Chapter 1 CROSSING A FORBINDEN BORDER

Transcription

1 Chapter 1 CROSSING A FORBINDEN BORDER Joe and Mary were hopeless when they found out they are not able to get passports to get out from Hungary. It was one of the restrictions of the communist dictatorship. They were young, educated, and worked very important places. That was the one of the reasons they been rejected. They knew that there is a way getting out from Hungary, because they heard many fellow citizens were able to cross the border illegally between Yugoslavia and Italy at the city of Trieste, but they did not know how. They had a traveller s book of Yugoslavia, which was their only source to find out. They were lucky, because at the section of Trieste they found a fine printed part, which gave them good direction for their plan. It was easy to get to Yugoslavia because it was the same communist country and was not necessary to use passport there. Mary worked at a Soviet military airport as instrument technicians since a couple of years. That was the main obstacle in her passport application. They threatened at her workplace, if she will be able to get to any of western countries, they will go after her. However, she quit her job immediately and stayed at home for a wile. Why did she choose that workplace? When she finished her high school studies, she had difficulties to choose her future. She waited one year. Some of the friends of her family who worked at this airport recommended her to get in the aircraft-instrument technician college, which was in that airport. She studied there for two years and after started to work there as well. Joe worked at one the construction company that introduced prefabricated concrete panel buildings in Hungary by the Soviet Union. He was a mechanical drafts-man and knew every corner in this Russian plant. That was the reason they wanted to keep him at home. He finished a four-year collegiate where they studied all the subjects what others learned in high schools and technical colleges within that short period. It was very hard work but because he had very good memory and guts, he was able to finish with very good grade. Since his father died, his family had financial difficulties and it was not easy to send him to this school. He knew it was a gift of God and he had to do his best for return. 4

2 When he finished his studies and received his diploma, he had to start working immediately, because he had to make money. He went working to that factory where his father was once a technical manager and died in an accident. It was a tradition that every family members started there. It was also very convenient because was very close to his living place where he grew up. He started at that division where huge diesel engines with dynamos been assembled, which been used to make electricity. His uncle was a boss there. Joe was not satisfied with that position and wanted a change. He went working to the neighbouring tool and die maker plant where he became a plant engineer. That place was one the most important in the whole factory, because they made all of the tools and dies for the whole factory. His boss and the workers liked him very much. Joe and Mary met in an open-air-restaurant. Joe went there accidentally. It was a Saturday afternoon in the summer. He wanted to go for dance somewhere. He loved dancing that was the reason he used to go dancing almost every Saturday. He had not definite plan where he will go. Somehow, he ended on Margaret Island. It is the most beautiful park in Budapest between the two parts of the city, which divided by the Danube River. When he passed the restaurant, nice music was coming from to Joe ears. He went there and found out there was dance there. He went in and sat at a table ordering a bottle of beer. Suddenly his eyes glimpsed on one the table not too far from him. It was a young beautiful girl with sparkling blond hair sitting there with an older woman who was looks like her mother. Joe loved blond hair girls very much. He felt he has to go there and invite her to dance. He went there and within a minute, they were on the dancing floor holding each other hands and dancing. Joe had a very unusual feeling that he knew this girl since a long time, but they just met. Later they wanted to merry, but Joe had very low paid job. He looked around and found a drafts-man job at the one of the biggest construction firms, which built most of the high-rise buildings in Budapest. It was a brand new technology and Joe interested very much to do that. He was working very hard long hours in the design team, which was dealing with engineering manufacturing plant where been made the wall and floor panels for these building. Joe enjoyed his work very much and made much more money what was necessary to establish a family. Very soon, they married, but they had to leave in a small place in the parents house of Mary, because the housing 5

