising the fallen, but when they came to Russia, the grandmother’s subject was Armenia with its past, its culture, its victories and defeats. She was telling ot only when visiting, but also by phone. … One day one of the classmates at school, an Azerbaijani, said: “You don’t have a homeland. Armenians live on Azerbaijani soil. That’s why the Turks wanted to destroy your nation. You have appeared on the map only recently and must be destroyed.”

He hit first. Then the classmates of Azerbaijan joined the fight, then the Armenians. During the parent meeting, the teacher said that they did not have the right to bring ethnic issues to the classroom. Then he added that Armenians are one of the oldest peoples in the world and have lived in their historical homeland since ancient times. The Azerbaijanis were shocked.

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She was a beautiful girl and looked a bit like Sofia. Who would have thought that he would fall in love with a Turkish girl? They met at the disco. The girl was very beautiful and was immediately noticed. He approached and began to turn around. Suddenly he saw that she was speaking in Turkish. Thanks to the language. Five languages were taught: Persian, Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, and Turkish. He spoke Turkish with the girl. They danced. Then they started meeting. He has never been so harmonious with anyone. Sofia once asked: “You have been living in Russia for a long time, because you speak Turkish with a Russian accent.”

They were sitting in the park. Sophia’s hand was in his.

“I am Armenian,” he said. Sofia pulled her hand back like she got bitten. … But they continued to meet. When he came to Armenia, he said before saying goodbye:  “I have to live in Armenia. I may not return to Russia.”

“If you want, I’ll come to Armenia,” said Sofia. “I’ll change my religion and become a Christian.”

“All right,” he said, “as soon as get the military unit, I won’t call you again.” In two years you will have the opportunity to weigh everything! I will call after demobilization. If you haven’t changed your mind about converting and living in Armenia, we’ll talk. If not, don’t answer my call.

By GAYANE POGHOSYAN

Photo by SIPAN GYULUMYAN