By Maksim Rakipaj
The ninth part
Memorie.al / Maksim Rakipaj, originally from Përmet, whose family had helped and supported the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War, after graduating from the Navy School in Vlora, in 1972 he was appointed an officer in the Merchant Navy, where he served with dedication until in 1977, on the “Durrësi” steamer, he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in political prison, as part of a “group”, which also included his colleague, Aladin Kapo, the son of Hysni Kapo’s brother. Family biography was also the reason for his punishment. After the end of the war, two of his uncles were sentenced to political prison, his grandfather was declared a kulak and in 1976, his father was expelled from the party. Maksi began serving his sentence in the Ballsh camp and in 1979, he was transferred to the Spaçi camp and then to the Qafë Bari camp. He was released on September 12, 1984, benefiting from a reduced sentence, from an amnesty. After being unemployed for a long time, with many hardships, he got a job as a miner in the Mzezet mine, he worked until 1991. After the 1991s, he started working in the administration of the Municipality of Durrës, he served until 1997 and after that, he returned to the Merchant Navy (the last captain of the transoceanic ship “Vlora”), until he left Albania for Italy, (illegally on a dinghy), where he currently lives for many years. Since the 90s, in addition to various jobs, Maksim Rakipaj has also devoted himself to writing, such as; poetry, prose, fiction or documentary, translations, etc., publishing several books, such as: ‘Prophet – Khalil Gibran’, (translation from English ‘Toena’ 2003), ’20 love poems and a song of sadness’, (translation from Spanish, ‘Toena’ 2003), ‘Alive after the shipwreck’, (published by ISKK, 2014), ‘Bukowski – poetry’, (translation from English, ‘ENEAS’, 2015), ‘Trilusa m’Tirône’, ( translation from Italian, ‘UEGEN’, 2015), ‘Anthology of Arabic-Persian Poetry’ (English translations, ‘UEGEN’, 2015), ‘The Complete Sonnets of Shakespeare’, (English translation, ‘ADA’ 2016′) , ‘Survivor’ (autobiographical novel, ‘2 East, 2 West’ 2018), ‘Nobelists – poetic anthology, (UEGEN 2019), ‘Hymn of happiness’ (‘JOZEF’ 2023), etc. From the creativity of Mr. Rakipaj, Memorie.al is publishing the book “Survivor”, (published in 2022 by “JOZEF” Publishing House in Durrës, directed by Mr. Aurel Kaçulini), where he has described his life chronologically, where the part the main one is that of serving the sentence in camps and prisons, as well as various characters, his co-sufferers that he met in the communist hell, etc.
Continues from last issue
Professor Aleko Q.
It’s shocking, surprising, to meet someone you know in prison, especially the first moment, when you want to make sure it’s really him, or when the other suddenly comes to you: – You are…?
I met in Ballsh, Hysen Kuqi from Mamurrasi, the brother of Hasan Kuqi, a close friend of mine; he burst into tears when he recognized me: “No, I didn’t want to meet here”! He told me why he was arrested. The Security operative called him secretly for an urgent meeting. “Do you know why I called you, Hysen?! Here, I’ll tell you right now. The party has faith in you, Hysen. Your family was connected to the war, to the party, and nothing connects you to the class enemy. I’ve seen you that you hang out with so-and-so here. You even drank coffee with him. He is an enemy of the government and the party.”
– “What am I doing here?” I drank some coffee by chance; I don’t have a friend, just a greeting as a local”.
– “Here are some of his phrases, – and he handed me a piece of printed paper. Read it and memorize it, its 3-4 sentences. You will testify in court. You mean he said those words. That’s it.”
– “But these words… he has never said to me, under any circumstances”!
– “This is of no importance Hysen, we know the rest, come on, don’t do that, he is a vile enemy, there is no reason to feel sorry for him”.
– “I don’t do it, fellow operative.” I cannot bear false witness to that other. For me, do what you want with him, you can condemn him if you have facts, but don’t put me in the middle, when I don’t know anything about these conversations”.
– “This is your last word?! Do you have time to think?
– “I have nothing to think about, men have a say”.
– “You will regret Hysen… we didn’t expect it from you… but remember! Don’t open your mouth to anyone! “If they come to their senses, I’m here, but I won’t cut off your face…”!
“…That’s how things work, my friend. I was arrested after a few months, for agitation and propaganda. I did not know the witnesses, I protested, I shouted, but no one broke my head, I was convicted. They condemned the other one in front of me; this is how they do things”.
