Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“I don’t know, Comrades…” replied Lazo who sighed deeply and, while looking toward the door behind which his children were sleeping, said thoughtfully: “I don’t know. My mind is not working well. Whatever I say, it will be the wrong thing. And you up there, Comrades, who knows if you’re mistaken... I am not that smart to be able to explain to the parents that they should send their children out to other countries... To take the children away from their mothers... do you know what that means? And then every day we receive news of casualties, of wounded, and for many knowing nothing about their loved ones... Day in and day out, all that is heard around here is crying and weeping... and now I hear from you that you want to take away the children... and, as you said, all children from two to fourteen years old? I don’t know, comrades…” repeated Lazo. “I do not know. I am not that clever...”

“But Comrade Lazo…” said the woman who was accompanied by two men, who came with her to Lazo’s place and who were now being addressed by Vera. “We are not talking about taking the children away. Our goal is to temporarily relocate them to Albania and Yugoslavia and possibly to other democratic countries. There they will stay in warm homes, each will have their own bed and will go to school and learn... and when the fighting ends they will return...”

The bald man who stood next to Lazo opened his leather briefcase, took out a notepad, turned several pages and said: “Here, right here,” he knocked with his finger, “I have written the names of the children from…”

“It is not important from where,” Vera interrupted him. “Nearly all parents are happy to enrol their children. Lazo, you need to explain to them that it is for their own good… and no harm will come to them. We are all in this together and we will make it happen.”

“Go ahead, do it,” muttered Lazo. “If they believe you, then I will enrol my own children…”

“What do you mean and you too will enrol your children?” snapped the bald man. “You need to be first! You need to set an example!”

“Okay, Comrades.” said Vera. “Tomorrow we will call on some of the parents, the more open-minded ones of course, and we will have a talk with them. After that, in the evening, Lazo you call a meeting... I will speak at the meeting. One more thing… I will ask again, why is the teacher not with us today?”

“Comrade Vera, leave him out of this...” replied Lazo. “He befriended some of the old freedom fighters from the Ilinden era and he is somehow suspect. The other day I was passing by the school and I heard Mitre asking him if he knew any Ilinden songs. And the teacher replied yes, of course, I know many of them. Well then Mitre said to him, why don’t you teach the children a song or two; Ilinden freedom fighting songs. Later I called the teacher and asked him to see me, Comrades. I told him to come to talk to me... He didn’t. I want you to replace him. Send us someone else... if you can…” concluded Lazo.

“Right now we can’t,” said the bald man. “In another week or two he will be going to the front. The schools will close because the children will be gone… And you will no longer have to feed the teacher.”

Lazo was stunned when he asked: “The children will be going that soon?”

“Well, what did you think? You thought we were going to leave them so that Queen Frederica can send them to the camps? Haven’t you heard that they are collecting the children?” snapped the bald man.

The next morning when Lazovitsa went to the local water tap to fetch some water, she told all the women she met what tonight’s meeting was going to be about and what had been said at her house the night before. Lazo and Kuze did not have to send anyone to inform the people to come to the meeting because the school was packed with people even before the meeting was called. At the sides of the table, covered with a red tablecloth, located at the back of the

school sat Lazo and Kuze and in the middle behind the table sat Vera, the bald man whose name Lazo did not know and a short man with a burn scar on his face.

Lazo opened the meeting and introduced Vera who stood up and immediately began to speak.

She said: “You people know me and you know that I know you all. I have been to all your homes. Is there a house in which I have not been? I don’t think so, not in this nor in the dozen or so other villages around here. I have sat across from you, ate with you at your dining room tables and slept in your homes. I know you and many of your children… I even know some of their names…”

Vera paused, looked around and continued: “Today we are here to talk to you about your, I mean, about our children... Quiet please, those of you at the door quiet please… You, yourselves are witness to the every day bombings of our free territory. You and your village are constantly being bombed.” She turned to Lazo and quietly asked how many children were killed in this village. “And yes, seven children were lost from the bombing only in your village. I know that there are also many wounded and sick for whom there are no doctors or medicine. I know you hide in the forests when there are attacks, I also know that you don’t sleep well at night; you are not at peace because you are afraid for your children. Your children are exposed to mortal danger...”

Vera paused again, looked around and continued: “Tomorrow, I mean with the arrival of spring, the Athens government will begin a major offensive against our democratic army. Many planes and more guns will beat down on us and on you! What will you do then? Are you going to watch your children get killed? People! Our democratic government has thought long and hard about this, about how to protect the children. My friends the people in our government have spent sleepless nights to figure out a way to save our children. They gave this matter a lot of thought People, and have decided that we send our children to the countries, the democratic countries. There they will have everything they ask for...”

