By Reshat KRIPA
Part Nine
Memorie.al / Arbër stood in his corner in the hall, waiting for the arrival of the plane that would take him to another world, and he meditated. He meditated and dreamed of the road full of nettles and thorns through which his life had passed. He remembered the worries that had accompanied him for years. He had many passions. He wanted to become a lawyer, journalist, doctor, engineer, artist, writer, or whatever else was possible. But fate had condemned him to never reach any of the dreamed-of peaks. He encountered disappointment at every step of his life.
Continued from the previous issue
The echo of whispers reached the high organs of power. A long odyssey of interventions and threats began, addressed to the head of the Spaho family. The first signal was given by the director of the school where Hektor worked. He began to argue that this relationship would have unforeseen consequences for his family. Hektor listened attentively, and when he finished his lecture, he said:
– “Comrade Director, I listened to you carefully and thank you for your sincere advice. – We have been working together for more than ten years, and we have always understood each other very well without creating any problems. I want to be honest with you. It was the girl herself who made this relationship a fait accompli. I was faced with a done deal. At first, I also hesitated, but her insistence broke me.
I debated this issue with myself for days, but finally, the logic triumphed: why should the son pay for the sins of the father?! In truth, regardless of the parent’s biography, my son-in-law is a perfect young man, an intelligent person, whom only political conditions did not allow to pursue higher studies and become someone. Based on this reasoning, I accepted their union. Now I want to ask you, and I want a sincere answer: Did I act correctly”?
The director did not answer immediately. He thought for a few moments. Finally, he said:
– “You spoke to me with sincerity, and I will answer you in the same way. In principle, you are completely right, but the conditions in which we live are contrary to these principles…! So I have nothing to tell you. May luck help you”!
The second intervention was from the head of the education section at the Executive Committee of the city. Here the threat was more open, and Hektor’s answers, in contrast to those with his colleague, were more laconic.
– “I know – Hektor said – that the Party and the government do not punish the son for the father’s faults. They fell in love, and I considered their union reasonable, so I did not have the courage to oppose it.”
– “While I will warn you that you must prepare to face the consequences.”
The issue was also discussed in the Department of Internal Affairs (Sigurimi branch). Finally, the news reached the girl’s uncle, Resul. As soon as he heard the news, he left immediately. After a meeting at the Department, where he received accurate information, he headed home. There he found only Hektor and Irma. Blerina had gone out with Arbër. In an aggressive tone, he addressed his sister:
– “How did you carry out this engagement without asking me? What am I? Just anybody? Do you know the duty I perform? Or am I just a gravestone”?!
She calmly replied:
– “Calm down, brother, calm down! Lower your voice! We didn’t tell you because we knew you wouldn’t approve.”
– “Break off this engagement immediately,” he interrupted in the same tone.
– “That matter is over. The girl chose her life partner herself, and we cannot stop her, otherwise, we lose our only daughter.”
The conversation ended. Resul left without saying goodbye. When he stepped outside the gate, he almost collided with Arbër and Blerina, who were returning.
– “Uncle”! – Blerina called out.
– “You will hear the tune later,” – he said with an arbitrary voice.
– “What’s wrong with him,” – she asked!
– “A common story,” – Arbër replied.
Resul went straight to the Party Committee where he met the First Secretary. The two talked for a long time. They drew up plans. Finally, Resul said:
– “Do not take any action. I will take on this issue to resolve it.”
Director Resul called the Security Operative of the agricultural enterprise where Arbër worked.
– “I will entrust you with an important mission, which only you and I should know about. You must not tell anyone about this,” he told him.
– “I will be silent as the grave, Comrade Director,” – the operative replied.
– “Very well! You will surveil an individual who works in your enterprise. How does he behave, who does he associate with, are there any foreign displays for socialist morality, does he try to hinder the progress of our society in any way, and other things of this nature.”
– “Who are you talking about”?
– “Arbër Dauti.”
– “I know him. He works in the investment sector; he is even a foreman.”
– “I don’t want you to rush. Time is not important. It is enough to reflect the reality. I will return to the capital. When you have drafted the report, call me, and I will come myself.”
He gave him his office phone number.
The Security Operative began the mission. He learned that Arbër had started working at the enterprise with the help of Agronomist Petriti, and that it was he who had helped him transfer to the investment sector. His mother also worked in the same enterprise but in another sector. He knew his family’s biography well. He had learned this even before speaking with Director Resul. He knew that his father, an exponent of the former nationalist organization ‘Balli Kombëtar’ (National Front), had died in prison.
He knew that his mother, a well-known teacher, had been dismissed from her job for this reason and was working as an agricultural labourer. But he also knew that Arbër, surprisingly, was engaged to a girl who belonged to a “War” family (i.e., Partisan/Communist), with two respected teacher parents. Perhaps this, he thought, was the reason why Resul had tasked him with this duty.
For this, he called the sector engineer and said:
– “I want to ask you, how did you hire Dauti in your sector and appoint him foreman? Do you know his biography”?
– “Yes, I know. But Agronomist Petriti, with whom we are neighbours, recommended him to me. So I didn’t delve further. After all, he is just a worker.”
– “What is your opinion of him”?
– “To tell you the truth, a very good opinion. He is regular, doesn’t talk much, but always wisely. He is quite intelligent. He finished high school with excellent results, but couldn’t continue higher due to his biography, and, to tell you the truth, I feel sorry about this, as he could have become an excellent cadre.”
– “Who does he associate with the most”?
– “We are a small sector, with three construction brigades. Arbër’s one consists of fifteen people, craftsmen, and labourers. Arbër doesn’t make any distinction between them.”
– “Does he have any preference for anyone”?
– “A little more for a school friend of his, Ibrahim, but not a big difference.”
– “Thank you,” the operative said and left.
The operative learned that Ibrahim came from a family that had not been involved on any side during the War. His father was an ordinary clerk in a small enterprise in the city. His mother worked as a seamstress. He had a sister married into a family that had also not been involved on any side. The only negative aspect was that one of his brothers had been sentenced to eight years in prison and was now in the third year of his sentence.
In this way, more than two months passed. The operative had collected all the data that interested him. He sat down and began to compile the report he would hand over to Resul. He started writing on a typewriter on the table. He would write a few lines and then pause to think about how to continue.
He wanted his report to be as complete as possible to satisfy his superior. This, he thought, might pave the way for a transfer to the capital with a bigger assignment. These dreams caused many things on the pages of the report to be the product of his imagination. Thus, eight full pages were filled. Finally, he signed it and happily exclaimed:
– “That’s the end of this! Now, forward to the capital.”
And he clapped his hands with satisfaction.
– “What’s wrong with you? Are you crazy or something”?! – said a friend of his who had just entered and heard the last phrase.
– “Nothing,” he replied, recalling Resul’s instruction. – “My cousin’s son is getting married in the capital, and I will go to the wedding. The cousin is an official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It will be a big wedding.”
The operative was alluding to Resul.
– “Lucky you” – said the friend and did not elaborate further.
The operative also did not elaborate but ended the conversation.
The phone bell in Resul’s office rang.
– “Hello”? – he spoke.
– “I am the Security Operative at the agricultural enterprise.”
– “Did you finish”?
– “Yes, I have it ready.”
– “Then wait until I arrive.”
A devilish smile appeared on Resul’s lips. It was a cunning smile, behind which many mysteries, many backstories were hidden. He felt a satisfaction that showed itself whenever he performed a cruel act. He had felt a similar satisfaction when he tortured Sokol. It was the satisfaction and wild beast feels when it defeats its prey. Now all that remained was to wait for an opportunity for the Minister to assign him a task in his city.
And this opportunity came. One day, the Minister’s secretary entered the office and said:
– “Comrade Resul, Comrade Minister requests a meeting with you.”
Resul adjusted his suit, combed his hair, and left.
– “Come, come,” – the Minister said – “I want to talk about an issue that has arisen in your city.”
– “In my city”?!
– “Yes, yes, sit down! We have some information about a contradiction between two officials of the construction enterprise. Both are well-known figures, two communists, who have always been at the forefront of work. So, go there, verify the event, and inform us. I am tasking you, as you are from that city and know the people better.”
Resul left that same day. From his sources, he learned that the conflict had exceeded the limits of civility! He knew both of them, especially the head of the cadres. He informed them by phone that he would come the next day to discuss the matter.
He did just that. At the appointed time, he was there. The three of them sat down in the director’s office. Resul was the first to speak:
– “I consider both of you friends, and I am sorry that this contradiction has arisen between you. I have come to clarify the problem, on the personal order of the Minister.”
The director did not like this introduction. Why on the Minister’s order? What business did the Minister of Internal Affairs have with a conflict that occurred in an enterprise that was not under his jurisdiction”?!
– “Tell me, why did this contradiction arise”? – Resul asked.
– “Comrade Director accuses me of supposedly interfering with his competencies,” – said the head of the cadres.
– “Yes, this is true – the director interrupted – it is not his competence to intervene in how engineers and technicians implement their projects”!
– “While I believe that my duty is precisely to surveil how the cadres of the enterprise work. We must be prepared for any unexpected event. What if there is any sabotage”?
– “Have you noted anything”? – Resul asked.
– “Not so far,” – the chief replied.
– “Precisely because of this, our contradiction arose,” – the director reinforced.
The conversation continued until noon. Each of them tried to present arguments to defeat the opponent. Resul concluded the conversation, saying:
– “I think you are both at fault. Forget about these misunderstandings and work side by side for the realization of the assigned tasks. This duty falls more to you, Comrade Director, as the leader of the enterprise.”
Resul left and compiled the report he would send to the Minister. In it, he wrote about the causes of the contradictions and proposed that one of them should be removed from the enterprise, recommending that this be the director. It wasn’t long before this proposal was realized. By order of the Minister of Construction, who had come to an understanding with the Minister of Internal Affairs, the director was demoted, being appointed as the head of a department in another enterprise.
After finishing this task, he called the Operative, who handed him the report. He stepped aside and began to read it. He was satisfied with his work.
– “Well done – he said – you have made a detailed report. But now you must continue. Now the second phase of the operation begins, and this is the most important one. We must lure Arbër into our trap. For this, we will use Ibrahim. You will work with him. He must absolutely become our agent.
He belongs to the overthrown class. So much the better for us. We should target them more. They are more valuable. If you achieve your goal, know that you will have the reward for your work. It would be a great fortune to have a cadre like you close to me in the Ministry.”
The last words were enough for the Operative regarding his future.
– “I guarantee that I will carry out your order,” – he told Resul.
– “Use the argument of his imprisoned brother. Drop the hint that, in exchange, we might return him to the family.”
– “But will we be able to”? – the Operative asked doubtfully.
– “Don’t worry, leave the rest to me. But, don’t forget, everything must be done in secret.” They parted. Memorie.al
Continues in the next issue