My group friend, Aladin Kapo, met here his former high school teacher, Aleko Q. Aleko is from Narta, and he was a teacher at “Halim Xhelo” high school in Vlora. Aleko was also called by the State Security operative, just like Hysenin, to testify against one of his colleagues. Aleko refused. “For me such a thing is a shame”, – he answered. “I’ll show you the shame, you bastard”! – shouted the operative.
Aleko was arrested in the middle of the school, when everyone was on the big break, between lessons. Accusation: sexual violence against one of his students. “How could I not have a drop”, said Alekoja. It never occurred to me that they would be able to accuse me of such a thing, even more so, that that student was also a close friend of my daughter, they were in the same class, they both graduated…! I was sentenced to 15 years in prison for this. They took me to the ordinary camp of Borshi. There I spoke to the woman for the first time. I told him how it was. “I trust you, Aleko”, – that’s what he told me. – And we will not part with you, neither I, nor the children’. Now that you believe me, I told him, I will spend another 100 years in prison.
The girl, who was a high school graduate, could not continue to high school. He started working at the Lamp Factory. Along with that girl who accused me. One night, he went to her house, when he was alone, and said: – ‘Together we were like sisters, tell me now, for the sake of the friendship we had, my father was sentenced to 15 years. Did my father really catch you?! The other one started to cry; “I’m sorry, tell my father to forgive me too… I had nothing to do, I was a deserter, you know, I have an uncle who ran away… the operative caught me, he told me that; you mean like that… …if you didn’t accept, we’ll put dad inside and the rest of you will go to exile, if you accepted, you’re fine, you’re also with good grades, choose the branch you want at the university’.
Yes…, – I told him, – press Aleko, I have him as my father, and then I am an intact girl…. ‘We will fix that together’, – he said and laughed, ‘choose either the university or the prison for of him and exile for himself…’! What should I do, I deserted him, now I regret it, they didn’t even give me the right to study…he wanted to keep me as his lover, it wasn’t enough for him to do whatever he wanted with me, twice…”!
The girl issued a statement signed by her, where she told the truth, asserting the innocence of Aleko. When Aleko’s wife was doing the right things to free her husband from prison, Aleko was arrested in the Borshi camp and sentenced to 10 years for agitation and propaganda, plus 15 years of the previous sentence, a total of 25 years. I don’t know what became of him; I never had the chance to learn anything about his fate afterwards. But it is not only Aleko Q., that this happened to him… there have been even worse…!
Ballists, partisans and their sons in the concentration camp
It’s surprising how quickly you get to know people in prison; you’re surprised when you meet someone you don’t know, while he’s got all the information about you. And they come to you and say: “You know him there… it’s so-and-so. I know his story”?!
In the Ballsh camp, it is my first encounter with the prison environment, with the people here. It is a group of old people, who always hang out with each other. From the white cells with the antenna, you can immediately tell that they are from the villages of Vlora. They are Dukat’s ballistas. On Sunday, new cells, clean, snow white. Even today, which is Sunday, according to their custom, they put on the new cells, which look like they were just made. I walk in the camp yard, together with Aladdin Capo, when one of Dukat’s groups of lepers beckons him to come…!
“Come on, boy; let’s get to know each other… because we’re ours. I’m your mother’s first cousin, but it’s not your fault. That’s why you became a prison guard; let’s get to know each other. Where are you? You’re coming home, man?! No eh..! They started the class war, they made the family happy, don’t be upset, you’re a young man… you don’t know everything, nooo! slowly – slowly, you’ll take off Hysni Enveri’s head too, just like he did after all… he will find his side too. What have the communists done, my son…! The shenanigans started since the war…! Look, that uncle of yours… you burned him alive with flamethrower, a young partisan boy, because he had been chatting with a young girl, also a partisan.
They shot the girl, and for the boy, Hysniu gave the order to burn him… with a flame thrower. They put him in a straw hut and let it go on fire…! As for himself, that uncle of yours, who was also married, made love to Vito. You must have heard this talk since you were outside. Dinner is gone, because you are with that friend. If you have any problem or need, don’t worry, come and tell us. Come on, be good and don’t be sad, listen”?
One day, two of them were teasing each other… “Do you know what happened to us? I see a dream and I tell myself this. It was a dream with the government: It seems to me that the reds took the evil from me; I tell them… that’s what the dream says. Uuu, eat your mouth honey, says this… me, nine years. They did this first… they gave him ten years in prison… That someone who was guarding us spied on us, you know… This is right… ahahahaha…. This honey one, more Mr. Na me?”
