Manush

MANUSH by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2008 written on November 19, 1993 translated by the author English text kindly revised by acam

USUAL DISCLAIMER

"MANUSH" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.

CHAPTER 1 - Violence, daughter of violence

Zanko stopped at the roadside in a lay-by close to the wood. He got out of the car and into the caravan he was towing. He was feeling a little hungry and was also tired of driving. He looked at the disorder in the caravan and shrugged his shoulders. "Tomorrow Zanko will tidy up!" he said aloud to himself, with a smile.

He sat and cut a slice of bread and some salami and made a big sandwich that he bit into with gusto. He thought he had to raise some money as he had almost nothing left to eat. He looked lovingly at his violin hanging on the wall. It was an old and dear friend.

Since his solitary wanderings began, along roads unknown to him, only his violin had soothed him in his loneliness. He was an outcast - but how could such a small thing deserve such a harsh punishment? But the "Kriss" had so decided and one never argues with the decision of a Kriss. Not even the old spellbinder dared to oppose it. But she at least got him that old, rickety caravan together with most of its contents and that asthmatic car.

Yes, the old spellbinder...

"How wrong you were, my old woman! I'm a chief, I am! Look at me, anything but a chief. You could have seen the Ourmes, dear old woman, and possibly even talked with them... but I think you were too weak-sighted... if not plainly drunk." He exclaimed but didn't feel cheerful.

He ate the last mouthful of his sandwich and chewed it for a good time. Then took the wine and gulped a couple of generous draughts directly from the bottle. He wiped the bottle with his hand, replaced the cork and put it away.

Then looked between his legs at his swollen and throbbing fly...

"What do you want now little brother? No meat for a while, eh? You were too greedy for it weren't you? And they punished me because of that. And it wasn't even a Romany! Yeah I understand, you feel like dancing for a while, am I right little brother? Well then, come out and I'll make you dance..." he said with a smile.

He opened his fly and freed it from the clothes, pulling it out hard and stiff.

"Hi, bald-head! Dance then, so you'll amuse me for a while..." he said and seizing it with his hand, spread his legs, pushed his pelvis forward and started slowly but vigorously to beat it up and down...

"Dance, dance little brother, as you cannot hide in a hole..." he said looking at it and gradually accelerating the rhythm.

He was enjoying that small, innocent pastime when a sudden noise at the door made him jump and stop. He quickly put it back in his trousers pushing it inside firmly, buttoned his fly and stood up. Without making a sound he went to the door, looked between the shutters and saw somebody who was crouching looking towards the front of his car, and heard him panting heavily.

He crossed to the other end of the caravan and looked in the opposite direction. On the road, still some distance away, some carabinieri were running towards him. Zanko instinctively sympathised with the fugitive. He went back to the door, opened it and saw the scared eyes of the other staring at him. He was a Gadje, of course. A young one, who might be about seventeen.

"They're coming here. Come in. Hurry up!" he said commandingly.

"I..."

"Hurry up!" Zanko repeated.

The boy slipped inside and Zanko locked the door.

"Naked!" the Romany then ordered.

"What?" the Gadje asked widening his eyes.

"Naked, if you don't want to be caught."

Zanko's tone was so determined that the boy who was a prey to fear, mechanically obeyed. He hesitated at his briefs, but Zanko harshly repeated, "Naked!" and the boy took them off.

"On the bed, now. You've to pass for my wife do you understand?" Zanko said.

When the boy was lying on his bed Zanko tied a scarf on his head, put all his clothes on his lap and made him turn towards the wooden wall. He covered him with the blanket so that only his shoulder and arse were visible, then quickly undressed leaving only his boxers on. Just in time! He heard some footsteps and a loud knocking at the door.

He threw a glance at the boy - what was visible trembling, could pass for a girl's body... sure.

They again impatiently knocked at the door. "Open! Carabinieri!"

"Yes... yes... I'm coming..." Zanko yelled, looked at his boxers that were barely covering his still half hard member and went to open.

