By Sokrat Shyti
Part Twenty-Three
Memorie.al / The writer Sokrat Shyti is the “great unknown” who, for several years, has revealed the peak of the iceberg of his literary creativity. I mention this based on the limited number of his books published in recent years, primarily the voluminous novel “The Phantom Night” (Tirana 2014). The novels: “BEYOND THE MYSTERY”, “BETWEEN TEMPTATION AND WHIRLPOOL”, “THE DIGGING OF NIGHTMARES”, “THE SHADOW OF SHAME AND DEATH”, “THE CHIEF COLONEL”, “THE DAMPENED HOPES”, “THE CONFUSIONS OF DESTINY” I, II, “SURVIVAL IN THE COWSHED”, as well as other works, all novels ranging from 350 to 550 pages, are in manuscripts waiting to be published. The dreams and initial fervor of the young novelist, who returned from studies abroad full of energy and love for art and literature, were cut short early on by the brutal edge of communist dictatorship.
Who is Sokrat Shyti?
Returning from studies at the State University of Moscow, shortly after the interruption of Albanian-Soviet relations in 1960, Sokrat Shyti worked at Radio “Diapazon” (which at that time was located on Kavaja Street), in an editorial team with his journalist friends – Vangjel Lezho and Fadil Kokomani – both of whom were later arrested and executed by the communist regime. In addition to the radio, 21-year-old Sokrat, if we can imagine him, had passionate literary interests at that time. He wrote his first novel “Madam Doctor” and was on the brink of publication, but… alas! Right after the arrest of his friends, as if to fill the cup, a brother of his, 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 younger sister) in a location between Ardenica and Kolonje in Lushnje. For 27 years in a row, the family lived in cattle shed made of reeds, without windows, while Sokrat was subjected to forced labor. During those 27 years, he was legally obligated to report three times a day to the local authority. He had no right to move from the place of internment and was deprived of all kinds of documentation, etc. In these conditions, amidst a cattle shed, he bore and raised children. Precisely based on this event, or more accurately, a very long history of persecution, he was inspired to write the book “Survival in the Cowshed”!
Agron Tufa
Continues from the previous issue
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK “SURVIVAL IN THE COWSHED”
Therefore, the progress of the play quickly found its place. In the general rehearsal before the audience in Lushnje, the performance was deemed a successful achievement by the “specialists” and was warmly greeted by the spectators. The members of the local committee felt relieved that they had succeeded and had not failed. However, they were still anxiously awaiting the evaluation of the great leader of the Party. They were completely freed from the tension when the First Secretary told the chairman of the committee to convey personal congratulations to the amateur troupe for the fact that with simple stagecraft and in a short period of time, they had staged a truly theatrical performance!
The warm words of the great Party leader towards our amateur troupe, but especially his friendly attitude towards me and my family (which was brought to my attention in good faith by the assistant to the First Secretary), influenced me to return closer to my youthful age, to participate freely in the jokes during the breaks between rehearsals, and for the first time after three years, I no longer felt lonely, disregarded by society and acquaintances! However, I still had not taken the step towards getting closer to my older sister, creating the most astonishing paradox, since her place of residence was almost adjoining the cultural house!
To accomplish this move a few centimeters, a powerful push from someone with weight and influence was needed; one who could possess the right energy to melt the thick ice of class struggle and assure us that there would be no bitter consequences after the turning point when the green light was lit. This rather delicate and difficult burden was taken on by the assistant to the First Secretary. He skillfully and maturely carried out the proper mediation with my sister’s husband: he explained to him that the time had come to invite his brother-in-law to the house, since the previous stance could not continue under the new conditions when your wife’s brother comes daily to the cultural house, very close to you.
– “Comrade Qemal instructed me to tell you: it is not at all humane for your sons to see their uncle so close and not feel his embraces and caresses! Therefore, as the head of the family and the parent of the children, it is your duty to invite him for dinner at home. Comrade Qemal would be very pleased that not just for one night, but throughout the entire rehearsal period, he could stay at your home…!” The husband of my sister was moved and teared up from this message! After this moment, in his eyes, the First Secretary of the Party Committee took on wonderful human forms, which he had not noticed in any of his previous predecessors.
This attitude opened a new window in his class understanding; he began to see the class struggle from a different perspective, as the secretary of the basic organization of the Party, somewhat softened towards close people who were condemned without having committed any offense and labeled as “enemies,” when in fact they were honest and dignified members of this society, possessing positive energy and ready to showcase their abilities for the benefit of the Homeland!
