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CHRASTAVACHRASTAVADECEMBER 27, 2008

COME IN!I CAN HEAR SOMETHING.

OH, FRANTA! OVER THERE, ON THE RIGHT.

FRANTA… FERKO...

MAKULAFERKO? HAVEN’T GOT THE FOGGIEST WHO THAT IS.

MAKULA FERKO.

WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

THANKS.

HIM? HE LIVES AT THE TOP IN THE ATTIC. I THINK IT’S ON THE RIGHT.

HELLO, WE’RE LOOKING FOR

FERKO MAKULA.

THIS IS WHERE HE LIVED LAST YEAR…

SIT DOWN OVER HERE,

THE OLD MAN’S GOING TO BED.

THAT‘S NICE, SIT DOWN A WHILE.

I CAN’T LEAVE BECAUSE OF MY BROTHER. GOT TO LOOK AFTER HIM. HE‘S ALREADY OLD.

HE’S DEAF.

NOT ME, YOU!

HOW DID YOU GET SO FAR

AWAY?

WE HEARD YOU WERE IN ENGLAND AND YOU’RE HERE!

I AM VOJTA.

THAT‘S VOJTA.

YEAH, I KNOW HER AND THAT GENTLEMAN

THERE TOO!

REMEMBER MY FRIEND MÁŠA?

RENATARENATAFERKO‘S WIFE

JOŽKU JOŽKU FERKO‘S BROTHER

MARKÉTA! HELLO! COME ON IN! GLAD TO SEE YOU! WHAT ARE YOU

DOING HERE?

HELLO!

I’LL TAKE A SMALL ONE.

HE DOESN’T DRINK AT ALL, HE’S QUIT…

MÁŠA MIGHT.

I CAN‘T DRINK. DRIVING, YOU SEE.

JUST A TASTE. WE DON‘T DRINK.

I‘LL FETCH YOU A DRINK.

THE LANDLORD WAS NO GOOD. WATER WAS

DRIPPING ON OUR HEADS. AND WE LEFT DOWNSTAIRS BECAUSE OF MY MUM. SHE LIVES RIGHT HERE IN THIS HOUSE AND WE DON’T GET ON, YOU KNOW HOW IT IS, YEAH?

YEP. BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE. I LIVED THERE, THEN IN SMRŽOVKA FOR A WHILE. I HAD THREE BEDROOMS WITH A BAR. THAT WAS PRETTY DAMN NICE. BUT THE FURNITURE, I BROKE IT ALL UP. I DIDN’T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PUT ALL MY STUFF.

DIDN’T YOU LIVE ON THE GROUND FLOOR LAST YEAR, THOUGH?

WE‘VE DECIDED TO MOVE DOWNSTAIRS TO THE GROUND FLOOR IN JANUARY. IT‘S WARM THERE, THE RADIATORS ARE RUNNING, HERE, I GOTTA BRING

FIREWOOD ALL THE WAY UP FROM THE CELLAR, AND MY BROTHER‘S ALWAYS COLD. HE GIVES ME HELL FOR IT. WHEN THE STOVE ISN’T

BURNING, IT‘S LIKE A FREEZER IN HERE. BUT OTHERWISE IT‘S ALRIGHT.

THIS IS MY GIRL! I FOUGHT FOR HER AND NOW I HAVE HER.

BRENDA BRENDA FERKO‘S STEPDAUGHTER

WHY?

YOU‘RE LIVING IN PRAGUE, YEAH? PRAGUE’S GREAT. OVER HERE IT’S KINDA DANGEROUS.

JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

I HAVE HIS NAME NOW. MAKULOVÁ.

WE ALSO GOT MARRIED.

SO WHAT, THEY’RE ALREADY TOGETHER, SO WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO DO? YOU’VE GOT TELL HER THE

TRUTH, YOU CAN’T LIE.

OH YEAH. HE’S SCARED THE OTHER ONE MIGHT FIND OUT…

NAH, I MEANT RUDY‘S GOING TO

BE A FATHER.

