Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:20:05 +0100
From: A.K. <andrej@andrejkoymasky.com>
Subject: Manush 07/12 (Interracial - beginnings)

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MANUSH
by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2008
written on November 19, 1993
translated by the author
English text kindly revised by acam

-----------------------------

USUAL DISCLAIMER

"MANUSH" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of
sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so
on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story.
But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think
you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.

-----------------------------

CHAPTER 7 - The first traditions

Dule was radiantly happy. While they were dressing he said to Tomaso
"You know, it's funny, but... I feel more like a man at last. Now I
feel... complete!"

"Sex is a very important part of a person's life my friend."

"But now... you and I are more than just two friends. A part of you is
inside me and a part of me inside you. Isn't it a marvellously close
feeling being blood brothers?"

"Well... yes... a little... perhaps."

"That was really good. And it didn't hurt much at all. Just a little bit
at first I must admit. And I can still feel a bit like... like something
uncomfortable down there. But it was really worth it."

"It will pass. I don't get uncomfortable any more just pleasure when I
do it. You know that you are a nice little colt in bed?"

"I lost my head when you made me take you... Making love is really
great. not in the least as if it were a forbidden ugly thing and that
bullshit they say!"

"Will you come and do it again while we stay camping here?"

"Yes of course."

"And... would you like to try it with my companions too?"

"Well I thought about it... Do you think they would like doing it with
me?"

"I really think so. You are a very handsome boy."

"Are they all as good as you at making love?"

"Sure. Even though each of us has... his own style so to say. Now Dule
can I tell my companions about you?"

"Yes now you can."

So Dule met the others and one at a time he made love with and became
friends with all of them.

When the Rogasi decided to leave the camp to travel down south to Sicily
Dule was sad.

"I would like not to lose you my friends. With you I've spent the most
beautiful days of my life..."

"Why don't you come with us then?" Zanko suggested.

"Would you really like me to come with you? I didn't dare ask ... Are
you sure you really want me?"

"You will have to ask your family and group for permission..." Marko
said to him.

"Of course. But I'm almost sure I'll get it. My father always respected
his sons' decisions. And I bet he will be glad not to have to pay the
dowry for another daughter in law. When will we leave? The day after
tomorrow?"

"Yes. Will you be ready?"

"Certainly yes. And can I take with me my gold-working tools?"

"Of course you can. And we will also fix a place for your work won't we
Mateo?"

"Yes Zanko I will set up a workshop. As soon as we have finished
rebuilding caravan number 2. Instead of the small balcony like this one
I will make a space big enough for Dule's workshop. I just have to think
what changes will have to be made. It won't be difficult." Mateo
answered.

They left. Dule went to sleep with Patrizio and Tomaso. But at times
they swapped places for the night. They crossed the Straits of Messina
and went to camp near Patti. Here they could finish rebuilding their
second caravan. They then tried connecting the two caravans as they had
planned and they were perfect. They moved one of the two beds from
caravan two to caravan one, and in caravan one they set up a kitchen
while in caravan two in the corresponding place they built a real
bathroom.

The idea of the bathroom came from Tomaso. The Romany were not used to
having bathrooms as they usually washed themselves in the open in a tub
with just a curtain around it for privacy. But when they tried the new
bath all were enthusiastic. Mainly because now that winter was
approaching it was getting colder outside. And soon they started to
bathe in couples - it was a good pretext to make love in the water. The
bathroom was also excellent for washing their clothes.

While they were camping in Patti one evening around the fire Dule said
"Each tribe should have its own traditions or else it isn't really a
proper tribe... I was also thinking that we will gradually grow and
become numerous. And so we need an initiation and admission ceremony...
a rite binding forever the newcomers to our tribe."

"We aren't yet a tribe." Mateo remarked.

"But we have to act as if we already were or else we will never be one."
Patrizio said with determination as he poked the fire.

"Well first of all we must have a chief." Marko said.

"We already have one Marko - he's Zanko." Dule said.

Zanko smiled but said "No he's right. We ought to have a chief
officially and recognized by all of us. I propose him to be Tomaso. He's
the oldest of us."