The husband of my sister was among the idealistic communists, with beliefs deeply rooted and blindly devoted to communism, viewed as the one and only bright and peaceful future for all of humanity. Therefore, being an idealistic believer, he diligently fulfilled all party and state duties, representing the perfect example of a state employee, distinguished as a caring and compassionate parent and an honest family man!
Under the weight of innocent remorse, after the advice of the assistant to the First Secretary of the Party Committee, he told the cleaner of the Cultural House to inform his brother-in-law that; after the rehearsals, he would meet him at home! Through this stance, he sought forgiveness for having been so distant and “wild” during the past months. It was almost as if he were telling me directly to my face:
“It is unforgivable on my part that I forced myself to behave against my feelings and desires, continuously suppressing my thoughts within my being! You cannot imagine how many difficulties I felt when I tried to reconcile my wife with your sister, as we are urged so persistently to deny our blood!”
Even today I am shaken when I envision that unforgettable evening, overwhelmed by such strong emotions at the moment I embraced my older sister! We cried and were moved for a long time, like children! Meanwhile, the grown sons looked at their parents with silent reproach, almost blaming them as if they were the true causes of this painful and senseless separation!
They didn’t hide the harsh truth either: if you both made an effort to convey the echo of desire to the ear of the First Secretary, through his assistant, the reconciliation would have happened more quickly! But even towards me, you felt constrained and ashamed by the humiliation of remorse, as you did not heed the call of blood. Because it was also their duty to awaken parental feelings, reasoning that grandmother, uncle, and aunt are completely innocent, hence they must be kept close.
To avoid hurting feelings, the conversation did not touch on the frightening issue of the escape, even though curiosity urged us to explore the mystery of the departure, to relieve some of the heavy oppressive burden that had divided the family and placed members in opposing barricades, forcing us to look at one another with hostile eyes! Our discussion included the past years when the boys were still children and I often visited their house to play with the hunting hounds, until I left the city of Lushnje for the gymnasium in Shkodër.
Then the talk naturally shifted to the health condition of the mother, “the great burden,” whose troubles never seemed to end, and her pains were not alleviated; on the contrary, her last trauma rendered her half a person, because besides the suffering endured in those terrible living conditions, she experienced internally the “disappearance” of her son!
Regardless of how they gossip in the circles and the harsh accusations coming from the very mouth of the mother against her son (for committing the irresponsible act of escape, which stained the family of Thanas Shyti, devastating the lives of the mother, brother, and sister), still, somewhere deep within her soul, a part of the pain remains, because he was conceived and came from her body, nourished with her blood, and nurtured with her breast milk, hoping that when he grew up, he would help the household and not become an ungrateful and bread-kicking person, whose actions would set fire to the disintegration, revealing himself as a selfish and ruthless individual, who blew away without hesitation the dreams of his sister and brother at the blossoming age, when she was preparing to start her own family, while the younger brother stood on the threshold of a significant turning point, on his way to recognition as a writer!…
Despite the start of the conversation and the silent promise not to touch upon our shared wound, the escape, this agreement suddenly changed course and took an undesirable direction, not to vent the accumulated anger against the “wrongdoer,” because what had happened could not be undone.
But as members of the parental family, we wanted to clarify and specify the most mysterious point of this action, which circulated almost everywhere as a speculation: could it be that what happened, the escape of our brother, might have been a scheme orchestrated by the State Security, based on the fact that he, during the time he worked as a painter at the Border Directorate, received instructions for the secret task? (Furthermore, they had the support base for the escape through the shelter of our uncle in America).
However, after the harsh observation from the First Secretary of the Party Committee directed at the head of the Internal Department, “the Shyti family must not be treated like that of a criminal!”, there was a division into two groups around this speculation: some believed more and were convinced that the painter must have been sent by our secret services.
Now, after almost 3 years (when he, with his tricks, has lost his trail and inevitably changed his external appearance, name, and surname, fluently learned the local spoken language), the local craftsmen of these affairs have informed the great Party leader: the period of torture for the three members of the Shyti family in the cowshed is over!
Because no one here dares to play with the fire that turns one to ash, to openly oppose the Government Commission, to give orders for a declassified individual to be included, without prior scrutiny, in the theater group!… Even if he were a well-known actor, this concession could not be granted, let alone an amateur!