ABOUT 200 KILOMETRES

FROM PRAGUE.

RUDY HAS A NEW WOMAN, DID YOU KNOW THAT? SHE’S

ALREADY PREGNANT.

I JUST SAW IT NOW.

WAS IT TODAY?

THEY SAID ON TV JUST NOW, I‘M TELLING YOU, ABOUT 100

CARS HIT ONE ANOTHER.

GREAT.

REALLY, I WAS WELL PLEASED. WELL SURPRISED.

BUT THE ROADS ARE GOOD, NO?

I‘VE MOVED ABOUT FOUR TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. THAT’S HOW IT IS. EITHER WAY, WE HAVE TO

MOVE ONE MORE TIME TO THE FIRST FLOOR. BUT I’M TELLING YOU, IF I HAVE TO MOVE OUT FROM

THERE, I‘LL BREAK ALL THE FURNITURE AND GET NEW TO REPLACE IT. I‘M MOVING FOR THE FIFTH TIME!

ABOUT THREE TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR.

YOU DO WHAT WE DO, YEAH?

YEAH, STILL. IN FACT I‘VE MOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR BUT…

AND YOU STILL LIVE IN PRAGUE, YEAH?

GOOD, GOOD, I WENT TO RUDY’S, HE CAME TO MINE… WE HAD A REALLY NICE TIME.

AND HOW WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS?

SHE JUST HAD HER THIRD BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY, THE 27TH. SHE’S BEEN HOME FOR 5 MONTHS NOW, THANK GOD, WE WORKED HARD TO GET HER. WE STRUGGLED ALL YEAR

ROUND TO GET HER OUT OF CARE.

HOW OLD IS THE LITTLE ’UN??

BRENDA, LEAVE THE CAT ALONE!

WHAT CAN YOU DO, THE PHONES WE HAD, WE PAWNED THEM ALL, I PROMISE YOU. I HAD

YOUR NUMBER WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE BUT UNFORTUNATELY I LOST ALL MY PAPERS

AND DOCUMENTS, ALL OF THEM.

I WANTED TO CALL YOU BUT YOUR NUMBER DIDN’T WORK.

NO WORRIES, IT’S WARM…

IT’S A BIT MESSY IN HERE...I DON’T WANNA LIVE HERE BECAUSE OF MY MUM. SHE’S

MAKING MY LIFE DIFFICULT, SHE WON‘ T LET ME BE. SHE LIVES JUST DOWNSTAIRS AND SHE

KEEPS TALKING NONSENSE, YOU KNOW? SHE KEEPS REPORTING ME TO THE SOCIAL SERVICES.

I WASN’T BROUGHT UP BY THEM, I WAS IN CARE FROM 2 TILL

WHEN I WAS 15.

OH WELL. I WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM HERE

COMPLETELY. BUT WHERE DO I GET A HOUSE? I’D NEED AT LEAST A TWO-BEDROOM FLAT.

I ENJOYED IT. MY DAD WAS A BLACKSMITH. SO THEY TOLD ME TO... TO WORK THE BELLOWS FOR THEM. SO I WAS HELPING THEM OUT FROM MORNING TILL ABOUT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON. THEN WE USED TO GO OUT – BIG BOYS, LITTLE CHILDREN – DIDN’T MATTER. WE PLAYED FOOTBALL ALL OF US TOGETHER. WE LIVED THERE TOGETHER... LET’S SAY TILL WE GREW UP.

STILL WE ALWAYS GOT ALONG ALRIGHT. AND WHEN WE WENT SWIMMING OR WHATEVER, WE LOOKED AFTER ONE ANOTHER.

BUT I MOSTLY HELPED THE KIDS. I‘LL TELL YOU ABOUT IT.

CLICK.

SO, MY STORY STARTS, I MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT

FIVE OR SIX. I WAS HELPING MY DAD AND ALL.

SO CAN I START?

YOU COULD TELL US ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU‘VE BEEN THROUGH. WE‘LL RECORD IT. AND THEN WE LL DRAW IT.