"Oh no - only one year older!" Tomaso protested and then said, "No I'd
like Zanko as a chief. After all he's the one who started all this."

"But Patri started it just as much as me. If it wasn't for him I might
easily still be alone..."

"Well. We have a choice of three names- Zanko, Patri and Tomaso. Now we
just have to choose." Marko said.

"And how?" Mateo asked.

"With the pebble system of lots." Marko answered.

"What is that?" Patri asked.

"Each of us will have a white and a red pebble. We will pass around a
bag and each of us will slip into it one of his pebbles without letting
the others see which it is or which pebble he keeps. Red means yes white
no. So then the bag is emptied and the pebbles are counted. Then the bag
is passed around again to collect the other pebbles and when people put
them in they hide them so nobody can see the colour of pebble they have
not used. And so all the pebbles are shared out again a couple to each
of us for a second vote ... By doing it this way nobody knows how the
others have voted." Marko explained.

"Alright" Zanko said "We must get red and white pebbles and a black bag
ready."

"Yes but the pebbles should all be exactly the same shape or else it
would be easy to tell who had which one." Patrizio objected.

"Yes that's right." Zanko confirmed.

They then discussed the initiation and admission rite.

Marko proposed that they adapt something like the rite for the birth of
a child. "After all admitting a new member will be almost like giving
him birth for us." He explained.

So, after a short discussion and several proposals they also decided and
established an admission rite.

Patrizio went downtown to find a stone-cutter and asked him if he could
make spheres of white and red stone as big as a cherry. The Gadje said
there was no problem and made them. Patrizio had ordered plenty. "Then
there will be enough for votes when lots of new members have joined us."
he explained to his companions. Zanko saw a bag of thick black cloth
that could easily contain all the marbles and Mateo made a wooden box to
hold everything. Marko decorated the box with nice hinges corners and a
lock in embossed copper.

So a few days later they were ready to cast their first vote to choose
their chief. They decided to vote first for Zanko. He got five red
pebbles and one white and everybody guessed that was Zanko's pebble.

At that point Dule took out a gold ring he had prepared in secret.

"I made this for whoever would be elected as our chief and so it belongs
to you, Zanko. It is the symbol that you are our chief."

Zanko took and looked at it. "It's really beautiful Dule. Thank you.
Look at it everyone..." he said passing round the ring.

It was made of three bands side by side tied together by a small band
that crossed the three with two small spheres at one end,

While everybody was admiring it Dule explained "The three parallel
bands, you see represent the Romany the Sinti and the Gadje. They are
perfectly the same that is to say that there is no difference amongst
us. The crossing band with the two spheres... well... it's a stylised
shape of a virile member with its balls... that ties all us together."

Everybody laughed and approved. Zanko put the ring at once on his
finger. Then they celebrated all night long.

The following night they decided to hold an initiation and admission
ceremony for themselves.

First of all they traced out on the ground a square and the five apart
from Zanko stepped inside it. Then Zanko scattered inside the square
three dashes of brandy and three bits of bread. After that Zanko took
Patrizio's hand made him lie on the ground and with a sharp stick traced
out a circle around him scratching a shallow furrow while wishing him
strength and freedom. Then Zanko scattered some charcoal powder in the
furrow and all round the circle. Then he (alone for that first time)
sang the ring-a-ring-a-roses ancient birth song they had adapted.

"You manush are being initiated into the caravan to become a true Rogasi
and so one of us. As the Good Lord gave you life now each of us will
give you his gift." And he put a symbolic present inside the circle.
Then Zanko took the red scarf he had round his neck and put it around
Patrizio's neck so recognizing him as his "son" and therefore a member
of the tribe. He then lifted Patrizio up bodily in his arms, carried him
out of the circle and left a small piece of gold where Patrizio had
been. Then he took Patrizio into the caravan and kissed him on the mouth
as a symbol of their sexual union.

Then they came out again. Patrizio rubbed out the circle and took the
piece of gold and put it in a box they had prepared for it. Normally at
this stage of the ceremony there would be a party but they decided for
this first time to have just one party all together at the end of all
the admissions.

