MARIJA TMUR IL-BELT

Kelli ghalfejn immur il-Belt u ghidt, bejni u bejn ruhi, ta min kif inkun hemm nara daqsxejn x’qed isir fil-belt kapitali taghna, ghax qalu li inbidlet bhal lejl minn nhar. Imma jien it-traffiku u l-parking nahrabhom u kont ili ma mmur s’hemm. Mhux kollox imur kif tixtieq u, hekk kif mixi lejn il-lift il-gdida biex ittellani sal-barrakka, lil min nara? Iva, qtajtu – lil Marija ta Xkieli, li milli jidher kella l-istess ideja bhal hafna u hafna ohrajn.

‘Ara, t-tabib, int ukoll gejt tara x’qed isir il-belt?’

‘Iva Marija imma kelli qadja wkoll.’

‘Ejja, ghaggel ara tiela wiehed minnhom’

‘Hekk hu, ghafas il-buttuna Mari, ha nitilaw.’

‘Trid tara x’wahda tmejlu b’Zolla, tabib. Meta giet hi u dahlet fil-lift bdiet titkaza ghax ma kienx hawn hafna buttuni bhal f’liftijiet ohra. Imbasta ghamlu lift, qalet imbaghad buttuni biex taghzel fejn trid titla ma ghamlux, tkazat.’

‘Kif?  Hasbet li hemm xi numru ta sulari li setghet tieqaf fihom?’

‘Mela, mela ara x’mohh kabocca. Basta dejjem lesta biex teqred, u xejn ma joghgoba.

Hawn ahna tabib, tlajna f’lehha ta berqa.’

‘Kemm hu sabih il-port minn hawn fuq. U dawn il-fjuri isebbhu post.’

‘Kolla hela ta flus ghal Zolla. Hekk qalet. Ahjar inehhu d-dejn li ghandna.’

‘Min jitkellem hekk ma jafx xi jkun qed ighid. Biex iddahhal trid tonfoq. U x’taghmel? toqghod trekken il-flus u tghix fil-ghaks sakemm thallas id-dejn? Hu mill-lift. Bil-flus li  l-gvern ser idahhal mill-cruise liners fi ftit snin jithallsu l-ispejjes biex ikun sar.’

‘Aktar int ukoll. Lil Zolla issemilha l-kruzlina, dik tahsibha xi haga ta l-ikel.’

‘ Kos, int taghmilha hmar wisq lil Zolla, Marija. X’hawn tan-nies allavolja festa llum. Jahassra kieku jibqaw miftuha l-hwienet in-nies tidhol, ara x’muviment u pjacir hawn.’

‘Tal-hwienet tiehom igorru u xejn aktar. Irridu l-bejh bla ma jifthu.’

‘Veru li kullhadd ghandu jkollu l-mistrieh tieghu, imma jmisshom jitqassmu. Ara xi gmiel ghamluha Kastilja !’

‘Trid tara l-palazz tal-President u l-pjazza ta quddiemu, tabib.’

‘Jien,din tat-tejatru ghadni ma nistax nifhem. Veru li ghadu mhux komplut u l-oggett lest trid tarah, imma ta bla saqaf ma nifhimiex.’

‘ Patist u Lonza ilhom jorqdu f’bitha bla saqaf  kemm ili nafhom,tabib u qatt ma rajthom imxarrbin. Ghax ma tghidx li dan it-tejatru ilu biex isir sittin sena, u issa ghax qed isir xi haga, kullhadd tah f’ghajnu.’

‘Veru,veru Mari. U il-ftuh li sar hawn, sabih hafna. Imma dan il-bini tal-parlament ma setax sar x’imkien iehor?’

‘Ghax tghid,qisek Zolla int illum. Halli naraw kif ser ikun dan il-progett, imbaghad jekk ma jinghogobx dejjem nistghu naghmlulu saqaf. Id-Dar tal-Konferenzi mhux bitha kienet u ghamilnilha saqaf wara?’

‘Kos, kemm taf x’ghandek tghid Mari dalghodu.’

‘Tabib, jien ghalhekk nara in-Net u l-One ghax wiehed ghandu r-risposta ghal dak li jghid l-iehor, u b’hekk inkun naf x’ghandi nghid jien.U ghada bihaqq irrid immur nara kif irrangaw fejn kien ir-ridifjuxin. Mistaghgbin kemm ghamluh sabih… Ara min hemm fuq il-bankina l-ohra, Konsa ta Pespes. Basta ma jimpurtahiex xi jsir u ma jsirx. Ghandek tghid meta jkun hemm xi haga xi tmexmex kullhadd jimpurtah.’

‘Ha nhallik mela Marija. Kompli ma Konsa halli jien nara fejn ghandi mmur.’

‘Le tabib titlaqniex issa. Lil Konsa nkellimha meta nkun ir-rahal. Ma rrid lil hadd jarani maghha meta nkun libsa sew, u hawn il-Belt. U din x’fettilla dahlet il-Belt. Telghetilha ghar-rasa din tal-mitilklas. X’kull wahda din Konsa, bil-mitilklas li qed idahhlulha f’mohha, bidwi la jkun bidwi, bidwi jibqa.’

‘U ikkalma Maria, dawn kollha hmerijiet. U madankollu int f’liema klassi tahseb li int?’

‘F’form 2, tabib. Ha nghidlek, jien nidher hmar, imma m’iniex. Jien ma sirtx avukat jew tabib ghax ma mortx l-universita, ghax kieku….’

‘Xejn m’hu dak! Tarax.’

‘Ara, ha mmur l hemm, niehu zewg pastizzi u bela te, ghax ma nafx kif qed narak illum tabib.

Sellili ghal tar-rahal jekk tkun hemm qabli, u ghidilhom ma jiehdux hsiebi jekk indum.

Ghidilhom Marija qeghda l-Belt u ma tafx x’hin ser tigi lura. Marija issa tal-mitilklas u min ikun iridni, il-Premier se nkun. Have a nice day, doctor.’