WELL, WHY NOT.

SO WE WERE THINKING,

WE‘D LIKE TO WRITE A BOOK

ABOUT YOU.

OH YEAH, THAT‘S RIGHT. SHE KNOWS.

MARKÉTA TOLD ME YOU‘RE A GREAT STORYTELLER AND

YOU HAVE LOADS OF INTEREST-ING STORIES TO TELL...

FERKO, WE‘VE COME TO ASK YOU SOMETHING!

HE CAN’T GET OUT!

IT WON’T LET HIM OUT OF THE WATER!

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

SOMETHING’S PULLING HIM UNDER!

SO, AND A BOY, MAYBE EIGHT YEARS OLD, WHO CAME DOWN TO HAVE A SWIM, HE JUMPED IN AND HE COULDN‘T GET OUT.

I MUST HAVE BEEN, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ABOUT FOURTEEN YEARS OLD.

SO THERE WAS SIX METRE DEEP WATER AND ON TOP

OF IT, IT WAS ROUND.

ONCE I WAS GOING DOWN WHERE YOU GO FROM ROŽKOVANY TOWARDS THE CO-OP FARM, YOU

KNOW THE AREA, WHERE THE RIVER TORYSA IS?

I HAVE TO GO SEE WHAT’S UP WITH HIM!

I COULDN’T GIVE A FUCK!

NAH, WE WON’T HELP HIM, ’COS THERE’S A BIG SNAKE DOWN THERE AND IT’S PULLING HIM DOWN.

GUYS, C‘MON, YOU‘RE GROWN-UPS, LOOK! THAT BOY IS ALMOST DROWNING!

JESUS CHRIST, IT’S HOPELESS!

THAT ISN’T A SNAKE. WHAT COULD IT BE?

THERE’S A BIG PIECE OF WIRE! RIGHT

THROUGH HIS FOOT!

STOP CRYING! BLOOD RUNNING OUT OF THE FOOT IS GOOD! OTHERWISE YOU’LL DIE.

OH NO, IT DOESN’T, IT DOESN’T!

NO, NO, NO, IT HURTS TOO MUCH!

SHOW ME YOUR LITTLE FOOT!

NOW YOU’D BETTER SHOW ME YOUR LITTLE FOOT. DON’T BE AFRAID OF ME!

NO, NO, I WON’T.

BOY, YOU SIT OVER HERE! AND DON’T

MOVE!

THAT’S VERY GOOD OF YOU TO PROTECT CHILDREN.

THE WHOLE VILLAGE IS TALKING ABOUT YOU!

AND WHEN I CAME HOME, MY DAD SAID:

UPON MY WORD, I’VE NEVER SEEN A BOY LIKE THIS BEFORE. THEY DO NOT SAY

FOR NOTHING: THAT BLACKSMITH’S SON IS HONEST AND WISE.

AND THANK YOU FOR THANKING ME. THAT MEANS MUCH MORE

TO ME THAN MONEY.

YOU’RE WELCOME BUT I’M NOT ASKING FOR MONEY.

I LIKE CHILDREN. AND I LIKE YOUR SON, TOO. I LIKE ALL PEOPLE AND CHILDREN AND I KEEP AN EYE ON THEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MONEY? DON’T GET MAD, SIR, I KNOW YOU BUT I’M NOT

ASKING YOU FOR YOUR MONEY. BUT ONE THING I MIGHT ASK OF YOU. YOU’RE A SENSIBLE MAN, SO PERHAPS YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.

AND HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU WANT

ME TO GIVE YOU?

YEP. YOU SAVED MY SON’S LIFE. IF YOU HADN’T SAVED HIM, HE’D HAVE DIED IN LESS THAN 2 MINUTES. HE WOULDN’T HAVE SURVIVED.

YEAH.

ARE YOU THIS FERKO?

AND THEN ONE DAY I WAS PASSING THE CO-OP AND I BUMPED INTO THE BOY’S DADDY.

