Liptovsky Mikulas: December 16, 2017
Day 088 of “Something You Protect”
This morning was a rush out. I misjudged the time I needed to leave, and I ran the distance with my full bags. I arrived just as the bus was about to close the door. It was a long ride.
When we arrived in Bratislava, I was apprehensive. I was on my way to some place where I had family. Here was a history and culture and language I didn’t know. I asked for help with tickets and made my way to the stop.
The long bus ride was followed by a long train ride. Several hours more. I wrote and slept.
Andela was waiting for me at the station. Our relations were so far removed we simplified things and called each other cousins. We went right away to Radinka’s house where there was a dinner waiting for me. I met Andela’s brother, his wife, and their son. We were eating, trying traditional snacks when he walked in with a toy violin. He was pretending to play it, when his mom offered to put on his favorite movie. He smiled and nodded intensely. They explained to me he liked music because of this movie where they sing and dance a lot.
This movie was called Native Land, and it was a hilarious introduction to my heritage. One scene I remember: the children were all in school when a letter arrived. The mail was announced, and the recipient went to get the letter. The entire class swarmed the girl as she opened the letter, explaining it was from her cousin from the next village over. What was it? It was a new song. And then everyone started singing the song. They sang the brand-new song right away.
In another scene, the mysterious groom from over the mountain had to prove his mettle to the village. First, a villager tried to show him up with a ballad; however, this fool could not out-bellow the power of the stranger’s bagpipes. Next, axes. The champion ax thrower launched a vicious blade into a tree. The stranger, having no ax at all, was first laughed at as too many axes were offered him. He grabbed a large one, flung it in the sky for some reason, caught it, and split the first ax down the middle. Finally, a dance off. The village dance lord pulled a move and the stranger had to follow, then respond. Sadly, the villager could never have known the stranger had iron lungs and was shortly winded. The entire village then nodded to the stranger in approval saying, “they must have good men over the mountain.” They then danced, right there, all together, again, in celebration that the stranger was, after all, an honorable groom.
And because the people of this region were all traditionally recognized as thieves, all the men wore midriff shirts with their kilt-like gowns (Their shirts were first cut that way so they’d have no place to hide things. They were then legally forced to wear such shirts.)
I was amazed and stared with an open mouth.
When we went home, I met Allen, Andela’s husband. He let me try many, many drinks.
More soon,
Trevor