“How do you know? Have you been there?” a woman yelled out from near the window.

“No. I have not been there but the man sitting next to me has been and he will tell you what he knows. Please Comrade, stand up and tell everyone,” replied Vera.

The bald man got up, pulled out a large notebook from his briefcase, opened it and said: “In here I have written everything that I saw when I was there. The children will live together in large homes and will sleep in separate beds covered with white sheets. They will eat three times a day. In the morning they will eat bread with cheese, butter and sweet marmalade. After breakfast they will go to school to learn. They will all be educated and you will see how knowledgeable they will be when they return. At noon for lunch they will have soup and roast chicken or roast lamb... apples or chocolates... After lunch they will sleep and after they sleep they will to go for a walk. They will walk in the meadows and in forests, will play ball and have fun, and sometimes will swim in warm water. They will also eat as many oranges and candy as their hearts desire. Let’s not talk about milk and honey... these countries are rich... they are so rich they feed their pigs oranges... That’s how it is... The children can also go to the theaters and watch movies. Here, I have brought a few photographs, which you can look at to see in what kind of wonderful restaurants your children will eat... They will be served by waiters all dressed in white. You can see that in this photograph. Do you see it?” he lifted up a frame with several photographs attached to it. That’s all from me...” he concluded.

Kiro, who had a whole pile of magazines at home which he had brought from America and often looked at, moved his moustache and whispered in Giorgi’s ear: “I recognize those pictures. That bastard has cut them out of an American magazine!”

Giorgi turned towards Kiro, covered his mouth with his hand and whispered: “Be quiet Kiro, don’t tell anyone about this. Be quiet unless you want to break rocks all your life… Silence!”

“Let me tell you, people,” Vera’s voice was heard saying, “if I had children of my own I would be the first to send them to live in such

a paradise. Don’t think about it, just do it… sign them up. All children from ages two to fourteen… sign them up. We told Lazo how we were going to do this. And now I am going to tell you. For every twenty children we need someone to be responsible for them. We will leave it up to you to select who will be responsible for your children. This woman’s task, before you, before the Party, before the struggle, will always be to care for the children. Other villages chose widows with children, whose husbands died in battle... We suggest you do the same here... Oh, I almost forgot. The person sitting next to me, recently secretly visited Athens. He secretly visited Queen Frederica’s camps where she is keeping the forcibly abducted children. As I said, this man saw terrible things there. Please Comrade, tell the people what you saw?”

The man stood up, coughed and, with a low hoarse voice, began speaking. He said: “It is difficult for me to talk about what I saw. They have children from all over Greece in the camps. From our places too. They have them dressed like soldiers and have them constantly marching in columns hungry. They teach them to spy on their parents, siblings and other relatives. They have turned them into janissaries, worse janissaries than those of Ottoman times. They teach them to hate the democrats and to hang and kill the communists. The children who don’t obey are beaten and jailed. They starve them and will not even give them bread and water. And do you want to know what they do with the girls? I’ll tell you what they do; they give them to the Americans, the Arabs and the blacks to do whatever they want with them. That’s what they do! Do you want your children to have such a fate? If you don’t, then sign them up and send them to the democratic countries... I was there too. The Comrade did not tell you that our children will have toys, many toys in those countries. Each girl will have one or two dolls, the kinds that talk. Have you heard of such dolls? No you haven’t, right? The girls will also wear new clothes, new socks and new shoes; they will never have to walk barefoot... The children will not only be saved, they will be well looked after and for that you should be grateful to our Party and put your trust in it!”

Lazo, who until now had been sitting with his head tilted on his hand, stood up, went towards Kuze and whispered something in his ear. Kuze shook his head motioning that whatever he had been

asked, he was not going to do it. He then, while squinting his pale brown eyes, raised his eyebrows and said: “No Lazo, I am not saying anything! No, I am not going to say a thing!”

Vera, without checking to see if her colleague had finished talking, butted in and in the same tone of voice continued: “People, you should be happy because our democratic government and the Party, despite the heavy fighting that is taking place, is constantly thinking of the children. So please don’t ignore the Party that has extended its hand to you. That Party cares about you and your children... Comrade Lazo,” she turned towards Lazo, “you can continue this meeting tomorrow. Choose three women that will be responsible and send us the list of children as soon as possible. And you people, thank you for coming and for your understanding. The meeting is now adjourned.”

