When Georgi was a boy, his father taught him wood carving. At first, the little boy learned to carve the violin's bridge made from thin maple wood. Later, his father taught him how to make the scroll and the body of his very own violin. Georgi was thrilled when his father finished the beautiful instrument. He polished the wood until it glistened. He was even more thrilled when on his tenth birthday his father presented the violin as a gift.
"Son, my gift to you is not the violin. It is the music you play on this instrument. You are a Gypsy and music is in your soul. Make what is in your soul echo like a mountain's cave," his father said.
Georgi was not sure he could play the instrument. He held it to his knee and drew the bow made of silken horsehair across its delicate strings. His coal black eyes followed his fingers while his ears strained to hear the notes.
Georgi's father, Athoh, learned to play the gadulka when his father presented him with the instrument on his birthday many years before.
It was not unusual in a Gypsy camp to always hear men making music. For Bulgarian Gypsies, it was like blood that flows through one's veins. Life in camp seemed to always be a festival. Colors of red, gold, green, blue and purple were alway part of the dress of men, women and children. Next to music, Bulgarian Gypsies love to dance. And what dancers they are! Women whirl in their wide, colorful skirts, blouses and vests until the final not of the music finally fades. Nothing is more exciting than the sight of Gypsy dancers moving gracefully through ornate, traditional folk dances.
Georgi couldn't wait until he perfected his skills with his gadulka. When finally he was considered proficient to play with the other older musicians, the bow resonated as his father said, "like an echo in a mountain cave."
But, Bulgarians do not live by music alone. Georgi became a master wood craftsman like his father. In his young manhood, he crafted many other types of instruments. But, his gadulka was perched on a wall just above his work table. Georgi could not imagine what an important role his violin would play in just a few short years.
Whenever he passed the bow across the bridge, the sound was like that of a sea nymph calling him to far away places. No matter when he played, the sound was a magnet, drawing people in camp to it. Sometimes, the melody was sad like the plucking of strings of a broken heart. It would be Georgi's heart that would be broken.
Several members of another tribe came into camp on fine autumn day. There were two men and two women and four children, two little girls and two boys, slightly older. They wore rags and looked as if they had not eaten in days.
No Bulgarian Tzigane turns away the suffering. They were warmly greeted by the older men who bid them take comfort among the tribe. Though they would have no wagon in which to sleep, the tribesmen pitched a tent to protect them from the cold mountain night air.
The strangers ate their fill and watched as Georgi and the men played their music. Before retiring, one of the strangers, Anastas, approached Georgi.
"Kind sir, I ask a great favor of you," Anastas said.
Georgi looked into the man's dark eyes intently.
"What favor would you have of me?" Georgi asked.
"We must move on at dawn. We are hunted by the cruel savage Akhun. We have in our possession a relic we saved when his horde destroyed our camp. We are all that remain of our tribe. Would you hide the relic for us?" Anastas asked.
"What is this relic and why does Akhun hunt you for it?"
"It is the cross of Saint John of Rila," Anastas said.
"How do you come by this relic?"
"Akhun and his men burned the church of his namesake in Skrino. They want the cross because they believe it has unusual powers. If you protect the cross for us, when we return from our exile, you have my word I will repay you in kind," Anastas said.
"You have nothing. How can you repay if you have nothing?"
"I am the last in my tribe to possess a special power. With a single touch of my hand, I can turn your gadulka into a magical instrument that will play whatever thoughts are in your head," Anastas said.
Georgi thought this was merely Anastas imagination. He had never heard of such a power in any Gypsy before.
"I will show you what I tell you is true. Bring your gadulka here," Anastas said.
Georgi held more tightly to his violin.
"Now play."
When he ran the bow across the strings, it was as if the gadulka was truly magic. It played a strange melody that seemed to change as Georgi's thoughts changed.
"You see? Your gadulka plays your thoughts."
Georgi shook his head in denial.
"You were thinking you did not believe me. But, the melody played what you were thinking, did it not?"
It was true Georgi was thinking Anastas statement was untrue and the melody seemed to be wild and uncontrolled.