Zanko repeated the rite for Mateo but Patrizio put the piece of gold
inside the circle. Then Tomaso was admitted and Mateo put the red scarf
round his neck and took him into the caravan for the kiss. Zanko
performed the rite for Marko and last of all Thomaso did it for Dule.
And finally in the dead of the night they celebrated with dances songs
and music. Marko played his guitar and Dule his lap harp.

It was almost dawn when they put out the fire and carefully packed away
the little box with the five pieces of gold. Then they went into the
caravans to make love. Zanko with Patrizio and Marko in one and Mateo,
Tomaso and Dule in the other. The next day Dule worked the five pieces
of gold into five rings - each was an open band with two small spheres
at one end. In the evening, Zanko put a ring on Patrizio's, Mateo's and
Marko's fingers and Mateo put one on Tomaso and he put one on Dule. So
the admission-birth ceremony was completed.

Dule proposed to decide which of the usual festivities they would keep.
They decided to keep Christmas, Saint George, Easter and Saint Michael
as seasonal feasts. Then to keep Saint Andrew, Saint John and Saint
Sylvester as days to celebrate love and to use Saint Andrew's day to
celebrate the eventual confirmation of steady couples - though Zanko
said that until they were recognized as a tribe it would be better not
to form steady couples. Anyway they fixed the ceremony for union of a
couple adapting the traditional Romany's wedding ceremony.

They moved on and went to camp near Gela where they planned to pass all
the coldest part of winter. There were already a group of Kaloperjia's
lautari camping there and so the Rogasi camped nearby but slightly apart
as usual and connected their two caravans. As their caravans were really
beautiful skilfully carved and painted and kept in perfect condition the
Kaloperjia soon went to have a look at them.

They soon hit it off specially Zanko with a young man of twenty-one
called Fadil who was a very skilled violin payer. So they soon started
to invite each other quite often to their evening meetings around the
fire or their parties. One afternoon Fadil was wandering around the
Rogasi's caravans. He saw Patrizio and warmly greeted him.

"Hi Patri. Do you have enough wood for the winter?"

Patrizio already knew that this was just a kind of traditional greeting.
So he correctly answered "Thanking the Good Lord we have wood and white
bread."

"Good... I noticed that you all are wearing the same ring..."

"Yes it's the symbol of us Rogasi."

"A weird tribe yours..."

"We are not yet a tribe... We should be one after the pilgrimage I
hope."

"Ah so you are going on the pilgrimage then, are you?"

"Yes."

"But... what's your circuit?"

"The roads of the world,"

Fadil nodded then said "I also noticed that there are only men in your
tribe... is it permanent or temporary - just for now."

"Yes we are just men."

Fadil nodded again then said "What is it like living in a tribe made
just of men?"

"It is... living without the women's quarrels!" Patrizio answered with a
smile.

"You've a beautiful smile Patri."

"Thank you."

"Do you have sex amongst you?" Fadil quietly asked.

Patrizio looked at him surprised by such a direct and unexpected
question then answered "I don't ask you whom you do it with..."

"I can't do it of course as I'm not yet married."

"That is also true for us six - that is we are not yet married."

Fadil giggled and said "But the rules are not always respected by
everybody all the time. One cannot touch a girl before marrying her and
even less the woman of another man and yet some do it... and more than
once sometimes as long as they don't get caught."

"Well have you done that?"

"No I always respected that rule. But..." he said and stopped looking at
Patrizio with a mischievous expression.

Patrizio returned his look waiting and smiling at him so as to encourage
him to continue.

And Fadil continued "Have you ever noticed how some boys are gentler and
nicer than girls?"

"Yes I have."

"And that for that reason sometimes a... special friendship can be
born?"

"Yes that is true..."

"I'm lucky as I have two of these... special friends here in my group."

"Really? And who are they?"

"One is Idris. The other is Zoran... Do you have special friends too?"

"All six of us are special friends." Patrizio quietly answered.

Fadil knit his eyebrows and asked "All of you? Well of course I am
friends with everybody in my group too..."

"But you meant in a special way with Zoran and Idris didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And... who do you like better between them?" Patrizio asked.

"Zoran is more handsome but he always talks about girls... he's boring.
Idris is more likeable but even he is already engaged... so he will soon
marry and sooner or later I will be alone again..."

