MARIA AND FILIP
Maria was one of Young woman in family. Newlywed for a Filip, she have taken over early duties to release her mother in law, which was seriously ill. Also this give her chance to spend sometime alone with her husband, before he leave after every day duties. In the kitchen was nice and cozy. Separate building of living quarters, build as everything else of lime stone. No plaster ewer covered the walls.Walls was black around the open fire- place, suited on Eastern wall with smoke overhang, black as well. From the middle of the overhang, hang the chain with hook on which is above the fire big black iron pot. In the pot was water boiling already and she tossed potatoes from woven basket, called sprtvica in it. This morning she will cook potatoes and fried some bacon, using the fat melted from bacon the year before, to spice up potatoes. Also she cooked something what smell as coffee, but grains did not looks even close to the coffee beans. It was wheat baked slowly over the fire grind in metal coffee grinder, it will taste as real thing and mixed with mild, will warm up the Man before long day.
Filip was tall man in his mid twenties and was as all other’s in family. Tall over six feet slim and trim, no fat can be found on his masculine body, heavy work in fields and mountains, forests turn his body in pure muscle. Home made shirt stretch tightly on his shoulders, and one will have filling to will burst on seams. Like coal black hair, curled, in
Un-combable nuts, support black hat with sun shield made of wool. Pants is of wool to, in it natural color and in hot summer days they will cool the body, when in winter they will preserve the body temperature, allowing the wearer to spend almost unlimited time outdoors. “Good morning” Maria answered, and continues to work. As by accident finding the kitchen to small, her flying vushtan will touch Filip here and there. At the moment, he did not think nothing about seriously, but when game continue, reflection of fire in his eyes, take life of his own. Full round Maria hips was all he can see taking part in the game he try to catch her and missed. She start to smile, guttural, deep, from throat and that increase the will in the Filip. ”Would you get me some eggs from the stall?” he ask.
Maria shake head and two long braids, thick as Filip’s arm fly around her head. She left the kitchen, and moment after Filip left kitchen in hurry. Slowly Filip open the door of a stall. Stall was under living quarters on the first floor. In winter, heat of animals in the stall will keep bedrooms warm, when in the summer when animals were on pasture, bedrooms will be cool. On one end was dry leafs, gathered in forest last winter, for animals to keep them clean and dry, through the year. Stall was full of familiar odors of mule’s, horses, donkeys, sheep’s and chicken. Wooden half walls separate the different places for different animals and chicken have chosen farthest to make they nest. He past the length of stall without sound, Maria “unaware” of his presence have been on her knees and picking the eggs from
the nest’s in sprtvica. Filip silently approach her and get on his knees, give her bear hug which she liked so much, She make noise as of surprise and quickly turn in his arms. They mouths meet in a hot kiss and whole world stop to exist for them. They was catching each other and dive through dry lives, playing as two children until she give up and give his hug, pull him on her full body. His hands shaking of excitement lift her vushtan and under skirt. Only hot breathing and muffled ooh and aaaahhhh can be heard. On first floor in his parents bedroom, her mother in law Manda, wake up her husband and with smile on her face said quietly: “Pavle, do you think to I will see my grandson before I die?” On beginning he pretend to can not wake up, and then first time in many years he hug her gently and said: “Shut up, you can not live me with little kids alone. I have mans job to do, and this is a women’s job to take care about grandkids, everybody know that, so don’t bother me with stupid questions. You can not die until you see the kids grow”.
It was against the tradition to man show feelings. Something like big apple seat in his throat and he have trouble to talk. So he pretend to cough and clear the something-nothing from choked throat. He never told her after they was married to he love her, he never give her hug in public. But they still give birth to sixteen children. If you ask him about, he will never admit to he love her, but deep inside his heart was bleeding and he was scared to death to he will be left alone. He do not remember to his father ewer told his mother any
gentle works and to expose the love in words was unheard of…Man not suppose to do that. Women was, as priest in church often said on German: “Man is to be worker, provider and soldier if king ask for it, and woman was only good for Kuhe, Kirche and Kinde.” What we will said : for kitchen, church and kinds. This was hard times and was asking for a special breed of people. No necessary words, no expression of fillings. But couple stick together, no man ewer beat the woman, no yells was ewer heard of, divorce was unheard thing to do and it was clear to man’s word is last. It was tough world. His wife did not inspect any show felling, and will probably ask herself, what’s wrong if he did do that. That was only for town people, spoiled people as she know to said or lazy people if he was talking about.