3 shortage. In spite of the fact, Joe with his work made thousand of apartments, but they were not able to get one. That was one of the reasons they were ready to execute their very dangerous plan: cross the border illegally. They knew that Yugoslavian authorities controlling the border very tightly, but they did not afraid. They were young, full with new ideas and hope that they will get a better life in the free society over the Iron Curtain. They did not tell anybody about their plan, even not to their parents, because they were afraid if somebody accidentally mentions the authorities will find out and will baffle their plan. That was their secret. However, what was the real reason to leave Hungary? Both of them had good education and well enough paid sophisticated jobs. The reason was hiding much deeper in their subconscious minds, what they were never able to forget. Joe lost his father in a very suspicious accident when he was only nine years old. Joe s father was the second man in a huge factory as technical manager, but he lost this position and placed back as plant manager, because the communist Hungarian authorities found out, he had a very rich aunt. She married into a rich family in the village where they lived and Joe was born. That family was one the reaches family in this village. They owned large amount of plough land near the village in the South-West part of Hungary. They also operated a soda filling station in the village. That was too much for the communist government and nationalized all of their properties. Fortunately, they allowed them to work in the soda filling station with very low wages. That was not enough punishment, but they also punished his nephew who was not part of this, just had a very close family relationship with them. That was the second reason Joe could not get passport. His father already had two heart attacks, because under lots of pressure in the communist regime. That turnover in his life was very painful and made his health worst. Before that fatal accident happened, he felt not well. That was the reason he fell from only from five metre high, which caused his death. The wound in Joe s heart was still very painful. He never forgot when he was standing at his father s fresh grave and did not understand why he is not coming home anymore. With his child s brain, it was not understandable. Joe had a very hard life after his father death, because his mother had to rise up three children alone. Later, because the housing shortage, they had to live together with his older sisters family in a small apartment. 6

4 Mary s grandparents lost their restaurant and two renting houses because the communist takeover nationalized them. Fortunately, his grandfather was not able to see that destruction, because he died before that. They still had a large house, but the authorities made a worker s hotel from their restaurant and placed a single woman in two rooms in the five-room house. Mary and her parents had to live only in one room. Her grandmother and her uncle s family lived in the other two rooms. That was the reason they had to build additions to that house to get more rooms. Mary s father almost died in the Siberian working camp, because after the Second World War, the Russians took the young Hungarians males there for slavery. They cached them on the streets, gathered in a large group, and shipped them by train to the Soviet Union. That was the punishment because Hungary lost the war together with Germany and Russia occupied. He was very lucky, because when he was standing in the group his wife walked slowly beside him, cached his arm and both of them started to walk away from the crowd very slowly. Mary s mother saved her father s life. So many from these groups never returned and died in the camp. These reasons were enough to flee from their country where they have born and grown up. It was also a big turning point when Mary s mother came back from the United States where she visited her sister who lives there since the 1956 Hungarian revolution. Her sister was lucky, but it was not an easy road to get there. Under the revolution, they heard from others that the border at Austria has opened. There were no more guards, who could shoot those who wanted to cross the border. That gave them hope to get out from that dictatorship. Her husband had lots of problem at his workplace, because he was very religious and used to tell stories from the Bible to his coworkers. That was one of the reasons to leave beside their poverty, which was common in that system mostly if you were against them. They went to the Austrian border with a truck packed with refugees and tried to cross the border at the lake of Ferto. Unfortunately, it was a little bit late, because the Russians already started to control the border again. They came back with disappointment, but tried again. Second time, they succeeded and crossed the border successfully. They had to stay in an Austrian refugee camp for a while where hundreds of thousand Hungarians were waiting for shipping them to the free world, to the United States of America and Canada. They chose USA, because they 7

5 had relatives there who already lived there since That is why they ended in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After so many years, Mary s mother visited her sister in Bridgeport, Connecticut. When she came home, has told Mary and Joe how good life was there. That was reason they started to learn English before they left, which was one of the basic element to immigrate there. The whole adventure started at Budapest s Train Station. They were very nervous because their train departure was late by an international train connection. They had lots of time sitting and waiting in their train compartment, so they started to play cards and talking. I know that route to Kaposvar well. When I was a kid, we used to go on this route every summer spending our vacation in the village where I was born and my grandparents lived. It was always exciting to go there, because we felt free there after the busy city. I remember that I used to see these cars on the end of this train, which went across the border to Zagreb, Croatia. It been prohibited using those who traveled only in Hungary. I always fantasized that maybe one day I can get in these cars and go to Croatia where my mother was born. I also remember my first travel by train in my life. I was three years old when we were able to go back to our apartment in Budapest after the Second World War. It was no train service for a while because the bomb damage under the war. That was one of the reasons; we were not able to go back there. The other reason was that my father gave it to his best friend s family who was bombed out from their apartment. Unfortunately, it took a long time to fix their home and we were waiting to get vacant again our place. That journey was not as comfortable as it is now. There were only freight wagons with portable benches and for heating a cast iron stove in the center. It was a very long journey, because the train stopped in every station to get off and pick up passengers, explained Joe to Mary his difficult experience. We also used to go to Bakony Mountains for summer vacation. When I was a kid, we went by train from this Train Station to Veszprem where we changed to a bus to get to the small village, which was in the heart of Bakony surrounded by huge forest. My mother was born in that area and we still had relatives there. I loved to go there and running in the forest. It was so nice and peaceful there, added Mary. My father knew the whole Bakony well, because when he was technical manager in the factory they used to go there with the general manager very frequently for hunting. He loved that fresh air and tranquility what he never had in the big city of Budapest, mentioned 8

