Bread & Freedom

PROLOGUE

1809

May

Aleksandar

Angry voices woke Aleksandar. He did not enjoy being woken up and began to cry out in protest but paused as he realised it was Mama and Tata arguing.

‘You cannot leave me and Aleksandar to fend for ourselves.’

‘I have to go. Don’t you see? We can win this. The uprising has shown the Turks are not invincible.’

‘If that’s the case, then why are they still our masters?’

‘It will take time. Rebellion is the only way to make a change.’

‘What about your responsibility to your family? Surely we are just as important as your cause?’

‘You are, but it’s our chance…’

Aleksandar let out a loud wail.

‘Now you’ve woken Aleksandar!’ She sounded furious.

‘I’m sorry, but I need to do this.’

‘At least, have something to eat and drink before you go.’

‘Very well, but I don’t have long. I’m supposed to be meeting Milan soon.’

Aleksandar saw his father’s frame in the doorway and wailed even louder.

‘Hush now, little man,’ his father said. In two strides he was by his bedside. He sat on the bed and Aleksandar crawled into his lap. He felt safe with his father’s strong arms around him.

‘I’m sorry we woke you,’ he crooned. ‘I will be away for a short time, but I promise you, I will be back.’

Aleksandar stopped crying and looked into his father’s eyes. They were a deep blue reminding him of the sky on a hot summer’s day. ‘Promise?’

‘I promise. In the meantime, will you be a big boy for me and be good for Mama until I get back?’

Aleksandar gave him a solemn look and nodded. His father placed a kiss on the top of the head and laid him back on the bed. He tucked the bedclothes around him and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Go back to sleep now little man. I will be back before you know it.’

Aleksandar hugged the blanket and closed his eyes.

Sunlight was streaming on his face when he woke. His tummy rumbled, where was Mama? He listened for sounds of breakfast being prepared. Mama and Tata were arguing again, why were they shouting at each other? He didn’t like it and wished they would stop. He curled up into a tight little ball.

‘You tricked me!’

Mama was crying. ‘It was a harmless sleeping draught. I had to stop you leaving somehow.’

‘By drugging my food?’

‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed. ‘You wouldn’t listen to reason. You gave me no choice.’

The door slammed. Aleksandar jumped and held his breath waiting for something else to happen. There was only silence. He let his breath out slowly. The door opened and Mama walked in, her eyes were red from crying. She gently picked him up and held him tight. ‘Looks like it’s just you and me now.’

He patted her hand. ‘Tata be home soon.’

She gave a ghost of a smile. ‘I hope you’re right.’

Mama was sad and fussed over him more than usual and he tried hard to be a good boy for her. Tata still hadn’t come home by the time Mama put him to bed. Was it something he had done to make Tata stay away? Aleksandar’s lower lip trembled. ‘Tata always tells me a story.’

His mother brushed the hair out of his eyes and gently stroked his cheek. ‘Hush now, don’t fret. I’ll tell you a story instead, one of your favourites and before you know it Tata will be home.’ Her soft gentle voice soothed him and his eyelids grew heavy. Despite his intentions of staying awake, he was soon sound asleep.

It was barely daybreak when he woke again. He listened for voices but all was quiet except for the birds singing outside his window. He lay quietly in his bed, hoping when the door opened Tata would be standing there. After what seemed a long time, Mama came to dress him. He pouted at her. ‘Tata?’

She shook her head. ‘Not yet, but soon.’

They lived in a small community on the outskirts of the City of Niš, a bustling metropolis in Southern Serbia. The houses were set close to one another. Aleksandar didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but had no need of them. There were always plenty of children to play with, and normally Aleksandar couldn’t wait to go outside, but anxious for the return of his father, stayed close to his mother, clinging to her whenever he could. Later in the day, some of her friends came to visit. Their husbands had also gone away and were fearful about their return, the unspoken dread hung in the air like a dark malevolent presence. ‘What are we going to do?’ Nada’s mother wailed.

Aleksandar’s mother shook her head. ‘Not in front of the child.’ She looked down at Aleksandar who was clutching at her skirt and gently prised his hand away and led him to the open door. ‘Why don’t you find Nada? I know she would like to play with you,’ she coaxed then gave him a gentle push and closed the door behind him. He didn’t understand what had been going on, but it had something to do with fighting the Turkish army. Determined to find out more, he waited a little while before standing on his tiptoes to reach the door handle, he opened the door and snuck back in. No one paid much attention to him as they consoled Nada’s mother.

‘Hush now, I’m sure it’s not as bad as they’re saying,’ his mother said.

‘I tried to see for myself but it’s impossible to get into the city. I tell you, none of them survived.’

‘If it’s impossible to get into the city, then it’s equally as impossible to get out. I’m sure they’ll be home soon.’

