Fioralba Kurti
The interviewer: Welcome. Let’s start the story from when the situation started to worsen – based on what you recall; tell us where you were, who you were with, and what had happened…
Fioralba Kurti: I was 4 years old, 4 years and some months old. I can only remember some parts of the war. But, some of the memories still are so vivid to me. We were 9 family members: my parents, my grandmother, and 6 sisters. I was 4, during the war, and I got to hear the bombings shots from a neighborhood close to us. That’s when I truly knew what was going on. They burnt a family alive; the house, the family members, and everything was burnt down. We then knew they were getting closer. My parents put some cotton earplugs in our ears to block the bombings’ noise so that we wouldn’t know what was happening. I remember a night before we left the house, we got all gathered with some families from our neighborhood. We came together collaborating on how we would run away. There were too many shooting attacks that night so we weren’t able to sleep – also because we were too many people. Another thing is that some Serbian families were living near us, and that caused…
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The interviewer: You and many families came together…
Fioralba Kurti: Yes… we were not allowed to go out and play in order not to get into trouble. There were cases when our ball fell into their yard and we were afraid to go and get it. Because they would see it as a step of causing problems so we had to take a step back, stop playing, or simply stay in. Our parents would also yell at us and tell us not to tease them. We were kids, we didn’t quite understand it. Our childhood happiness was prohibited. When we ran away, as I mentioned, we were 9 family members, and we took the road to Durres. My late uncle, who is a martyr of the nation, accompanied us during half of our journey.
The interviewer: You were all in a single car?
Fioralba Kurti: I’m not sure but I think we got divided into two cars. Some of us were with my uncle and some of us were in the other car. After that, there is one scene that is a little vague since we kind of got stopped. My father and my big sister were stopped by the Serbian Forces. They were pointing their guns toward them and were asking for their documentation. My big sister started protecting my father and told them not to kill him because he was her father. So, at some point, they gave them the documents back and let them go. Later on, we were all back together. We had to walk to the border – the cars were all stopped and you had to walk in order to go to Durres. I remember that walk. Two of my younger sisters were so little and one of them was only one year old, or even not one year old yet. Me and one of my sisters had to carry the diapers as well as some of the clothes we had taken with us. It rained during that walk and it was gloomy – this is something stuck in my mind. From that moment up till now I have had a phobia of rain and I make sure to wear the right shoes. Back then, my feet were soaking wet and I was feeling miserable. I could hear how my wet shoes squished when I walked. Then, we stayed the night in a mosque or a church I don’t remember what it was exactly. Too many other families also took shelter there that night. I remember the moment I took off my shoes and that was the best moment of the whole day. I felt as such because my feet were soaking wet. From there, and Albanian family offered us accommodation. The first thing we did when we got there was take showers. They only had one boiler and we were 9 family members, so the showers had to be quick. We stayed at theirs for a few days and then we went to the refugee camp. There were some tents where families took shelter. I remember the food we ate at the camp. They mainly had pasta. This was what they generally offered and then I remember the medicine, the shampoos and the shampoos – the anti-lice shampoos – and everything else they brought to help us. I also remember the moment when they brought the showers. We were all given a certain time to take showers; when you and your family would be able to go there and take showers. In addition to that, I know that we went someplace, I don’t know exactly where but I know they had a phone. There’s where they told my mother that my uncle was killed, he was killed in the battle of Koshare. My aunt was also with us. My mother went somewhere else to talk on the phone with my grandfather and my other aunts who were staying in Gjakova. I didn’t understand well what was going on but I only know my mother was sad.
The interviewer: Did you ask questions?
Fioralba Kurti: I asked questions and I asked them to go with them. It was a time when you needed to go somewhere else so I wanted to go with them. But, I didn’t know what was exactly happening. Then, I remember there was a part in the camp of refugees where they gave health services. My big sister broke her arm and I know she went there and got a cast on.
The interviewer: Was that place improvised?
Fioralba Kurti: Yes, it was improvised. But, I also know we went there to take some goods…
The interviewer: Food?
Fioralba Kurti: Yes, food in order to get on with life. I know that the food would either be tinned or it would be like pasta, soup, ketchup, and mayonnaise and similar ones with a long expiration date.
The interviewer: Do you remember how long you stayed in that camp?
Fioralba Kurti: I am not sure.
The interviewer: Did you return to Kosova from the camp or did you go to another place?
Fioralba Kurti: We got back to Kosova after the war was over. We got back but I guess we went to a totally different house…
The interviewer: Do you remember the city of Gjakova and its condition when you got back?
Fioralba Kurti: I don’t remember it. I only remember the neighborhood and that a few families lived together; they would either be acquainted or not acquainted but they got to live together.
The interviewer: Was the village burnt down? