Great – grandfather has agreed with this decision. They continued their way. Many people of the village welcomed them and they explained to all that they are going to relatives to Kosovo and that they won’t be here, at least for ten days. And then, when turned, they went to a cave by hidden paths.
When you rise by fifteen meters over the cave, the yard and the house in which they lived is perfectly visible from there.
When the group of the Turkish soldiers went from Plava, all knew that something bad will occur to someone. At the head of group there was a notorious pasha Selim. It was spoken about his atrocities in all parties. Poor people ran up from the road not to anger him and not to receive a beating. If he began to beat, then it was impossible to stop him.
When the group arrived to the great – grandfathers’ home, Selim pasha shouted:
“Hey, Mitre! Open the door, why do you hide in the house?!”
They knocked at the doors, but nobody opens. He sent three – four soldiers to find out in the village where they are. Milenko runs from the house to report to the pasha about the thing that the house and the cattle were left to him, and they went to relatives to Kosovo and will return in ten or more days.
“Milenko, we came by order of the cadi to take away his son and to send to service to the sultan. But if they aren’t here, and we are tired very much, kill a sheep, bring raki and wine, otherwise we will take away your child”.
The sent soldiers returned and confirmed words told by Milenko. All people dissipated and sprawled on the grass and Milenko hurried up home for raki and wine. He brought drinks and went to cut a ram, and Selim pasha cried:
“Milenko, let this ram. He will be killed by my soldiers, and bring me your wife. While I wait for a baked ram, I want to have a good time”.
Milenko fell to him in legs and began to ask not to dishonor his wife and his family. Selim pasha kicked with his leg the head and ordered to bring the wife. Otherwise he will put him on a stake.
Distance from the Machkiny wall to our house is more than a kilometer on a straight line and it was impossible to catch a conversation between Milenko and Selim pasha, but my grandfather as only he can, felt what there occurs and told in rage:
“No, Selim, you are not unique in this world…”
At the same moment he gave a hand and slightly bent the head. Didn’t pass even half of minute, Milenko beside himself went home for the wife, at this moment Selim pasha screamed as though someone stuck a knife into his stomach. All jumped without understanding, and Selim pasha began to coil from pain. He was dripping with sweat.
“Quickly, give me a horse and we go away or I will die…” – he has ordered by the weakening voice.
Soldiers have quickly gathered and started on the way back. Milenko has crossed, taken away raki and wine and happy left for home.
There has passed this adversity. Life has proceeded as though nothing has occurred. There have passed ten days and again the same soldiers have come to our house. The same Milenko has met them and told that my great – grandfather and grandfather haven’t returned yet.
“Listen, Milenko, I have nearly died of pain when I was here last time. At the moment when I have hit you as though all your pain has passed to me. Are you a sorcerer, Milenko? Now I would order to execute you to my soldiers, but only Hodge Ismet has warned me that if I kill you, you will come and torment me at night till the day I will die. Therefore, I won’t touch you and your wife, but tell Mitar come to the cadi and bring the son. If you don’t report and they won’t come, then the herald will declare you the sorcerer. You know what expects you after that. If a child in the village will die at once people will accuse you, and then the people will begin to revenge you. At first, they will burn your harvest, and will kill then the cattle. Finally, they will kill all family, and will burn you alive”.
They have left and soon after that, grandfather and his family have come back home. Milenko has come and has told everything in details. Great – grandfather promised that they are going to stay at home, but shortly will go to Plav to execute the order of the cadi. And actually, in several days they have gone, but, instead of the cadi, to one relative and were there till late in the evening. When they came back, they passed by his house. It has already darkened. For one hundred meters to his house grandfather has stretched hands to the house of the cadi. Shouts of horror were heard from there. They have continued their way, and pashas, viziers and soldiers have entered the house of the cadi by violence.
The cadi swore that during a Mohammedan prayer the spirit of Prophet has appeared to him and has ordered not to touch the son of Mitar.
“Believe, Prophet has told that our kingdom will break up and many of us will remain here. Pashas and viziers, what is done by us to these people will return to us”.
After this message all have dispersed sad and suppressed. From this day and “Mad Selim” as the people Selim pasha called, behaved decently. Neither grandfather, nor great – grandfather was touched any more.
7
So passed these few years prior to beginning the First World War. The Ottoman Empire was gone, but the world has been under other pain and a problem. Again, the cave, which my grandfather has found, played a key role for preservation of our family. This war has passed too. The time for transition has come. The exhausted people had nothing else to do but to get involved in the hard work so that the land would rise to its feet again.
Right after war great – grandfather has decided to marry my grandfather. Then there was a custom to marry off girls according to the recommendation. Our relatives have come to my great – grandfather to agree to marry off Mara who became his first wife. They have married her off with my grandfather though he wasn’t even asked about it. He lived with that woman Mara for ten years, but they had no children. Once I have asked him why he lived with her for ten years though being a clairvoyant and could know that with her he will have no children. Grandfather has answered me that felt it, but in every way tried to suppress and influence consciousness for that they gave birth to a child. He has fallen in love with her because it was beautiful as God’s angel and all the power has directed to that she has become pregnant. Then still my grandfather didn’t do ointments against different diseases and didn’t use the ability of clairvoyance that using the opportunities to mix herbs which can help from various diseases. He used only a gift of management of consciousness. But everything was in vain. The woman Mara couldn’t become pregnant in any way. Having seen the shortcoming, she has decided to leave my grandfather and the rest of life to carry out in the monastery. My grandfather missed her. He tried to dissuade her from such decision, but she was unshakable. He longed for her for a long time. In the pain he has told his father once:
“Father, I will marry once again and I will have children, and after war I will devote myself to find such means which will be able to help many women who can’t have children”.
“What war, sonny, God with you? War has just ended. We still haven’t got on feet and you remember war again. Don’t speak so, sonny, I ask God, that nobody has heard you!”
“Father, I tell it to you and you will see that this war will be much heavier and more ruinous than that was. There will pass a lot more years, but won’t be able to avoid it”.
And it was so. Grandfather married and daughter Radmila was born, then son Mischa and one more daughter Borka. And two – three years prior to war parents passed away. At first father, then mother. After their death, the grandfather began to do as much as possible stocks in a cave, sentencing: “It is useful to us more because the house will be burned”. Secretly he carried there firewood, flour, corn, salt, sugar and it is a lot of different things which will be necessary for them in unlucky days which will come. In a cave of the place there was space for more than on two hundred – three hundred people, but there was not enough water which flew down from the arch and which was enough only for thirty – forty people. The stream was nearby and grandfather filled enough bottles. Then he started walking from the house to the house and to ask from all as a loan on fifty