A carabiniere looked at him surprised at seeing him almost in his birthday suit. Then asked "We are pursuing a boy who came in this direction. Have you seen him?"

"No. I was there with my woman... I know nothing about escaping boys."

The carabiniere peeped inside and caught a glimpse of the naked arse on the bed. A sergeant arrived at the door too and asked, "Well then?"

"Nothing. He was making love with his woman..."

"He must be in the wood. Hurry up let's go!" the sergeant ordered.

The carabiniere waved goodbye to Zanko with a wink and quickly followed the officer. The Romany closed the door and locked it with a satisfied smile. Then unbuttoned his boxers letting them fall on the floor and went to his bed. He looked at the half uncovered little arse of the boy and his member at once became stiff again regaining all its hardness. Zanko smiled and nodded to himself.

He uncovered the boy who turned to look at him. Zanko held his finger to his lips and made him turn on his belly and then climbed on top of him.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked in a choked scared voice.

"Making love with my woman of course." The Romany said with a grin.

"But I... you aren't going to..."

"... to fuck you my boy, just to fuck you."

"No, I don't want it..." the boy said trying to get off the bed.

But Zanko was on top of him and at once stopped him with the weight of his body, "Don't move!"

"No! Stop it... no!"

"Quiet. They're still around. They'll hear you..." Zanko whispered in his ear and putting his legs between the boy's forced him to spread them, holding him against the bed by the wrists.

"No. I won't do that... I never have ...No. Stop!"

"Oh good! Still a virgin! A good wife always gets to her husband's bed as a virgin..." the young gypsy crowed in a low voice.

"I'm not your wife. Not I. I'm a man."

"So much the better... I like men... Stay still..."

The boy was trying to wriggle away but Zanko was much stronger than him and was holding him there and was gradually overcoming his resistance.

"No! Come on... Please... No..." the boy was moaning.

"Yes... Yes..." Zanko said raising his pelvis to make room for his erect hard rod and aiming it between the boy's buttocks.

"Noooo..." the boy whined.

"Hear! They're coming back. If you don't want me to fuck you you have just to call them and they will immediately come to take care of you. Call them if you like that better." Zanko said.

The boy became still and shut up, trembling. Zanko held his body with an arm, under his chest and put the other hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming and with a downwards thrust managed to get half of his glans into the virgin hole of the boy. The boy arched his body moaning aloud with the pain.

"Shut up or they'll hear you pretty boy!" Zanko said and gave a second powerful thrust getting the whole glans inside.

The boy again arched his body and legs and moaned.

"Come on, pretty boy, we are almost done. I like you, you're so tight. Do you know that I think you're the first boy I've deflowered? Yeah, you're really tight." The gypsy said shuddering and gave a third wild thrust, sinking half of his rod in the boy.

The boy moaned again and again arched in pain.

"You're a wild colt aren't you? But now I'll tame you and you'll see that we'll have a nice long ride. Don't worry. The most difficult part is over sweetheart..."

He pushed again and finally was totally inside him.

"Good. You really took all of it, sweetheart. And now on with the fuck..."

"No..." the boy plaintively moaned feeling his hole on fire and trembling from head to toe.

"Yes, I say..." the young gypsy answered, his voice hoarse with passion.

They heard the carabinieri's voices coming back to the caravan again. Zanko started to move in the boy's arse, up and down in a vigorous rhythm. Now the carabinieri's voices were just the other side of the wooden wall of the caravan against which was Zanko's bed.

"We will catch him anyway. We know who he is anyway..." a voice said.

Another voice said with a giggle and in a low tone "Look how the wagon is moving... he's still screwing his woman..."

"Lucky for he who can..." a third voice said with a laugh.

Now the boy was still and was holding his breath while Zanko was merrily fucking him. The gypsy accelerated his rhythm while the voices outside were going away. He held the boy tightly very tightly as he pumped faster and suddenly he let himself go pushing his rod all the way in and flooding the boy's guts with powerful spurts of cream.