"What is it you wish me to do with the cross of Saint John of Rila?"
"I wish only that you keep it safe. If Akhun finds us and kills us, you must keep it safe until these savages return to their homeland," Anastas said.
The older musicians glanced at Anastas and then at Georgi. They shrugged their shoulders. Georgi was unsure of what he should do.
"I must consult with my Father, sir," Georgi said.
"I understand," Anastas replied.
Anastas knew that Athoh as the tribe's leader would understand the dire need to protect the cross of Saint John of Rila.
"Father, I must trouble you for advice," Georgi said.
"Son, Anastas speaks the truth. I know of the miracle of that cross. I've heard it many times as our people traveled the countryside. It is the unusual gift that protects Gypsies. Do as he asks," Athoh said.
Georgi was confused. How did his father know what Anastas had asked of him?
Georgi returned to the campfire and agreed he would do as Anastas asked.
"Blessings on you and your tribe, my son. You will not regret your act of kindness," Anastas said.
Georgi decided that the safest place for the cross of Saint John of Rila was inside his gadulka. The minute he placed it there, it was as if he could play the most difficult musical pieces without effort. It felt as if the bow and strings produced a thousand other sounds.
On warm summer nights, Georgi enchanted the members of his tribe with his playing. When the hard, cold winters arrived, his lilting sound of his gadulka could be heard from within his wagon. His mother often moved about the wagon as she worked to the tempo of his music. His sister bid him play a melody so she could practice the Bulgarian folk dances performed in lines like the Paydushko horo or the Rachenitsa, for a single dancer.
It amused Georgi that due to the small interior of the wagon, his sister, Albena, managed not to bump into chairs or the table.
"Albena, do take care not to injure yourself," Ana Zhivkov said.
"Yes, Mama. I shall," Albena answered.
Georgi saw the rise in his mother's brow and understood that he should play music from his gadulka that was not meant for dancing. He responded with a knowing smile.
Shortly after Anastas and his family moved on, Athoh realized their tribe was in danger for aiding the strangers. He called a meeting of the tribal council. There were seven men in the council and all agreed that the tribe must move on. For a time, they settled in forested areas that were secluded. They kept moving from place to place as word of Akhun's hordes drew nearer. Now, not only were Akhun's hordes hunting Anastas. They were also hunting all Bulgarian Gypsies. Such was their mistrust of Gypsy tribes.
Akhun's hordes had grown in numbers. Whispers said they numbered in the thousands. Athoh believed this was an exaggeration. Until that is, his tribe passed through a small village Akhun's tribe had burned to the ground. What bodies remained were charred beyond recognition.
"Papa, are we in danger of the hordes?" Albena asked.
"Yes, daughter. It is why must keep moving. There is one place the hordes will not choose to go: Strandzha. It is a tangle of mountains with forest and a thick blanket of trees. We will find a place there to settle before winter. But for now, help your Mama ready our food supply," Athoh said.
Georgi and the men in the tribe spent their time hunting and storing meat to keep their people alive through a brutish mountain winter.
The tribal leaders realized that to avoid Akhun's hordes they were climbing higher and higher into the mountains. Finally, as the first winter snows came, they could go no further. They settled into what was a relatively secluded, wooded area. There was a stream nearby, which was always essential to ensure a plentiful supply of drinking water.
The wagons created a circle within a small brake of trees. The men had to clear several trees so all of the wagons would fit neatly in the circle. In the center would be the central fire that women used to cook meals and bake their breads. With the statuesque tall pines overhead, the tribe was protected from strong winds. But, not the heavy blankets of snow that blew from the tree tops. That usually meant men pushing the snow into huge snow banks to protect the wagons.
It is difficult to imagine how cold winters in the mountains can get when there is no means of heat in Gypsy wagons. Only the heat from the central fire keep them from freezing. This and constantly keeping busy with as many chores as possible.
The men had to be constantly on guard for wolves in season at the peak of mountain winters.
Georgi and the younger Gypsy men were always restless as all young men usually are. So, Georgi and several of his friends decided to scout around the outer rim of their wagon enclave.