In stall all was not quiet. No sound was heard from under the thin pine wood planks floor. Maria have put her vushtan in order, he pull some lives from her hair, pull up his pants, tighten the belt and straighten the shirt. They walk out from stall and in to the kitchen together.
Potatoes was already done and she start to drain the water. She pour cold water over the potatoes to cool them down and hang the frying pan on to the chain. Thick slices of bacon soon was sizzling and become red, than she throw handful of chopped onion on the grease and stirred until was light yellow. Than she throw on chopped potatoes and stir all
together. After while potatoes become light brown and she brake couple of eggs over. Still sizzling, she put the food on wooden plate and put with wooden spoon on the front of him. On the low wooden home made table with tree legs, was already bread, baked in oven, which once a week bake ten round breads size of wheel barrel wheel, he get his pocket knife and cut slice of bread size of his hand. Next to a plate was by some magic appear steaming cup of coffee, and homemade sheep cheese. She seat on low three legged seat across from him and seat quietly, watching him eat. Maria did not eat. Contentedly just seat there and watch him eat, was all she wanted at that moment. Plate was soon empty, and he cut another little piece of bread and wipe plate clean. He light the cigarette and full of self confidence, puff the smoke in the air. Peace was all around them, and all was right.
This morning Filip was to go in to the Mountain with supple of salt for sheep’s and food for sheep herders. Also there was couple of wolf and bear traps made at hem by his father. Traps was needed to catch the predators which was to lazy to hunt. He prepare old musket, remaining in the family from Venetian war’s, but still good enough to kill the bear. Maria already have bring the animals to be saddled. Mule Ridja (Rusty) two horses and two donkeys. Home made cargo saddles was put on they back, on the blankets specially woven for that purpose. Ridja was not happy and try to bite or to get somebody with her hind huffs. She was working only when she liked. Otherwise one can brake thick stick over her
back, but she will not move. All goodies was loaded and animals tightened for a tail of each other. First horses the tallest ones, then mule and donkeys on the end. Maria handle him home made back pack of bright colored wool in inside was bottle with bevanda (half vine/half water to quench the thirst) piece of bread, dried sausage and cheese. Cigarettes, matches in oil skin. After he fit the back pack Maria handle him rifle and gun powder and bullets. She hold his hands for a moment and he was on his way.
Brass bells hanging under the necks of saddled horses, mules and donkeys, unison tolled as soon as column start up the hill path called Progon, what’s mean “Where all pass with they animals” Progon was long strait rocky path, made of limestone polished by millions of hoofs of passing animals and human feet. It was there before, it was there then, and it was there not. It was probably there when first predecessors arrive. Only what change on Progon was amount of dirt. Dirt was washed down the hill by fall and spring torrential rain’s which will pour down suddenly and suddenly how they started they will stop, with tons of dirt being washed from in-between the boulders down the path and in to the Sea in the Bay. Step by step, column climbed up the hill, bells was weaker more and more. Trees will never grow tall in this land again. All year round they try to grow and then in a moment North wind come Bura Whistling, cold strong, so strong to sometime one must to hold for a tree or bushes not to be blown away. Bura will blow and blow, for a days until
all weak branches, all dirt and dust, grass short after sheep’s was grazing, be blown away. This was a bad lands if ever one have seen one. But people survived and prosper in this harsh conditions, with the love for a homeland and satisfaction to others just come and go. After hour’s of marching always up and up, cavalcade reach lowest hill of mountain.
