The Bridge on the Drina - PDFDrive.com Page 38

  stakeandexposedonthatvery kapia.

  TherewerealsoafewSarajevosecondaryschoolstudentswholistenedavidlyto

  their older colleagues and their tales of life in the great cities, and with the

  imagination that whips up the vanity and hidden desires of children thought of

  everythingasevengreaterandmorebeautifulthanitreallywasorevercouldbe.

  AmongthemwasNikolaGlasičanin,apalestiffyouthwhobecauseofpoverty,

  poorhealthandlackofsuccesshadhadtoleavethesecondaryschoolafterthe

  fourthclassandreturntothetownandacceptapostasclerktoaGermantimber

  exporting firm. He came from a decayed landowning family at Okolište. His

  grandfather,MilanGlasičanin,haddiedashorttimeaftertheoccupation,inthe

  Sarajevolunaticasylum,aftergamblingawayinhisyouththegreaterpartofhis

  property.Hisfather,Peter,asicklycreaturewithoutwill,forceorreputationhad

  died some time ago. Now Nikola spent all day long on the river bank with the workmenwhopoledtheheavypinelogsandmadethemintorafts.Hemeasured

  the cubic meterage of the wood and afterwards, in the office, entered it in the

  books. This monotonous task among such people, without ideals and without

  wider views, he felt as a torture and a humiliation, and the absence of any

  likelihood of being able to change his social status or get on in the world had

  createdofthesensitiveyouthamanoldbeforehistime,biliousandtaciturn.He

  readmuchinhissparetime,butthatspiritualfooddidnothingtogivehimforce

  orexalthim,foreverythinginhimtookasourturn.Hisbadluck,hisloneliness

  andhissufferingopenedhiseyesandsharpenedhissensestomanythings,but

  even the most beautiful thoughts and most precious knowledge could only

  discourageandembitterhimthemore,fortheythrewanevenstrongerlighton

  hislackofsuccessandhislackofprospectsinthetown.

  TherewasalsoVladoMarić,alocksmithbytrade,amerryandgood-humoured

  manwhomhiscolleaguesfromthehigherschoolslovedandinvited,asmuchfor

  hisstrongandlovelybaritoneasforhissimple-heartednessandgoodness.This

  vigorous young man with his locksmith's cap on his head was one of those

  humble men who are always sufficient to themselves and do not think of

  comparing themselves with others, but calmly and thankfully accept whatever

  lifeofferstothemandgivesimplyandnaturallyalltheycan.

  Therewerealsothetwolocalschoolmistresses,ZorkaandZagorka,bothbornin

  thetown.Alltheyouthscompetedfortheirfavoursandaroundthemplayedthat

  naïve,complicated,brilliantandtormentinggameoflove.Intheirpresencethe

  discussionsragedlikeacourtofloveinearliercenturies;becauseofthemyoung

  menwouldlatersitonthe kapia smokinginthedarknessandsolitudeorsinging

  with others after an evening spent drinking somewhere else; because of them

  there were hidden enmities between comrades, badly concealed jealousies and

  open quarrels. About ten o'clock the girls would go home; but the young men

  remained for long, though the mood on the kapici slackened and the rival

  eloquencediminished.

  Stiković,whousuallytooktheleadinthesediscussions,thateveningsatsilent,

  smoking.Hewastroubledandoutofhumourwithhimself,butheconcealedit

  as he always concealed all his true feelings, though he never succeeded in

  concealingthemcompletely.Thatafternoonhehadhadhisfirstrendezvouswith

  theschoolmistressZorka,anattractivegirlwithafullfigure,palefaceandfiery

  eyes.OnStiković'sinsistence,theyhadbeenabletodothemostdifficultofall

  things in a small town; that is for a youth and a girl to meet in a hidden place

  where no one could see them or know anything about it. They had met in her schoolwhichwasdesertedatthattimebecauseoftheholidays.Hehadgonein

  fromonestreet,throughthegarden,andshefromanotherbythemainentrance.

