Miloš Jakac

-"... why did you escape? – I run away firs of all, because I look for a work, when came back from army, before got married, a year before and it was not possible. Because, they use to say: “ You could have a job there!”, you refuse to be active. And to be active means I have to become a member of communist party. I did not want to accept it. And stayed home without work. After got married felt like I have a new strength, energy and thinking it was enough of all this personal hatred and constantly checking up personal information. If someone hate you, if you seen a person to have a hat and a red star on it need to be careful because you did not know who this person is, what he wants, will bring good or bad things. I do know if you were a member of Party you got a work, you had everything. I could not get any job in Buzet, needed to go to work in Koper, Slovenia, at that time Koper belong to zone B, free territory of Trieste . My girlfriend work there in hospital and coming home for the weekend. So she asked there if they can give me any work and what to do. And I use to go to Koper sometimes when she stay there. The authority let me pass across the border but only for 24 hours. Then when we …came home I decide it is enough. We talk and agreed, my passed away wife, after a wedding to go away. - What was her name, sorry for the interruption? A girl who still your heart? - Amelija – Amelija. -From where she came from? - She was from village Štrped close to Buzet. About three kilometers from my home village. - Sorry, I interrupted you, you decide to go? - Me, to escape. And then from Koper went by bus to genuine yugoslavian border with Italy in place Bivije. - Škofije? - Škofije, yes Bivije, Škofije yes, Škofije. So we decide to go there. To cross it. Went from Koper to…to border. And then we came out from border to prepare for crossing it, there was a restaurant .. a quite big one, exist even today. I said let us go inside but she did not know where…I said whe… not to get hurt. I did knew every military tactic. So said to her: “ Just stay by my side”. And then I see: here is the border and a small streamlet, not deep, deep, about 10 meters of depth, and then rising up, that was a point where one… police… headquarters. Across that point army was positioned."

-".. the police officers were there to controll the border. The army, was on a patrol. We use to stand like this on the road and watching the hill we needed to cross over. Along this hill I notice a path. You could see it clearly. - Where was a patrol? - One here, one there, one here, other there. But they were hidden, we could not see them. But, I said, wait a minute. We were waiting, waiting.. we were there an hour or more, in this restaurant. Maybe two hours. And I notice when patrol was changing and when they..the soldiers were … going out from their barracks, and came here so…they have to pass across this road, in column, one behind the other, from 12-15 guards. And they were going up the hill. When they came on..on the first change point, one soldier step out and the other guard step in to the guard point. They change all the way up, until they change all guards. Then they came back to the barrack. When I saw they are gone, and patrol came down. The first guard who use to be here, he did not went up with the others, he came back to the barrack. When I saw this, at this time I was sure there is no one left. So then I took my wife for her hand,..”Amelija”, I said, “Amelija”, lets go! Here and now, with me! Just not to bee see.. not to be heard or to do that!” Sorry, must not even fart! Slowly! There was acacia trees and a little bit densely to pass through over that canal. We passed through and came to the other side. On the other side were Italians. We went there… and we spoke Italian, me and..my passed away..wife. Wright away we join.. them, and they right away stopped us, how and what..and take us to the…police station, Italian. And say:”Where are you going?” Told them we are going to Trieste and do not want to come back, this is what we said. “Do you have a place to go in Trieste?… Good”. Wife´s family, she had three aunt and two.. uncle in Trieste. There they lived."