Yasmina from Banovo Brdo: Translated from Serbian to English by Marina Bozic [Božiæ]

By Mirko Lazic

At that time he meets Yasmina. She was beginning to study linguistics at the University of Belgrade. Yasminas parents want their daughter to devote herself to science and eventually to marry some esteemed scientists some day. Yasmina shared her parents dreams but there was passionate love

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781493151189

Mirko Lazic

Mirko Lazic was born 1957 in Belgrade capital of Serbia and at that time capital of former Yugoslavia. Due to family issues he changed five elementary schools. Somewhere at the end of elementary school he was “expelled” from children’s branch of Zemun’s library because he read all books available there and he was send to main Zemun’s library. High school he attended was First Grammar Scholl of Zemun, major Arts and Languages. Because of the pressure that was imposed on his family and himself by the previous regime he decided to move West and enrolled Faculty for Mechanical Engineering at the University of Belgrade.

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Copyright © 2014 by Mirko Lazic [Lazić].

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4931-5117-2

                eBook          978-1-4931-5118-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 12/09/2013

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CONTENTS

The First Meeting

The Date

The Bus

Ada

Mom, Dad and Virginity

The First Attempt

Uzhichko [Užičko] Kolo

The Classes Start

Boring Intruder

Photo lab

Thursday

A Calculator and a Dictionary

Milica

The Business Venture

Inscription

The Counterattack of Her Folks

The Trip

Skiing In Poland

Gifts

The Ice-rink

D Day

The Resolution

New Year’s Eve

The Second Semester

Afro hair-style

Telepathy

Natasha [Nataša]

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

My period is missing—What’s to be done

Linguistics and Psychology

The Slap

Franya [Franja]

Exams in June

Camping

The Germans

Islet

Wrestling

The Forest Path

The Return

Crime and Punishment

Rowing

The Intrigue

The Crash

Hangar of the Kayak Association

The Return from Exile

Academy

The End

Epilogue

Dedication: To children and grandchildren

THE FIRST MEETING

It was a beautiful sunny day in August 1978. I was repairing dad’s car on the parking lot near our building. Dad used to give me his car for whenever I provided for the petrol. My sister, Marina, was coming from the Jurija Gagarina Street. With a gracious stride an unknown girl walked beside her. Against the sunlight her slender silhouette appeared and her feather-light skirt gently swayed with the breeze.

When they came quite close I left the car and approached them. I greeted my sister with a nod and told the girl: Hi, I am Mirko, Marina’s bro.’’ She questioningly looked at my sister. Marina nodded: Yes, that is my bro.’’ Since my hands were dirty from the car repair and loaded with a wrench and a cloth, I offered my elbow to greet her. She accepted it and said laughing: "Yasmina’’ and the two left towards the building.

I finished fixing the car as fast as I could, went to the flat and washed my hands. They were sitting in the kitchen talking about the Faculty. While my sister was getting tea and coffee ready I asked the girl where she lived. She said on Banovo Brdo. I wanted to know if she liked our hood and she said: Where is the green? Is there a place where you can go for a walk? I told her about the magnificent river Sava bank nearby and asked if she wanted to see it with us. She and Marina exchanged glances. Marina said: "It is really beautiful, you should come and see.’’ She agreed.

We were already at the door when Marina said: Go ahead you two and I’ll prepare what you need for the University until you come back.’’ On our way out my glance was saying: Many thanks for this, dear sister."

We were walking by the river bank chatting about all sorts of things. She was going to study linguistics and I was going to study mechanical engineering in fall. We talked about films, books and life. I took her all the way to Galovica. On our way back the sun was already setting. We could barely walk. She took the books Marina prepared for her said a quick goodbye and went home.

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THE DATE

I rang her several times trying to fix a date. She elegantly discarded me with being busy excuses. I decided to call once more, and in case of a No, to accept that as a final No. The dream was over. I invited her to the movies. "Hmmm, movies… come to Banovo Brdo, and wait for me on the second bus station in Pozheshka Street and we’ll work something out.’’

While I was standing and waiting on the second station in Pozheshka my heartbeat soared up at the very thought of seeing her again. In her terrain she appeared from thin air, looked at me with those great almond eyes and smiling conspiringly said: "Let’s go for a stroll, I want to show you my hood.’’

She took me to Topchider [Topčider]. We strolled through the forest. She knew every path and shortcut that is where she grew up. I barely knew where we were. Suddenly we were on a meadow. Everywhere around us was the thick forest. No people in sight. It’s now or never! I thought. Standing in front of her, I firmly drew her near and started kissing her.

We sat down on a nearby log. While we were kissing she took her shoes off. I wondered if she minded my average height. Although I was taller than her, her friends from the rowing club were mainly around two meters tall.

Once I venture into an adventure I do not give up, but she did not allow any touching below the waist and above it just a few brief ones over the T-shirt.

When we were leaving the meadow she told me with a witty smile: "I was on the verge of thinking that you just