LITMIR.BIZ

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to your granny, grandson” – she opened hands and accepted me in the embraces.

      She kissed me gently and caressed so that I felt that tears began to flow from that warmth which I felt. I was never so caressed at home. And when I injured my leg, I became a hindrance to all because I cried almost all the time of pain. I remembered that in the last couple of days, more precisely, from that day when grandfather took me on his hands, I don’t feel pain at all. Granny began to fuss and cook food for us. Whether because of clean air, or because of the road or because that I still always was hungry, but only then I gorged on for the first time and this I will remember for all life.

      In comparison with our lodge, the house of grandfather was a real palace. Ancient doors were closed by a latch from the inside. Walls were from a stone, more than eighty centimeters thick. There are two big rooms, kitchen and huge storeroom. This is the top part of the house, and the lower part is half earthed, served as a stall where they kept cattle. Granny and grandfather discussed everything that occurred to us for these couple of days, and I went out for a walk from the house and to look around. At once I returned because near the shelter for cattle I saw two big dogs.

      When I approached to the door, I heard as grandfather speaks to the grandmother:

      “A few months remained to him, Stana. After his death, it will be easier for all family”.

      Instinctively I felt that these words concerned to me. I entered inside and scaredly I asked:

      “Grandfather, it remained to me few months of life?”

      Then grandfather took me on hands, caressed me for long time and explained that he took me from hospital to cure, because if anything happened to me bad or if, God forbid, I died, then grandfather all life would have to be in prison. He explained, calmed, only a sparkle of doubt remained in me. Here grandfather declared to us with grandmother that he will speak on Serbian with me, without Montenegro dialect, because when I return to the family, it will be unusual to all to listen to me. And with others he will speak as usual. I told him that I saw two dogs about the cattle. Grandfather took bread and led me to feed them.

      “Now they, at my presence, will smell you, will remember, and you will become a friend to them forever – he looked at dogs and wagged with the right hand and when both hung the heads, he threw bread to them. – Remember, sonny, a dog is the greatest friend to a man, but so far it eats it shouldn’t be touched at all”.

      Dogs ate bread and grandfather allowed me to stroke them. And they began to lick me and to twirl by tails. Later I spent much time with them while I ironed and scratched these two dogs. Also, other animals of grandfather, and especially a pig I liked very much.

      So, my first day passed with my grandfather. And the others were similar. Every day grandfather cooked broths and did bandages on my knee. Every morning and evening I ate honey and everybody could see the result soon. I recovered and the leg worked better.

      Once grandfather put me on a horse and I carried to Plav. It was not a big town, but for a long time, still with Turkish eras, it was known shopping center. All the way grandfather told me fairy tales: Ivica and Maritsa[16], Cinderella, Little Red Hood, Three pigs and others. In Plav we bought several t – shirts, pajamas, trousers, opanka[17] and a contour[18]. This footwear which was lined with metal I could wear longer and it was several sizes bigger so I could carry it two – three years. I couldn’t recognize myself. I was happy, but I already began to miss my family. Every day it was more difficult for me without them, but on the other hand, on my leg because of which I came here, a huge progress was swept up. It could almost bend up to the end. I had no pain and it became thicker and thicker. It seemed, and in length I grew up, I didn’t limp more as it was earlier.

      And then Vesco, Rada and Sasha arrived. These are grandsons from his son Misho. They lived in Ivangrad and every summer spent at grandmothers’ and grandfathers’ village. These were the finest days in my live which I still remember! In the morning, we released the cattle and grazed to a midday heat, in the afternoon and till late at night. Every day grandfather showed something to us, explained and taught much.

      In the wood, there were many wild animals and therefore we always had to be attentive. We collected wild strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and other wild berries. Grandmother cooked various jams from it. Grandfather daily massed me and put lotions and the leg became almost like right. I didn’t drag it anymore and I could do almost everything, as with the right. My restoration was just amazing.

      And then came the second of August. That day grandfather dressed me beautifully and we set out on the road. As always by the way we talked a little. We went by bus and arrived our home in the city of Pech[19], and many people gathered there. Many of them cried. Getting closer to them, I remembered the words told by grandfather when he took away me with him:

      “A few mouths remained to him”.

      Now I understood – these words concerned my father. We reached there. Tear – stained mother embraced us. And I began to cry. It was terrible. I approached to brothers and sisters. They looked at me with surprise at first, without believing that I managed to recover so quickly. I looked at them with surprise too. It seemed that only I one grew up and they remained thin and not fed. There were also children of our relatives. We, having moved away from all, began to play. A bit later the priest came and my father was incurred to bury.

      All this ended quickly. We came back home. There were several relatives who after a lunch went home. Grandfather remained to spend the night. I thought that I will remain with my family, but grandfather and mother explained that I need to go with him for my recovery again. He told me that everything changed now and we will return soon.

      Then a new period in my life began. Grandfather signed up me in a school and I had to go there every day on foot about five and a half kilometers. Only about one and a half kilometer from our house I met the first student, and then four more joined us. There were six of us, four boys and two girls. These September days everything was good. Nobody forbade children to regale on fruit from his garden. Quite often old people offered to take apple, pear, quince, grapes or what was chosen. In the afternoon we could take everything we wanted, but as soon as darkened – we didn’t dare to enter others garden because it was considered as theft. Any of children in the dark didn’t get into others garden or a kitchen garden to break something – neither we, nor elderly people.

      Two boys and one girl were one year senior, and a boy and a girl – first graders as well as I. On the way to school and from school we played, chased one after another. I didn’t lag behind all. We competed who gets a stone to the tree for distance, who will jump higher, who will throw a stone further from a shoulder, who is quicker, etc. At first all beat me, but very quickly I became the best. Almost always I won. Nobody could ever that some time ago I had to be operated and amputated a leg. I liked very much to communicate with children. Only those one and a half kilometers which I went one were for me the most difficult and boring.

      There passed days, there has come the late autumn. Less people came to grandfather for the help. With the turned yellow leaves cold days have come. The first snow has fallen through the winter hasn’t begun yet. So are nature whims in these mountains. The second, third, fourth will fall to this snow so that won’t thaw to the end of April. These winter days we thought out new games which enjoyed. Almost always we came to school wet from snow. We gathered at the furnace and so dried until teacher will come. Not better we looked when came back home from school. It, however, disturbed nobody because we always were in the movement, and woolen socks and sweaters didn’t allow overcooling. Grandfather saw me off these one and a half kilometers and in the same place met me when I came back from school. I was an excellent student. My grandfather has made a toy pistol which he for fun called a small gun. It, in fact, was a can from jam with a tin cover. It was extended, similar to a gun trunk and therefore grandfather called it. He has drilled it from two ends and made a hole so I could carry it on my neck. In the back lower part he has punched three holes with a nail. He put inside a piece of carbide, closed a tin cover and to the back lower part with three holes brought fire from

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