From Agim Xhafka/ DOUBLE BED...

2024-03-24 09:01:00, Kulturë Agim Xhafka

Berti has been my best friend. Even narrower than when he was 6 years older. We grew up together in the same building. We were both born there. When Valka married you, I wished him to shave you, he was joking with me. He never became older, always as a peer.

In fact, we never met in the same school. When he left primary school I started primary school. When he entered middle school I started eighth grade. And when Berti became a student, then I started high school. From that time on, I remember that whenever he came on vacation, he would gather us at the "Lendina e Lotevi" farm and show us a photo. A girl with gérsheta, small face, but with very beautiful eyes.

- This is the girlfriend, he told us.

Calja laughed and waited:

- Go away, fuck you, this is a Russian artist, I've seen her in all those movies.

But Berti did not get angry. He laughed and told us that the girl's name was Drita, she was from Lushnja, they studied literature together. When he told us about it, he appeared dazzled. His muzzle shone like Neranxa's cat when they put milk in front of him. We learned that she was crazy about Bert.

- Eh, who doesn't follow you! - Nesti said.

And it wasn't bad. Berti looked like a movie artist. Tanned, tall, elegant. Just like Raj Kapoor used to say in the palace. Above all, Berti was like everyone's guardian. Because he was older, but even though he treated us with love and respect and listened attentively to our every complaint. I remember that when I was talking to my brother at Berti's, I found the judge. Sometimes he gave me the right, sometimes he told me, you're tired today, go hug me! I started running, opened my arms, kissed my brother and told him several times, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

In short, the definition suited Berti: "Florir of the palace" Mother and father had a lot of respect. Become like Berti, my mother prayed and made the cross.

When he was finishing university there came a summer with Drita. Engaged that time. They made a fuss from afar, as if God had brought them together. They were waiting for the appointment and wanted to get married before starting work. Since he was the only boy, it was thought that he would be assigned to Korçë, or to the surrounding villages. With such dreams, August came and Berti and Drita were appointed literature teachers in... the villages of Puka. As a palace, it seemed as if the earthquake of 1960 hit us, shaking our homes and hearts. It's like someone died. Silence on the scale of no baby noise. But Berti invited us all home. Together with the Light. Their laughter made it easy for us to leave. What about the wedding? We will do it in Puka, they said in unison.

He ran away with a wooden suitcase towards the bus agency. We passed them on to our friends, but also to our parents. They would sleep in Tirana and then in Puka. The third day in Arres-Miliska. That was the name of the village.

Pritëm e pritëm një javë dhe ja,nga Andrea,i vetmi që kishte telefon në pallat erdhi lajmi,arritën mirë. Kjo vonesë ka krijuar në mendjen time një distancë aq të madhe me Pukën sa Amerika më vjen më pranë,nga që shkoj brenda ditës.

Më tej nuk morëm lajm. Kur pyesnim babain e Bertit na thoshte,është mirë,por në sy i lexohej trishtim dhe dhimbje.

-Po pse i degdisin deri në Pukë xhanëm?- pyesja me habi babain.

-Do e mbyllësh gojën ti,-më kércënonte nëna.

Në dhjetor gëzimit të vitit të ri iu shtua dhe ardhja e Bertit. Bashkë me Dritën. Ajo me bark rrumbullak. Berti qe hequr në fytyrë,por i gjallë në sy. E pyetëm pér fshatin e na tha se ia kalonin kaq mirë,si tek filmi “Dhe në malet me borë ka jetë” Pastaj na tregoi per deborën si në Korçë,pér pyjet e bukur,pér pejzazhin,pér nxënësit. Sikur na tregonte film. Ia thashë babait e më tha:

-Ashtu duhet folur. Bravo.