Nada’s mother sniffed. ‘I hope you’re right.’

Aleksandar clung to his mother as they left. She forced a smile. ‘Pay no attention to them. Tata will be home before you know it.’

That night as Mama put him to bed, Aleksandar listened for sounds of his father returning but all was quiet. He clung to her as she kissed him goodnight. Normally Mama’s kisses were like soft clouds of happiness but that night they felt different. She was sad Tata was not here. He wished he would come home, and then they would all be happy again. His tummy felt funny, like little wings fluttering inside. He remembered Mama talking about butterflies in the stomach but he couldn’t remember swallowing any butterflies, how would they have got there? The thoughts went round and round in his head until he fell asleep. The sound of voices woke him up in the middle of the night. Tata was home! He waited in anticipation for Tata to come and see him but soon his little bubble of happiness deflated. Both Mama and Tata sounded quite upset.

‘I’ve been going out of my mind with worry! I thought they had killed you with all the rest!’

‘I take it you’ve heard the news.’

‘Of course! There’s nothing but talk of what happened!’

‘I got as far as the Fortress but by then it was all over. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to believe we could win,’ his father sobbed. ‘If you hadn’t tried to stop me…’

‘Shush now,’ his mother crooned in the same tone she used when comforting Aleksandar. ‘At least, you’re here now.’

‘How could I have been so foolish, what was I thinking of?’

‘Why didn’t you come home sooner?’

‘The whole town was in uproar and there was a strict curfew. Luckily, I found a place to stay in the tavern next to the Fortress.’

‘What went wrong?’

‘The lack of coordination with other rebel detachments failed to give Sindelic the support he needed. A thousand men against tens of thousands - it was doomed to fail. They held the Turks off for a while but were overwhelmed.’

‘There’s been talk that Sindelic blew himself up.’

‘Yes, along with the handful of men that survived and many Turkish soldiers.’

‘They could have surrendered.’

His father sobbed again. ‘A lot of good that would have done. You know the punishment would have been far worse.’

Aleksandar had not heard Tata cry before and it unsettled him. He wailed loudly. He had barely time to take another breath when Tata was at his side.

‘What’s all this noise little man?’

Aleksandar held out his hands to be picked up, in an instant he was back in Tata’s strong arms. Tata was here now and whatever had made him cry didn’t matter anymore.

For a five-year-old, Aleksandar was more advanced than other boys of his age, but his mother and father put that down to him being an only child. Aleksandar was a bright boy and intuitive for his age. Although too young to comprehend complex human emotions, he knew when they were happy, sad, or angry. Whenever he overheard his mother and father talking after they had put him to bed, although he didn’t understand the conversation, he sensed their mood. When they laughed and talked, it was like a lullaby sending him off to sleep, but when they argued, a big rain cloud hung over him.

In the days that followed, Aleksandar sensed a change happening. Whenever he went with Mama to the marketplace or out with Tata, people seemed different. They were sad and angry and spoke in whispers as if afraid to be overheard. Aleksandar didn’t like this and asked Mama why.

Mama shook her head. ‘Hush now. It’s nothing for you to worry about.’

Despite her reassuring smile, it didn’t make him feel any better. ‘Lots of soldiers. Soldiers are cross too.’

‘The Sultan sent them. Perhaps they don’t like being here. It’s not for us to question what the Sultan does. Now then, it’s time for you to go to sleep.’

Aleksandar closed his eyes as she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, but he felt too restless to sleep. There was something wrong, Mama and Tata sounded worried as they talked.

‘Just remember anything non-essential we leave behind,’ his father said.

‘If we have permission to leave, why do we need to travel so light?’

‘Because as far as they’re concerned, we’re only going to my uncle’s for a few months until he gets better.’

‘Won’t we get into trouble when we don’t show up at your uncle’s? Besides, our permits only allow us to travel to Kruševac.’

‘They won’t know where we have gone. We’re not that important to them, there are too many carpenters here anyway so we won’t be missed. I’m sure they’ll have other things to think about. Don’t worry, it will all work out.’

‘How can I not worry?’

‘When we reach the outskirts of Kruševac, I shall meet a man who will provide me with another permit that will allow us to travel to Dobrć.’

‘Can he be trusted?’

‘Yes. He’s done this many times, and he is very careful. As I’ve said before, the area around Dobrć is a good place for Aleksandar to grow up in. The Turks are more tolerant and my brother makes a good living. I barely scrape enough together to feed and clothe us and he’s got no one else to hand his business over to, so it makes sense we live with him.’

