Ak Kalpak Yrlary

The last lesson

My hands do not hold the komuz like before. I told my students on Wednesday: this is the last lesson. The girl with the loaf of bread (now fifteen) asked: "Ata, who will play the first string?" I said, "You." She did not answer. She played it.

We drank tea. The father came to pick her up and I told him: she plays better than I did at her age. He said: of course, she has a better teacher. I said, you are polite. He said, no, I am only telling you who it was.