Patrizio was now rather sure about what Fadil was talking about but he
didn't feel like revealing his hand just yet. So, even though he was
feeling strongly attracted to Fadil, he thought he would let that
subject drop. But Fadil didn't seem to want to change the subject.

"It's good dancing around the fire in the evening isn't it?" Fadil
asked.

Patrizio feeling now on a safer ground answered "Yes I like dancing very
much especially when Zanko plays his violin. He taught me to dance."

"Ah! I instead taught my little brother to dance but he doesn't like
dancing alone even when I play the music..." Fadil said with a little
smile.

Patrizio at once spotted the 'double entendre'. Fadil did really have a
younger brother but "made his little brother dance" meant to masturbate
oneself as well...

So he said "My little brother never liked to dance alone either so I had
him meet the little brothers of my friends you see to amuse themselves
together. And those little rascals soon learned to play hide-and-seek
too..."

"Hide-and-seek?" Fadil asked rather puzzled.

"Yes you know sneak into some hidden places so that you can't see them
any more... Kids games anyway."

"Oh yes I understand. I think it's good looking at our little brothers
when they amuse themselves in that way or in other ways..."

"I agree. I'm really fond of my friends' little brothers and I'm glad
when I can see them... And I always feel such tenderness towards then
that... you know... I like caressing kissing them..."

"Do you... kiss them?"

"Yes to show them my affection..."

"And... do you made them play hide-and-seek?"

"Yes I do. I like to have them amuse themselves and play."

"They should be very happy when they meet you..."

"Yes they really are. I always welcome them more then willingly when
they come to visit me..."

"I can understand it. I too am really fond of Zoran and Idris little
brothers and always welcome them very willingly..."

"You make them play?"

"Of course and I play with them..."

"Do they also play hide-and-seek... at your place?"

"Surely!"

"I'd like to see where you let them hide." Patrizio said to him.

"Well... I would like to show you but it is a secret that they don't let
people see. Because you know they are quite jealous about their hiding
place."

"I will tell nobody I swear." Patrizio readily answered starting to get
aroused.

"But first... wouldn't you let me visit your caravans Patri?" Fadil
asked.

"Sure my friend Come." The boy said leading the way.

He let him in and as soon as he closed the door he put a hand on his
arse. Fadil turned with a smile and in his turn he put his hand on
Patrizio's full fly.

"Where is the bed Patri?"

"Are you tired?" the boy asked in a jesting tone.

"Yes tired of playing with words. I want to have sex now. Sex with you."

"I too Fadil. Come..."

He led him to the wide bed that he unfolded. Fadil rapidly undressed and
threw himself on the bed already totally aroused. Patrizio immediately
followed him.

"You're beautiful really sexy!" Fadil said showing his perfect white
teeth in a winning smile.

Patrizio touched the lean strong Romany's body and bent down to kiss it
gently and quietly. For a while Fadil let him do that returning his
caresses and fondling until tense and fully excited, he gave a long
sigh.

"Do you want to take me Patri?"

"Yes please."

"But afterwards will you let me try to do it too?"

"Didn't you ever try it with Zoran and Idris?"

"Only with Idris a few times. Not often..."

"How do you like to be fucked?"

"In my arse of course..."

"Yes," Patrizio giggled "but in which position?"

"On all fours..."

"Is it the only way you know?"

"Well standing up too."

"And that's all?"

"Why are there other ways?"

"Yes certainly many others..."

"Then teach me one..." Fadil asked with a sly smile.

"Lie on your back... fold your legs against your chest and spread them
as wide as you can... so... good..." Patrizio said helping him to spread
them and pushing them down to each side of his chest.

He knelt in front of his arse and taking the jelly that was always at
hand near each bed, he carefully lubricated Fadil's exposed arsehole
which was already throbbing waiting for him. Then he sank his hard pole
into that greedy hole and Fadil emitted a low groan of contentment as it
went in.

"Is everything alright Fadil?" he asked when he was totally inside him.

"Oh yes! In this position it seems to go in more deeply..."

"Now I'll fuck you Fadil."

"Yes go on!" the young Gypsy encouraged him with a happy smile.

