Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

they fought over the offering. The number of children of the house of Dadeshkeliani was one question this omen decided.The last time this offering was made, the omen was not auspicious, and that is why your father refused to pay for theaffair any longer!"He grinned at Tamara, who led the old issue rest."What happened to the deer?" asked Alexandra."The deer was skinned, drawn, and roasted over the fire. It was part of the payment to the khevisberi."He emptied another glass of raki. "It is a strange land up here. When will the people give up their superstitions?""Oh," said Tamara provokingly, "when the Russians blast the road through the Inguri gorge, which you are all longing for.That will spell the end of Free Svaneti."This time the natsvali, who had staked his reelection campaign on this project, decided to check his tongue.48.Gocha teaches Alexandra to fly1907In the morning they moved their camp up the valley to Murkmeli. On Tamara’s suggestion Konrad left a generous amountof money on the natsvali’s table, who accepted it without affectation."I feel like one of Christ’s disciples whom they expect to perform miracles which only his master could do," saidAlexandra when she saw the sick and infirm waiting for her in front of the school house.Thank God, Claudia was at her side. She put the old witch with her ointments and brews into a far corner out of harm’sway, and began examining first the respiratory cases, then the eye infections for which Gocha had brought a specialinfusion to be used for washing the eyes, finally the abscesses and boils. This time a few cases of arthritis and bursitishad appeared, for which Gocha suggested a "heat-generating" earth. Alexandra knew this would only be a temporaryrelief, but aspirin was unavailable up here.When Alexandra examined a patient with an arthritic knee, the man suddenly exclaimed that his knee was painless.Alexandra was perplexed. She had merely held his knee between her hands during her examination.What was going on? Had she all of a sudden acquired supernatural powers or was Gocha acting through her? Shepeered at the old witch, who was busily preparing another jar of her heat-producing concoction. She had not paid anyattention to the man or her. The old man was still sitting before Alexandra. She put her hands once more around hisswollen knee and made him get up. The nonplussed man assured her once again that he could move his knee and thepain was gone. He walked away.Alexandra shook her head and then sat staring into space. She suddenly felt tired to the point of giddiness."What is it, Alexandra," asked Claudia, concerned, "are you unwell? Maybe we should rest a few minutes, you have beenworking for three hours without stopping."Claudia took her outside. They sat on a low wall in the schoolyard."I need a cigarette."One of the men offered Alexandra a cigarette. She inhaled and blew a smoke ring."Claudia, something very strange has happened. I cured this man’s arthritic pain by doing no more than holding myhands around his knee. It cannot be possible, this is witchcraft."Claudia stared at her and then started to laugh. "A year ago my skeptical father investigated a woman who claimed to bea faith healer. He never found out how she did it, but there was no question that she was able to heal certain ailments,especially arthritis. You must have accidentally discovered the same trick. What did you do?"Alexandra could not explain it, she had done nothing outside the normal. She had just held her hands to this man’s joint.They sat for a while, trying to recover."You know, I will ask Gocha. I am curious what she will say."Gocha tilted her head, and raised her hands. She was entirely unimpressed. "Yes, doctor Alexandra, you have healingpowers. Did you never notice them before?"Alexandra shook her head, this was entirely new to her."Your head is too big. Your sharp mind is in your way," said the old woman. "Today your mind is tired, it was late lastnight and you have been working very hard and so your hands just took over. Why don’t you stop working for today andcome to Adishi and spend the night with me? I will show you how to quiet your mind and strengthen your hands."Alexandra told the remaining crowd to come back tomorrow and closed the clinic.151