Uktamova Sevinch Uktam
Moderator 
Uktamova Sevinch Uktam daughter
Tashkent State University of Law
Second-year student of the Faculty of
International Law and Comparative Jurisprudence
G'afur G'ulom in memories
(Memories of his wife Muharrama G'ulomova)
G'afur G’ulom must have been very excited during the days of the earthquake, as suddenly all his teeth began to chatter.
One day, while waiting for our turn at the dentist, I saw that a row of tents had been set up for the homeless at the beginning of former Kirov Street. At one moment, I noticed G'afur aka standing in front of a tent, crying. A ten-year-old boy was sitting reading a book, a little girl was sleeping, food was cooking over kerosene stoves, and their mother was nowhere to be seen. Oh, how G'afur G’ulom tried to console them! He cried so bitterly that I could not restrain myself either. In those days, there was no peace in their daily lives or in their sleep.
Har kuni ertalabdan shahar aylanib Fanlar akademiyasiga, Yozuvchilar uyushmasiga borar, doʻstlar, hamkasblar bilan uchrashar, hol-ahvol soʻrashar, qarindoshlar, yor-doʻstlar Eski shahardagi qoʻshnilardan ham xabar olib kelar edilar. Bu tabiiy ofat Gʻafur G’ulomni shunchalik dahshatga soldiki, oʻz oilalarini oʻylab emas, jonajon xalqimizni oʻylab tashvishga tushdilar.
In our many years of life, we have endured difficult days, the horrors of war, countless children, scars of loved ones... For this reason, this natural disaster was very hard for Gafur G'ulom, a person who never spared his life for his people, a comforter, a companion, a devoted human being.
Those days, Beorom was not at all stressed. This person, with a heart full of great love for life and living, thirsty for beauty and purity, had devoted himself entirely to the service of the people. During these days, G'afur G'ulom also wrote many poems and articles. Articles such as “Comfort for My Fellow Citizens”, “Towards New Flights”, “Tashkent Evening” are probably his last articles. I do not intend to speak about G'afur G'ulom's poetic or literary skills; that is beyond me. I only want to talk about the life he experienced over one or two months.
Some people ask me: 'G'afur G'ulom was very graceful, serious, and responsible. Did he behave seriously with your children as well?' I want to talk about this when the time comes.
Gʻafur G’ulom was a kind father who spared no effort for his children, a strict and demanding educator, a close friend to his children, who knew what they were interested in and what they wanted, and acted accordingly. He would not scold his children unnecessarily, nor would he bore them with moral lectures like some do. The children would eagerly await the evening, and their nightly gatherings with their father were extremely enjoyable. Gʻafur G’ulom would recount the difficult days he had gone through in a humorous way. He would craft fresh, original jokes that were completely different from one another, making us all laugh. Such gatherings left a strong impression on the children, fostering great respect for their father and increasing their love for him.
In those days, we had brought our middle daughter Olmosxon and our son-in-law Qudratilla with their children Durbek and Joʻrabek to our yard. They stayed in the tent. Their great-grandfather believes the earth and sky cannot hold these two grandchildren; wherever they go, he takes Durbek along. Joʻrabek is helpless because he is still nursing...
Our eldest son Mirza Ulug's house was damaged, so he stays in his garden in Qibray. Two of our grandchildren – Muxtor and Yulduzxon – are with us. Muxtor also spends a lot of time with his great-grandfather. Our younger sons – Mirza Abdulqodir is in his third year at ToshDU, and Mirza Xondamir is in his first year. They have an extremely busy schedule.
Three beds are placed in a row in the yard, which is otherwise untroubled. G'afur G’ulom, Mirza Abdulqodir, and Mirza Xondamir lie between their grandfathers. Our youngest daughter Toshxon and our granddaughter Yulduzxon sleep with me in the car as they are very afraid of the earthquake, hopefully, I can get through the night until morning.
On 17 June, Gʻafur G’ulom was invited to the Writers' Union. They announced that they would arrive by noon and left. The meal was ready, the samovar was boiling, and we were waiting for our dear guest. The grandchildren ran to welcome the guest as soon as they saw the car from the door. They never come in dry from the street; they always manage to bring something to delight the children. They have a saying: “At least I will bring a box of matches home.” Gʻafur G’ulom was in a good mood. “What treats have you prepared, dear?” he asked. I brought a broth soup made from the lamb meat he liked, and he laughed, saying, “What is this, chocolate?” During the meal he said: “I have been invited to Kazan for the 80th anniversary of Abdulla Toqay, and a telegram has arrived at the Writers' Union in my name. I will take you to Odessa, and tomorrow I will fly to Kazan. He say, I will do anniversary, I will back to Odessa on five or six day and we will have a rest. I will see a performance to you are interesting places.....