6 Joe. But they used to go by the company s car or with a sidecarmotorcycle. He promised me if I grow up he ll bring me there, but he died before that, told Joe sadly. After one hour of late at last, the train started to move and they relived from their tension. It was around midnight. Because it was a sleeping car, they went to bed dreaming about a new world where they already started to move with this small step. They travelled to a new world where the life is free and better. Very soon, they crossed the Hungarian border and arrived to Zagreb, Croatia. It was in the early morning. That was their first destination point where they had to change train, which will bring them to Rijeka, which is not to far from Koper, Slovenia. It is a small medieval town very close to the Italian border. On the other side is the Italian city of Trieste, where they planed to arrive. Unfortunately, at Zagreb train station they just found out that the next express train connection to Rijeka takes hours to wait. They did not want to waste any time; therefore, they decided would take the local train, which stops on all stations. It will take longer to get there but what they could do in Zagreb waiting for the express connection? It was a long and tiring route to get to Rijeka, but at least Joe had a chance to stop for a minute at a small town in Croatia where his mother was born. That was town of Karlovac. Unfortunately, they did not have time to stay there longer looking around, because it was still half of way to Rijeka. Joe s mother accidentally was born in Croatia. Her parents lived in Budapest, Hungary. Her father was a driver for one of the managers of the Hungarian Royal Postal Service for a long time. His boss transferred to Karlovac. That time Croatia was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. His boss asked Joe s grandfather if he could come with him, because he liked him very much. He decided to go with him together with his wife. They had a very nice house there, which paid by the Postal Service. He also received very good salary. They loved to live there. Very soon, Joe s mother was born. She was very happy to live there, because she had a very good life. Karlovac is a small but very pleasant town. Joe s mother told nice stories so many times to her children how she lived there long time ago. There were not too many Hungarian-speaking people in that area, because it was too far from the Hungarian border. That is the reason she had to learn Croatian from the other children. 9

7 When she reached the age of seven they went back to Hungary. The First World War just ended and Austrian-Hungarian Empire lost this war. There was a treaty in Trianon, France by the winners, which chopped in pieces these two huge countries. Hungary lost more than half of the land and Croatia was part of it. They should stay there, but in that case, they had to change their citizenship for Yugoslavian. That country just created from the small states south of Hungary and called Yugoslavia. Joe s grandparents decided not to do that and they left Croatia and went back to Budapest, Hungary. Very soon, the train started climbing up the mountain. When they reached the top, went down again. Suddenly they glimpsed the sea on the bottom of the hill. It was after thunderstorm. The sky was full with dark clouds, and the sun made them in reddish colour. It was a breathtaking sight. That was the first time they have ever seen a sea. Soon, they arrived to Rijeka station, which was their destination point with that train. They were very exhausted after this long journey, but this picture in front of their eyes was unforgettable and made them less tired. Rijeka is a beautiful vacation resort on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. The streets been always packed with tourist. Everything was so beautiful that they would stay there for a while, but their journey was not finished yet. They had to rush to find the bus station where they go from even closer to the Italian border. They did not have time, because the bus will not waiting for them. They got on the bus, which was going to Koper where they wanted to stay for a couple of days until they find the way to Trieste across the border in the forest as it was written in the travelers book in fine print. They were even more tired when they arrived to Koper. It is a picturesque small town, which is one of the pearls on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. They arrived to the town centre where they found a travel office helping them to find a hotel. From the balcony of their hotel room, the sight was breathtaking. They were able to see the sea from there now all the time, but they were exhausted and were late. They went down to the restaurant to eat something. After that, they went to bed, and fell a sleep immediately dreaming about freedom on the other side of the border. They awaked up fresh in the morning and decided will go to see the border after breakfast. They did not take anything with them, because it was only an orientation tour. As they red in the book, they 10