I MANAGED TO BURST THE NET OPEN TWICE. I HIT THE BALL SO HARD, THE NET BURST IN TWO. IT WAS RIPPED IN TWO, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, IT WENT OPEN. IT WAS CRAZY!

AND THAT WAS TRUE, TOO. THERE WAS HARDLY A BETTER FOOTBALLER

AROUND THAN ME.

AND YOU’RE A GOOD FOOTBALLER, TOO, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE AN

EQUAL ANYWHERE!

I KNOW BUT FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE, I’LL NEVER BE A GOALKEEPER AGAIN!

BUT I DIDN’T MEAN TO, I PROMISE!

THE FOOTBALL WAS FLYING SO STRAIGHT.

IF I HADN’T GOT MY HEAD OUT OF THE WAY, YOU’D HAVE KILLED ME!

IT’S NOT MY FAULT. MY DEAR MAN! YOU

COULD HAVE KILLED ME!

IN THE END THERE WERE ABOUT SIXTY OF THEM.

FROM SABINOV, LIPANY…

BUT THEN MORE PLAYERS ARRIVED BY TRAIN FROM PREŠOV...

AND ANOTHER EIGHT FROM THE VILLAGE.

ONCE WE....THAT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING EVER! WE PLAYED IN ROŽKOVANY.

THERE WERE EIGHT OF US, OUR BOYS.

AND MY DAD WAS TERRIBLY PROUD OF ME.

THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE OF

A LIFETIME!

6:2, 7:2. WE SCORED 20 TIMES WITHIN HALF AN HOUR.

BUT THEN WE PLAYED ANYWAY! RUDA, TOMÁŠ, GAGÁČ,

TIBOR – THOSE WERE THE NICKNAMES OF SOME OF OURS.

ANYWAY, WE’RE LOSING!

I’M NOT PLAYING! THERE’S NO POINT! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD LIVE

TO SEE – SO MANY FOOTBALLERS AGAINST EIGHT GUYS!

FRANTA, WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LIKE!

I NEVER SAW SO MANY! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, GUYS? SO NOT ONE OF THEM WAS FOR US BUT ALL OF THEM AFTER US!

I PROMISE YOU, THAT’S HOW MANY OF THEM CAME! AND ALL

OF THEM OUT TO GET US.

HE MADE IT FROM ROŽKOVANY TO PREŠOV IN TWO OR THREE HOURS.

HE HAD A THREE-BEDROOM SHACK, ‘COS OUR PLOT OF LAND WAS A FULL HECTARE. AND IT GAVE US EVERYTHING HE NEEDED.

CHERRIES, APPLES, GRAPES, WHAT YOU WILL... PLUMS... CHESTNUTS... 104 TREES HE HAD THERE. HONESTLY. MY GRANDPA BOUGHT ALL THAT.

TO THE CO-OP HEAD HIMSELF, HE GAVE... LENT 25000 CROWNS FOR HIS DAUGHTER’S WEDDING.

THAT WAS A BUNDLE IN THOSE DAYS!

HE LIVED LIKE A KING, MY DAD. THE WHOLE VILLAGE RESPECTED HIM.

GOD, DID HE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY!

HE USED THEM TO GET DOWN THE ROAD QUICKLY. HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE PAID IN CASH.

THEY ALL HAD NUMBERS TATTOOED ON THEIR HINDS, SO THAT IF

SOMEONE STOLE THEM, IT WOULD BE EASY TO

RECOGNISE THEM.

MY DAD HAD HORSES. MILITARY HORSES. THE BEST HORSES AROUND!

GET YOURSELF AN AXE THESE DAYS! YOU SWING IT A FEW TIMES AND BAM!, IT’S BROKEN.

THE ALTARS YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHURCH, THEY MADE

THEM. IT HAD TO BE AN ORIGINAL JOB. IT’S BEEN 80- 90 YEARS AND THEIR WORK

IS STILL AROUND.

