By Sokrat Shyti
Part Sixty-Four
Memorie.al /The writer Sokrat Shyti is the “great unknown” who for several years has shown the tip of the iceberg of his literary creativity. I say this based on the limited number of his published books in recent years, mainly the voluminous novel “The Ghost Night” (Tirana 2014). The novels: “BEYOND MYSTERY,” “BETWEEN TEMPTATION AND WHIRLPOOL,” “THE DIGGING OF NIGHTMARES,” “THE SHADOW OF SHAME AND DEATH,” “COLONEL MAIN HAND,” “THE FADING HOPES,” “THE TWISTS OF FATE” I, II, “SURVIVAL IN THE COWSHED,” as well as other works, all novels with 350 – 550 pages, are in manuscripts waiting to be published. The dreams and initial enthusiasm of the young novelist, returning from studies abroad full of energy and love for art and literature, were cut short early by the harsh blade of communist dictatorship.
Who is Sokrat Shyti?
Having returned from studies at the State University of Moscow right after the rupture of Albanian-Soviet relations in 1960, Sokrat Shyti worked in “Radio-diffusion” (which at that time was located on Kavaja Street), in an editorial office with his journalist friends – Vangjel Lezho and Fadil Kokomani – both of whom were later arrested and subsequently executed by the communist regime. Besides the radio, 21-year-old Sokrat had passionate literary interests at that time. He wrote his first novel “Madam Doctor” and was on the verge of publication, but… alas! Shortly after the arrest of his friends, to fill the cup, one of his brothers, a painter, escaped abroad.
Sokrat was arrested in September 1963, and in November of that year, he was interned along with his family (his mother and little sister) in a place between Ardenica and Kolonje of Lushnje. For 27 consecutive years, the family lived in a cowshed made of reeds, without windows, while Sokrat was subjected to forced labor. During those 27 years, he was legally obliged to report three times a day to the local authority. He had no right to leave the place of internment, was deprived of any kind of documents, etc. In these conditions, amid a cowshed, he gave birth to and raised his children. Precisely from this event, or more accurately a very long story of persecution, he based his writing of the book “Survival in the Cowshed”!
Agron Tufa
Continued from the previous issue
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK “SURVIVAL IN THE COWSHED”
– “Now, something else that has to do with you personally…” he added with the same look: – You should know that your name is known in the Laç Brigade, from the programs that the voice center gives. Therefore, I feel it my duty to warn you, so that you know: there is a good chance that the brigade commissar will ask for you when the need arises. Of course, I do not doubt your readiness. I mentioned this moment, since our first meeting, to ask the captain who route you should take, since the terrain here is quite difficult and there are no means of transport.
But even if by chance an army truck comes, it will be faster to reach Tirana from here than to Laç. Meanwhile, the footpath along the coast takes you very quickly straight to Patok, or the Adriatic. From here by car, you have Laç very close. Now, deal with the arrangement of the soldiers, since the battalion commander may come quite unexpectedly for an inspection. Since you are my deputy, yes I would like to inform you: the major generally uses insidious methods with his subordinates, he enjoys coming by surprise. Therefore, assign a soldier to guard duty or as an observer, give him an empty automatic rifle, and instruct him to shout loudly: ‘Stop, or I will shoot’ if he sees a stranger, civilian or military, coming towards us. And after this command, ask him for the pass slogan”.
– “Do we have a slogan”?!… – I asked with some humor.
– “Why not? Regardless of the conditions, we ourselves must assess the situation as if we were a unit with all the requirements of military regulations. Do you have any interesting slogan in mind”?
– “Forest with mare”, – I replied instantly.
– “I like it! “How beautifully you came up with the idea”!… – he was pleased. – But you will not tell any soldier this, except the guard. The duty will be four hours during the day, two hours at night. Now you can leave. Urge the soldiers to clean the dormitory, to arrange the beds, without forgetting to order the cook to start his activity. Does anyone feel like cooking”? – he asked with interest.
– “He worked in the Peshkopia Tourism”! – I surprised him.
– “It’s wonderful! But don’t let the Brigade, in Laç, find out, or they will wash it off us”!… – he said with a somewhat strange laugh, revealing his teeth yellowed by tobacco nicotine.
– “This danger comes only from the supply captain, if he spreads the news…- I added, to tell him that this task belongs to you. – Right. I will point it out to him with a trick, since the local captains here are a bit stupid, they want you to blow the trumpet several times, so that they will find out…”, – he emphasized.
– “But beware of the battalion commander”! – he repeated when I opened the door of the hut to leave. I went downstairs and entered the haur dormitory. I was stunned by the great changes, within a very short time! The organizer of these adjustments, “Baba”, had set all the soldiers of the company in rapid motion, giving them specific tasks:
Ten soldiers were responsible for stuffing the mattresses and underlay with straw. Four others compressed and laid them out, preparing them for sewing with twine. Meanwhile, for the most difficult work, sewing, which the master required, he had assigned those who came to him, who carried out this task with great care. A team of twenty men was assigned to clean the territory around and inside the dormitory, who first prepared long-tailed brooms with the branches of the horsetail, and cut with scythes all the grass on the sides and behind the dormitory, in a space of ten meters, so that any irresponsible soldier would be forced to urinate at night only beyond this area.
Meanwhile, for the real craftsmen, a very interesting task was assigned, which required a special master: to cover the “walls” of boards from the outside, nailing thick sheets painted with tar, to protect the environment inside from the chirping of cold winter nights, as well as to make it invisible, as a disguise. Secondly, they thought of making some adjustments to the bed compartments, to form double cabins with rafters and thick sheets covered with tar, like those of popular beaches, with the aim of changing the appearance of the dormitory, transforming it from a shack into a strange ghetto, unseen anywhere else, the only best way to face the bitter cold without shivering.
This interesting sight was the most fertile living testimony of imagination, because it shows what fantasy the human mind uses to ensure survival, precisely when the state leaves the soldiers of forced service in complete oblivion, as refugees in their own country! Amazed by this fantastic transformation, beyond all imagination, I congratulated “Dad” on his excellent initiatives and perfect organization, telling him that he fully deserves the honorable nickname that he has given himself and that the soldiers of the company call him.
– “You will always have my support and encouragement,” I said, hugging him. – But you, with your influence, have a very important task…”!
– “Speak, because ‘Dad’ does not take back his word”! – he swore proudly.
– “You know that there is no forest without pigs. Among the soldiers of our company we also have some with vices that shame us…”!
– “You talk about those who have a hand? I heard it. I had this in mind myself, so I warned them: if you dare to touch even a fig, apple or nut from the peasants’ gardens, know that we will tie you hand and foot and notify the Security! We are soldiers, not thieves. If you have any, I told them, we will knock on the peasant’s door and ask him to sell us his goods, just as if we were at the Bazaar”.
It was truly amazing and wonderful to listen to the maturity of this peasant boy, how well he understood the role of the individual in society, with how simply and decisively he fulfilled the commitments he made! Perhaps the commander will not like these adjustments and changes… – added “Dad” with a suspicious look, – Therefore, it is up to you to convince him, to explain that we are doing this only out of concern, not to show off, or to express our dissatisfaction.
We are worried about not getting some kind of a scoundrel, and then having to lie down and lie in hospitals. It does not occur to us to complain about the difficult conditions, as if we were in Afghanistan. But we do not want them to get on our necks, when we are doing their work ourselves. It would be better to sleep like in Perlat, in a dormitory for good, with a bed and a mattress. It is enough to ask the commander the question: why was there no need for any adjustments there? And secondly, to point out to him: they did not move us from where we were because of our own fault, but because they themselves did not know why they brought us.
– “I hope and believe that we will have good relations with the company commander…”!
– “Did you get that impression when we first talked?” – asked “Dad” with interest.
– “From the first meeting, he seemed like a suffering man, who comes to this lost place as a needy person, so there will be no friction with the soldiers. But he ordered me to be very careful with the battalion commander, because he comes secretly, like the robbers of old, to catch us by surprise”, – I explained to him, so that he would calm down, and also to instruct the service soldiers to be sharp-eyed
– “The new officers are of two types: Either they have a face for brandy, like the regimental commissar, or we found the cure for him. Or they are black souls, their eyes hurt when they see us who know how to take care of ourselves. It is important for us to be on good terms with the master of the house, because he knows how we sleep and how we wake up. We will find a trick for this cunning one, the battalion commander. I will take care of this”! – he vowed.
– “Keep in mind the lesson of experience: facing the mischievous soldiers requires seven tricks and one courage”! – I advised him.
– “We had the same thing in mind”, – said “Dad” with a smile. – I had something else: since the weather is holding up like a charm, and in this place by the sea, it’s a shame not to use the sun baths, I thought of how to pass the time without getting the company commander into trouble…”!
– “Look, you woman, think about how you planned the soldiers’ entertainment without getting into trouble…”, – I urged him to reveal without fear what he had not yet expressed.
– “I don’t know if you have noticed the jungle of the mares, which not even the most powerful wild animals can break through. The tree trunks are tangled with thorns, how impossible it is to take a step! This means that our camp is separated from the seashore on the western side by an impassable jungle forest belt. I have assigned three of my villagers, who have taken the lead in clearing the forests of thorns, where the secret passage must be made. There is no more perfect protection than this, since not even a wild boar can penetrate it! And so that it does not differ at all from the jungle wall, we will disguise the entrance…”, – he emphasized with satisfaction.
– “Have your villagers started to open the ‘tunnel’”? – I asked him curiously.
– “I believe they will finish it tomorrow”, – replied “Dad”.
– “So when does the secret beach Shetaj start tomorrow?… – I added laughing. – Whoever comes for inspection from the brigade, including the chief of the Security, (but in my opinion, it won’t happen, since no one has us in custody), they won’t find any of us sitting idle in the ward, but all of us in ‘training'”…- “Dad” burst out laughing!
– “Here near the dormitory will be only the service soldiers, the cook’s assistants, and the company commander, like an old man…! No matter how hard the battalion’s cunning tries, it can’t find us…”! To make the company’s old man his own, I ordered the cook on behalf of the soldiers to take good care of him, to cook him something special, plus, since the coward can barely stand, he has become skin and bones! – “At least put some meat here, or I’ll scold him when I take off my shirt”!…
– “That was the work plan for today, or do you have anything else to add”? – I teased him.
– “I have something else: When I talked to the food captain, I was interested in knowing if there was olive oil in the village store. In my opinion, I thought there should be, because the villagers don’t buy their monthly ration of olive oil, since we have plenty of butter, and we use peanut oil for cooking. The captain replied: as much as you want.
“Then, I said to myself, the meal was also decided: wheat bread with olive oil, sugar, salt, or cheese. This food keeps you full, and it tastes good to us. We will also add olive oil to the beans. As for the pilaf and pasta, we will eat it with sugar. That’s how we villagers do it…”, “Dad” laughed.
– “What are you describing to me, do you intend to do the obesity cure here”!…he shouted “Dad”!
– “This is also included in the training plan…”, – he continued to ask.
– “When we were in the NBU, we worked without cheating; we made two rates of kilism, because they told us: the first belongs to the state, the second is rewarded”.
– “But in fact, did you get the reward of the sweat of your brow”? – I asked.
– “They gave us enough to buy cookies, which we soldiers call ‘gear’. – While the rest, the unit accountant told us, we are depositing in savings books. In fact, we did not receive either money or books! They probably ended up in the bosses’ pockets. They are terrible to extort”!
– “Thank you for the complete information! You deserve the evaluative nickname; ‘Dad’”.
– “One thing you should always keep in mind: everything we talk about together will remain between us. We will continue like this until the end. With this maturity and prudence, we will manage to survive without complaining, and we will face any difficulty”.
The company commander was amazed when he saw with his own eyes this perfect self-organization! So he asked me with great curiosity: how is it possible for a simple soldier to have such a powerful influence and perfect ability, to grasp all the concerns and make his comrades think of the right solutions?!…Strange! “Very strange!” – he repeated quite happily, fully convinced that the troubles of this complicated life, here the soldiers themselves will cope with.
After all the preparatory work was put in place and normal life began in this community, (I do not call it a military unit, not only because of its external appearance, quite similar to a theater prop, but because there was no armament here, except for two automatic rifles, so all the attention of the soldiers was mainly focused on their lives), the division into groups according to viewpoints began, without friction or irritation. In the evenings, to illuminate the environment in the absence of electric light, we lit fires. And before the fires were lit, at dusk, dinner was eaten. Then the walks by the sea began. When there were internal impulses and excitements, songs from different regions were heard. Two of them in particular would tremble and wrinkle the soul, and cause the heart to beat faster fast:
The coastal people interpreted with deep passion and pain inherited from generations the song of widespread fame, “The Girl of the Waves”. While the Malakastriots and the Skraparllins, conveyed with their voices the exile’s bequest: “Stay, my friends, stay/ beyond the Kaaba bridge”. In this group, the voice of the tall, thin-necked soldier, Mete, stood out, who tried to approach the colorful voice of Demir Zyko, but could not. When the songs ended, the interrupted conversations were interrupted: The Lab group expressed concern about the breeding of livestock in the stables.
The musicians played the flute with a hole, always examining the same sound, starting and ending with the cow. The minorities spoke in Greek. The northerners were worried about the expected winter, praying verbally and silently that the heavy snowfalls that block the roads and isolate entire regions from residential centers would not be released. The group of smokers tried to convince themselves that smoking cigarettes should in no way be called a vice (as some call it), but a natural requirement that the body needs.
It seemed strange and paradoxical to me why in neither group of these young men did they exchange opinions about literature and art, except when a film was mentioned, and they gave impressions about the characters and actions! This is how the time passed until bedtime approached, when everyone would go to their cabin. Thanks to the strict rule established by “Dad”, no one was allowed to lie down on the mattress without washing their feet! So everyone took off their shoes and socks, put on the slippers they had bought at the store, and went to the spring water line.
In the morning, they woke up at seven o’clock. “Dad” reminded the soldiers to air the mattresses and blankets in the “cabins”. After fifteen minutes, they would go out half-naked and run to the vicinity of Rodon Castle. When they returned, their bodies, hardened by training, were washed from the waist up with cold water, while the others only had their faces and arms washed. Immediately after making the beds and eating breakfast, the distribution of tasks began, according to the schedule. Memorie.al
To be continued in the next issue