8 took a bus, which was going to Kozina. On the bus, they asked the driver to tell them when they arrive to that point where the road will go to Socerb. They get off the bus there and started to walk along on a dirty road, which headed to a small town of Socerb with an old castle on the top of a hill from where they were able to see the panorama of Trieste very well as it was in the travellers book. When they come down from the hill, they knew which direction goes to Trieste, but the road ended at the forest, turned left, and right into another dirty roads. They knew that the right direction is going through the forest. That s the way to go through the border, said Joe and pointed his finger to the dense forest. Let s go back now to the hotel and try to cross the border tomorrow. No way, said Mary. We are here now and we ll go right now. But we have nothing with us, replied Joe. We left everything in the hotel room. It s not a problem, said Mary. Anyway, we ll be not able to cross this dense forest with our luggage. But at least we should bring a handbag with us from the hotel with the most necessary things, argued Joe. Let s go, shouted Mary and headed to the forest with big rush. Joe followed her and did not say a word anymore. That forest was very dense and the bushes full with thorns. It looked like Mother Nature made that for the protections of this border. It was also hill down and the earth full with sharp stones to make even more difficult to walk on it. They went strait down the hill, but in the forest, nobody knows where the right direction is. They looked up but the canopies of the trees closed to see the sky above them. They did not know where they are going, just followed the path with their sixth sense. The biggest problem was the thorns, which scratched their hands and faces all over. It was painful, but they did not care about it, because they knew that on the end of this path there is road, which will bring them to the freedom what they whished very much since a long time. When they broke through the dense forest, they have seen some personnel belongings on the bushes and the earth. They thought those peoples left there who already passed this place once headed to the border. That was very encouraging sign that they are going in the right direction. That was only compass for them. They arrived to a high-stand, which been built for border guards watching the illegal border crossers. Move very carefully and making no noise with the leaves, whispered Joe to Mary who slowed down in her rush braking through 11

9 the dense bushes. I don t know if somebody is there and catch us with his binocular. If he found us maybe he ll shoot us, continued Joe. They passed very carefully because they were not sure that anybody was up there. It was scary! exclaimed Mary and did a big sight relived from her tension. We re lucky he didn t see us, otherwise we re in big trouble. They did not know how long were walking in the forest, but it seemed to be a very long time. They were tired and thirsty, because it was a warm and a bright sunny day. They were very lucky, because when they left Budapest, it was raining and very cool there, but now they are much southern and close to the Mediterranean Sea, which makes that place much warmer. They noticed some stone post on the ground, but they were not sure those border posts are. Did you see those posts? asked Mary. What do you think are we on the border? I don t know. I never have seen in my life before. How do I know are they border posts or not. replied Joe to Mary s silly question. I hope we are there at last after a long march. Suddenly, Mary lost her balance and fell hitting one of her knees in a sharp stone on the ground. Ooouuch! shouted Mary very load because the pain. Joe was afraid very much that the border guards might be heard it. Did you hurt? asked Joe Mary and gave her his hand to get up, but that was not easy for Mary, because her knee hurt very much. Let s sit down and I ll take care of your bleeding wound, told Joe to Mary. They set down. Joe socked out the dirt with his mouth from her wound and banded it with his handkerchief. Mary was shaking because the pain and she was afraid about her laud screaming. Fortunately, nothing happened. She was lucky because nothing broke in her leg when Joe checked it. The border guards did not notice her yelling. Probably they were far away from them. Mary found some pain killer pills in her handbag and took one of them. Let s lighting a cigarette and stay in quite for a while. Let s listening if some border guard heard your shouting, proposed Joe to Mary, and they did it. They waited for a while. When they finished the cigarettes and nothing wrong happened decided to go on. Mary was limping and had 12