ALL THE WAY TO HUNGARY. BEYOND KOŠICE, BEYOND MICHALOVCE, AND SO ON, UP TO BRATISLAVA.

DAD USED TO GO SMITHING AROUND VILLAGES. WHEREVER YOU COULD

EARN A LITTLE, WE STOPPED.HE WORKED FOR THE WHOLE VILLAGE, HIM AND UNCLE PETIJ.

AND HE HADALL THE SMITH’S

TOOLS.

HE WAS A BLACKSMITH, AN EXPERT BLACKSMITH!

THEY CALLED HIM FULI. MY DAD WAS CALLED THE SAME

AS ME. FRANTIŠEK MAKULA.

MATĚJ MAKULA.

THEYCALLED HIM A MILLIONAIRE.

A VERY SENSIBLE MAN! AND QUICK! HE HAD ALL HIS KIDS STUDY IN CITIES – IN

KOŠICE, PREŠOV. HE DIDN’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY. HE WANTED ALL HIS KIDS TO HAVE

A TRADE, THAT’S WHAT HE WANTED.

IN WEALTH, THERE WAS NO MAN ABOVE HIM.

AND NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE

THERE WERE IN THE PUB, HE ORDERED

FOOD AND DRINK FOR EVERYONE. THEY DRANK TILL THE

MORNING!

WHEREVER HE CAME AFTER DARK, HE BOUGHT A HOUSE THERE, EVEN IF IT WAS A MANSION. AND HE DIDN’T CARE HOW MUCH IT WAS, HE BOUGHT IT ANYWAY, LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL. AND IT WAS WRITTEN IN HIS NAME RIGHT AWAY AND RIGHT AWAY HE STAYED THE NIGHT THERE. HE BOUGHT THE MANSION JUST FOR THE NIGHT.

NOT EVEN THE CO-OP HEAD IN TOWN COULD COMPETE WITH

HIM!

HE WAS A RICH MAN. ALL HIS HORSES’ GEAR WAS PURE SILVER,

EVEN THE COACH ITSELF.

KIRÁJ MÁŤAŠ, THEY CALLED HIM. THAT’S A BIT

LIKE THE PRESIDENT.

MY GRANDPA MAŤÁŠ

AND RIGHT AWAY TO THE TRAIN STATION AND OFF THEY GO WITH THOSE CARRIAGES WHICH CARRY HORSES AND

PIGS.HE SHIPPED THEM ALL THE WAY TO HOLLAND.

HUNDRED AND FIFTY, HUNDRED AND SIXTY HORSES AT THE SAME

TIME. AND SOME THREE THOUSAND PIGS.

HE DIDN’T LEAVE ANY FOR THE

GORJE, NOT ONE HORSE OR PIG.

HE BOUGHT ALL THE HORSES AND PIGS FROM THE MARKET AND HE PAID FOR THEM RIGHT AWAY.

MAŤAŠ IS HERE, COME ON,

EVERYBODY!

LIVESTOCK MARKET, KOŠICELIVESTOCK MARKET, KOŠICE

HE TRADED IN PIGS AND HORSES.

SHE CAME FROM THE FAMILY OF THIS GUSTO SINGER. THAT BÓDI GUSZTI. HER FAMILY WERE ALL MUSICIANS, REALLY RICH

PEOPLE THEY WERE.

YES.

VLAX ROMANY?

YES.

DO YOU MEAN A HUNGARIAN

ROMANY?

SHE WAS A TRUE HUNGARIAN.

GRANDPA USED TO DO BUSINESS AS FAR AWAY AS HUNGARY. MY MUM CAME FROM HUNGARY.

BUT AMONGST US, OUR HORSES ARE OUR PRIDE AND JOY. WE ALWAYS VALUED A GOOD HORSE.

THEY NEVER EAT CHICKENS.

THEY EAT HORSES!

...THE WAY WE EAT PIGS.

BECAUSE IN HOLLAND AND OTHER SUCH PLACES THEY EAT HORSES...

AND WHY HOLLAND OF ALL PLACES?

