Chapter 1

Once we discussed which event in life had the most impact on us, that is, which event we remember the most, my friends chose the day they got married or the day they met their partner. Those who were not yet married chose the day they graduated or the event when they survived a car accident. I could not honestly declare my event as it was kept in strict secrecy. Well, since I can’t tell anyone about it, I decided to put it on paper, of course under a pseudonym.

Even though my parents are highly educated, they realized a long time ago that I would not follow in their footsteps, therefore they did not force me to study. I graduated as a car mechanic, and after school a local mechanic immediately hired me part-time. This suited us all because I had a lot of responsibilities at home. Namely, we lived in the countryside, there was a property, and my parents had a lot of responsibilities at work, so I took on a large part of the responsibilities.

I was mostly satisfied. I like to work, and I make good money, I don’t have to give any money at home towards my keep, so everything stays with me.

By the way, I live for the weekend. On Friday and Saturday nights, drinking and fooling around with friends was my favourite part. Although I have work on Saturdays, I never miss Friday night. Sometimes I go straight from partying to work and then continue drinking all evening. Well, it continues even now that I’m well into my twenties.

They say that I am the same as my grandfather whom I unfortunately don’t remember, but I been told almost everything about him. Grandfather Mile was an illiterate man, but he became the richest man in the village. He was very intelligent, looked into the future and knew in advance what should be done. He did not base himself on one job like the others but constantly changed something. While everyone was bogged down in planting potatoes or cabbage, he saw that the income was low, so he started planting tobacco. When he saw that his earnings were falling, he would take up something else. It was the same with livestock. As soon as he realized that the dairy farmers were getting too little money, he reduced the number of cows and started raising goats. However, he made the most money from the orchard and honey, and in addition to all that, he extracted wood from the forest and sold it. He knew very well which job to tackle and what is more important, he knew when to change.

So, while everyone else in the village was barely surviving, he profited more and more year after year. His wealth grew but he lived very modestly. He was loved in the village, he helped everyone, and many people worked for him. He always told his sons - “You always have to pay for a drink in the inn for someone who has less money than you.” He had three children. My father Rade was the oldest, his sister Vesna a year younger and his brother Velibor one more year younger. He was quite strict with them. They all attended high school in the neighboring town and he demanded that they be excellent students. He would regularly go to school to talk with the professors, and on one occasion when my father slacked off a bit in school and ended up with a D at the end of the year, as punishment he had to haul wood from the forest on a donkey all summer.

After high school, going to the city to study was mandatory. He said the same thing to all three children, “I don’t want you to come home until you finish university and become someone and something. You have money and you don’t need to work while you study. When you finish I will buy you an apartment in the city until you get a job. If you stop your studies, then you manage on your own as best you know how.” And it was like that.

As soon as my old man graduated in agronomy, my grandfather bought him an apartment in the city. Then grandfather said to him - “You see son, this piece of paper does not make you a smarter or a better person, but the path you had to take to get to it made you smart, brave and resourceful. It doesn’t matter if you want to do that job or another job in your life, you will manage in any job.”

Aunt Vesna successfully studied pharmacy, but Velibor didn’t do well. City life has changed him, and worn him out. He was only interested in girls and fooling around. He changed faculties and in the end, managed to finish a higher education. My mom studied together with Aunt Vesna and that’s how she met my dad. They got married as soon as Dad got a job. My aunt and uncle graduated a couple of years later.

Grandfather was very happy and invited everyone to come and agree on the legacy. First, he gave a long monologue on philosophy, and then he got down to the topic. It was concluded that there is already an apartment that he bought for my dad and that he still has savings for another apartment, and the legacy also includes the existing house in the village. The three of them have to agree on who will get what. He was aware that after his death, his children would sell off the large fields and orchards he had, as well as the forest. He said that they could sell the house if no one wanted to live in the village, but not while he and Grandma were alive.

He insisted that they keep the log cabin in the mountain. That cabin, the log cabin, or cottage is the only thing he enjoyed and was proud of. He built it himself. He wanted that hut to be a kind of memory of him and at least once a year a gathering place for the whole family. They gave themselves time to decide, after all, they were in no hurry. Dad had an apartment. Aunt and her husband lived in his house and Uncle stayed in the apartment they had rented while they were studying.

They said that there was enough time to agree, but my Aunt said that she had no intention of being in the village, nor did she need a house or an apartment, but that she was only looking for some money to open her private pharmacy. My uncle also said that he had no intention of returning to the village, and that’s when the idea of returning came to my dad. Of course, that remained just a wish because he knew that Mom, a real city girl, would never dream of being in the countryside. That’s why he didn’t say anything to her. Before leaving, my aunt told the brothers that she did not like the way grandfather talked or the way he looked and that she was worried about him. She was right. After a month, grandfather died and only 3 months later, so did grandmother.

My dad told me this many times. During that period, mom was pregnant. Here is some kind of rule that pregnant women don’t go to funerals, so Mom missed both. When Dad returned home and she asked him how it was, he replied that at least one problem had been solved now and that no one had to go to the village. Mom didn’t know what he was talking about. Then he explained to her and to his surprise she said - “Well, how come they won’t, I’d rather live in the countryside and raise my children there”. It didn’t take long for it to be realized.

I’ve gone on a bit with this story, but when I had to mention that I’m being compared to my grandfather, I just felt like telling who I am and who I’m falling for. Let’s get back to the main topic.

