By Hajredin Bej Cakrani
Part One
Memorie.al / In Durrës, I meet Abdi Bey (Toptani), and he tells me quietly that since the beginning of autumn, an Englishman had come from the Serbian side; the chieftains guarding him fell into an ambush and were killed, but he narrowly escaped with a wound. This shows that he is someone of importance who stepped on their toes, even though they are fellow victors and can travel through each other’s territories. When he came to my estate, he told me that the Government of Durrës has requested Italy’s mandate at the Peace Conference – this is the greatest catastrophe! They want to tear it [Albania] into pieces as they have planned, and the English themselves have given the word for them to take Vlora as their province under that document they called “hinterland.” Indeed, their eyes were on all of Albania.
Now he cannot take back his word, but if you leave the Government standing and allow it to sign the mandate, you are finished for good! Your government must absolutely be overthrown, and a delegation – I don’t know yet, as my head is still spinning – must reject Italy’s mandate! If they sign and seal it in our name, not even our name, let alone our fatherland, will remain! – “Abdi Bey, if there is anyone in the world on Durrës’s side; it is you who first thought of the Congress, even if you stepped back later!” At that point, our souls were reaching our noses [we were desperate], and he put on a faint smile, dismissed the thought, and pushed the conversation further. – “That is why I have sent my son-in-law, who is the prefect here, Abdul Bey (Ypi), to go to Tirana and meet with Reuf Bey (Fico). Let this word spread among the leadership and the trusted ones, but keep it quiet, for one can expect anything from this government – you know it yourself since you are there!”
Even though he mocked the government, I felt a mountain of pride that he trusted me with such news! It showed that he knew everything I was struggling with every hour and minute with those in the government, and especially with those of the delegation to the Peace Conference. – “We of our provinces will gather, we will send word to the people of Kruja and Mat, to open up to their leadership, for even now as I speak, I fear it is late!” Though I couldn’t stand the English because of the border issue, I convinced myself that if even a single man they tried to kill in an ambush could cause such a stir, it would be hard to accomplish such a great task! I asked Abdi Bey where the Englishman was now. – “He left your parts, perhaps toward Berat on this business,” he told me. That was all I needed to go and meet my brother, Bektash Bey (Cakrani).
He, even worse off than I, arrived in Berat, but the Englishman – whom Abdi Bey called Eden -had reached Gjirokastra. In short, if we didn’t do something now this winter to topple the Durrës Government and establish a solid one to oppose their decisions, we were like those running with eyes closed toward an abyss! But it seems that the living is never without luck! The trouble was where this meeting could be held, for the Durrës Government was ready for any mischief! A few of us remained who had been scowling at its actions for a long time, but it didn’t care! Furthermore, the Italians were everywhere, and you could be killed by them the moment they found out, as we saw in Vlora.
Whatever happened, a Congress had to be held with representatives from all provinces, and then a government could be formed! Bektash Bey was cut out for these matters, but he told me that the Italians are everywhere, so a large force is needed to surround the place. – “Not one, but many!” I replied, as the idea took hold of me. – “A place is needed where everyone can gather at once, for time is the one thing we don’t have! Everyone’s mind is on Lushnje, what do you say?”
– “Exactly what I said, Bektash Bey,” I jumped up, “but if the people want to come at once, so will the villains and the army, so we must think carefully!” – “Hajredin Bey (Cakrani), word is being sent to the people even now, and you say ‘wait while I drink my coffee’!” – “But to have the army pour in and fight before we even start, without doing any work, is not right, Bektash Bey!” – “The gendarmerie of Lushnje is under the command of Captain Meleq Bey Frashëri, so that part is settled from within, it seems!” – “What are you saying, Bektash Bey? There are four sides to be guarded, for it is a plain and the enemy comes from where you least expect! You talk to me about twenty peasants and that marshland where a man can hardly walk!”
They thought well of it there, as a small and quiet place, but either this open spot is guarded, or we have nothing and are just talking in vain, and we’ve wasted enough time! Sulo Bey stood up and said: – “That rebel business won’t happen again, Hajredin Bey, for it would mean we are all dead; from this side of Ardenica alone I can gather two hundred or more souls right now!” Bektash looked at him and said: – “We won’t just stand guard; the greatest Italian force, as you know, is concentrated in Vlora, and in three hours they could be here, and you will have to face them yourself!” – “And I will face them, for it is no shame; but we have Kamber Bey (Belishova) with others, and we can speak to Hysni Toska, and like before, if need be, we’ll set it ablaze again!” Bektash Bey looked at him once and shook his head.
