""MY BEST FRIEND" April 30, 2004" "I have no best friend." "Because there are no children in my village." "I like to play with my granfather Milutin, who is 86 years old." "He is so good." "He has a son named Voja, who is my father." "Milutin and Voja quarrel constantly as Voja always drinks brandy." "He tells him: "My son, I hope you won't be drunk when I die!" "Am I to be buried by the Albanians'"" "My father Vija replies:" ""Why did God condemn me to rot here alongside you?"" "Milutin than says: "I'll die here, where I was born." "You, drunken fool, can leave if you have where to go to!"" "Voja says:"Let your refugee in Belgrade take care of you then!"" "The refugee is Milutin's daughter Milica, my aunt." "I hardly remember her, because she fled to Belgrade when the Albanians took over Kosovo with Nato." "There she married a baker from Ub." "Milutin says: "I just want to live long enough to see my granddaughter from Belgrade." "Then I can die."" "Milutin will die soon because he is very sick and doesn't get out of bed." "I play dominoes with him and always win." "When I win, he gives me a sugar cube." "I'm sorry he will die, because I'll have no one to play with and get sugar cubes from." "Very good, Nenad." "Milutin, Voja, Albanians, God..." "Milica, Belgrade..." "What are they, Nenad?" "They are nouns..." "What kind of nouns?" "Proper Nouns!" " Excatly!" "What letter do proper nouns begin with?" "Capitals..." " Right." "Correct your errors now." "ENCLAVE" "Eeny, meeny, miny mo..." "Anything new?" "The Matoviæs have sold their house." "They're moving to Mitrovica." "But they don't know what to do about grandma." "How's your grandfather?" " Voja says he won't be going soon." "Does he drink?" " Who?" "Voja!" " He does..." "Seven times seven?" " Forty nine." "Eight time nine?" " Seventy two." "One hundred twenty four divided by twelve?" " Six!" "Six?" " I didn't study that yet." "Get your notebook and pencil and do your math!" "I can't see a thing." "Is your bag heavy?" " No..." "Good..." "This cement sure is!" "Tell Voja to stop by for a chat." " I will." "I'd come over to your place, but I have to wait for the bell." "When will it arrive?" " Any day now." "Tell your grandpa to hold on!" " I will." "See you tomorrow, father!" "Bashkim..." "Bashkim, we hit the carrier twenty times!" "Then carrier ran of the road!" "A soldier came out and started shoothing!" "And we run away!" "We barely escaped..." "Come on, Milutin." "Your move." "But I didn't beat you yet." "That's at the end!" "Albanian brothers..." "You're running late tonight!" "Who needs electricity?" "As if we Serbs always had electricity..." "So, what's new?" "Father Draža will get a new bell." "All we need is a bell!" "Voja..." "Father Draža said he'd like you to stop by." "Draža?" "Tell the bishop..." "I've no intention of ratlling around in that armoured car!" "Be sure to tell him that!" "No chance of Voja coming!" "No chance..." "If he's such a Serb, he can saddle his horse and come over here..." "Tell father Draža to find Milica." "She's in Belgrade." "No. 68 Kecleroviæ Street." "With Petkoviæ family..." "He should tell her to come over." "Milutin hasn't much time left." "Got it?" "Repeat it." "I'm to tell Draža to find Milica in Belgrade in Kemeroviæ Street." "It's Kecleroviæ St. 86!" "Belgrade, Kecleroviæ St. 86!" "Right!" "The Petkoviæ family!" "Off you go!" "Wipe that milk off your face!" "You're not five years old..." "Hi, you scoundrel!" "Go!" "Did you give Voja my message?" " I did." "What did he say?" "Go on, tell me!" "He said..." ""Tell the bishop that if he's a true Serb he should not be afraid." "He can saddle his horse..." "I won't ride in that armored car!" "How is Milutin?" " Bad." "Voja also said you should find Milica." "She's in Belgrade..." "Kecmanoviæ St. 80... 126!" "The Petkoviæ family." "Eany, meeny..." "C'mon, Father Draža!" "Eeny, meeny, miny mo..." "Father Draža, will Milutin go to heaven or hell?" "Tell Voja I'll stop by soon to give Milutin the communion." ""Nenad, it all happened unexpectedly." "I've gone to Belgrade, where I got a job." "Don't come to school until someone contacts you." "Your teacher Branka."" "1... 2... 