Dad, uncle and aunt kept their promise and met in that cottage every year. The cottage is high up in the mountains so it’s hard to get to in the winter, so it was most appropriate for them to meet for the Easter holidays. Then everyone is free and as the snow has melted, you can get there by car. Since no one comes there during the winter, that arrival during the Easter holidays is always used for various repairs and works around the cottage. We go on Fridays and come back on Mondays, but sometimes we used to go on Thursdays as well.

It was a Thursday when Dad and I went with the SUV to take food, tools, materials and other things needed for the stay at the cottage, and we used the time there for repairs.

The cabin is a long way from a major road, and after you turn off, it is 12 km on a mountain road, and then the asphalted road ends and the white road begins that leads around the hill. About 5 km of narrow winding road that leads to the source of a river you cross the bridge and continue uphill. With an ordinary car, you can only get a few km further, and then there are still 3 km to our wooden house. You can only get to the end with an SUV. Dad let me drive all the way, even the part where if not careful, you can get stuck in the mud. We left all our things there and went back home.

The next day I came home from work at noon. Everyone was already with us: Aunt Vesna with her husband and children and Uncle Velibor. He was alone because he was not married. We all had lunch together and then made the final preparations for departure. My cell phone rang, so I went out into the corridor. My boss called me.

“Hello Veki.”

“Hey, sorry to bother you Denis, I just wanted to ask if you could come and help me finish by the evening because I have a trial run with this Opel and I still have to deal with the Ford. We don’t work tomorrow and people need their car...”

“Um, you know you should go to the forest with me...”

“I know, you told me. I just wanted to ask you if you could. If you can’t, you can’t ... it’s ok.”

“I’ll talk to my parents and let you know.”

Come on Denis, if I have to, I’ll throw you there tomorrow.

“Ok Veki, I’ll let you know.”

I went back to the living room and told everyone what was going on. Dad told me that Veki has always been good to me and that I should help him but decide for myself.

Lea spoke up, “Well, great, If I stay back with Denis, then I could solve these things for Easter with the girls. Since I won’t be there on Sunday, at least I can help them prepare what they need.”

Lea is very active in all village groups. She is also active in school and church activities. Lea is really good. She is petite and thin, and her face is as beautiful as a doll. On top of that, her long blonde hair makes her look like she just came out of a fairy tale. Such is her character. She would never say or do anything bad to anyone. She always helps everyone, and everyone loves her very much.

Dad said, “Okay, you two come tomorrow, just don’t be late so you don’t get caught in the dark.”

Mom commented, “Just be careful how you drive, you know how dangerous those roads are.”

Well, I drove yesterday. Was it okay, Dad?”

“Yes, you drove very well.”

The first thing that came to my mind was that tonight I will organize a drinking party at home. I went to get ready and headed to the mechanic garage. I also wanted to finish as soon as possible. As soon as Veki saw me, he was happy. We got down to business right away and everything was done by the evening. We washed our hands and sat down. Veki poured us brandy and opened two beers, which was a real miracle because he doesn’t allow drinking in the workshop, even after work.

“Well, You saved me. If you hadn’t come, I would have to work tomorrow and I have other commitments. My wife would kill me. But here you are, take this and have a little fun tonight.” said Veki, handing me a 100-euro bill.

“Thank you, boss. Who says there are no honest private individuals hehe.”

I went home and immediately called friends to come. There was plenty of food and drink, and loud music was blaring from the speakers. I got so drunk that I honestly don’t even remember who was in the house. I woke up on the couch in the living room. The sound of the vacuum cleaner was unbearable. I opened my eyes and saw Lea pulling the vacuum cleaner and working back and forth with quick movements.

“Sister Lea dear, what are you doing for god sake?”

“Well, someone has to clean up this mess, and as far as I can see, you certainly won’t. I don’t have time later if we want to go up there.”

I got up and took sparkling water out of the fridge. I drank it all the way.

“Go to sleep in your room, I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.”

Heading towards my bedroom, I pass by Lea and kiss her.

“Oh sister, if you didn’t exist, someone would have to be invented. You are such a sweetheart.”

“And don’t forget to take a shower, phew.”

I realized that I didn’t smell very good. I went to my room and continued to sleep. It was already past noon when Lea woke me up. I got up. There was no strong hangover. We ate something and left, and of course, we stopped at a cafe first. All my friends meet there. A few of them hungover from last night were sitting there, we just looked at each other and laughed. We talked for a while over coffee and moved on.

On my way out, the waiter --said, “There may be snow up there.”

No way that will happen. I replied. We moved on.

When we turned off the main road towards the mountain, it started to rain lightly and it became foggy. As soon as we climbed higher, it got colder and soon we reached the end of the paved road where there was a parking lot and the white road continued. Visibility was very poor due to the fog. Only when we got closer did I see that the ramp was lowered. This meant that the road was closed.

“Fuck it.” I shouted.

“What are we going to do now Denis?”

“I don’t know. I can raise the ramp and we’ll drive over, but I don’t know how smart that is.”

“No. Out of the question.”

“Um, Mum and Dad didn’t tell us anything...”

“Maybe they are trying, but there is no signal there.”

“Lea, there is a signal up there, but only in the area around the bridge.”

“So what are we going to do now? We have to go back.”

“Oh no. You see this road goes around the hill and we can walk straight across it and come down right at the bridge. Then we only have a little more uphill to the hut.”

“We will have to hurry to get there before dark, and I don’t like this drizzle.”

“I don’t like how we’re dressed.”

I look at Lea and assess how she is dressed. Her jacket was pretty good. She had a hood but the problem was that she was wearing sneakers. I was also wearing sneakers. Of course, we always go to the forest in boots, but our things are already there, we just had to come by car, and it’s easier for me to drive in sneakers.