  Theyhadmetinadimly-lit,dustyroompiledalmosttotheceilingwithbenches.

  Itisthusthatthepassionofloveisoftencompelledtolookforremoteandugly

  places.Theycouldneithersitnorliedown.Bothofthemwereembarrassedand

  awkward.Toofullofdesire,tooimpatient,theyembracedandmingledononeof

  thosebencheswhichsheknewsowell,withoutlookingatornoticinganything

  aroundthem.Hewasthefirsttorecover.Abruptly,withouttransition,asyoung

  men do, he stood up to arrange his clothing and go away. The girl burst into

  tears.Theirdisillusionwasmutual.Whenhehadmoreorlesscalmeddownhe

  wentout,almostasifescaping,byasidedoor.

  At home he met the postman who had brought the youth-paper with his article

  'TheBalkans,SerbiaandBosnia-Herzegovina'.Readingthearticleagainturned

  histhoughtsawayfromtheincidentofafewmomentsbefore.Buteveninthat

  hefoundreasonfordissatisfaction.Therewereprinters'errorsinthearticleand

  someofthesentencessoundedsillytohim;now,whenitwasnolongerpossible

  to make alterations, it seemed to him that many things could have been better

  expressed,moreclearlyandmoreconcisely.

  Thesameeveningtheysatonthe kapia discussinghisarticleinthepresenceof

  Zorka herself. His principal adversary was the talkative and aggressive Herak

  who looked at everything and criticized everything from an orthodox socialist

  viewpoint.Theothersonlyintervenedinthediscussionfromtimetotime.The

  twoschoolmistressesremainedsilent,preparinganunseenwreathforthevictor.

  Stiković defended himself weakly, firstly because he himself now saw many

  weaknesses and illogicalities in his own article, though he would never admit

  thisbeforehiscolleagues;andsecondlybecausehewastroubledbythememory

  oftheafternooninthedustyandstuffyclassroom,ascenewhichnowseemedto

  himbothcomicanduglybut which had long been the aim of his most intense

  desires and his most ardent feelings towards the pretty schoolmistress. She

  herself was sitting there in the summer darkness looking at him with shining

  eyes.Hefeltlikeadebtorandacriminalandwouldhavegivenmuchnottohave

  been in the school that day and not to be here with her now. In such a mood,

  Herakseemedtohimlikeanaggressivegadflyfromwhoseattackshecouldonly

  defendhimselfwithdifficulty.Itseemedtohimthathemustanswernotonlyfor

  hisarticlebutalsoforallthathadhappenedthatdayintheschool.Aboveallhe

  wanted to be alone, somewhere far away, so that he could think calmly of

  somethingotherthanthearticleorthegirl.Butself-lovedrovehimontodefend himself.StikovićquotedCvijićandŠtrosmajer,HerakKautskyandBabel.

  'You are putting the cart before the horse,' shouted Herak, analysing Stiković's

  article. 'It is not possible for the Balkan peasant, plunged in poverty and every

&nbs
p; sort of misery, to found a good and lasting state organization. Only the

  preliminary economic liberation of the exploited classes, the peasants and the

  workers, that is to say the greater number of the people, can create real

  conditionsfortheformationofindependentstates.Thatisanaturalprocessand

  the road we all must take, and in no way the other way round. Therefore both

  national liberation and unification must be carried out in the spirit of socialist

  liberationandrenascence.Otherwiseitwillhappenthatthepeasant,workerand

  ordinarycitizenwillintroducetheirpauperismandtheirslavishmentality,likea

  mortal contagion, into the new state formations and the small number of

  exploiters will instil into them their parasitical, reactionary mentality and their

  anti-socialinstincts.Thereforeenduringstatesorahealthysocietycannotexist.'