So Patrizio started a slow coming and going shaking his pelvis right and
left at the same time to make Fadil feel his hardness. Fadil widened his
eyes in a surprised expression but with a pleased smile.

"You're an artist Patri!"

"All we Rogasi are artists..." Patrizio murmured going on moving inside
him.

Fadil was looking as if he were hypnotized at the boy tossing above him.
Patrizio smiled at him and gradually increased his speed and the vigour
of his thrusts.

"God it's so good being fucked like this Patri!"

"Afterwards you can do it to me alright?"

"Yeah..."

Patrizio increased the energy of his strokes and now the virile body of
Fadil was twitching at each lunge. The boy was licking his lips and his
hands went up to caress and tease Patrizio's body and his tense belly.

Patri accelerated his strokes and murmured "I'm going to fill you,
Fadil!"

"God how beautiful and strong you are! You're a real bull!"

"I like you Fadil..."

"I like you too!"

"Now... Now... I'm... coming..." he moaned and unloaded inside Fadil
with a final series of deep thrusts.

"How beautiful you are..." Fadil murmured feeling Patrizio empty inside
him.

Patrizio remained well embedded inside him and caressed his chest.

Fadil asked him "Can I now take you?"

"Yes sure. But wait just a moment, let me catch my breath..."

"You are a hurricane. I really enjoyed the way you were banging me at
the end."

"You mean that at the beginning you didn't?" Patrizio asked him, pulling
his leg.

"Oh no at the beginning also it was delightful too. I enjoyed every
single moment. I don't know if I will be so good..."

"Anyway I am longing to receive your nice little brother..."

"He too is eager to get to know you..."

"Well then" Patrizio said, finally slipping out from his companion "let
me se what this urchin can do!" and he lay on the crumpled sheets
offering himself to the other.

Fadil lubricated his tool then took position. He entered him moaning and
trembling with pleasure so that Patrizio thought he was already near
coming. But on the contrary Fadil when he was completely inside him
stopped and gave a long trembling sigh. He seemed to take a breath and
then suddenly started to fuck him with fast hammering strokes. Then he
stopped and made his body rock with calm gentle movements filled with
pleasure. He then started again to hammer inside Patrizio for a while
and then calmed down again. He went on in this way for a long time and
Patrizio was enjoying that original syncopated way to get fucked.

Then his strokes became deeper and Patrizio could feel it dance strong
and hot inside him.

"What a delightful arse you have Patri..." Fadil panted hammering him
vigorously.

"You too are a good and nice man Fadil, and you fuck nicely."

"Really? Do you really like it?"

"Yes Fadil. Go on... go on..." Patrizio spurred him. Making his
sphincter twitch strongly to give his companion more pleasure.

After a last panting stop Fadil hurled himself into a frenzied rhythm
until he started to shake and spasm while his seed was spurting
abundantly and flew dense and viscous into the depths of his companion's
palpitating channel.

Then Fadil suddenly let himself collapse on top of Patrizio who embraced
him tightly and wrapped his legs round him and stroked his black unruly
hair. Fadil's unshaven beard lightly brushed against his collarbone. He
felt Fadil's heavy breathing slowly calm down.

"Good Lord Patri. That was just too good!" Fadil murmured.

"Better than with Idris and Zoran?"

"Oh yes way better. They only do it with me to relieve themselves. You
did it because you like it. It's quite different... I can feel the
difference..."

"But do you only like men?"

"Yes."

"Do they know that?"

"No, god forbid! With them I always have to talk about girls. They
believe that for me it is just to let off steam until I can have a woman
as it is for them..."

"But they fuck you and you don't fuck them..."

"Well, Zoran is older than me. Idris the same age and so... you know how
it is..."

"But we Rogasi are all equals it is unimportant who is older or
younger."

"And you all only like doing it with men?"

"Sure."

"It should be really heavenly then here at your place!"

"You could ask Zanko if you could join us..."

"What and leave my tribe?"

"Of course. One cannot belong to two different tribes at once? It's
something like when someone marries out of their own tribe... or rather
an even bigger change than that."

"Well... I ought to consider it. Do you think I would be accepted?"