10 lots of pain. Joe took her on his back and carried her. Fortunately, the forest ended at a paved road and it was much more comfortable to walk there. Mary s pain was also much weaker and she was able to walk with one of her arms around Joe s shoulder. The problem was only they did not know where they are. What do you think? Are we already in Italy or still in Slovenia? asked Joe. Do you think we are going to the right direction, which goes to Trieste? asked Mary. They tried to find out from lost newspapers in what language have written. It looked Italian, but they were not sure it is Italy. Suddenly they glimpsed a small building with two solders standing in front of it. They were not sure what kind of uniforms they were wearing. They had no other chose but get closer and asked them in English. Which way is Trieste asked Joe them. We came from there but we lost in the forest The two solder was smiling and said Not this way and showed a direction on their back. It s Yugoslavia. You have to go the opposite way showing direction in front of them. Thank you very much said Joe and started to go to the right direction with Mary. The two solders, which were Italian border guards, were waving with their hands to say good-bye and good luck for them. Probably they have seen so many very similar situations in their experience. That was hot, said Mary with trembling voice. What would happen if we meet the guards on the other side? I don t know, replied Joe, but thanks God we are here on the right side. They were very lucky, because later they have heard from other border crosser in the refugee camps that they were captured and put in jail for a couple of days and realised them to go back to Hungary. They were very exhausted after that adventure going through the forest. They walked along the paved road but nobody come across. Not even one car. Mary had pain again in her knee and Joe took her on his back again carrying her. Suddenly, a small car appeared far away on the road. The car came closer and closer. It was the smallest Fiat. They called it in Italy Cinquecento which means five hundred in English. They are calling that way, becasue it has only 500 cubiq centimeter 13

11 engine. When the driver came very close and saw Joe was carrying Mary on his back he sopted and asked them. Do you need some help to get into the city? I see you are injured. It was a big realef for both of them. It was if as God sent this guy here to help them. They get in the back seats and the starnger draw them to the citybus endstation. Thank you very much your kindness, told both of them to the good sameritan who come to help them in thier needs. Where they stopped, there was a small restaurant behind the bus station. They were very thirsty because they did not drink anything since they left the hotel in Koper. They went in and the people in the restaurant were looking them weirdly, but they did no why. When they went into the washrooms to freshen up and looked at the mirror, they found out why was that investigatory expression on the guests faces, because their faces and clothing were full with scratches. The thorns on the bushes made that sight. They washed their faces from dirt and blood and tried to make nicer their clothing. They were looking much better when they came back from the washrooms. They went to the counter and asked the waiter. Would we have two bottle of coke? They had only money in Yugoslavian currency, but the waiter did not cared about it and gave back change in Italian Lira. That was very good, because now they had money in Italian Lira what they can use for bus fares. They took the bus and headed to downtown Trieste. They accomplished what they planed carefully at home in Budapest. The forbidden border was behind them and they just entered to a new world where they have freedom what they were dreaming of since along time. It was a very unusual feeling. As if somebody carries a huge burden on his and her shoulders and suddenly gets rid of it. That was something what they never had experienced before in their life. When they looked out the bus window, everything looked different as it was at home in Budapest. Maybe it was just an imagination, but they felt that way. The bus arrived to downtown and they got off. They did not know which way have to go, but they did not care about anything. They enjoyed everything, which was around them. They did not care where they will get a bed for the night or what will happen with them. 14

12 Where are we going? asked Joe. It will be a god idea looking for a police station, answered Joe. Let s ask a pedestrian. Very soon they get directions from the people where is the nearest police station. They went in and explained to one of the officers at the reception desk where they came from and wanted to apply for a political asylum. The officer was very polite with them, which was very unusual for them after their bad experience in Hungary. He asked them to sit down and wait for a while until more people with similar case gathering and then a van will bring them to the refugee camp. Time was passing very slowly, but more and more people were sitting beside them with similar purpose. They came mostly from Easter Europe. Unfortunately, it was problem to communicate with them because different languages. Most of them did not speak English or very poorly. Mary and Joe were different, because they planed very well to get here and hired an English teacher who came to their home to teach English. That was one of the most important things what they did not forget in their plan. This English teacher was a very intelligent man speaking five languages, but because he was an intellectual before the Soviet takeover, he had very hard life now. He worked in a furnace room at a company. That was his punishment because he was an attaché in Germany representing the Royal Hungarian Government under the war. He learned English when he studded in England in his youth years. He was a very good teacher and they learned many practical things from him what they were able to use everywhere in the world. After one year of very active studies, Joe and Mary were able to speak well enough English. 15