There he make first stop. He open the vessel for a water made of sheep skin and pour some in shallow wooden pot, each animal get same amount of water. He did not take cargo down, animals take rest under the saddles and Filip seat in the grass, open the back pack Maria have loaded or him this morning. He pull out white lines and put on the grass in front of him. Lined up all food and then solemnly take hat off and silently said prayer. Hat back on his head Filip start to eat. He was, munching little bites, little bit of this and that, everything will find the space in his mouth and strong white teeth will grind the food, slowly, delaying the swallowing to a last possible moment. Every once a while, he will lift up the gallow cowered with woven branches, and take a swallow of bevanda. After maybe fifteen minutes he pack up, and rewarded animals in column with some sugar cubes. If his father see what he was doing , there will be scolding. Sugar was not for animals it was too expensive.
Step after step, they was climbing up the mountain chest and soon disappear in first big Valley on their way. In that valley his uncle Krste have sheep herders and summer camp,
Krste’s wife have give to him letter, and Filip must go out of his way for a full hour to deliver it. Finally he smelled the smoke of the fire and little stony house was in front of him. Only door was opening on the Drste house and Filip start calling. “Hello, hello, anybody home? Its me Filip, I have letter for you!”
Finally door open wide and skinny man, with no fat on his bony structure, but muscles, playing under the skin with every move, with head which was dark of sun exposure and full of lines, deep facial lines, so deep to bottom was almost white, big nose, roman nose which was characteristic of whole family was in between dark brown eyes overshadowed by eyebrows bushy as bushes in the mountain meadows.
Krste walk out and shake hands with Filip. He take letter and did not say the word. Not surprised by Krste’s rudeness Filip turn around and backtrack himself to a trail leading in higher elevations. Delivery of a letter make him thinking why Krste always stay on the side of family, who he do not talk and why he do not smile. But prospect to come to his own range in Velebit soon take away clouds from his forehead and he continue toward the peaks behind which was big valley in which was sheep herders and animals. Valley was in the morning shadow of the St. Brdo peak and was good protection from Bura and a Lightning during the storms from South. Something was in that peak what make lightning to hit the ground so many times to stone was crunched like in a stone mill, almost to a
gravel size. On the other side pasture was the best just because was protected of elements by the body of a mountain peak. Under the northern slopes of St. Brdo was the small Valley within the main Valley, more meadow but there was no running water, Filip’s grand, grand father or maybe his grand, grand father have build the sheep herder house in one ravine full of boulders which was rutted deep in to the walls of the hills. House was as all others build of stones, found all over. White rain washed stones, laying for a centuries around house was small, one room which was at the same time kitchen, storage and bedroom northern corner was fireplace with always running fire. Above the fire, on the black chain hang big pot in which one of a sheep herders have pour all milk collected after milking a 400 sheep’s. Milk already hot, smelled nice and inviting. After milk boiled for a while they will take of all fat and after its cool down transfer in a special molds for a cheese, where will be seasoned and collected until is enough to fill up the mold. After that it will be stocked on a shelf put some weights on and getting hard, until the time to change mold and expose cheese to a smoke for a further seasoning. Rest of milk will be poured in goat skin vessels. Vessels was made of a goat or sheep hide when animal was skinned. Skin is cleaned and with special preparations and handling made liquid proof. This milk will be mixed with a salt and herbs in powder and after one year of seasoning, hanged on the rafters it will be ready for a consumptions. This was called Mishina, it was salty, it was
sour, but this reach taste was just what everybody was looking for. Town people will pay high price for a half kilogram of this delicacy. Under the roof was already dozen of full mishina goat skins, witnesses to a hard labor of sheep herders which get up in the morning before sunrise and start milking the sheep’s.
Filip walk out and take cargo of the animals, caring everything in to the house and stocking on the proper shelves. After taking care of cargo, he take saddles of the sweaty backs and grab some old rugs and start rubbing and rubbing, until horses, mules and donkey start blowing they’re nostrils satisfied. Then he take all of them in special dust pond where they laid down and start to roll back and forth until hide was well full of dust keeping the horse fly’s away. Protection was needed because big horse fly will bite and sting and sometime drive them nuts. After that he put short straps on the front legs and on this way he let them go on pasture without fear to they will walk far away. Now he was ready to take care of himself. He was hungry, tired of a hiking, always up the mountain but satisfied to he have made on the record time and without the trouble.