"A handsome guy like you? And one who only loves men? I think there
would be no hesitation. Anyway I would vote for you to join."

"You vote for admissions?"

"Yes sure."

"Let me have some time to think about it..."

"Alright. There is no hurry. We will stay here a bit longer."

"And... while you stay here can we do it again?"

"Sure. With me or if you like with my friends."

"Good heavens a tribe where sex is not a taboo! It seems a dream..."

"But on the contrary it's real."

"When I was born the spellbinder said I would walk on new roads... could
she have meant this?"

"I think it's possible."

They dressed and went outside.

"I'm feeling dizzy because of the sex we had!" Fadil whispered smiling
conspiratorially.

"Well then if you did it with all of us together you might finish by
being unable to stand up!" Patrizio jested.

"All together? That would have to be fantastic..." Fadil murmured to
himself.

The six companions were touring the surrounding villages and towns with
their two cars to perform their show which was getting to be richer and
more beautiful - with Gypsy music, Romany dances, sketches and gags,
juggling and conjuring tricks and songs... They earned good money. Once
they took Fadil with them and he enjoyed the show very much.

Fadil had sex with all of them one or two at a time and was spending
more and more time with them but he had not yet said a word about
Patrizio's proposal to join them.

One morning Fadil was helping Dule to polish some gold things he had
made to sell to a Gadje who lived in a village called Vittoria.

He paused in his polishing and said "What would you say if I told you I
had an urge to get into the other side of the caravan with you, Dule?"

"To have sex?" Dule asked and stopped polishing the gold armband he had
made...

"Yes... I get aroused just looking at you or just being near you..."

"Well let's go then. I too am feeling something stirring..."

They put everything away and went in to where the bed was folded. They
pulled it down and undressed each other. At once they started with long
preliminaries as they had taught Fadil.

"I think I will ask Zanko to accept me as one of you... maybe." Fadil
said when there was a quiet moment.

"What are you waiting for? You are one of us. What will you do if you
stay with your people? You wouldn't get married would you?"

"If I stayed with them I would really have to do that. And if I stay
with them I will miss you a lot; all of you."

"Well then where is the problem?"

"If you don't get to be recognized as a tribe I will be neither fish,
nor flesh, nor fowl..."

"You could go back to your tribe in that case..."

"No. Once the bonds are broken... you know how it is. What will you do
if you are not allowed to become a new tribe?"

"We are ready to take the risk. We will stay together anyway. And we
will try to get approval again and again and again until we are
accepted."

"Is it true that the spellbinder told Zanko he will become the chief of
a tribe?"

"Yes that's what he says so it's true."

"Sure. But... I fear that a Holypi might be envious of the happiness I
would have in joining you..."

"You've just not to eat beans or peanuts or such food. But what do you
mean? Is there a Holypi in your group?"

"No at least not that I know..."

"Later if you want I'll give you some holly seeds for safety's sake...
Moreover you can go to see a fortune teller to ask her to read your
future so you can take a safe decision." Dule said.

"Ah the only future I care about at this very moment is what I'm going
to do with you on this bed!" Fadil said cheering up again and bending
down to suck Dule's cock.

Dule turned round under him to reciprocate. They were greedily sucking
each other Dule lying underneath on his back and Fadil on top of him on
all fours when Mateo and Tomaso entered. The two boys on the bed stopped
what they were doing rather taken aback. But Mateo at once started to
undress.

"Ah here you are! Not exactly polishing the gold! It seems to me that
you are polishing something different... No, no! Go on. Because I just
saw two nice little arses full of desire to admit a visitor... Don't you
agree Tomaso?"

His friend who in his turn had also started to undress nodded and smiled
"Which one will you visit Mateo?"

"I'll go to visit Fadil. Will you take care of Dule?" Mateo asked
kneeling on the bed behind Fadil.

Tomaso standing at the bedside got close to Dule's arse. The two boys
had merrily resumed their passionate sixty-nine, waiting with pleasure
for the promised penetration and they didn't have to wait too long.

When finally Fadil left the caravan he was feeling light merry and
sated. He went to his camp. Entered his family caravan to take a handful
of wheat and a small gift and then went to look for the old
fortune-teller. He found her sitting in front of her caravan.