Nuk kuptova hiç këtë gjuhë të dyfishtë. Më pas erdhi rrallë,thuajse humbi. Mësuam se u bë me dy vajza dhe vazhdonte të jepte mësim atje larg. Ndérkohë unë nisa studimet e për fat më pranuan gazetar me part time në Radio Tirana. Fat se merrja honorare e kështu kisha ca lekë nëpër xhepa. Në një nga shérbimet shefi më dërgoi në Pukë. U gëzova se doja të shkoja dhe te fshati i Bertit. Kur u thashë në komitet emrin e tij më thanë se për atje nuk ka rrugë,por tani edhe po të kishte ka shumë borë. Këmbëngula dhe më dhanë si udhërrëfyes një çun të zonës që punonte në gjeologji. Pasi bëmë dy orë me makinë ia nisëm hypjes së malit me këmbë. Mes pyjeve dhe borës arritëm pas gjashtë orësh. Bertin e njihnin të gjithë. Më çuan deri afër e më thanë,ja atje banon. Nata sapo kishte zbritur dhe banesa e tij qe thjesht një kasolle pupuliti,nga ato që i lenë pa i prishur sondat e kromit kur largohen. Trokita te dera dhe doli një vajzë e bukur,bjonde. I thashë kérkoj Bertin. E pas pak u shfaq shoku im. I drobitur,i lodhur,i dobësuar dhe me sy që nuk kuptoheshin nga drejtoheshin. U pérqafuam dhe hyra brenda. Kaq e dobët qe llampa sa m’u duk se kisha hyrë në ndonjë galeri miniere. Në mes digjej një zjarr i fortë e anash në tavolinë shkruanin Drita dhe goca tjetér. Pas tre minutash Berti më térhoqi pér mënge e dolëm jashtë. U pérqafuam prapë dhe po qanim. Unë me dhimbjen e tij,ai me fatin e vet. Më tha se i mbushi 12 vjet atyre anëve. Se ishte plot vuajtje dhe mungesa. Se nuk kishte as qumësht për vajzat. Se nuk e lejonin të ikte në Korçë nga që asaj ane kishte mungesa me mësues.

-Mbaj mend se hiqeshe si i lumtur?- e ngacmova.

-Ashtu vértet. Nga që mendova se kujtdo i takon pér vendin të sakrifikojë 3-5 vjet,të japë nga eksperienca dhe dituria e tij në këto zona të egra. Por kur kalojnë vitet dhe kur mbi kurriz ndjen veç kamzhikë atëhere të mbyt pasiguria dhe nis e tmerrohesh me pyetjen,ore ç’do bëhet me fëmijët e mij. Kjo zonë nuk ka asnjë zhvillim. Fshatarët gati po vdesin,nuk kanë as ushqim bazë. Fëmijët hanë lëvore peme. Na rroftë rroga që marrim se asnjë ushqim nuk ke ku e ble.

That snowy mountain fell on my head. We returned to the hut, which without that fire would have been colder than the refrigerator. We talked and talked until almost morning. We talked a lot. I made the descent without the driver showing me the way. I wanted to get to the committee as soon as possible. I was a student journalist, but in the head of education's office I was introduced as a cousin, friend, colleague, nephew of any journalist with a name I could remember. I pérula, almost kissed his foot, but Berti was allowed to escape to Korça. Then I recorded it as if it had achieved success and it seemed to me that I succeeded.

Months passed, I took the exams, got my appointment in Tirana and happily left for a few days of vacation in Korça. While I was drinking two glasses of Moscow brandy with my father, my mother tells me:

- They transferred Berti, brought him from Puka.

I didn't wait any longer and went down to his house. My mother opened the door and showed me the room. I woke up and saw Berti, Drita and the two girls in a double bed. They talked and it seemed that they felt good. They were happy. I remembered a documentary where they found a girl who grew up among wolves. For a long time she danced and jumped like a wolf. And Berti, for so many years, gathered and warmed up in bed. There they were safer from the cold outside and the hunger that threatened them. Gathered, they became braver and their blood warmed. I left them in their behavior for several years and I was happy that the life of his family would change somehow.

Fate then turned our lives upside down. Albanians were attacked on ships, through embassies, in border crossings, just to get away from the plague. And in those moments, Berti hesitated. He gathered again at his bed, all fours tight. It seemed that fate condemned them again. But their pain was told abundantly by a grandfather in America. Leaving there very early gave them the opportunity to go to the USA together, without the big bed. As citizens of that great country. I haven't met him in years because he lives in the west, California. But we talk, we talk. He is over seventy, but he works. Because I feel useful, he says. If you don't feel that way, the announcement that is placed on the pillars is ready. When I ask him about Puka, he says, there I deposited the golden years of my youth and locked my drama. Maybe one day I'll go see it as a movie. I say that I played my role for the benefit of the motherland well. I'll grab a bronze OSCAR. I will definitely catch it.../ CNA