/ world today news/ And word spread among colleagues that around 5 p.m. He would be at the ethnographic complex “Etara” – the pride of a Bulgarian before foreign guests, both then and now.
I crouched by the tavern and waited, and the aroma of toasted bread and sausages on the grill made my reporter’s stomach explode. I swallowed and prayed that it would come, an hour sooner.
And the small bus came with the big people – the guests from “Literaturnaya Gazeta”!
Then – hey, can there be such a thing in that Bulgaria stiffened by socialism – literary ten days? Well, why didn’t the famous Metodi Andreev have it, so he could ban them!
The group is led by the editor-in-chief of Literary Front, Prof. Efrem Karanfilov. I run to him, asking him to persuade the great Bulat Okudzhava for a brief interview – my professional pride!
The professor looks around as if they are going to attack us from somewhere, he tells me that Shipka Bulat was sick, had an ulcer… Hard work, said the professor, but he felt sorry for my youth and burning urge, so he went to the classics. He said something to him, pointed at me with his hand, Bulat nodded, which I took as consent and rushed off.
But the very first words cut me: “Boy, as the questions are, so will be the answers!”
I felt a cold sweat on my back, my throat was cemented, I even forgot what I was going to ask him, and he smiled slightly and said: “Let’s walk past the workshops, and ask as we go”…
What did I ask him, what did he answer – they keep the yellowed pages of the Gabrovo newspaper “Balkansko zname”, but I remember with what interest he looked at the kalpatsi workshop, measured two or three, liked one and bought it… Bulat took two the knife – a real jewel…And from time to time it answered me!
I lived and died from worries…
The walk is over. Bulat looked at me: such a small man, with a mustache and glasses, and what an intellect… He patted me fatherly on the shoulder, said something like “well done”, and we parted!
But I will never forget: As your questions are, so will be your answers!
#Bulat #year
