Mahir i Alma [English translation]

Love, love is the meaning of life

A man told me, while he was wrapping a cigarette

Her beauty can not be compared to anything

he said with bloody eyes and went to drink up a rakija

Her name is Alma and she was sitting alone on a bench

I told her a stupid joke.

Said "What's up hot chick" she said she knew me

you are Mahir VIII2 I've been watching you for a long time.

It was half past one, fifth of April Mahir remembered.

We fell in love at the spot and kissed in front of everybody.

We walked around the school holding hands

shared the same bench and lunch, had the same friends.

Went to the same high school, I sang with her in choir

played around, we drove on my bike

Me, Alma and Tomos had the same cosmos

our tree by the Sava, a hundred children in a plan.

Our song, our stories, our food our drink

our stars and our town, I remember like it was yesterday.

She said "Mahir I'm scared, be careful not to hurt me."

I was also scared but I knew that her love was true.

Me and Alma naked and first time for us both

It was summer and Ficibajr* our tree by the road.

I will never forget that smell of grass

stars shining in eyes, warm wind from Sava.

That cigarrette smoke, my lost look

"One day I will be your wife and you will be my man".

Waiter, bring another one, I took out some change

bring a drink to Mahir so that I can hear the rest of the story

He drank up his cognac and continued with the story

Alma's parents were getting a divorce.

She couldn't handle their non-stop arguments any more.

so she preferred living with me until she could live on her own.

However, that lasted for about two years

so we moved to my close relatives' apartment

I said lets get married date of the wedding 3rd May

we will invite all our neighborhood to the party...

that was the end.

A day before the wedding, s**t happened

she was at her mother's waiting for the wedding crowd

But instead of the wedding crowd, guys, grenades crashed

she escaped with her mother to her aunt Fata

You all know, there was panic, run for your life

I swam over Sava, was really lucky

I tried to call her but connections were broken

"Alma is dead, Alma is dead!" those were the words of Kreza.

Kreza, you're lying, you're lying Kreza I will kill you

I'm not lying Mahir, I swear on my mother, come on ask Alija

Alija say something, don't f**k with me people

I saw her fall when she started to run over

and she is 100% dead because I stayed last

two others that I'd sent for her also died

I remained without a breath and couldn't eat for seven days

I waited every day for someone to tell me some news

but nothing, no news, nor life in me

just alcohol in my veins and a memory of a woman...

I went to Germany and started working there

I thought it would be easier to forget her and to get a little better

I worked hard, day by day 12 hours a

the job and working just to forget about the war.

Years were passing and 6 had already gone by

the war in Bosnia was over and it was already old news.

What can I do down there, I have nothing, I've created a life for myself here

come on, let's go down there for a few days, a friend of mine talked me into it

I came down there and it was all in perfect order

until I met, guess who - well Alma's cousin Veda

"What's up Mahir? What's up Veda?"

Here, I was just on my way to Alma's, he said.

"Have you lost your mind Veda, are you pulling my leg?"

"Well Alma is alive, don't you know?"

My legs were like jelly and all the pictures of us flashed in front of my eyes

"Take me Veda, I have to go to her."

"No can do."

I said "What?"

He said "Well Alma got married to Keba and she's expecting his baby

and that is a second one, last year she gave birth to a girl."

He gave me her phone number and I called her immediately.

I said "Hello Alma, sorry for f**k's sake I didn't even know"

Then the convo started we weeped for two hours, cried to each other, while we were talking to each other.

"Sorry Mahir that was the destiny

if it means anything to you, my daughter's name is Mahira.

I didn't know where you were you didn't call me so I married Keba

I still love him truly, passionately, so bye.

Bye, see you tomorrow."

So here I am now, waiter give us another spirit

So I said "What you gonna do now, will you meet her tomorra?

Sit Edo we will drink till dawn. "a hot tear dropped.

He got up and said "Sorry people, I'm gone to pee"

we heard a shot and entire crowd started screaming

I ran outside to see what was that

Bloody Mercedes, a gun - and Mahir had killed himself..

.. the man killed himself and he was still young...

• Artist:Edo Maajka