He stayed inside him lying still and waiting for his breath to subside. Instinctively he stroked the boy's hair.

"You were really tight. I liked it."

Then after he slipped out he noticed that the boy's face was wet with tears.

"Hey! Come on. You aren't weeping like a woman are you? They were looking for you to put you in prison. Right? And in jail believe me they would have fucked you in their dozens young and handsome as you are! After all you've been lucky."

"You're a pig." The boy murmured lying limply on his belly his legs still spread. Then he slowly passed a hand in the furrow between his buttocks, "You bust my arse. Filthy pig!"

"Come on! What's that? I just took your cherry. The first time can be painful but then you'll see. You'll come to love it..."

"Fuck yourself! I'll never like it." The boy said turning on his back with his face in a grimace with pain.

Zanko looked at him from head to toe. "No I like fucking you, not myself. You're well built. I had just a glimpse before. How old are you?"

"What the fucking shit do you care. Bastard!" the boy answered. He stretched out a hand to take his clothes but Zanko moving too quickly for him snatched them from the bed and threw them behind him on the floor.

"What the hell are you doing now? Give me my clothes! Haven't you amused yourself enough? Stop it now..."

"And why? So far all I've had is a quick taste."

"Hey! What the hell, You aren't going to rape me again! Filthy bastard?"

"No, not to rape you. But I want to fuck you again. Not now. Don't worry. I'll let you breathe again for a while. I'll fuck you again a bit later tonight."

"Hey. I'm not your woman! Give me back my clothes!"

"No. And anyway I don't like women."

"Oh Christ! I had to fall into the hands of a fag gypsy! You broke my ass son of a bitch. Give me back my clothes, now."

"How old are you Gadje?"

"Seventeen..." the boy sulkily answered and sat up on the bed.

"I like you Gadje. Stay with me. They said they know who you are... sooner or later they will catch you. Stay with me, and they will never find you."

"With you? I'm not so stupid. Just so you can fuck my arse again..."

"Come on Gadje. You'll see that you'll come to like it."

"Fuck yourself! I'm not a fag not at all, not I!"

"Oh no? Really? So then, tell me why you got a hard-on while I was fucking you?" Zanko asked with a giggle and pointed at the boy's groin.

"How the shit do I know? Good Lord it's still hurting and burning... Filthy disgusting pig."

"What did you do Gadje? Why were they chasing you, that pack of carabinieri?"

"What the fuck does it matter to you? Give me back my clothes."

"Well then, Gadje?"

"What the hell does Gadje mean?"

"You're a Gadje. I'm a gypsy, that is a Romany. Everybody who isn't Romany and who works on the land is a Gadje."

"I'm not a farmer or a countryman."

"But you're a Gadje because you are not a nomad; you're not a Romany. Well then what did you do? Why were you running away?"

"I robbed my village's tobacconist. I was running away and one of them almost caught me. I managed to wriggle free but he pulled off my mask and so he recognized me. The dirty rotten filth!"

"I see. The tobacconist... Well then..." Zanko said and started to rummage in the pockets of the boy's clothes.

As soon as the boy realised what he was doing, he hurled himself at the gypsy trying to take his clothes back. But Zanko quickly stopped him with one arm and threw him back on to the bed.

"Don't move Gadje." He said in a menacing tone.

"You leave my clothes! They are mine!"

"Oh, look! Look, look how much nicely coloured paper!"

"Hey, dirty bastard! Are you going to rob me as well!?"

"Oh no of course not; I'm just taking a deposit..."

"I... I'll kill you..." the boy screamed furiously.

"You? What did you say you were going to do?" Zanko said leaving money and trousers on the table and advancing menacingly towards the boy.

The boy tried to attack him but Zanko seized his arms and held them tight against his body. The boy wriggled as hard as he could but Zanko held him tight and off the floor. And he soon became aware that the contact of their naked bodies was giving him an erection again.