Shadows left the school and shadows walked the village streets. Silently, with fists clenched and arms crossed, the mothers were returning to their homes. Some were weeping and cursing.

Kiro, walking between Giorgi and Mitre, was muttering sounding as if his mouth was full, like he was chewing on a dry fig. He said: “I am telling you the truth… the photographs are from an American magazine. Come to my place and I will show you. I don’t trust those people even though I have no children of my own. But I wish I had. Something is not right about these people… these people…”

“It does not matter whether you trust them or not,” Giorgi interrupted, “they have decided to collect the children. And who knows where they are going to end up.”

“Wherever they take them,” Mitre weighed in, “it will be our loss! And those comrades over there, they will not be bothered and will bear no burden… It seems to me like something else lies behind all this, but my mind is too feeble to figure it out. I don’t know what is hidden behind it but something is definitely hidden... I am telling you. Do you hear? They feed their pigs with oranges… bah… to see it I will not believe it...”

“Why don’t you believe it?” asked Kiro. “We believe everything the Party tells us, why not believe that too? And why should we now not trust them when they tell us pigs are fattened with oranges? We came to a point of believing that everything that flies is edible. I, you Mitre, and you Giorgi may not believe that a crow can be eaten but Lazo and Kuze the Lizard would have eaten a crow with feathers and all for the Party.”

They continued walking in silence, only Mitre’s cane was heard pounding the cobblestone pavement with each step they took. They stopped at the intersection behind the church. Kiro extended his hand to Mitre and said: “What are you going to do Mitre? Are you going to give up your grandchildren?”

“I don’t know. I guess I will do what everyone else does, Kiro. If my son was here we would have thought about it together, now the decision will be mine alone. If I don’t give them I might make a mistake… if I do give them it will probably be a mistake... What to do? I don’t know! My idea is whatever everyone else does, I will do too. But I am telling you… this place here will become mute… that’s for sure, brothers...”

The next day, in the evening, they assembled again. Lazo presided over the meeting.

“Let us first select the women who will be in charge. After that, whoever wants to enrol their children can with one of the three women. Last night our comrades from the leadership office explained what needs to be done. We don’t want to repeat what they said. So, just to remind you, the women should be widows who have several children or are from families that have a lot of people fighting in the battlefields or locked up in the prisons. Does everyone understand?” concluded Lazo.

Mitre, who this time was sitting in the front row, knocked with his cane on the floor and asked if he could say something.

After being given the floor Mitre said: “What do you people think, one of the women to be Kostovitsa? She was left alone with four children. Let her go. What do you say?”

“Yes… Let her go…” several female voices were heard saying.

Someone from the centre of the classroom, out of turn, yelled out: “Koliovichka! She is a widow… and pregnant… let her go!”

“She is too young…” piped up Kuze. “She is too young and I am afraid she won’t be able to handle twenty children... Okay people. My understanding was that if we selected three women, each would be given twenty children to look after, right? We have sixty children, that is, if they all go, of course.”

“Why shouldn’t she be able to handle the children? Sure she can… and she is pregnant too. What is she going to do here with an infant? Let her go… to those countries,” added Ianovitsa.

“One more and then we will start with the children,” suggested Lazo.

He then said: “What about Olga, Olga Iovanova... It is true that she is young, the youngest of the three, but she has no one to stay with here. Her mother is dead, her sister is in Gramos, if her younger sister goes then Olga will remain here all alone. Let her go...”

Suddenly there was a lot of chatter on the floor which forced Lazo to call for calm.

“People, People! Stop arguing. If someone wants to say something raise you hand and we will give you a turn! Stop talking like you are in the market!”

“Okay, she can go…” replied Petrovitsa out of turn. “But women, what does Olga know about children? She has never given birth or nursed a child. She has never put a diaper on a child let alone wash one. She has never washed or combed a child, stayed with it all night long or looked after one that was sick. I know the young woman is good-hearted, smart, clean and hard working. She knows how to wash clothes and how to cook but she has no experience with children... That’s the truth... Even for her, it will be difficult. That’s all I have to say.”

“Petrovitsa is right,” agreed Mara Kalikovska. “I hope to God that she can do it, but I am afraid she may not be able to... No, she will not be...”

“Ladies, ladies,” Kuze interrupted, pointing at the women with his hands, “why are you being so difficult, from what Vera told me…”

Kalikovska, who could not stand Kuze, jumped into the conversation and said: “You Kuze, stop blabbing… together with Vera!”

Kuze, pretending as if he had not heard a thing, continued: “As I said, Vera told me that in those countries educated people will look after the children; these women will only be responsible for keeping the children together and from wandering off somewhere… I am also telling you to keep in mind to not get in the way of the Party… from doing its job. Isn’t that right, Comrade Lazo?”

“You, Comrades up there, you need to back off a little and stop playing with the lives of other people’s children...” piped up Kalikovska angrily. She then turned towards the crowd and said: “Did they not take all our young men and women? They took them! Did they later not take the older boys and girls? They took them too. They armed them and sent them to fight.” She then turned to Lazo and said: “Tell me Lazo, what size of gun is Kolche Gulevski carrying? He was a child of fourteen when you told them to take him. Why? Because he was tall, you said! Well, Lazo, he was nothing to you! If you cared so much about this damn struggle then why did you not pick up a rifle yourself? You stood here with the women during the first war (WW II) and now again you are standing here with the women. The Party, that damn Party... you have turned it into a baker’s shovel. Turn it this way it will pick up, turn it that way it will collect… all it does is take, take, take…”

“Enough, Mara!” yelled Kuze. “Enough, we don’t want to hear you throwing poison on the struggle!”

“May the sausages you ate with your Comrades two nights ago turn into poison! And the wine you took from the church… may that too turn into poison…” cursed Mara.

Mara Koliakovska was well-known for her frequent cursing. Her curses ran like flowing muddy water.

For as long as the meetings were run by the people from the leadership office, they ended peacefully. But without them, the meetings ended in quarrels. The most common reason for that was Kuze’s philosophizing. The people often dispersed offended and angry. Only the next day, after experiencing a hard sleepless night the night before, after long convincing arguments, the proposed three agreed to accept the responsibilities handed down to them. At the same meeting they also agreed to a week long schedule during which families enroled their children. And so, when the women gathered at the water tap they no longer spoke about any specific child, they spoke about Kostovitsa’s children, Kolovichka’s children, or Olga’s children.

And so, on cold winter afternoons and evenings in February the women gathered together in silence, sighing deeply and eyes filled with tears, and began to prepare for the day when they were going to let their children go.

They brought with them their implements for making clothing and began to work on the wool, spinning it into yarn and weaving it into fabric on the loom. They also knitted socks and sweaters and made all kinds of other clothing.

Then one night, away from Lazo and Kuze’s prying eyes, they took all the wares they had made for their children to Pop Vasil to have them blessed. The women were afraid of being betrayed by Lazo and Kuze, if they were found out. The new democratic government had opened jails in Nivitsi and Drenovo and the women were afraid they may end up in them if they were caught with Pop Vasil, especially after what he had done at the church during the funeral.

* * *

“Kostovitsa, my grandson is only eight months old... and, as you can see I am an old woman… God has forgotten me... I want you to take my grandson… please take him… he is an orphan. He has no father or mother... Kuze, may his own children abandon him, sent both his mother and father to Gramos soon after he was born... They are young, he said, may God dry his tongue and may he remain deaf and dumb all his life, sent them there and now they are both gone… Before the new year they told me they were killed… they are both dead... I asked both Lazo and Kuze to enrol my grandson because he has no one but they both said no they couldn’t because he is too young. What is he going to do if I die? You go ask them... maybe they will listen to you...” pleaded Grandma Mialitsa.

* * *

“Olga I am leaving my children in your care, both Pande and Genche... You know both of them… Genche is a very timid boy and likes to be stroked on the head, to be cuddled in the lap… He is two and a half years old. Please make sure he is washed often. Make sure he is free of lice. I beg of you please look after them, I will pray for you every day. I will burn oil lamps, not just candles, for you in front of the Virgin Mary Mother of God... Please protect them... What else can I tell you? Oh, don’t forget that their father is in prison... and on his behalf and suffering, I beg you Olga. You now will be their mother and father and older sister. Please be warm, gentle and loving with my meek Genche... I will be back again to see you tomorrow so that we can talk and so that I can tell you more...” pleaded a mother of two.