We also meet Spartak Ngjela, he was a lawyer in Durrës when he was arrested. He knows those from Durrës, investigators, prosecutors and the court: “Who did you have investigating the case, Aladdin? No! Spiro Spiron said?! How many were you sentenced…?! Ooo, you have been punished a lot. But I say it’s to Spiro’s credit, your investigators…! He is talented, in the use of dungeon spies, he, like no one else in Durrës and with your case, has a career to make…! But, open your eyes! Don’t let your mind lie, that you threw it away like that. Take care, because you can suffer worse”!
We also meet Andrea Gj., He was a Security officer and head of an Internal Branch. Grey-haired, over 60 years old, the type who doesn’t hang out with many people. He knows Aladdin’s family. Like the craft that he is, he asks carefully, tries to understand anything more. To understand what is hidden behind the arrest of Hysni Kapo’s grandson…!
– “I wonder,” He says, “how they arrested you.” Hysniu is seen as number two in Albania. Even if you had killed people… they locked you up for some time in some madhouse, until the conversation was forgotten and that’s it. How about prison?! Yeah, I can’t get enough of it… you’re playing under the rug…! Let’s see who will benefit from his fall”.
– “You think that Hysniu will be arrested”?!
– “Maybe no. Maybe he dies an “unexpected” death and is buried with great honors… but he can also be arrested. Who knows what his plans are. Captain, who did you have, Aladdin? Oh, F.K?! Don’t! Really? How many years have you been working with him? I know well what it is. I recruited him myself, as an associate of the Security since 1948, before he went to that school in Bulgaria, for seamanship. He has a hand in your arrest, to be sure. It depends on who he is connected with now. If I knew with whom, I would understand a lot about the future of the country, something is hidden behind your arrest…”!
Even Andon Sheti, sentenced to 15 years, former head of Military Intelligence, thinks more or less like this. Vasil Kati, former deputy minister, also has this opinion, as well as Dalip Zhaboli, former commander of the North Corps, sentenced to 15 years. Dalipi is associated with an engineer from Shkodran, they call him Mark Shkreli. Both tall, powerful. The dark-skinned Mark, with those blue eyes, looks like an American actor. He is never amused by the jokes that Dalip tells him. These two are some of the best friends we have here. But our circle of friends is quite wide; we have Shefqet Kaun, Gëzim Peshpepina, Nikolla Spiron, Madun, the son of the writer Petro Marko and… I better not continue with the list because it is long.
Shefqeti tells a lot of things from his life. He was a famous athlete, volleyball player and coach of the “Dinamo” women’s team. When they came to arrest him, they told his mother: “Don’t be afraid, mother, we will arrest Shefqet and we will search the house…”!”No,” replied the wise old woman from Tirana, “Nona is not afraid.” It’s learned with raids and arrests, since the time of fascism…! Yes, let me kiss the boy away, because I don’t know if he’ll find me when I leave…”!
…Vasil Kati is worried today. He walks around the square with long strides and doesn’t talk to anyone. Not even with Andon Sheti, whom we call “Father”. We call Vasili “Fathergod”.
– “Fathergod, are you in trouble”? – says Aladdin. “Fathergod” shakes his head and continues walking. Finally, tired, he looks for us with his eyes. We get closer. “Amani, take it guys, what has found me. I was informed that tonight, I have a special meeting with the wife, that is, to sleep with the wife tonight, do you understand?! No, I said, it is a shame for me, to make a special meeting “. – “We have an order from Tirana, tonight you will spend the night with your wife, will you or won’t you…”! – Who knows what they have planned… I’m afraid”!
Aladdin tells him: “Talk to Tata once, he’ll give you an idea…”!”No, I don’t want to confuse him, he has enough of his problems, and then I don’t want to be seen with him, before the meeting. Bring me a notebook and a pencil, without being noticed, quickly because I don’t have time, it’s time”! We bring his notebook and pencil, put it in his pocket and leave…!
The next morning, when he enters the camp, he seems calmer. He calls us for coffee. He explains in a few words: “My friends had called him to the Ministry of the Interior. They had given him an order to come to the camp, spend the night with me and order me that when someone comes from Tirana; I must agree to make some written statements for some important people. We didn’t talk all night, for fear of being eavesdropped, we just wrote in the notebook, what we wanted to say, cry and write it down, my wife tells me ehhh, they told me that you were doing what they told you, you will be released immediately… ah, my desert, I did as they told me, they give me the bullet, my… you still don’t know them…”?!