They discovered several things they felt the elders should know. One of these was a deep cave not far from their camp ground.
"My son, be careful. That cave could be a tunnel that Akhun's soldiers use to hide before an attack," Athos said.
"Papa, we went into the cave. It is hollowed out and tall enough inside to fit a man the size of our Bogdan," Georgi said.
Bogdan was the tribe's official "giant." He stood well over six feet and four inches tall. A young man of not yet twenty-five, for all his fearful height, his demeanor was like that of a gentle puppy dog. His shaft of chestnut brown hair and pale blue eyes set him off from the others in the tribe who tended to have dark hair and dark eyes.
Whenever Georgi felt the need for solitude, he went into the cave and played his violin. He began to believe the gadulka's tone had grown richer as a result of its precious cargo, the cross of St. John of Rila, he kept inside it.
One day as the dull winter sun tried desperately to warm the camp, Georgi felt the utter endlessness of mountain winters. He made for the cave with his gadulka in hand.
Athos sensed his son's restlessness, even as he too felt it. He watched his son walk off into the woods. He knew where he was going.
Georgi tucked himself inside the cave, sat upon a rock and began to play. He stopped briefly. He thought he heard a strange sound. When he turned in the direction of the sound, there was a she wolf. Georgi was frightened. The she wolf didn't bare her teeth. Instead, she did something that shocked Georgi.
You play beautifully.
Georgi hadn't heard a single sound from the she wolf's mouth. How could this be?
You are reading my thoughts young man.
Georgi knew the wolf was right.
"But, how can I do that?" he asked.
My breed unlike yours has no need of words when we speak to each other. We use sound only as a means of alarm when we are in danger.
Georgi stood there speechless.
You see? You are thinking this is a fantasy and I am not real. Is that not so?
"Yes."
Then, I will teach you our way. First, learn to respect silence. It is only in silence that your mind can grow stronger...strong enough to turn your thoughts into words heard only by those with this gift. You have already met such people, have you not?
Georgi had to admit that he often suspected his own father of having such a gift. He recalled when Anastas came to them and sought refuge. Georgi had to get is father's approval. Somehow, his father already knew. Georgi thought is was just coincidence. But now? Maybe it wasn't.
Your father has the gift. As his only son, you have inherited that gift. You choose not to use it?
"But how? I know only words that fall from my lips."
Close your mouth and force your mind to silence. As silent as your gadulka is right now. Can you do that? You will arrive at another level of your mind. That is your "channel" to your gift. I leave you for now. You should know that you will now be protected from harm from my breed and from Uris, the bear who also has the gift. He is in his winter sleep for now. Do not disturb him. He will make himself known when the snows are melted and the sun warms the earth once more.
Georgi left the cave as soon as the she wolf was gone. He was too afraid to move. When he returned to his father's wagon, his father saw the expression on his face. He knew he'd had an encounter of enlightenment.
Father, why did you not tell me about your gift? Georgi asked his father telepathically.
Because, my son, you would not have believed it. One in every generation of our tribe has the blessing of this gift. It is only when we have the experience of our own enlightment that we accept those things that others cannot see or know.
Yes, father. I met the she wolf in the cave. She told me about this gift.
Georgi, that she wolf is named Todorka. Her name means, "Divine Gift." Mark her teachings well.
Are there others in our tribe who have this gift?
Yes, my son. The old woman healer, Snezhana. She has powers of the gift that allow her to heal others of maladies and ailments of the body. It was Saint John of Rila who was believed to also have this gift. He healed the mind and soul. That is why you must protect his cross with your life. Our people believe that to lose that cross or allow it to be defiled by Ahkun's marauders is to lose forever the gift.
Do Mama and Albena know?
Yes. Of course. They do not have the gift. They protect it as we all must. Now, let us keep ourselves busy.
There was a knock on the door of the Zhivkov wagon. It was Stoyan, one of the elders.
"Athos, Georgi, prepare yourselves. Akhun's hordes are down the mountain. There is a rumor they burned the village of Zheravna. The people there have fled to Brashlyan. That is not far from our camp," Stoyan said.