Kamber Bey was capable and said: “Let it be done, I am here for you day and night, but as we talk, we should be moving like a storm to get the forces ready. But what about the north, where we have your Durrës government and the Italians with cannons and machine guns?! Better that I go and arrange for some force to come from there, and from the other side I have been given word that a force with men from the Dumrea area has arrived.” I turned pale and turned to my brother Bektash: – “That is my government, yours, Sulo Bey’s, and that of all us Albanians who do things haphazardly, and we are the ones who, when these messy affairs bring us to the edge, find the solution in the rifle! It must have been a great curse that never left our heels, that we never solved a thing with civility like the rest of the world, but always ‘one-two’ and the rifle!”
My brother laughed and said: – “That world is full of trickery toward us, which is why the fatherland needs us this day; and don’t take offense, I was only joking!” – “You can’t show me the fields,” I told him, “for I held your hand when you were learning to walk, but we haven’t done things like civilized people! The world is obsessed with this bit of marshland! They see our minds and play us for fools, and that is why I am angry! But let us go to Lushnje and settle things, to see who they have designated as a force for the northern side, or we shall tell them ourselves.” – “You’ve exhausted me with speeches; I had that in mind long ago, but you won’t let a mind rest!”
When we went there, about a hundred or so men from Mat had arrived, led by a very young man, twenty or so years old, from the house of the Zogollajs, whom they called Amet Bey (Zogu). I had heard of him from my brother, that the houses of the Matjans and the Toptanis had some old marriage ties. And now it seemed he was nephew to Essad Pasha (Toptani), which troubled me more than Essad Pasha himself, who had been haunting our dreams for years. But my brother Bektash read my mind, it seemed, and asked him: – “Amet Bey, I have a son your age, and it makes me proud as a mountain to see how you have taken up this task. But tell me, how is it you didn’t follow your uncle [Essad] when he came to fight the rebels? For he poured into your parts with an army, and you followed him, perhaps rightfully!”
Ahmet Bey, who was sharper of mind than we presumed, said: – “True, when he arrived in our parts I was but a child compared to the other captains who decided to follow him, though I had young men with me even then. And he needed a great force to crush the rebels, but there he sensed that you don’t talk back to him, nor even think it! So I told him that since he was a great force, whether I came or not made no difference! – ‘Listen, uncle, since you’ve set out on this great task, I raise my hands and say Inshallah [God willing]! But if you finish this great work, I will say Mashallah [God be praised]!'”
He turned dark with rage, though he sensed it might or might not be a child’s mind; but a great man like him – let alone me – couldn’t talk back to him! So I rushed to my father’s side to settle it as the master of the house: – ‘You are in our home, and if only for a coffee, you will honor us!’ He, grinding the thought in his head, came to Burgajet and stayed the night, but whether he ever let go of that thought about me, I still do not know today!” – “You surprise me, Ahmet Bey,” Bektash Bey tried to settle the conversation, “how everyone followed him, including Xhelal Bey and all the rest, and you, a mere youth, had the mind to talk back to him. Now, I am ten years older than my brother, but when it comes to fighting, we don’t talk back to him, for it is his trade, and he wouldn’t wish us ill!” – “Bey, you are fighting me with words to make me say what you want! Then let me ask you, are you speaking with an open heart or not?”
Bektash nodded, and Amet Bey said: – “A thought told me to go where the others went, but I, a youth, would talk back; but you should know, Bey, that I could have followed the uncle you’re thinking of, and perhaps made a fortune. But at most, I would have become his head guard among those jackals he keeps behind him. This would mean that for every enemy he has in abundance from east to west, I would be the first to take the bullet, while he threw a few coins at me! So, whatever you may think of whether Essad Pasha is anything to me, I am here for the fatherland, just as I was a child in Vlora – whom you, Bey, do not remember,” he turned to me. – “For I don’t think that you, Bey, who have fought for a lifetime and of whom we have always heard, would think this one has lost his mind and come to be killed for Essad Pasha!” He shook his head and said something in their tongue to the men of Mat, who only lowered their heads and we only heard, “Peqe!” [As you wish].