Filip fill up one Bukara, wooden cup made of a special evergreen wood split in tiny planks not thicker than a quarter centimeter, and held together with wooden belts made of soft wooden branches collected around the river, about one day of rowing from Rovanjska. Under special cower made of fine steel mesh, and made to keep food away of the flys, he
found the big round bread baked under the peka (thin like pot lid, and made for a bread baking in the town of Knin, good three days of walk from his village) and cut the hefty chunk with his trusty pocket knife sharp as razor blade. In the cold mountain air he sit in front of the house, on the bench made of one piece of stone and the table carved of the another. Mother nature give them all they need and they knew how to use any chance to use it properly. He put the bukara on the table, bread next to it and return in the house for a peace of cheese. Finally he sit down and stretch his long legs. Milk steam slowly climbed in to the cold herbs, bushes and the garlic from little garden behind the house. He byte bread, then cheese, and chewed slowly, enjoying the juices for a long time before swallow. His black bushy mustache collected fat from the milk surface and was shining under the sun. Finally taking the last byte and seep of milk he lean back, his back found the support on the house wall and, finally finding the right spot he pull bag with tobacco and start to roll his cigarette match sizzle on the surface of a stone table and he lit the roll up, inhale for a long time and exhale long and satisfied puff of a blue smoke in to the air, in front of his eyes was idyll of mountain peace, disturbed only with chirping of birds in the makia, and far toll of a bells around the sheep’s necks. It was peaceful, this felling surrounded and soothe everything and everybody and nothing was better than his life. Nothing can be better. Nobody can have better.
From the bottom of the valley haze start to emerge in the air. Filip knew to herd is on the way back, it will take another hour or so until he see the head of the herd. Old Broken horn will be as always on the leading position and his heavy head will sway from left to right in the bit of walk. Filip remember Broken Horn was always there, when Filip was only a child. It was no better leader of the heard far away. When people want to take pieces of the herd to the market, they will come to the Filip to barrow Old Broken Horn just to lead. Now he can hear barking of dogs Dalmatian sheepherder’s, he have five of them and have made for them collar with the spikes, in case to wolf’s or bear attack the heard, will not kill the good dogs. Collars was wide, made of bull’s hide reinforced with the metal stripe with sharp spikes sandwiched between. This collars already save two dogs of death in attack of a wolf pack last fall. This dogs of his, after battle was finish, have numerous wounds, one lost the ear, one lost the eye, here and there was no more furs on they shoulders, but warriors as they are have gain the respect of the wolfs which not intend to visit other herds. Filip have hear about attacks as far as from Tulove Grede and many owners have ask to barrow the dogs just for a few days hoping to wolfs will remember the dogs and go away. But Filip never let the dogs go, knowing to dogs will not understand, and never forgive such thing. This was THEIR flock, and THEIR men and all.
After avail he sow the white sea of hide rolling gently over pasture, dogs running busy
around keeping the sheep’s in tight formation, two young herders on the end of the herd and oldest one leading position with curbed stick in his hand.