3..." "Look at me!" "Hey, wait!" "What's it like in the armored carrier?" " Not bad." "Can you hear it inside when we throw rocks?" " You can." "Can you ask the soldier to take us for a ride too?" "You don't need to." " Why?" "You're Albanians." "Tell him we're Serbs!" "Just a little ride..." "Just for the two of us!" "Not Bashkim!" "Who is Bashkim?" " The shepherd whose father you people killed." "I didn't kill anyone." "Ask if we can ride inside!" "Tell him our grandma is Serbian!" "Hex, Serb!" "What?" "Did you ask?" " What?" "The soldiers!" "About the ride." "What will you give me in return?" "We'll go for a swim in the creek!" "I can't swim!" " We neither!" "I'll ask the soldiers." "Word of honor?" " Yes!" "Stop!" "Leave the cows!" "I'll make you pay for this!" "Stop!" "Leave the cows!" ""...for you, o Lord, have done as you pleased." "Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm." "At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." "But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days nad three nights." "Did you tell Father Draža about Milica?" "I did." " And what did he say?" "That he'll call her." " Did he say something else?" "He said he'll stop by soon to give Milutin the communion." "Soon?" "Is he insane?" "Milutin is dying and he will "stop by soon"?" "He's waiting for the bell!" " Waiting for the bell..." "Is the bell more important than Milutin?" "Milutin is more important..." " Right!" "My teacher moved out to Belgrade." "She left me a message not to come to school..." "I don't care about her or Belgrade!" "Tomorrow you'll go get Draža." "To give Milutin his last communion!" "Otherwise it may be too late..." ""In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me." "From the depths of the grave I called for help..."" "Grandpa, can I go and play with some friends?" "Tell Voja to prepare my suit..." "I want you to bury me in a new suit..." "The bride will ride in a carriage." "Grandpa, we have no horses." "Call Arben." "He's got two horses, white as snow." "Let everyone know who's getting married!" "A drum and two zurlas." "Women with dairi." "We bring them from Prizren?" "No, go to Dragaš." "Gorany people are better." "We need someone who knows to dance well." "We mustn't embarrass the bride's relatives." "I fired this rifle when your father got married." "I will shoot from it for you as well." "If only your father were alive." "Bye, rascals!" "C'mon, Serb!" "Get in!" "Come here!" "Join us!" "Baskhim!" " Wait for us, Baskhim!" "Wait, Baskhim!" "Let's go!" "Pull!" "Hold it!" " What now?" "It won't go up." "It's stuck." "We must take it back down." "Bring it down..." "More..." "Slowly." "Easy." "There." "Easy, we don't want to break it." "God's will..." "Hello?" "!" "I hear you now!" "We're a few kilometers from the enclave." "Everything is fine!" "Hello?" "We're abot ten kilometers from the checkpoint!" "Dear God, what's this?" "They're stoning us!" "Get up, it's all right now." "Good day!" "Get your ID cards ready for inspection!" "Everyone get your ID cards ready..." "Milica?" "Yes." "Where are you going?" "To Vrelo." "Why?" "To see my father." "I have UNCHR document!" "It's all in there..." "And where is she going?" "She's with me..." "To see her grandpa." "My father is dying..." "How dare you enter the state territory of Kosovo with broken windshield on your bus?" "When I entered it, it wasn't broken." "Go, now." "Wait!" "Come here." "Put down the cross." "Come here." "Hold that." "When you finish writing his name on the cross, you'll take the carrier to get Father Draža." "Tell him that grandfather died and taht we have to bury him." "We won't wait for Milica." "Whoever is here is here." "Got it?" " Yes." "Now, repeat." "When I finish the writing," "I'll take the armored carrier to go get father Draža." "I'll tell him that Milutin is dead and we have to bury him." "We won't wait for Milica." "Whoever is here is here." "Go now." "Roll up those trousers legs, you're not five years old!" "No school today!" "It's closed." "Grandpa Milutin died." "I must get the priest." "I'll give you some chocolate." "No school." "Get it?" "What happened?" "What happened?" "Give him a handkerchief!" "What's wrong?" " It's fine, don't worry." "Thanks for that." "Giddyup!" "Father Draža!" "Stop!" "Who is this?" "Our friend." "A Serb." "We rode in the carrier with him." "We need a fourth one." "Call him to play with us." "Baskhim wants you to play with us." "We need a fourth one." "I can't." "I've come for the priest." "We have to bury my grandfather." "The priest went away in his cart." "He's probably already at