  'All that is foreign book-learning, my good fellow,' answered Stiković, 'which

  vanishes before the living impetus of awakened nationalist forces among the

  SerbsandthenamongtheCroatsandSlovenesalso,thoughtendingtooneaim.

  Things do not come to pass according to the forecasts of German theoreticians

  butadvanceincompleteaccordwiththedeepsenseofourhistoryandourracial

  destiny. From Karageorge's words: 'Let each kill his Turkish chief the social

  problemintheBalkanshasalwayssolveditselfbythewayofnationalliberation

  movements and wars. It all moves beautifully logically, from the less to the

  great,fromtheregionalandtribaltothenationalandtheformationoftheState.

  Were not our victories at Kumanovo and on the Bregalnica also the greatest

  victoriesofprogressivethoughtandsocialjustice?'

  'Thatremainstobeseen,'brokeinHerak.

  'Whodoesnotseeitnow,willneverseeit.Webelieve...'

  'Youbelieve,butwebelievenothing,butwanttobeconvincedbyactualproofs

  andfacts,'answeredHerak.

  'SurelythedisappearanceoftheTurksandtheweakeningofAustro-Hungaryas

  the first step towards her annihilation are really the victories of small,

  democraticpeoplesandenslavedclassesintheiraspirationtofindaplaceinthe

  sun?'Stikovićdevelopedhisidea.

  'Iftherealizationofnationalistaimsbringswithitthecreationofsocialjustice,

  then in the Western European states which have for the most part achieved all theirnationalistidealsandareinthatmattersatisfied,thereshouldnolongerbe

  any major social problems, or movements, or conflicts. Yet we see that that is

  notso.Onthecontrary.'

  'AndIkeeptellingyou,'Stikovićansweredweariedly,'thatwithoutthecreation

  of independent states on the basis of national unity and modern conceptions of

  personal and social liberty, there can be no talk of "social liberation". For, as someFrenchmanoncesaid,politicscomefirst....'

  'Thestomachcomesfirst,'interruptedHerak.

  The others too became heated and the naïve students' discussion became a

  youthful squabble with everyone talking at once and interrupting one another

  andwhich,atthefirstquips,degeneratedintolaughterandshouting.

  That was a welcome excuse for Stiković to break off the argument and remain

  silent,withouthavingtogivetheimpressionofawithdrawaloradefeat.

  AfterZorkaandZagorkawhowenthomeaboutteno'clock,escortedbyVelimir

  and Ranko, the others too began to disperse. At last only Stiković and Nikola

  Glasičaninwereleft.

  These two were about the same age. At one time they had gone to school

  togetherandhadsharedthesamelodgingsinSarajevo.Theyknewoneanother

  downtothelastdetailandjustforthatreasontheycouldneitherofthemmake

  uptheirmindwhethertheyreallylikedoneanother.Withtheyearsthedistance

  betweenthemnaturallybecamewiderandhardertobridge.Everyvacationthey

  metagainhereinthetownandeachtooktheother'smeasureandlookedonthe

  other as an inseparable enemy. Now the beautiful and wayward schoolmistress

  Zorka had also come between them. In the long months of the previous winter

  she had gone about with Glasičanin who had never concealed, or been able to

  conceal,thathewasinlove.Hehadplungedheadoverheelsinlovewithallthe

  firethatembitteredanddissatisfiedpersonscanputintosuchanemotion.

  But as soon as the summer months came and the students began to appear, the

  sensitive Glasičanin was unable to avoid seeing the interest that the

  schoolmistress showed in Stiković. For that reason the old tension between

  them,whichhadalwaysbeenkepthiddenfromothers,hadgreatlyincreased.All

  thisvacationtheyhadnotoncebeenalonetogetherastheywerenow.

  Now that chance had so arranged it, the first thought of each of them was to

  separate as soon as possible without conversation which could only be

  unpleasant for both. But some ridiculous consideration, known only to youth, prevented them from doing as they wished. But in this embarrassment chance

  again helped them and lessened at least for a moment the heavy silence that

  oppressedthem.