The second group (smaller in number but clearer in reasoning) rejected the speculation that the painter was an agent infiltrated by State Security, basing their opposition entirely on the fact of softening the class struggle against the Shyti family. According to them, the opposite should happen, that is, the intensification of suffering should be maximized to force the three members to spew venom against the regime of the people’s power, as only through this stance could they become more trustworthy against the foreign intelligence that was secretly working here and monitoring every indirect movement related to the “infiltrated agent.”
The debate about these two speculations continued even after dinner. Only when we realized that these doubts brought nothing better than what the First Secretary provided with his courageous, humane stance, did we cease the examination of this matter. It was important for us that the “blockade” for the residents of the cowshed had been lifted and that we could visit my elder sister’s house at any time without permission from the Internal Department, without worrying that there would be serious consequences. Mother’s eyes shone when I told her about the positive turn in our family!
– “Here’s a living proof that God above in heaven helps innocent people when he sees that evil becomes greedy…” – she said, making the sign of the cross before the icon of St. Mary. – Could you imagine that at the head of the Party Committee there is such a magnanimous, just, and courageous leader?!… As it is said, there is no forest without pigs, but the opposite is equally true: even where evil reigns, good thrives.”
– “I will record this prophetic saying in my memory to use in the words of a wise woman,” – I replied, embracing her.
– “These are your affairs, my son… – she added with a deep sigh. – I feel relieved to hear the request to write after three years!”
– “This desire is constantly within me, even when they believed that satanic evil had drowned it!” – I emphasized. – “It is never separated from my spirit and mind. I hope the blessed moment will come for it to burst forth!”
– “It will certainly come! God, the Great Mercy, will help us set things right in this country, even though the day seems quite distant when the faith, oppressed by heretics, will return to us again!” – She pointed out with conviction, to give me encouragement. – “For our family, the first signs of hope have been given: you met friends and comrades! You went to the house of your sister-in-law! With the intervention of the First Secretary, we hope to escape from the cowshed! And with the help of this magnanimous man, they will give you another job, alongside the fact that we will move freely, like humans and not like slaves, as we have been for these 3 years…”
– “Then let’s start with the free movement that we desire so much…” – I added with a smile. – “Prepare the undergarments, the clothes, because tomorrow we will go to your older daughter!”
– “Did she say that herself, or did you ask her?” – She asked with a penetrating gaze. “This desire was first expressed by the son-in-law!” – I added, quite pleased.
– “May it be blessed!” – She sighed, making the sign of the cross.
– “I will ask you for one thing, even though I am sure you have it in mind: do not even mention the escape of the lost label, as this provocation inevitably brings back the past grievances that you have expressed to me. Your older daughter and our sister should not hear these grievances, as this upsets both of you when you only need warmth and love!”
– “I am glad to hear this advice from you, as I was about to tell you the same, for you to keep it in mind during our conversation, since the tongue goes where the tooth hurts!” – said mother with a gentle gaze. – “A forgiven head is not expected!” – An old saying goes. There is no doubt that the son-in-law and my daughter, your older sister, have felt deep remorse.
Because just like me, they are parents; they experience the same pains and shocks when their children face injustices and setbacks. Mothers, wherever they may be, at every occasion and at all times, remain mothers. Children change as they grow. Your greatest test toward a mother is seen when your own children are born.
After this warm conversation with my mother, I went to my corner of books to review once more in the sieve of my mind everything that had happened in recent days, because it seemed to me like a gilded rainbow, that appears suddenly in the sky after a series of downpours, radiating with the magnificence of the human spirit!
More than anything else, the powerful and indelible impression left by the presence of the conflicting mentality in the First Secretary of the Party Committee, the most important leader in the region, the conveyor of the ideology and policies of the Communist Party (known internationally as atheistic, with a mission to incite class struggle, fostering enmity among members of the same family for thinking differently from one another), who suddenly appears with a contrary worldview, dismissing the wild nihilistic vision, surprised us all with the shimmer of the human rainbow of greatness, leaving us stunned to wonder: is it possible for such a strange symbiosis to exist?…
Precisely this contradiction ignited in my reasoning hearth a terrifying thought: Was there an external malicious push in the adoption of the Government Commission’s Decision for Internment-Expulsion against me and the Shyti family, from malevolent individuals in the literary field, with strong influence over one of the most significant members, carrying the cruel burden of punishment aimed to inflict more suffering and horrific writhing, saturated with satanic hatred, to ultimately desecrate and reduce my resistance to contemptuous submission, forcing me under the terrible pressure of the communist hell to plead to fate at every hour and moment, only for bodily survival, and, being drained from forced fatigue, not to have a single free moment to imagine myself as a writer?!…/Memorie.al
Continues in the next issue
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