Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

They waited for a spell of dry days. Tamara would take them to the high valley on a short but strenuous path along theInguri river gorge. Because stretches of this trail were too exposed for horses, they would have to walk and needed dryweather. They would return by an easier but much longer horse trail from the upper Svaneti to Lentekhi in theTskhenitskhali river valley, a hundred kilometers northeast of Zugdidi.As their excitement grew so did the complications. Vladimir, smitten with Tamara, had become a nuisance to everybody.He was beginning to affect their carefully balanced equilibrium. Alexandra took him aside."Look my dear friend, I share your excitement about Tamara, but this is not St. Petersburg. Keep your ardor undercontrol. If you so much as kiss her, you run the risk of losing your private parts or having your throat cut one morning.The Svani are wild people with an old-fashioned code of honor, and this woman comes from one of their proudestfamilies. Should you have serious intentions, my parents would be more than happy to act as go-betweens. Showyourself from your best side in Etzeri. I see no reason why a liaison between your two families should not be possible."Vladimir smiled sheepishly at Alexandra. "You are not jealous, are you?"She slapped him with her bare hand…lightly.After this conversation, Vladimir took hold of himself, and everyone sighed with relief.At long last the fog receded. Tamara called her father, and George had them driven to Kaishi where the trail began. Theyspent the night in the Kaishi school house under rough and doubtfully clean blankets, all five crowded into a single room.Tamara scared them out of their sleep at five in the morning. A simple breakfast of bread, eggs, and tea, and they wereon their way. She had hired eight porters who carried their belongings, warm clothing, a pair of extra shoes, bottles oftea, a lunch, and a few provisions that were needed at the house.The path followed the telephone line. It very quickly rose steeply from the river valley, which immediately behind thevillage became a deep canyon too narrow for a footpath. After two hours of climbing, the path leveled out parallel to thevalley high on its slopes. This was the dangerous part when it rained. Rock alternated with loose scree which fellprecipitously several hundred meters down to the foaming Inguri river. A wrong step and one would disappear into thechasm, and, pointed out Tamara with a facetious laugh, a horse would take all one’s belongings with him.After slowly climbing for another two hours, they reached the foot of a rocky promontory where Tamara stopped forlunch. But before they let the weary hikers rest, she persuaded the party to climb the rock.For the first time they saw the mountains flanking the lower end of the valley. Icy peaks on both sides. On the left Shtalerand Donbus Oron, over four thousand meters high, formed a wall behind which the broad snow cap of five thousand sixhundred meter Elbrus was barely visible. On the right side, though lower, Laila’s craggy snow fields rose spectacularlyfrom dark, heavily wooded slopes. The Svaneti Valley proper was hidden behind a low wooded ridge on the oppositeside of a chasm through which a tributary stream roared down from the Laila massif."Unfortunately," explained Tamara, "we will have to descend into this gorge and then climb out again over the ridge toreach Svaneti. This will take another three hours, but the path, except for the crossing of the river, will be much easier.And then we will be home."They took a short break and after rounding the viewpoint clambered down into the chasm to the bridge. The view of thebridge sent shivers down Konrad’s spine. Three parallel tree trunks spanned the chasm in which, fifteen meters below,thundered the river. Two ropes to hold onto, no railings."All right," said Tamara, "two weeks ago I did it by myself. I brought two climbing-ropes along, which I will tie to theperson walking across, so we can fish you out should you slip. Zhurab, the head porter, will carry the end of the ropeacross, and I will belay the other on this side. You can balance yourself by holding onto the rope rails. Who is free ofvertigo?"All looked at Vladimir, who shot Konrad a withering glance and then looked at Tamara. Blushing, he volunteered. Theporter gingerly carried the rope across and attached it to a tree on the other side. The rope lay slack on the beams.Tamara expertly tied it and a second rope around Vladimir’s waist."Tsavide!" shouted Tamara in Georgian, "off you go!"Vladimir began his walk. Hesitant, he put one foot before the other staring at the porter on the other side. Halfway acrosshe stumbled over a knob in one of the beams. He briefly looked down and promptly lost his balance. For a moment witharms spread he balanced on one leg, rowing with the other in mid-air."Don’t look down, look at Zhurab." Shouted Tamara gathering in the rope and bracing herself with all her strength for thesudden shock should he go overboard.They all held their breath. Vladimir raised his head and got both his feet back onto the beams."Good!" shouted Tamara, "Very good! Dance! Don’t walk so hesitantly. The bridge is wide, you cannot miss it."Vladimir now almost ran in short steps, head high, his sight on Zhurab. When he reached the other bank he wiped thesweat off his forehead and waved to his cheering friends, the hero of the day.Tamara pulled the rope back, and the next person was tied up.In this way Tamara ferried everyone across but Claudia. Claudia looked as white as a sheet. Fear widened her eyes."Well, Claudia, somehow we have to get you across too," said Tamara. "The only other way is that Zhurab carries youacross piggy-back. Don’t strangle the good man when you get scared, close your eyes and pray to the Mother of God,144