He burst out laughing and said to the boy "You're getting me hard again with your wriggling. I think that instead of waiting until tonight I'll fuck you again now - immediately."

"Oh no!" the boy moaned becoming suddenly still. He felt the gypsy's rod pushing against him throbbing and he exclaimed again, "No! Not again!"

"Why not? I like you as I told you."

"Please... stop it. Listen! Keep all the money if you want but stop it! Let me go in peace! Let me go."

"Don't you feel Gadje how hard you've made it?"

"Come on... you don't really want..."

"I would say I do..."

"But fucking hell! It's still hurting! It's burning! Do you want me to bleed? It's just a miracle I'm not already bleeding..."

"Bleeding? No." Zanko seriously said. Then added "No, not bleed. The Gadje made my arse bleed..."

"You deserved it filthy fag!"

"I was ten years old..."

"Eh? What? Ten years old? Good Lord. You are joking aren't you?"

"Not at all." Zanko sadly said and let go the boy.

He looked at the gypsy. "But... who did it?"

"Twelve boys, all Gadje..."

"Twelve? Oh Christ! Were there really twelve?"

"Yes, from your age to older. The youngest one was sixteen, the oldest twenty-five. They tied me... and raped me for three days..."

The boy looked at him with wide eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. "But... how's that possible? They were beasts..."

"Yes, beasts."

"But... where did it happen?"

"Eleven years ago. It was in all the newspapers. My group was camping near a place called Seriate. We children and the women were going begging in the nearby city called Bergamo. I was going back to our camp on foot; It was evening. I was walking along a country road and was alone. A car with four boys in it slowed down as it passed me. The windows were open. One of the boys said - he's a little gypsy boy and another said - he looks like a gipsy girl. Then another said - let's give him a ride poor thing. So they stopped and one said - come in gipsy boy. We will give you a thousand liras and take you to your camp. Where's your camp? I answered it was close to Seriate. They made me get into the back seat and sit between two of them. But after a short distance instead of going towards Seriate they turned off towards the mountains. I told them they were going the wrong way. But they burst out laughing.

"I said I want to get out. But the two boys at my sides told me to be quiet, as "We are just going to have a little fun!" And the car turned off the road and drove into a wood and I yelled that I wanted to get out but they stopped me and held me down. The car stopped in front of a mountain refuge and they dragged me inside. I was frightened to death and they laughed and laughed... They undressed me and I didn't know why or what they wanted to do. Then one pushed a finger in my arse and it hurt. I cried. I screamed. Then they tied me and gagged me. Then all the four, one after the other pulled out their pricks and shoved them in my arse just wetting it with their spittle. The pain was intense. I thought that I had to be strong and that when the fourth had had what he wanted, they would untie me and let me go. So I tried to endure it.

"The pain was terrible! They fucked me regardless. But when at last the fourth one had unloaded inside me one said - we ought to leave him here well tied up so that tomorrow we can come and fuck him again. Yes good idea. said another. And the oldest one said - and we can bring some friends to amuse themselves. And so they left me there, tied and gagged on the bed. During the night I was scared I could not get to sleep. I heard weird noises possibly animals, and I thought they might be wolves which would come and eat me... I was in terror.

"The daylight came. The sun rose. Then I heard noises. I recognized two of the four but two were new. They laughed and joked and one after the other got on the bed and all four fucked me. One of the new ones had a huge cock that nearly tore me apart and they took ages to come and I felt like dying. And I wished I could really die. Then they went away.

"In the late afternoon the other two from the day before came back with another two new ones. And again all four raped me and while one of them was fucking me the others were watching and laughing and mocking me. One of the new ones said that all the gypsies deserve just that: to be tied up and fucked until we die. Then they left me for my second night. I felt pain all over. I was terrified and I felt ill. I thought they were going to kill me.

