Tug-of-War
by
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Miriana could hear the roar of the engines. They were coming closer and fast. It sounded as if they were almost overhead. She rushed to the door behind Teta Lily. She could see one plane flying low over an adjacent lot. The next one behind was on its way over their yard. It barely cleared the rooftops and trees, its grey-green body attacking angrily through the air like a shark in for the kill. …
Miriana could see Zoran in the yard by the water pump. He stared at the aircraft, watching their bullets pelt the dirt with a puft-puft-puft sound. The sandy soil shot up like miniature geysers. Zoran’s eyes were round and wide. He stood with his chin turned to the sky, his arms dangling at his sides.
Oh my god, Miriana thought.
“ZORAN!” Teta Lily screamed this time.
Zoran turned and looked at her.
“Zoran, lie down. On your tummy. Behind the rain barrel.” …
Zoran dropped to his hands and knees and flattened himself against the ground.
“Good boy; stay there. Don’t move until Mama tells you,” she shouted. …
Zoran was obedient. He stayed down as Teta Lily, bent over in a crouch against the house, and Miriana, squatting in the doorway behind her, watched him nervously.
The din was so loud that the sound of the mill was completely drowned out. Miriana felt choked, her stomach knotted. She gripped her hands tightly in her lap until the roar of the planes became so unbearable she clapped her sweaty palms over her ears.
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About the Book
In 1942, in the midst of World War II, three factions struggle for power and control over Serbia: the Royalists, the Partisans, and the Nazis. For those living there, life was put on hold indefinitely while they coped daily with the terrorization of war—an especially disheartening situation for the country’s young people.
Fifteen-year-old Miriana, an only child, lives in a small, two-bedroom house in Bela Palanka, Serbia, with her parents, who farm and run a saw and gristmill. Their tiny home now accommodates her mother’s sister and nephew, who have been forced to evacuate from German-occupied Belgrade. Miriana’s aunt is frequently called upon by the Germans to translate for them—a task made more stressful by the fact that the family is also hiding a Partisan soldier in the cellar of the house. Being caught means certain death. Meanwhile, Miriana’s best friend, Stefan, supports his widowed mother and aging grandparents on a nearby farm; he resents having to abandon his aspirations for an education and his passion for the violin to run the farm.
Their existence is fraught with the angst of evening curfews, blackout curtains at night, unforeseen air raids, and conflict with the Nazis, but family, friends, and small pleasures propel them through a war that threatens their happiness and their lives on a daily basis.
About the Author
Judith Somborac is an occasional teacher and a ski instructor who works in both capacities with children and teenagers. Judith has a BA in English and French from the University of Guelph. She currently lives in Collingwood, Ontario.