  In the darkness could be heard the voices of two youths who were walking on

  the bridge. They were moving slowly and just then halted by the kapia behind theangleoftheparapet,sothatStikovićandGlasičanincouldnotseethem,or

  beseenbythem,fromtheirseatonthe sofa. Buttheycouldheareverywordand

  thevoiceswerewellknowntothem.Theyweretwooftheiryoungercomrades.

  Toma Galus and Fehim Bahtijarević. These two kept themselves a little apart

  fromthegroupwhichcomprisedmostoftheotherstudentsandwhichgathered

  every evening on the kapia around Stiković and Herak, for, although younger, GaluswasarivalofStikovićbothasapoetandasanationalistspeaker.Hedid

  not like Stiković nor admire him, while Bahtijarević was exceptionally silent,

  proudandreservedasbefittedatruegrandchildofafamilyofbegs.

  Toma Galus was a tall youth with red cheeks and blue eyes. His father, Alban

  vonGalus,thelastdescendantofanancientfamilyoftheBurgenland,hadcome

  tothetownasacivilservantimmediatelyaftertheoccupation.Hehadbeenfor

  twelveyearsaforestryinspectorandnowlivedinthetownonpension.Atthe

  very beginning, he had married the daughter of one of the local landowners,

  HadjiTomaStanković,arobustandfull-blownyoungwomanofdarkskinand

  strong will. They had had three children, two daughters and one son, all of

  whomhadbeenchristenedintotheSerbianOrthodoxChurchandhadgrownup

  likerealtownsmen'schildrenandgrandchildrenofHadjiToma.

  OldGalus,atallandformerlyaveryhandsomeman,withapleasantsmileand

  massesofthickwhitehair,hadlongbecomearealtownsman,'MrAlbo',whom

  theyoungergenerationcouldnotthinkofasaforeignerandanewcomer.He
had

  two passions which harmed no one; hunting and his pipe, and had made many

  oldandtruefriends,bothamongtheSerbsandamongtheMoslems,throughout

  the whole district who shared his passion for the chase. He had completely

  assimilated many of their customs as if he had been born and bred amongst

  them, especially their habit of cheerful silence and calm conversation, so

  characteristic of men who are passionate smokers and who love hunting, the

  forestsandlifeintheopen.

  YoungGalushadmatriculatedthatyearatSarajevoandthatautumnwasdueto

  goontoViennatostudy.Butinthematterofthesestudiestherewasadivision

  ofopinioninthefamily.Thefatherwantedhissontostudytechnicalsciencesor forestryandthesonwantedtostudyphilosophy.ForTomaGalusonlyresembled

  his father in appearance and all his desires led him in a completely opposite

  direction. He was one of those good scholars, modest and exemplary in

  everything,whopassalltheirexaminationswitheaseasifplayingatthem,but

  whose real and sincere interests are taken up with satisfying their somewhat

  confused and disordered spiritual aspirations outside school and outside the

  officialcurriculum.Thesearestudentsofsereneandsimpleheartbutofuneasy

  and inquisitive spirit. Those difficult and dangerous crises of the life of the

  sensesandemotionsthroughwhichsomanyotheryoungmenoftheiragepass,

  are almost unknown to them, therefore they find difficulty in stilling their

  spiritual anxieties and very often remain all their lives dilettantes, interesting

  eccentrics without stable occupation or definite interests. As every young man

  mustnotonlyfulfiltheeternalandnaturaldemandsofyouthandmaturityand

  alsopaytributetothecurrentspiritualmoodsandfashionsofhistime,whichfor

  themomentreignamongstyouth,Galustoohadwrittenversesandwasanactive

  member of the revolutionary nationalist student organizations. He had also

  studiedFrenchforfiveyearsasanoptionalsubject,takenaninterestinliterature

  and, more especially, philosophy. He read passionately and indefatigably. The