Zvezdana

I remember my imaginary cousin Zvezdana (Stella, roughly). I did not invent her. She was invented by my maternal uncles, all of whom were childless and one of whom, Uncle Miko, was not even married before WWII. An elaborate story was concocted about Zvezdana. She was supposed to be the daughter of my Uncle Mento and his wife Rahela, who lived in Belgrade. Zvezdana was a paragon of beauty, intelligence and virtue. She was a close friend of King Peter, who was a little younger than we, and she was a frequent visitor to the royal palace. I never for a moment believed the story - I was a precocious seven-eight year old - but I tried to catch my uncles in a lie. Every time I asked why Zvezdana never accompanied her parents when they came to visit my grandparents in Travnik, I was told my cousin had important engagements back in Belgrade involving royalty.

My father hated this game. He was particularly sensitive to cruelty of any kind and he worried that I would feel inadequate in comparison with my cousin.

The game came to an end when we were together again at my grandparents' house ( I think that was the very last time we were all gathered there before war broke out). My uncles were cradling in their arms a bundle meant to look like a child in swaddling clothes with a melon for a head on which a face had been drawn and on top of which a cap had been placed. I took a look at "Zvezdana" and swatted the melon, which fell to the ground and broke.

When I was sick in bed

I remember the times when I was sick in bed with a slight cold or sore throat as a child of seven or eight. This was in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, usually on snowy winter days. I loved those spells of minor illness. I lay in my parents' bed covered with a thick feather comforter while a fire burned and glowed red in the wood-burning porcelain stove in the corner of the room. In the afternoon I would get a visit from my aunt Lori, the wife of Uncle Rafo, my mother's brother. She would always bring a new book and an exotic delicacy, such as a banana - sometimes even pineapple!