Escape from the "Red Star"

Even though Yugoslavia was controlled by Tito's Communist Regime which explicitly prohibited any form of religion, I was forced by my parents to secretly practice their religious beliefs which were of the Roman Catholic denomination...

...but, despite trying to please my parents, I, as a young adult, enjoyed creating commotions: I was very much interested in the company of girls and shooting air guns with my friends which, according to my parents and their religion, were strictly taboo. If I was caught, I was severely beaten, usually by my mother, sometimes up to five or more times a day. She usually used a broomstick which I will never forget...

...however, even though I knew that I would be beaten and grounded for a week or so, I used every possible moment to sneak away with my friends to swim in the nearby muddy river called Bega. Whenever I was caught and grounded, thus preventing me from going out with my friends -- looking at girls and shooting air guns with them -- I made light of the situation by playing cowboys and indians with my favourite pooch, "Buco" (pronounced boot-so), just to pass the time...

...and, after my grounding ended, the very first thing I always did was to run to the outskirts of the city called Bagljas where the land was more barren, undeveloped and wild. It was here that I always found my dear friend "Rakoczi", the donkey, and we sat there for hours and hours where I told him over and over that I would never create any more commotions ever again to get me in trouble. However, "Rakoczi" never seemed to believe me: he just shook his head from side to side in apparent disbelief. Later on, when I broke my promise and got into trouble again, beaten and grounded by my mother, I thought back to my friend "Rakoczi" and the wise shaking of his head, and I said to myself, "You were right, pal... you were right." I just can't change; I have to be me.