AND THEN HE BOUGHT MORE HORSES AND PIGS AND SHIPPED THEM THERE AGAIN. THAT’S THE

KIND OF BUSINESS HE DID.

AND THEY SHIPPED HIM BACK MONEY IN BOXES.

TE NA LESA LA MANGE, MURDARÓ

MAN. ČASNA-J MURRO TRÁJO.

IF YOU DON’T GET HER FOR ME

I’LL KILL MYSELF, MY LIFE IS

WORTH NOTHING WITHOUT HER.

HAJHÁJ, DADE! KUKI KAMAV! HEY, DAD, I‘VE FALLEN IN

LOVE, THAT’S HER!

SOMEWHERE IN HUNGARY, 1919.

HE TOOK HER WITH HIM TO SLOVAKIA THAT VERY DAY. SHE NEVER SAW HER FAMILY AGAIN, NEITHER HER MOTHER NOR HER FATHER. MY MUM WASN’T EVEN FIFTEEN. STILL GRANDPA REGARDED HER AS HIS OWN DAUGHTER. THIS IS HOW IT IS AMONG OUR PEOPLE.

HALDIJ TU O SUNTO DÉL, NANO.

GOOD BLESS YOU, MY MAN!

DE AME TRIN ŠEL EZERA HAJ DOPAŠ KILA SOMNAKAJ!

GIVE US 3 HUNDRED THOUSAND AND A POUND OF GOLD!

DIKHAV, HOĎ TECIJ MANGE ČO ŠÁVO!I LIKE YOUR SON!

AV URDE MURRO ŠÁVO!COME HERE, SON!

DE ČI ŠUKÁR PÁČIV!MY PLEASURE!

AN LE ŠÁVES TE DIKHAV LES!BRING THE BOY OVER, LET ME

TAKE A LOOK AT HIM!

NAĎON TECIJ MURRE ŠÁVESKE ČI ŠEJ! HAJ AĎÉS MAJ DÚR ČI LES LA. PHEN MANGE SO KIVÁNIS PRÁ LATE?MY SON REALLY LIKES YOUR DAUGHTER. SHE WON’T BE RETURNING HOME WITH YOU TODAY! TELL ME

HOW MUCH YOU WANT FOR HER!

HAJ ČE VORBA SI TU?WHAT IS THE MATTER?

SI MA TUSA VORBA!I WANNA TELL YOU

SOMETHING!

TE DEL O DÉL!FOREVER!

LÁŠO ĎÉS, TE DEL O DÉL.MAY GOD BE WITH YOU!

ABA MURI BÓRI SAN!NOW YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW!

TE LESA LA MANGE, ÁŠAV TE TRAJIJ ANDI LUMA!

BUT IF YOU GET HER FOR ME, I’LL LIVE.

FULIFULIMAŤÁŠMAŤÁŠ

WOMEN WERE BOUGHT IN THOSE DAYS. NOT LIKE TODAY, WHEN PEOPLE GET MARRIED AND PARENTS GET NO MONEY FOR IT. BUT IN SWEDEN, THEY HAVE THIS LAW EVEN TODAY.

AND THERE WAS A BIG WEDDING AND THE TABLES WERE LADEN WITH FOOD AND EVERYBODY FEASTED FOR A WHOLE WEEK. GRANDPA PAID FOR MY MUM. HE EVEN PAID

FOR THE WEDDING. HE PAID FOR IT ALL. THAT’S THE KIND OF MAN GRANDPA WAS!

BUT I’M TELLING YOU, MARKÉTA...

THAT IS HOW IT WAS.

NO, SHE DIDN’T. SHE NEVER SAW HER PARENTS,

BROTHERS, SISTERS OR ANYONE AGAIN.

DID SHE REALLY NEVER SEE HER

FAMILY EVER AGAIN?

THIS IS WHY I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING. I ONLY KNOW SHE WAS CALLED MAKULOVÁ AFTER

MY DAD, BUT NOTHING ELSE. THEY CALLED HER FULAŇA. MY DAD WAS FULI, SHE WAS FULAŇA.

PICTURES, DOCUMENTS –

THEY BURN IT ALL

ROMA FROM THE OTHER SIDE SMASHED

THE HOUSE UP.

THEN SHE WENT TO LIVE

IN PREŠOV.

AFTER THAT MY SISTER MÁŇA LIVED THERE.

THE DOCUMENTS WERE IN THE OLD

HOUSE IN ROŽKOVANY.

I NEVER ASKED, SO I DON’T

AND WHAT WAS YOUR

MUM’S MAIDEN NAME?

BUT NOT THE SAME WAY THEY DO IT THERE! WHEN

SHE’S STILL VIRTUOUS, WHEN SHE IS RESPECTED, THEY’LL PAY AS MUCH AS 200 000.

BUT DIDN’T YOU SAY LOCAL ROMA

DO IT TOO!

AND THEY MAKE AN AGREEMENT THAT WHEN THE YOUNG ’UNS ARE 18, THEY’LL GET MARRIED.

KNOW. SERIOUSLY. BECAUSE I HAVE NO PAPERS. I’D LIKE TO

KNOW BUT I WASN’T ABLE TO FIND OUT AFTER.

I WAS REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT.

ME AND BROTHER ARE YOUR MUM’S OWN UNCLES.

FERKO, I MUST TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ’COS I’M ALREADY 90 YEARS OLD AND I WON’T

BE AROUND FOR MUCH LONGER. I KNOW NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD YOU THIS ABOUT ME.

A LONG TIME AGO I WAS IN KOŠICE AND THE LOCAL ROMA GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH ME. BUT THEN THESE TWO OLD ROMA FELLAS TURNED UP AND THEY STUCK UP FOR ME.

AT MILOŠ‘S, KOŠICE, 20 YEARS LATER

THEY WERE BROTHERS. GOD KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES I WENT ROUND TO SEE THEM AND THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS... THEY WERE HONEST, STRAIGHT PEOPLE.

MILOŠ AND PALO

THANK YOU.

LISTEN, SONNY! IF YOU HURT HIM, DON’T BELIEVE YOU’RE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT! YOU’D BREAK YOUR BACK! WE’RE STRONGER THAN YOU ARE! AND WE’VE BEEN

AROUND FOR MUCH LONGER THAN YOU HAVE! AND STOP DISGRACING OUR PEOPLE! STOP SAYING WHAT ISN’T TRUE!

DON’T THINK I’M SCARED OF YOU!

DON’T BELIEVE

HIM!

WHAT WOULD I NEED YOUR MONEY FOR? I DON’T WANT YOUR MONEY AND

I NEVER WILL!

I’LL TEACH YOU! YOU BETTER STAY AWAY

FROM OUR MONEY OR ELSE I’LL KILL YOU!

AND THEY DESTROYED ALL HIS SMITHING TOOLS.

THEY BURNT MY DAD’S SHACK DOWN, EVEN HIS STABLE.

I KNOW THIS BECAUSE MY MUM TOLD ME ABOUT IT.

MY MUM SAID THE CHILDREN WERE ALL VERY GOOD BUT THE

DOCTORS WERE LOUSY. AND THERE WAS NO MEDICINE. PEOPLE SUFFERED FROM

PNEUMONIA, IT WAS A VERY COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH. NOT ONLY OUR PEOPLE, EVEN GORJE DIED. AND MANY PEOPLE DIED IN THE WAR. THE GERMANS KILLED MANY

PEOPLE AND BURNT THEIR HOUSES DOWN.

BUT RECENTLY ONE SISTER AND ONE

BROTHER DIED. SO NOW WE ARE ONLY FOUR.

ELEVEN. SIX OF US

LIVED.

HOW MANY OF THEM DIED?

I WAS THE YOUNGEST. BUT ALL IN ALL, MY

MUM TOLD ME, THERE WERE 17 OF US KIDS. SOME OF THEM DIED BEFORE I WAS BORN.