Sometime past before he can hear the baking of the dogs clear in a crisp air, beeee, beeee, beee of the sheep’s, and toll of brass bells. Pretty soon he hear the chuckle of herders and short whistle of youngsters on the end of the herd. When Filip sighted Old Broken Horn he get up from the stone and open the pen door. He stay next to entrance and watch then first bundle of rolling fur enter the pen. Then he turn around and shake the hand of leader which was with his family so long to have teach Filip how to walk. Youngsters finish securing the last sheep’s in to the pen and left by they chores, and old herder and Filip seat in the front of the house and talk about the things, this and that what happen since Filip was last time in the Velebit and what’s was done, what’s have to be done. Old herder was widow and Filip’s family was only family he have, and Filip know to he can trust him as his father have done before. Old one was name Mate. Mate ask Filip if he did indeed bring him some tobacco and wrapping paper, because that was right now most important thing. He run of last tobacco some days back and all was aching for a good smoke. Filip knew Old man weakness toward good cigarette and have one bag ready for him long time before saw them in the distance. Mate roll first real cigarette in a long time and with deep satisfaction inhale deep, the warm, blue, aromatic Tobacco smoke. He hold his breath for a
while and sensed how all through his body travel sensation of light dizziness and his head become light. Tobacco make him so weak to he experience slight vertigo and must spread his legs to keep the balance. He knew to smoking make him cough in early morning and some time spit the blood but he just did not feel like quit smoking. That was one of rare things which he was not ready to give up in his life. On the other side, he unconsciously wanted to join his late wife in one better world without her work, cold winters, hunger…..he never thought about, but he miss her so bad to some time pain in the chest will be so great, to tears will come by them self and run down the face. He will never admit something like that, that was for a weaklings from the town, real man never cry and shows feelings. Real man just take day after day, as the come and do his best until Maker decide to it is time to call on him for a journey without return. He in his heart knew to this time coming and is every day closer, so he try to teach Youngsters all he knew. He teach them how to make cheese, mishina, how to skin the goat, and sheep. How to make wooden tools from the specially picked branches in the forest. He teach them how to make saddles, carve and spoons and forks, he teach them all he knew. Also he show them how to pick the proper timber for a fire wood in the fall. During the day when they walk slowly following the herd, one of them will go in to the forest and pick the branches from the trees, mark them with little ax which they always carry in the belts and then come back and explain the
Mate which, where and what for he picked the branch, and Mate will than walk in to the forest, find the tree and check the chosen branch. If decision was right he will come back and nod with the head, Youngster will than run in to the woods and cut just one, which he will start carve walking after the herd. One day he will make hey fork with as many prongs as many that branch can give, usually three or four. With the pocket knife branch will be peeled, and than with the ax cut on to the proper length. Prongs will be sharpened with the same ax and than fine carved using the pocket knife. Handle will be make smooth and polished so long to was shiny better that on the factory made handles. That was important because if handle was rough user hands will be seen full of blisters and of no use for a next couple of days. That’s why they spend long hours polishing and sharpening, and shaping the tool, until was almost perfect. And then one will first use the tool to proof to himself to all is as suppose to be..Next time when need for a new cargo saddle come, Mate will walk in to the forest and pick the proper branches for a specific animal. If it was horse curb on the branches was different that for a mule or donkey. This was important, because if curb was wrong animal will soon have sores where saddle did not seat properly. They will cut the branch of the tree and let it dry in the barn for along time until no more juices was in the wood. Than one will start shaping the wood. First with the ax, than with the knife and after all rough shaping was done, animal was brought to check the shape. Fine adjustments
are done with wood rasp until will fit perfect to a shoulders of a animal in question. After that with hand drill, holes will be drilled on the proper places for a straps, for a wooden planks which will connect the neck and shoulder of the saddle and which will be fastened with wooden dolls instead of steel nails. Everything was home made and work just right, properly was adjusted, than cushion was made and filled straw from last summer harvest. Filip’s father will in winter times blacksmith needles strait, curbed ones and all other different kinds which was used in manufacturing of different kind of projects. Sometimes they will found the wood with soft heart and with a hard little stick push the soft part out, than they will look for a strait piece of stick which will fit perfectly in the middle. In the bushes was hard seeds, round, and not too soft which will fit in to the hold. Than when the stick was pressed in to the hollow, seed will fly out with the pop sound. If one was close enough to get hit, seed will usually make mark which will soon turn blue. They call that pushka or rifle. If it was made right, that little pushka can hurt the bird just enough to give you time to catch it. Other time herders will make traps of flat plates of stone for a field birds or a rabbit. Flat stone plate will be suspended with the stick and some food left under as bait, rabbit or bird will come to eat, shake stick and plate will drop on unfortunate animal. All what was left was to pick them up, clean, and breakfast was there fresh and tasty. Usually they will start the fire and catch will be on the stick in no time. Little rotisserie will work and tasty aroma will fly in the air, make mouth watering and test buds in ones mouth swelling with anticipation of a tasty snack, other times they will hunt snakes and kill the numbers.
This picture was taken by Ch .Eng. Micheal Datin in God given times of freedom and plentiful fish. This set was about 400t of skip jack.