I truly do not remember how many highlanders (Gegs) came, from Isa Bey (Boletini) and many others, and when autumn came and the government was formed in Vlora, they all came and gave their advice. If Amet Bey was then among the children bringing coffee, we wouldn’t have noticed him in a hundred years! Now here he was with all those men ready, so determined to fight and protect the fatherland, which was all in all a few people who would come from all his provinces. – “Amet Bey, it is as you said,” but he cut him off: – “Listen, Bey! I didn’t come here because they convinced me, but it seemed to me the fatherland – now that it might disappear from the world – spoke to me in its own tongue. And if I didn’t show up now, shame would seize me like a mountain and weigh on my soul for life!”
– “For this fatherland, we might be killed today or tomorrow, but this is how we have paid our debt to it – I mean us young ones, for you who have fought a lifetime have done your part long ago!” He went his way, we went ours, but my brother Bektash knew that the whole point of the Congress would be to choose a man capable of the task! And for the army, because until now, every representation that held large meetings said: ‘Leave these two alone, they belong to Essad Pasha!’ And when even the Prince did this, leave the others be! – “This boy,” my brother said, “will be needed more than anyone; it seems, here at the Congress!”
For they hadn’t even thought this time about who they would put in the government they would proclaim in this chaos that could erupt at any moment! For you didn’t know which side to guard against – the Durrës government or the Italian army that was everywhere! The Serbs were leaving no stone unturned to take the entire North. And to put Essad Pasha or some Prince in his place. For not only he, but all those others signed to take the remainder of this piece of land, like the Greeks with their old tune; and to take up a duty like a ministry, for instance, seemed at this time like committing suicide!
I told Bektash Bey at the time: – “Why don’t you take a minister’s post, for instance, since they respect you?” – “Hajredin Bey, we are of another sort, with honor; for in this land, if you haven’t known it, I’ll tell you: the easiest thing is to insult or bark at the other for why he didn’t do this or that, and we cannot endure such things! But if they ask for our advice, then yes! That is why I don’t put you in these affairs, for they will drive the mind out of your head. After what you suffered from your Congress, I hope this one goes well and knocks the teeth out of those Durrës puppets you were listening to!” – “You won’t convince me here, Bektash Bey; you have Albanians whichever way you turn, and one has one fault, the other has another, and they are never alike,” we talked by the fire in that January cold.
Whenever Sulo Bey came from Lushnja, he would tell us the news, how many delegates had arrived and how many were on their way. My brother Sulo Bey has always been big-hearted, but this time he supported them with money, food, and everything, keeping our force on his estates in Ardenica, waiting for the enemy to come from Vlora! He outdid us all this time! When we heard that they had killed Abdi Bey’s son-in-law, who was prefect in Durrës, Abdul Bey! He was among the first who started this work after the words of the Englishman, and the Durrës puppets who haunted us killed him. I was saying to myself, how did I even stay there? But he is coming with some men and, of course, with Turhan Pasha (Përmeti), who – la rivière a pris [is finished/the river took him].
They were all of a kind, whoever they would put as prime minister, when they are all only good for swaggering and showing off! Their eyes weep for this, but when even Turhan Pasha became like them, expect no more! But no, this was a different time, and we haven’t been in such danger in a hundred years, not even in 1912. At the head of our force, we had left Kamber Bey and others, Hysni Toska and the rest, and for any surprise, they were to send a man to me, and I left for Lushnje. There, they didn’t have a proper state building to house everyone in those muds. We went and met Bektash Bey with Aqif Pasha, who had arrived and was the eldest of all, and at that time, a greater patriot for everyone could not be found.
But not many delegates had arrived, and the Congress could not begin! There is no man on earth who supported Ismail Bey (Qemali) without any doubt or interest until the end more than he! Whether he didn’t want to, or didn’t reach it, to take upon you to reconcile two men who had gripped power by the throat then – no matter how much the Great Powers spoke of it – it was like trying to pound water in a mortar! If he had in mind that with the fall of the governments in Vlora and Durrës, Elbasan would become the center and he would push back Essad Pasha and Ismail Bey to become master himself, he was deceived for a hundred years!
But with Bektash Bey, as I have said, it was hard to do these things, but something that had happened with my brother could have caused such trouble that everything might have been overturned at once! Therefore, Aqif Pasha told him that what my brother had undertaken was so dangerous that the Italians could arrive in three hours and, in this evil time; everything would go down the river! – “Let’s see if another method might work because of what you’ve taken on. For if you represent the people of Vlora today, word spreads, and we cannot have war on one side and assembly on the other in one place, as if you didn’t know the evil time that is spread on our table!”/Memorie.al
Continues next issue
