Down, but not Out in Georgia Pt 9: Finish the Sauce First

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Abastumani, Georgia



July 17^th 2014





“It ain't over till the fat lady sings”

Ralph Carpenter, Dallas Morning News





7 pm Thursday evening, July 17^th: This was to be my last prepared meal in Abastumani (I have been doing my own salads on my room balcony using great fresh ingredients bought from the growers' market held every two days across the road, supplemented with local breads). I was to go back to Akhaltsikhe in the morning to finish this business: The Public Prosecutor will have prepared my paperwork, having decided on my plea-bargaining, and we would go through the motions of 'processing' me so that I could leave Georgia by midday. That was the plan.

Being my over-efficious self, I was trying to use up as much of my supplies kept in the hotel fridge as possible. But being 'on the spectrum', something was not quite right: there was still sauce left in the bottle. This was a savoury home made sauce from berries and spices that I had bought at the market for 1 lari and which served as a dressing on my salads, mixed with yoghurt. I really needed a couple of more meals to use it up, and I was going to have to leave it. What to do?

I eat and start my packing, ready to leave Abastumani for good early the next morning.

Earlier that week....

Wednesday July 16^th: I was still waiting to hear from my lawyer about the prosecutor's consideration of our 'offer' to pay a fine of just (!!) 1,000 lari (Aus $600 / 420 euros). I decided to visit the 10^th century Saphara monastery, about 15 km from Akhaltsikhe. I went to the bus stand and found there were no buses to Saphara. So I started to walk and tried to hitch a ride. As far as I knew the last bus back to Abastumani from Akhaltsikhe was maybe 2 pm (this I found out later was not true – there is a 5 pm bus). So I needed to ensure my timing allowed me to get back for this deadline. Rides were hard to come by, and eventually Timore and Leila gave me a 2 km ride to their village. It was now 9.30 am and getting very hot. I started to walk but after an hour and no passing traffic on what was a very rough rocky road, I decided I must turn back. Then a mini-bus with room to spare did pass by on its way to Saphara but would not stop. I hitched back to Akhaltsikhe.

I needed to print some stuff in the internet cafe. While there (wi-fi) I got a message from my brother about an Embassy update on me saying I had told the Prosecutor that I had no money, had asked for the minimum fine, and that this was delaying the process. This was simply not true (all I had told my lawyer was that the whole thing was totally out of perspective given my 'crime' and that as a traveller I could not afford a high fine on my budget). In any case I panicked a bit as I was worried the Embassy was going to tell the Georgians that I did have money, and would pay whatever the price to get things going faster. Just then my lawyer Paata rings me and asks me to come to his office.

“The news is not good” says Paata when I arrive. “The prosecutor agrees to finish this matter but you have to pay 5,000 lari fine” (Aus $3,000 / 2,080 euros).

I am gobsmacked. Paata rings the Prosecutor and over the phone she agrees to reduce it to just (!!) 4,000 lari. This gobsmacks me further that she has this discretion to just do that... so why not give me a lower fine? Paata says it was usual in these cases to be between 4,000 and 5,000. I comment “So what if its usual, it doesn't make it right”.

I settle myself and realise its done. I will just have to pay. We wait some time for the Prosecutor to tell us she is ready for us to process all this. But she is busy today.

“Come to my office at 10 tomorrow”, says Paata.

I take the 12.30 pm bus back to Abastumani. I buy some vodka and fruit and go to visit my friend Gela, as much to console myself as to see him. He is very happy to see me and starts to organise an impromptu meal of cheese, eggs, sausage, salad, bread and ….. vino. Next door there is a family on holidays from Tbilisi, and 17 year old Philosophy student Omah speaks good English and has a guitar (which is great, but I wish I had known days before). We eat and drink and I play and sing. At about 7 pm I leave, having had to refuse many 'top-ups' of my vino by Gela.

Thursday July 17^th : I get to Paata's office. As usual, he seems more interested in India and accessing pictures of India via my Travel Blog site, and how much it would cost to go to India, than he is in my case. This is a unfair as there is really nothing he can do, and we just have to wait for the Prosecutor. It is interesting though that Paata seems to have no other work to do meantime. Having rung the Prosecutor again, and told she will get things ready and we are to come to the Police station to do the processing, we wait. We have coffee and chocolate. We wait some more. Paata says he will assist me to find out about buses back to Turkey, as it looks like I can go tomorrow morning. I suggest that we do that first before seeing the Prosecutor (while we are waiting). So we do... in the 'company' car (and we are driven by the office 'go-for', whose duties include 'driver'). This is a bit over the top given that it's only 5 minutes walk to the centre of town where the bus station and Police station are located.

We find out the drum on buses to Turkey, and then go to the Police station, only to be told by Tengo (the Policeman who dealt with me when this all started) that the Prosecutor is again delayed with other matters and that the processing cannot happen until tomorrow morning.

I go and visit Irma's (my Akhaltsikhe landlady) and line up that I will move back there for one night tomorrow pending how long it takes to do the 'processing'. On my way I run into Diana, Irma's 10 year old daughter, who rushes to meet me and gives me a big hug and a kiss. As usual, Irma offers me food. Diana and I do some English worksheets together from one of her study books.

And so, back to Abastumani.

9.30 pm Thursday night July 17^th: Paata sends me a text message: “Still no news, tomorrow I am going to Tbilisi, will be back in the evening, so perhaps we have to wait till Monday”. I am a bit annoyed at this given he had not said anything just a few hours before. But I edit my first draft reply to say “OK, but can you please ring the prosecutor tomorrow and see if we can get things ready for Monday? Just so I know to come Monday or not? I will wait to hear from you tomorrow evening, is that OK?”.

And so.... I am going to stay in Abastumani, take it easy and perhaps visit Chule monastery and Vardiza over the weekend.

The sauce will get used.

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Photos

Gela's feast
With neighbours Uri and Omah

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Georgia in your rearview mirror
Someday you will be safely out of Georgia and looking back on this situation. I picture you sitting on some mountaintop or some serene beach thinking back on all these events. Time and distance generally put things in perspective. Will you see it as a crazy adventure? political power & paperwork? a frustrating and stressful time? extortion? Eager to read that blog my friend. Know we continue to send you positive thoughts and good wishes. One day when our paths cross we will buy you dinner and a few drinks as we discuss this crazy time in your life. New countries and happier travels are around the corner.

[mahadev]

Feelin' the love
Thanks Dave and Merry.... and one day I might well take you up on this offer. Keep posted... 3 more episodes to come!