"The next day they came again morning and afternoon. I understood they were charging their friends to fuck me. They all fucked me, the old ones and the new ones. The aching is so strong everywhere that I scarcely feel the pain any more while they are fucking me. I spent the third night in such pain that I really thought I was dying. They came again early in the morning. They started to fuck me again and then one stops and says - he's bleeding. Give me a handkerchief or this filthy gypsy will make me dirty. Do you understand? The one making them dirty was me...

"I lost consciousness. Then I recovered my senses and found that I was untied and that they were putting my clothes on me. "He's dead - fucking shit!" I heard one saying. "What can we do now?" "We can't leave him here." another says. "No, we can't, this is Aldo's refuge, if he is found here, Aldo will be in trouble." "Let's put him in the boot and leave him along the main road in a ditch. They will think he's been dead for"... Then I lost consciousness again.

"When I recovered my senses, I was in a ditch, my legs and an arm soaking in the water. It was daytime; it was afternoon. I managed to drag myself to the road and then I fainted again. I woke up to feel something wet on my face. I opened my eyes and it was a middle aged Gadje who asked me if I had been beaten up. I answered no that they put their things in my arse, lots of them... He took me to the hospital. The police came. They treated me. I told the whole story to the judge. The people of my tribe came. The police caught the rapists, not all twelve, just eight of them, but all the four in the car. They put them in jail... The whole story was in the newspapers."

The boy had listened to him and was appalled. "Good Lord what a nightmare! So I guess that you fucked me in the ass to take your revenge didn't you?"

"No, really not. I like you as I told you. I know that I did hurt you but the first time it always hurts. But I didn't want to make you bleed. No, never that. And anyway you aren't ten years old any more."

"No, sure. They ought to be killed those beasts. How many years did they get?"

"The one who was being paid to let the others fuck me that Aldo, the twenty-one year old one got eight years. The others less. They are now all free again."

"Just eight years?! How disgusting; that's not justice! They ought to be gelded and get a life sentence, no fucking shit!"

Zanko smiled "So, you would geld me too?"

"You? You almost deserve it, but... no. That's different. And then... you're right. You hurt me but... but I also enjoyed it... a little."

"That's true - I noticed."

"But I hated you."

"Do you still hate me?"

"A little less, after what you told me."

"What's your name Gadje?"

"Patrizio."

"I'm Zanko. Will you stay and live with me then?"

"Why?"

"Because I like you as I told you." Zanko answered with a hint of a smile and stretched out hand to lightly brush the boy's chest.

"But you hurt me."

"I'll give you back all your money if you come with me."

"I'm not a fag."

"But you'll come to like it."

"But... it still hurts. It burns."

"I'll be more gentle next time. You have to run away anyway haven't you? While you are with me they won't look for you here. They'll never look for a Gadje amongst the Romanys."

"But won't your tribe make a fuss?"

"I don't belong to a tribe any more. I'm alone. I would like you to stay."

"Even though I'm a Gadje?"

"Even though you're a Gadje."

"Will you give me back my clothes?"

"Will you stay with me?"

"You want to fuck me again tonight?"

"Only if you feel like it. I'm not like those people. I'm not a beast."

"But you're a real bull in heat fucking shit." The boy giggling said, appeased.

"Will you stay Patri?"

"I still don't know... but I can give it a try."

"Are you serious or are you trying to take me for a ride?"

"Do you want to tie me to your bed?"

"No way! What bullshit! A man should never be tied down. Moreover if you wanted you could escape before I fucked you."

"Yes but then I might be caught by the cops! And then you're strong, really strong. And then... when you had already come inside me... you kept on wanting me and lay one me with it inside me didn't you?"

"And you were starting to enjoy it too."

"No, only towards the end... and just a bit... I must admit. A weird sensation... But I got a hard-on that I really didn't expect... My god I really hated you!"

"You stay then?"

"I told you I'll give it a try Zanko."

"Your family... won't they look for you?"

"Who do you mean?"

"Bah, your father and your mother..."

"I never knew them. An uncle brought me up. A real prick-head. He made me work like a slave just for a piece of bread. That's why I stole that money. He owns the tobacco shop."