your place." "We ran away from the wedding." "Baskhim took a gun!" "Stay with us." "You want to play dominoes?" "Good day." "Who is Voja Arsiæi?" "Vojislav ekiæ!" "That's me." "We have a report that you fired shots." "I defended my cattle!" "With what kind of weapon?" "A hunting rifle." "Bring it here!" "You have a license?" "You have any more weapons?" "Search the place!" "Why the harassment?" "Can't you see that our father died?" "Well, we have to respond." "We received a report." "I see you, Bashkim!" "I got here first!" "No, you didn't!" " I did!" "I did!" " No!" "Anyway, I'm older." "I don't have to count." "Let the Serb count!" "Baskhim says you have to count." " OK!" "One, two, three..." "Cekiæ!" "Cekiæ, come!" "You're a Serb!" "Please, accept my condolences..." "I must go." "No!" "Do the count again." "Tell him I must find the priest." "Go back and count!" "Here, take this chocolate." "Count again!" "Tell him that father will give me a beating!" "Let him go." "His dead will beat him." "Where's my dad?" "They kille him!" "He says that you killed his father." "You count!" "Under the bell!" "I won't." "Let me go!" "Under the bell!" "Under the bell!" "Giddyup..." "Under the bell!" "Let me go!" "Under the bell!" "Don't!" "Don't, Bashkim!" "Let him go, Bashkim!" "Count!" "Count!" "No!" "Count!" "I'll shoot!" "Baskhim, don't..." "What did he do to you?" "He is guilty!" "They're all guilty!" "We're going now, Baskhim!" " Stop!" "Ask him if he is afraid?" "He is asking you whether you are afraid." "Please, say you're afgraid so that we can all go home." " No!" "You must be afraid!" "You must be afraid!" "No!" "You must!" "You killed my father!" "Do you hear me?" "No!" "You must be afraid!" "Stop it!" "Stop!" "Baskhim!" "Wait!" "Stop!" "Baskhim, can you hear me?" "Baskhim!" "Illegal possession of weapons is a threat." "Illegal possession of weapons is a threat." "And as such it is a source of future conflict." "Therefore, we will seize your weapons... which are a sign of times gone by." "Good..." "We offer you a future..." "Through your employment in the multi- ethnic police force." "Your work would contribute to the survival of the Serbian minority in this area..." "This is a symbol of mutual reconciliation..." "Tell him he doesn't have to make a decision just now." "He should think it over..." "Tell him about that fellow of his..." "What's his name?" "Cekiæ." " Right!" "You don't have to decide right now." "Take your time." "You'll have a salary like Cekiæ." "I've forgotten..." "Give him my condolences." "The inspector extends her condolences for the death of your father." "Thaqnk you." "Welcome, Cekiæ!" "Giddyup..." "God rest his soul." "God have mercy on his soul." "Can you find me another shirt?" "Here." "It's Voja's." "How is the bakery business?" "Alright..." "Hello, my brave boy!" "Tell grandpa, who shot you?" "Who shot you?" "We were playing..." "Who shot you?" "Tell grandfather who shot you." "Tell us!" "Tell us who shot you?" "A Serb." "Where is the gun?" "I don't know..." " You don't?" "Try to remember..." "Eeny, meeny, miny mo..." "Have mercy on your servant Milutin." "Alleluia." "Eternal blessing bestow upon him." "Eternal blessing!" "The last kiss..." "God rest his soul." "God rest his soul." "You carry it, Go up front." "Nenad!" "Nenad!" "Nenad!" "Son!" "Nenad!" "Son!" "Son!" "Nenad!" "Nenad!" "Nenad!" "Get in, we don't have time!" "Nenad!" "Amen." "How big is the population of Belgrade?" "A million... and a half." "Will my schoolteacher be a man or a woman?" "I don't know." "Will there be many students?" " Sure." "Listen..." "In that school, there'll be a lot of kids you don't know." "All sorts..." "Good and bad." "Don't you be hardheaded!" "Understood?" "Yes." "WELCOME!" "So, will you introduce yourself?" "Tell us your name." " Nenad." "Could you speak upa a little?" " Nenad." "Well, Nenad, tell us where do you come from?" "Sorry, Nenad." "Now please get up and tell us loud and clear where do you come from?" "From Vrelo." "Tell us where Vrelo is?" " In Kosovo." "Albanian!" " What was that?" "Sit down." "The essay must have an intoduction, followed by a development and the conclusion." "Mind the capitalized words, the hyphenation and the punctuation..." "And write legibly!" ""MY BEST..."" "Throw the ball!" "Throw back the ball, stupid!" "Give me the ball, Albanian!" "MY BEST FRIEND" "Serb!" "Serb!" "Come back!"