When Vasili was asked about the reason for his arrest, he answered: “Look, I exchanged two tons of tomatoes and two tons of bananas with the Italians. I told the Albanians to try once, how are the bananas, it turned out to be useless for me, that exchange…”!
There was also this…
In the slow death camp, in Ballsh, there are all kinds and colors of political prisoners. He is an arrestee, as early as October 1944. He was simply a translator with the German troops; served several years in prison, without any court decision. They took him out of prison for a week, to put him back in for good. He has no idea, no matter how many years in prison he has left to do, the accounts never come out. Once it turns out that he should have been released two years ago, then he says: “No, I was confused, I should have another 7 years”!
He is also a former guerrilla during the War. He has the second prison. His name is Petro K. and he is from Elbasan. He was sentenced to be shot. In the 1950s, they spared his life, leaving the sentence to 25 years in prison. They condemn him because he speaks badly about the War, about guerrilla units, of which he himself was a member. “We killed all those mothers’ sons behind their backs, for nothing,” said Petroja. They advise him several times, to no avail. The shadow of the crimes he had committed did not leave him alone. They arrest him, punish him. Released after 15 years with an amnesty, in the 60s. In 1977, they arrested Petro again…!
“Do you know why we arrested you”? – They ask him in the Department of Internal Affairs of Elbasan. Petroja, who takes everything with a smile, answers: “I know, I owe you another 10 years in prison.” Put me in one more time, God, it’s your turn, everyone, after me”!
There are also communists from 1941: Shemsi Totozani is one of them. Well done Shemsiu. I tease him: “Ah, what did you forty-one do to us”?! “We did our duty”, answers Shemsiu. Beqir Sadiku, a former ballistic missile, originally from Pogradec, also shoots nearby. When he hears Shemsi’s answer, (he recognizes it from his voice, because Beqiri can’t see well with his eyes), he turns to where the voice is coming from and says: “You piece of shit, your duty, did you hear? You did your duty well, eh? Were you glad you did?! Supposedly you won, eh? No more…! Enjoy the victory now, here with me”!
Beqiri has been in prison all his life; he tried all the concentration camps in Albania and Yugoslavia. He ran away several times in his youth; He was 20 years old in the first prison, in the forty-fifth. After 1948, he escaped several times to Yugoslavia, but whenever he entered, the Serbs put him in prison. Beqiri, a two-meter giant, had no problem escaping; he always broke the walls of the prisons, tore the barbed wire. The Yugoslavs, based on the agreement that the old friends had made; Enver-Tito was always sent back to Albania. He has a rich brother in the USA, uncle Bequa, but they don’t allow him to get a single cent to his brother imprisoned in Albania.
The hard life of the prisons has weakened his once strong body. “I ate iron with my teeth when I was young”! His vision is blurred. Lives by making fires for others, in the private kitchen, in exchange for a plate, from what was cooked. He is amused, when he asks: “Do you have any passion for me, Uncle Beqo”?! And answer immediately: “Come on, uncle’s son, come on, I have it ready…! What are you going to do, anything good”?! When Aladdin once asked him if the macaroni was made with olive oil, he burst out laughing: “Ahahaha, and my opings too, they’re edible if you cook them with olive oil, boy, ahhaahaha, how pleased I am, aaa… You’re lucky that you haven’t tried the Maliqi swamp, where we lived on 150 grams of moldy corn bread a day and worked in mud up to our waists, 12 hours without a break…”!
One day, a former partisan and former tank officer, imprisoned in the wake of the arrests in the Army, after the conviction of Beqir Balluku, was cooking something near Uncle Beqo. Kaçi, for the sake of gallantry, started talking about Petrela’s war, it seems to me, since that day it was published in “Zeri i Populli”. The former partisan, who hadn’t noticed yet, started boasting: “We killed so many ballisticians, took so many prisoners that day. They ran away like rabbits, ballisticians, etc.”! Uncle Bequa was listening intently. Finally, when he saw that the other one was not resting, he raised his voice: “Don’t tell me a word, brave one, you won the fight?! What the hell do you want here in prison, with me? Eh?
Ah, when didn’t I kill you that day…?! We’d be comfortable, both of us: you wouldn’t tear my ass today, damn it, damn it, you’d be crying, in your mother’s ass…! Well, at least your family wouldn’t be destroyed in deportations, like now; it would be a martyr’s family…! They would receive even an apple core on May 5, and the party chairman would please them with a visit…! Oh, the corpse that won’t eat you, you shitty donkey, donkey…”?! /Memorie.al
The next issue follows