Zanko burst out laughing. "I like you Patri. I think we will get along well you and I."

"Yes as long as you don't rape me again."

"But I want to do it again with you to fuck you again. Possibly not tonight if it still hurts I agree, but..."

"Alright Zanko. I accept your conditions." Patrizio said giving him his hand.

Zanko shook it then pointed at the money and the clothes with a smile. They put their clothes on. Patrizio took all the banknotes folding them carefully and was about to put them back in his pockets. Then he stopped.

"Zanko?"

"What's up?"

"Here I have more than three million lira. If by chance the police catch me I don't want them to find this money. Do you have a safe hiding place?"

"Yes a perfect one. Come with me."

He took a hammer and got out of the caravan. Zanko hit the pin of the hub of one of the wheels, freed it and pulled it out. He turned a small lever inside and the cup opened revealing an annular space.

"See you can put it in here. All ordinary wheel cups are solid; they will not think to come and look here." he said, closing it and putting all the parts back.

After they were done they got in the car and Patrizio said "If the cops stop us I will say I just hitched a ride with you and we don't know each other. If they catch me, enjoy that money."

"But it belongs to you."

"No, to us now. I stole it as much to hurt him as to spend it. Well I am not spurning the money of course. But if they shut me in prison you can have it, Zanko."

The gypsy started the engine and the car with a jerk pulled on to the road.

"Hey, this car is a real wreck, what a banger! You ought to get it serviced."

"I don't have the money?"

"Can't you do it yourself?"

"Not I. In my tribe there was one expert. I never understood anything about engines or about cars. All I'm able to do is play a violin."

"Well then you are lucky. I worked for two years at my village garage. Tomorrow I'll check it. I've heard you gypsies are really good playing violin."

"Yes, my tribe was Granagora Lautari that is violin players."

"How long have you been playing?"

"About ten years."

"But how old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"Have you ever slept with a woman, Zanko?"

"No never. I'm not interested in women. And you?"

"Just one."

"You liked her?"

"Well... She was a real bitch in heat. She was the baker's wife. She tasted of flour. And she had a pussy as wide as an old worn-out slipper!"

"Did you fuck her often?"

"Every Sunday evening when her husband was getting drunk in the tavern with my uncle."

"How old were you when you started fucking her?"

"One year ago... one evening my aunt sent me to ask her if she could give us some bread as we had finished all we had. She let me into their shop. And she felt me up and gave me a hard-on. Then she pulled it out and I fucked her. That first time we did it standing against the counter. But after that we always went to bed. And each time she gave me a five thousand lira note."

Zanko laughed "So, you too have had sex for money!"

"In a sense... yes. But you said 'Too'. Do you mean did it too?"

"Yes, but with men."

"Well! You aren't talking about when you were raped are you? That doesn't count. Those bastard sons of bitches didn't give you the money!"

"No, I'm not talking about that time. I'm talking about the last year I went around to beg in Milan. I was twelve..."

"Just twelve! And how did it happen?"

"I was begging and a man told me that if I was nice to him he would give me a one thousand lire note! I thought he was teasing - a thousand liras just to be nice? He told me to follow him and took me to the public toilet and asked me to take it out. I took it out. Well of course it was not as big as it is now but it was already a good size. He touched me then pulled out his and told me to touch it. I said to him - "but not in the arse". You see I was still somewhat scared. He said not to worry so I touched it. It was hard and warm. He told me to lick it. I thought he had to be a bit mad... but then I thought of the thousand liras and licked it. He clearly liked that but the funny thing is that I realised I liked doing it. After a while he asked me to stop and he beat it and came. He gave me the thousand liras and went away.

