composure. They had just had their first sip of raki, a potent and treasured Albanian spirit made from distilled fruit.
Hayes, Owen, Abbott, and Cruise followed George to his home after they parted ways with the bar owner and his charges for the night. The men walked along the hilly streets of Berat with a cool wind escorting them, and George warned them that they would need much warmer clothes for the quickly approaching Albanian winter. He said he would find some for them and suggested they stay at his house until spring. The men exchanged surprised glances, and one of them quickly spoke up. The medic explained that though it was a generous offer, they had no intention of remaining in Albania through the winter and hoped the partisans would lead them to the coast. That wasn’t possible, George said, because the partisans didn’t control the coastal areas. The news startled the men, and it reignited their concerns about how much they could trust the partisans.
When they arrived at George’s home, they were surprised to find it decorated with couches, handwoven rugs, and pictures. He even had electricity, which they had not yet seen in an Albanian home. George’s teenage son brought out a pot of tea and cups, and they sat around a table enjoying the warmth of the drink while George told them about starting his own diner in America in the 1930s. He’d come back in 1939 to get his wife and children after he’d found some success, but then the Italians had invaded, and he and his family found themselves trapped.
The men talked for hours until George’s son cleared the dishes, and George took them back to the hotel where they were served a dinner of liver and vegetables, the only selection offered. Hayes’s lifelong aversion to liver was tempered by his hunger, and he managed to eat several bites of it along with everything else on his plate.
When they returned to George’s house that night, Hayes and Cruise were given a room to share. Though George apologized for having only one bed to offer, the men had come to appreciate every small luxury, including the fresh water they were given to refill their canteens and the towels they’d used for washing in a small basin of water. While Cruise slept in the bed, Hayes took off his uniform for the first time since they’d crash-landed and slept soundly on the floor on a soft mattress with clean white sheets and a blanket.
They were so grateful for George’s hospitality that when he offered them tea the next morning and apologized for not having sugar, an expensive and scarce item few in Albania could afford, they offered him the box of sugar cubes Abbott had taken from the plane. After their tea and a small breakfast, George escorted the men through town to meet the other Americans. Their path took them along the busy main street, where locals bought and sold fruits and vegetables and a butcher used an ax to chop off pieces of meat from a carcass hanging from a tree limb.
When they finally arrived at the meeting place, a former school, they were led to a large room on the second floor. Stefa stood in front giving orders to several men while dictating to one who typed. Jens and Lytle were also there. The night before, Stefa had taken the two nurses to his home to meet his family, including his wife, his children, and his parents. The women had even played a few rounds of cards with Stefa’s mother before being given the chance to bathe and to sleep in a bed for the first time since their arrival.
As the rest of the Americans filed in to sit in wooden folding chairs, they waited anxiously to hear about plans for their escape. Outside the room a group of men bellowed out partisan songs, and when they finished their performance, Stefa and another partisan leader named Gjin Marku began an hour-long speech about Albania’s troubled history. They talked about the prestigious Albanian Vocational School and how much the partisans desperately needed the Americans and British to
Hayes, Owen, Abbott, and Cruise followed George to his home after they parted ways with the bar owner and his charges for the night. The men walked along the hilly streets of Berat with a cool wind escorting them, and George warned them that they would need much warmer clothes for the quickly approaching Albanian winter. He said he would find some for them and suggested they stay at his house until spring. The men exchanged surprised glances, and one of them quickly spoke up. The medic explained that though it was a generous offer, they had no intention of remaining in Albania through the winter and hoped the partisans would lead them to the coast. That wasn’t possible, George said, because the partisans didn’t control the coastal areas. The news startled the men, and it reignited their concerns about how much they could trust the partisans.
When they arrived at George’s home, they were surprised to find it decorated with couches, handwoven rugs, and pictures. He even had electricity, which they had not yet seen in an Albanian home. George’s teenage son brought out a pot of tea and cups, and they sat around a table enjoying the warmth of the drink while George told them about starting his own diner in America in the 1930s. He’d come back in 1939 to get his wife and children after he’d found some success, but then the Italians had invaded, and he and his family found themselves trapped.
The men talked for hours until George’s son cleared the dishes, and George took them back to the hotel where they were served a dinner of liver and vegetables, the only selection offered. Hayes’s lifelong aversion to liver was tempered by his hunger, and he managed to eat several bites of it along with everything else on his plate.
When they returned to George’s house that night, Hayes and Cruise were given a room to share. Though George apologized for having only one bed to offer, the men had come to appreciate every small luxury, including the fresh water they were given to refill their canteens and the towels they’d used for washing in a small basin of water. While Cruise slept in the bed, Hayes took off his uniform for the first time since they’d crash-landed and slept soundly on the floor on a soft mattress with clean white sheets and a blanket.
They were so grateful for George’s hospitality that when he offered them tea the next morning and apologized for not having sugar, an expensive and scarce item few in Albania could afford, they offered him the box of sugar cubes Abbott had taken from the plane. After their tea and a small breakfast, George escorted the men through town to meet the other Americans. Their path took them along the busy main street, where locals bought and sold fruits and vegetables and a butcher used an ax to chop off pieces of meat from a carcass hanging from a tree limb.
When they finally arrived at the meeting place, a former school, they were led to a large room on the second floor. Stefa stood in front giving orders to several men while dictating to one who typed. Jens and Lytle were also there. The night before, Stefa had taken the two nurses to his home to meet his family, including his wife, his children, and his parents. The women had even played a few rounds of cards with Stefa’s mother before being given the chance to bathe and to sleep in a bed for the first time since their arrival.
As the rest of the Americans filed in to sit in wooden folding chairs, they waited anxiously to hear about plans for their escape. Outside the room a group of men bellowed out partisan songs, and when they finished their performance, Stefa and another partisan leader named Gjin Marku began an hour-long speech about Albania’s troubled history. They talked about the prestigious Albanian Vocational School and how much the partisans desperately needed the Americans and British to
Similar Books
