But Tito was a good man, Miroslav says,
no problems then — everything wants
independence and nothing can have it.
Stones, ants, flies. A name appears
like a hologram on his phone. It’s Mirka, his wife.
I swear I understand every word he says.
I’m fluent in Serbo-Croat —
he’s telling her that he’s picked up a stray,
he’ll ring her back when we get to Leknes
where there’s a museum for the vikings.
I’m sitting in a coffee shop now. It’s pouring outside.
I’m writing my notes. His last words:
You were lucky to meet your Bosnian friend.
Laurence O’Dwyer | In the Tunnel
Contents | Mudlark No. 75 (2023)