"Mother I have a gift for you and a handful of wheat."

"Ah. Are you worried about something Fadil Hamidovich my son?"

"Yes. I have a serious matter to decide about. Can you see for me what
my near future has in store for me?"

"Of course I can Fadil. Let me just get my tambourine."

The old woman went into her caravan and came back with her big
tambourine the same that belonged to her grand-mother's grand-mother.
She turned it upside down and started to moan a kind of litany barely
shaking it. When the little cymbals ceased their jingling and the
tambourine was vibrating imperceptibly "Now!" the old woman said and
Fadil opened his hand and let the wheat grains fall on it. They hopped
and formed a pattern. Then the old woman became still and slowly bending
down put the tambourine on the ground. She looked carefully at the
drawing formed by the wheat grains.

Then she said "Ah, Fadil Hamidowich my son! In a few days your road will
part from ours! You will travel the roads of the world as a man! Ah...
I'm seeing a weird thing..."

"A bad one mama? Is it bibatch?"

"No it's batch but I can't understand it..."

"Tell me..."

"I can't understand it. I can't understand it! I never saw anything like
this before..."

"Tell me..."

"You will never have a woman and yet..."

"And yet?"

"And yet I clearly read here you will marry! And also have three sons!
But you will never have a woman... Oh son how can this be?" the old
woman peevishly complained.

Fadil at once thought of the Rogasi and burst out laughing feeling
happy. He had had the response he was looking for and it was clearer
than he had dared to hope.

The woman looked at him frowning "Don't make fun of an old woman! This
is what is written here! And I am sure I am not wrong in how I read this
pattern!" then she added angrily "Even though I can't imagine what such
a response could mean!"

"I'm not making fun of you at all mama. And I really thank you as you
gave me a clear answer to my worries."

"Clear?"

"Yes much clearer that you can imagine. Goodbye mama!" Fadil said and
put his small gift on her lap then went away cheerfully whistling a
tune.

Then he didn't doubt what he should do any more. He went straight back
to his family's caravan and called and gathered his family.

"Listen all of you. I am now a man and have to decide my future."

"Well said my son!" his mother proudly said.

"The fortune teller told me that in a few days our roads will part."

"How's that possible?" his father asked frowning. "Surely you aren't
going to marry a Rudari and join her tribe? Anyway there are no Rudari
in this area at this time of year."

"No I will join the Rogasi group who are camping nearby and will travel
the roads of the world with them. That is what the fortune teller
foresaw and so that is what I will do."

His family tried to discuss his decision and to make him change his
mind, but when Fadil took them to see the fortune teller and the old
woman annoyed confirmed that it was exactly what she had seen in the
wheat grains his family surrendered.

So Fadil gathered his few belongings and a few extra things that his
mother decided to give him and went round all his friends and relatives
to say goodbye to them and ate a last meal with his family. Then that
night with his bundles and his violin went to the Rogasi fire.

"Chief Zanko I respectfully ask to be admitted to your group and to
become a Rogasi."

"You know that we still are not a tribe don't you?" Zanko asked.

"Be that as it may. I want to travel the roads of the world with you."

"Well tonight you can sleep in front of the entrance. Tomorrow we will
vote. And if you are accepted as soon as we are alone on a campsite we
will carry out the admission rite. Now sit with us as anyway you are a
welcome friend."

Fadil sat with them near the fire. He took out his violin and
accompanied Zanko's music sang and danced with the others. They ate and
drank all together. Then that night while the six Rogasi were going into
their caravans to sleep on the two wide beds Fadil lay down on the
entrance platform connecting the two caravans near his bundles. He was
uncomfortable but was feeling happy.

During the night he heard the light sighs and moans coming from the two
caravans at his left and right. He became aroused imaging the activities
of his friends, and felt happy thinking that he would soon be one of
them and that he would share one of the two wide beds with his
friends... who would soon be his brothers.

-----------------------------

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 8

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In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to
read them, the URL is

http://andrejkoymasky.com

If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English
translations, so that I can put on-line more of my  stories in English
please e-mail at

andrej@andrejkoymasky.com

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