Some time around 3rd (no photos, so don't know when exactly), a visit from Dragana, Staša and Bajlo, at Čankovo, scouting the new venue for maturski. Not that there's anything wrong at Bajče's, but then I actually don't know why we didn't do it last year. So I suggested to check my place, and they came. They liked it, and agreed to move it here. She picked some tomatoes and bell peppers, among them some of the lara cultivar, which is straight and narrow, pointy, looking regular but actually quite hot. Doubting nothing, Dragana made a salad out of it at home, and it was blazing hot.
Then today there was a funeral: Bajče has died. Bajlo got us organized - he's the regular organizer alright - so I got to pick Savka and Ivanka. Mima, Dragana, Staša and Jasmina were already there. Saw a few people from IV3 and IV4 too, and even a guy I knew by way of DBA, ie. Milka's husband.
It's a sad story. Bajče was a wildcard; married a fine chick but couldn't stay put. He was among the first in the village to go private (entrepreneur), and was sloppy with paperwork, just like before when he almost got in trouble for that (but luckily my dad kept better documentation and proved what he himself could not, so exonerated him). He owned a weekend house near the river (kind of closer to the next village) and eventually lived there when his wife and (already grown up) kids kicked him out. Last time we saw him in 2010 he went on and on about how he expects his son (daughter not so much) to see that he was right and to come to his side. He probably had a few ladies on the side, such was the rumour among those who were in on the situation.
I almost recognized his ex wife - she was the clerk at the tax office to whom we submitted the papers when we bought our weekend house. Nice woman, and I really don't understand why he couldn't stay put. Well, so it goes.