WHAT CHILD WERE YOU IN TERMS OF AGE?

AND HE RODE THE HORSE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BORDER.

NAJISÁRAV TUKE.

THANK YOU.

T’AVEN TUKE BACHTÁLE, DAV LEN TUKE.

MAY THEY BRING YOU HAPPINESS, YOU SHALL

HAVE THEM.

DUJ EZERA. TWO THOUSAND.

T’AVES MANGE BACHTÁLO, MURRO PHRAL! HAJ SO MANGES PRÉ LES?

MAY GOD BE WITH YOU, MY BROTHER! HOW MUCH ARE YOU ASKING FOR HIM?

SOME HORSE HE BOUGHT! THAT WAS ALSO SOMETIME

AROUND THE WAR.

TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH,

MY MUM ALSO TOLD ME

ABOUT MY DAD, MARKÉTA…

AND WHEN THEY REFUSED TO WORK, THEY WERE BEATEN.

BUT THEY WERE STARVING.

IT WASN’T SO BAD, HE SAID…

THEY CONFISCATED THE HORSE AND LOCKED HIM UP AS WELL!

HE COULDN’T CROSS IT WITH THE HORSE.

BUT WHEN HE REACHED THE BORDER, THEY WOULDN’T LET HIM CROSS.

THE HUNGARIAN ONE!

WHAT BORDER? THE POLISH ONE?

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, THEN YOU’VE BEEN

LOCKED UP FOR NOTHING! I’M GOING TO ORDER YOUR HORSE TO BE

RETURNED RIGHT AWAY!

YES.

MR MAKULA, YOU REALLY HAVE THESE DOCUMENTS?

THEY KEPT HIM LOCKED UP FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEN FINALLY THE

HIGHEST ONE UP ARRIVED.

I WANNA SPEAK TO THE MAN WHO HAS THE MOST AUTHORITY AROUND HERE!

A CERTIFIED BLACKSMITH!

I’M A BLACKSMITH!

YOU CAN’T GIVE ME A BAD TIME AND BEAT ME FOR BUYING THAT HORSE!

I CAN’T LIE ABOUT WHAT’S

TRUE!

THEY‘VE BEEN STAMPED!

I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTS ON ME.

YOU STOLE IT! PINCHED IT!!! OWN UP!

I BOUGHT IT!THIS HORSE HAS BEEN STOLEN!

AND THEY HAD TO CONFESS CRIMES THEY

DIDN’T COMMIT.

HE WAS LOCKED UP FOR SIX MONTHS FOR NOTHING. THEN THEY SET HIM FREE. AND THEY GAVE HIS HORSE BACK TO HIM. BUT WHAT OF IT? HE’D LEFT HIS KIDS AT HOME. HE HAD LITTLE KIDS AT HOME, ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM.

AUTHORS MARKÉTA HAJSKÁ, MÁŠA BOŘKOVCOVÁ, VOJTĚCH MAŠEK ARTWORK VOJTĚCH MAŠEKCOVER AND GRAPHIC DESIGN JAN ŠILLEREDITOR – KAROLINA VOŇKOVÁTRANSLATION AND PROOFREADING OF ROMANY MARKÉTA HAJSKÁ, DAVID MAKULA, VIKTOR ELŠÍKTRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH KAROLÍNA RYVOLOVÁ, ZUZANA STERNPROOFREADING OF ENGLISH JOHN WHALLEY

PUBLISHED BY KAROLINA VOŇKOVÁ – LIPNIKPRAGUE 2010 AS ITS 2ND PUBLICATION PRINTED BY PBTISK, S.R.O., DĚLOSTŘELECKÁ 344, 261 01 PŘÍBRAM.

PUBLISHING HOUSE KAROLINA VOŇKOVÁ – LIPNIKOSADNÍ 6, 170 00 PRAHA 7

ISBN 978-80-904284-2-3ISBN 978-80-904284-1-6 (SOUBOR)