Another knock on the wagon door opened to two more of the elders, Viktor and Stanimir.
"We must call a meeting of the elders and...our sons. We must ensure that we have warning well in time to avoid Akhun," Viktor said.
The last of the elders, Petar, joined the group.
"We are all here. Let us go to the fire for warmth so that our plans take the energy from fire to make us safe," Athos said.
Stoyan, Athos, Viktor, Stanimir and Petar left Ana and Albena frightened.
"Mama, will we be safe here in the woods?" Albena asked.
"Our men will decide that, daughter," Ana said.
"Mama, I am afraid."
"Albena, we are a strong people. We have always survived. You must have faith in your tribe and our elders."
When the meeting of the elders and their sons ended, it was decided that their sons would alert the tribe as soon as Akhun's men were near. A regular watch team of twelve in two shifts was comprised of two guards each stationed at the incline of the mountain pass and several distances from the camp site. That ensured the women and children of maximum safety.
Everyone in camp was on edge knowing that at any minute they could be attacked. Albena saw people hurrying about at a faster pace, looking constantly over their shoulders.
The men decided to meet in secrecy rather than around the central camp's fire.
Though the men knew of the dangers that lay ahead, the knew not to show fear.
Petar broke the silence among the tribal men, a silence as thick as dense, dark cloud hanging overhead.
"When I was a boy, we came across a huge, bear who had made a comfortable home in the woods. .Oh yes. He had a family too just as we all have. But his mate and his two cubs were seen out of their home inside the cave when the wild plum trees were in bloom."
The men grew impatient with Petar. Always before he gave advice it was prefaced with a tale of his childhood.
Petar began again.
"We were out hunting when we heard the thunder of horses in the distance. We knew we must run for safety and warn our people or our women and children would be in grave danger.
When the horde of horsemen were almost in sight, the bear came out from the cave. We were about to run back to our people when the bear spoke to us with his thoughts. He told us his name was "Urso" and that he was given the gift some of our special people have.
By this time, the horsemen were so near we could see their faces. Urso stood with his great furry arms strecthed out wide, his long curving claws like long knives. .
As soon as the horsemen saw him, their horses reared back in fright. Urso let out a fierce growl that seemed to echo the entire forest and beyond.
Some of the horses ran off with their riders left running in terror as Urso follow rapidly after. We were never again bothered so long as we had AUrso to protect us."
"But Petar, How can we summon Urso now?," Georgi masked.
"Take your violin in hand and play the "Mioritaza," the folk tale about the shepard and his ewes. Urso is enchanted by its melody and knows to come to our rescue," Petar responded.
As the sound of Akhun's soldiers advanced closer and closer, Geogi began to play the Mioritza. At first, it drew the she wolf and her olf pack.
"We are here to give aid o your people. The sound your violin makes calls us together," she said in silent thought the others could from her mind.
Then, the sound of shrubbery branches and a heavy footfall grew louder as Urso appeared.
Petar anodded in assent when Urso asked if his help was once again needed.
Akhun's horsemen appeared in the forest clearing, advancing toward the men...until they caught sight of Urso and the wolf pack.
The wolves bared heiur teeth and snarled as they drew closer to Akhun's soldiers. Urso waited to see what the soldiers weould do. One of the soldiers drew his sword and swung it at the she wolf but she was too fast for him and leaped up and the soldier fell to the ground.
The she wolf sprung at the fallen soldier as he tried to tear himself from her grip. But she bit him on his fore arm leaving the mark of the wolf on his bleeding limb. She allowed the fallen soldier to free himself unbarmed and terrified as one of his fellow soldiers grabbed onto him to lift him onto the saddle.
Urso moved out from behind the wolf pack and raised his claws menacingly as his deep horrifying growl echoed through the woods. The the soldiers began to turn and run from the charging bear, fearing his echoing, raging growl would call out more bears to attack.
Petar entreated Gerogi to play again. The seh wolf, er wolf pack and Urso stood still as if entranced by the sweet melody.
Then they headed off each in the direction of the caves.
"My violin really is magic," Georgi said silently in his thoughts.
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