* * *

“Kostovitsa, Riste is my youngest. You know he is thin, a bit sickly and does not eat much. Not because he is a spoiled child... he is not spoiled. And if it is not too embracing, well, here,” the woman pulled out a handkerchief from her chest with something tied in it, “it is a gold coin. Please, for the love of God, take it, don’t push it away… please take it… you may need it… to buy food and warm clothes…”

The woman looked away for a moment, turned to Kostovitsa and said: “He uncovers himself during the night... Check on him regularly… he sweats a lot too… he gets a sore throat with the slightest cold… When you check on him to cover him, check his socks to make sure they are not wet… Now please take the coin… You don’t want to take it? Why not? With what are you going to buy food or clothing if you need them? Who knows when you will be returning... who knows when we will be seeing our children...? And poor me, here I thought I would approach Kostovitsa and give her a gold coin, and you Kostovitsa are embarrassing me by not taking it… Well then I will take it back home, but please know that I will pray for you every day. I will pray for you so that you don’t get sick… so that your eyes are strong and healthy so you can look after our children… so that your feet are strong and healthy so you can run after them when they leave... so that your hands are strong, healthy and gentle to caress them, hug and hold them in your lap, cover them at night, wash and keep them clean, and hold their hands... if you get sick then who will look after them and protect them?”

* * *

“My Iana wakes up at night and is afraid. Please, don’t leave her alone. She likes to be caressed before bedtime and likes to be told stories and perhaps a song. Will you be able to do that for her?” asked Kolevitsa with a worried look in her eyes. “My Tsanche follows me around all the time and I don’t know how she is going to cope without me there... She does not eat by herself. Her grandmother never taught her… she won’t touch a spoon. You must feed her and not argue with her because she will cry loudly when she gets annoyed. She can’t dress herself either, she needs help to get dressed and with washing and brushing her hair... She has gotten used to that... Well now, all this responsibility will fall on you... I know she is not the only one you will have to look after, but I beg you please don’t let my Iana suffer... help her to learn things and comfort her when she cries... She is like that… she cries a lot… but she will listen to you for sure... And when you write a letter, put a few more words about my Iana and Tsanche, my darlings… just a few more words...”

“My children will not give you any trouble. Just make sure they have food to eat. They are obedient and diligent. They know that we are poor. A crust of bread and some cheese will be enough for them for the entire day. They are used to it... About them being a bit restless, I don’t know what to tell you… it’s in their blood. They are number one for doing chores... The older one is a bit of a brawler... but what can I do, it is in his blood, like his grandfather. And don’t separate them from the others… caress them sometimes and frequently check them for lice... you can cut their hair very short… bald… It’s better that way. I don’t have many clothes to give them. One shirt and one pair of socks… I don’t have shoes for them… I will give them a pair of pig skin slippers each. What can I do? I know they will rip them fast but what can I do? They will have to walk barefoot. They walk barefoot here anyway… I have been telling them every day, several times a day, to listen to you. I told my older girl: ‘You are now twelve years old, my child, so pull your sleeves back and help with everything Kostovitsa and the other women ask you. If they ask you to wash clothes, knit, sew, dress the younger children then you do that. Even if they ask you to change and wash diapers you do that too, don’t huff and puff and argue with them. You listen to these women like you listen to me…’ If you need to make bread where you are going, my Linka knows how to… and other baked goods too… My mother taught her… she also taught her how to work… she is diligent and obedient, quiet and shy... If she does something she is not supposed to, please don’t scold her in front of the others. She will not complain but she will take it hard... she has been like that since she was very young...”

* * *

“I have enrolled all four of mine with you... The most I will beg you for is my Mare. She is only two and a half years old. Her sister will look after her, feed her, wash and dress her, but you need to keep an eye on her and teach her things... but please don’t cut her hair... I want her to grow it long. What a beautiful blond braid she has... it’s a miracle. Let her grow it even longer... I don’t know if this is true, but Kuze the Lizard said that they will be taking photographs there. Please send me a big photograph of all four of them. Put Mare first,

behind her Stavre and Vase and Ristanka between them. For each I have prepared a bag with all the clothing I am sending with them. Stavre will carry the food I will prepare for them. I will also give them one bed cover... to cover themselves when they are cold. My children are good... they will not give you any trouble. Only please make sure they eat and are kept clean. And don’t forget to tell them stories. Ristanka may want to sing. She knows many songs... I will go now... Do you know when you are leaving? You said you don’t know? I will go and visit with them... caress them for a while... warm them...”

* * *

“Please always be nice to my Lenka, she is very sensitive. That’s how she is. She doesn’t know how to comb her hair... you can’t leave her to eat by herself, she will not eat. She needs someone to be beside her when she sleeps. When she wakes up in the night she cries… she is afraid... from what I don’t know… perhaps from a bad dream or who knows what... otherwise she is a gentle girl… she likes to talk a lot. She also likes to listen to stories. She got that from her grandfather... What else can I tell you? That this is easy for me? What mother finds it easy to be separated from her child? The one I have in my lap will stay here with me... Oh, oh, he is all wet… I must go and change him...”