The next morning Aleksandar’s mother woke him early. He pouted as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. ‘I need you to be a good boy for me today,’ she said in a soft voice helping him dress. Aleksandar gazed at her with his big blue eyes; she looked worried, so he nodded. She laid a blanket on the bed and piled his clothes into the middle, then tied the blanket into a bundle. Through the open door, he saw more bundles heaped together. He sat on the floor, ‘Mama?’

She shook her head. ‘I thought you would be a good boy for me. We’re going away for a little while. It will be a big adventure.’

He pouted. ‘I like here.’

She crouched down beside him. ‘You’ll really like our new place. Tata said you will have plenty of new friends.’ She stood up and pulled him to his feet. ‘Come on now, we must get ready. We have to go to the park in the city centre first. There will be many people, so you must hold my hand and not wander off.’

Aleksandar’s face lit up at the mention of the park. She shook her head. ‘You won’t be able to play. Everyone in Niš has been told to go there.’ She bit her lip. The park was nearly two leagues away from where they lived. ‘Tata will carry you on his shoulders for a while. You like being on Tata’s shoulders, don’t you?’

Aleksandar nodded. Mama was very sad so he would try hard to be good for her.

The number of people going the same way was overwhelming. Their mood made Aleksandar uneasy. Why were they crying or talking in angry hushed voices? Why were there were so many soldiers? Aleksandar frowned. He didn’t like the soldiers, especially when they kept shoving people to move them along. Mama didn’t like them either.

‘Why do they insist on making us take the children as well? It will be bad enough for the adults, let alone children. It’s just monstrous.’

‘So that when they’re grown up, they will remember this lesson.’ Tata said in a grim voice.

‘Are we going to school?’ Aleksandar said a little too loudly making people turn and look at him.

A man walking next to them gave a sad smile and patted his hand. ‘I’m afraid not. Just stay close to your Mama and Tata and you’ll be fine,’ then he disappeared into the crowd.

When they got near to the park, Aleksandar’s father put him down. They stood several rows back from the people in front of them. Mama held Aleksandar’s hand tightly. ‘Remember what I said, stay close and don’t go wandering off.’ More and more people joined them. Aleksandar felt he couldn’t breathe, there were too many crowded around him. There was anger in the whispered voices. He wished he could get back up on Tata’s shoulders, but he wouldn’t let him. Impatient at not being able to see, he got down on all fours to look through people’s legs. The soldiers were building a wall, but he wanted to see more. Mama was talking to a lady behind her, so he scooted between the people and found himself at the front. The wall, built from stones and whatever was in straw baskets, was turning into a tower. A soldier pulled a dolly head from one basket and put it on the top of the stones, it was covered in red paint with no hair. He took a clump of hair from another basket and plonked it on top of the dolly. Then he covered it with a splodge of cement before placing another stone on the top. Aleksandar thought a tower made of dolly heads was funny and laughed. A tug at his jacket made him turn round. It was Nada who lived a few doors away from him. The first night Mama and Tata were arguing, Tata was going somewhere with her father, Milan. Since then, Milan had disappeared.

‘Don’t worry, they’re only dollies,’ he said, although he was a little perplexed to see so many people crying.

She shook her head and sobbed as she pointed to the dolly. ‘My Tata.’

He turned his gaze back to the soldier who had another dolly in his hand. The soldier gave a crude laugh and poked at the eyes, then opened the mouth and pulled the tongue out before slapping it down on top of a cemented stone. Aleksandar studied the heads more closely and saw that Nada was right. Her Tata’s head was stuck next to that of Mr Lukic, the butcher, and other familiar faces embedded in the stones. A cold sweat came over him, he felt sick as the ground rose up to meet him.

He woke with a start. A cold, damp cloth was laid across his brow. He reached up in panic.

‘Shush now.’ Mama said. ‘You gave us quite a fright. Don’t fret now, you’re home.’

His mouth hurt. He ran his tongue along the front of his teeth and jumped as it caught against something sharp and jagged. His mother stroked his cheek. ‘You broke your tooth when you fell and cut your lip, but other than that, no other damage thankfully.’

‘Sorry, Mama. Won’t run away again.’

She gently stroked his forehead. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘No.’

She got up and went to leave.

‘Soldiers bad men,’ he said in a tone that made her shiver.

‘Don’t worry. We’re going far away from here to a place where they can’t hurt us.’

PART I

DJORDJE

ONE

1840

May

Aleksandar

Aleksandar steeled himself as he prepared to face the onslaught of his son’s wrath. They were alike in so many ways, including a fiery temper but Djordje was far more impulsive. That impulsiveness came from Aleksandar’s father. When he first moved to Dobrć with his mother and father, he found it hard to settle. His temper got him into trouble so many times. His father wanted to move away again but his mother insisted they stay and make a go of things and gradually their position improved. His father was a good carpenter and took over his brother’s business as he became ill and no longer able to work.