"I then beat my own meat and I too came and I liked it. It was the first time I came you see. But I was very pleased with the thought of all that money. It was easy money you see. So, the next time I saw a young Gadje I liked and noticed he was looking at me in the same way that man did I just approached him and told him that if he gave me a thousand liras I would be nice to him. It worked! He understood and invited me to go to his place. I followed him and he took me down to the basement of his house. He pulled it out and asked me to suck it. I did. He told me I wasn't doing it right and explained what to do. And when he came, the crafty old devil pushed my head against his groin so that I couldn't pull my head back to get his prick out of my mouth and so he came into my throat. I coughed and spluttered and was horrified. He laughed and gave me the thousand liras.

"Afterwards I found other men... Just think that there were people who paid to suck me! But I never wanted it in my arse. I was scared just thinking of it. Besides the fact was that I was earning easy money doing what I liked with those men. I could also buy things to drink or to eat without my family knowing, and even when I gave them just the change in small coins I was bringing back more money than the other children who were out begging. They thought I was really good at begging. My mother was proud of me."

They were approaching a village.

"Get back in the caravan, Patri. I've got to stop to buy some food and you really ought not to be seen. Shut yourself inside. If it's me I'll knock like this ..." Zanko said and demonstrated the signal.

The boy nodded and when Zanko stopped he got into the caravan. After a while the car stopped again then about half an hour later started again. Then stopped again. He knocked at the door and Patrizio opened. Zanko got in with a bag in his hands.

"Oh, it's dark in here. Wait a moment; I'll light the lamp. I'll show you how to do it." Zanko said.

He then opened the bag and pulled out the food and shared it. They started to eat hungrily. Patrizio was looking at the bright eyes of the gypsy and his strong perfect white teeth, his almost triangular face and his long slightly wavy hair.

"You've an attractive face." He said after a while.

Zanko looked at him somewhat surprised then smiled "You too are quite good looking in spite of being a Gadje. Did you have friends in your village?"

"No, not real friends."

"So you've no regrets about leaving."

"Right. But you, why aren't you part of a tribe any more?"

"That's a long and strange story. I may tell you some day." Zanko answered and his eyes shone. He was enjoying being mysterious about it.

"You told me you went to beg until you were thirteen right? And then?"

"And then I stopped. Only children and women go around begging. But the women at times are also spellbinders or fortune-tellers or also healers. But not all the women."

"And the men?"

"They do some work. What work they do depends on their tribe. Ah, once there were many good jobs - the lautari, the kalderash, the ousari, the fierari, the rotari, the ursari..."

"What kind of jobs are they?"

"The lautari, like my tribe, are musicians - they play violin like me or other instruments. The ousari work and trade with gold. The kalderash instead work copper and the fierari work iron. The rotari repaired or made caravans, but in our own time they mainly trade in cars and they are practically disappearing. The ursari tamed bears and worked the fairs in old times. But there are no more ursari now. Many traditional jobs are lost because the Gadjes aren't interested in them any more. Therefore some of us have descended to stealing. But not we lautari..."

"You never steal, you lautari?"

"Oh god, not never but only when a Gadje is really very stupid... or ill-natured like your uncle..." Zanko admitted and laughed. Patrizio laughed too. Zanko passed him the wine bottle. "Ah, the wine is nearly finished now. I have to buy some more. But I've spent almost all my money..."

"I've plenty as you know. We can use some of my money."

"Yes but I have to earn some."

"And how?"

"Playing my violin in restaurants, taverns or at parties..."

"Do you feel like playing something for me now?"

"Yes sure." Zanko said and stood up and picked up his violin.

He gripped it lovingly between his collarbone and chin. Then stroked it with the bow sounding two short notes. Then after a brief silence the music suddenly rose. Very fast it was with trills, sudden leaps, dives, and frenzied rhythms. Patrizio listened in amazement and held his breath. He was looking at the intense, absorbed, enraptured expression on Zanko's face and thought that the young gypsy was as wonderful as his music it was so unbridled so joyous and yet at the same time sad and tormented.

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 2

In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to read them, the URL is

http://andrejkoymasky.com

If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English translations, so that I can put on-line more of my stories in English please e-mail at

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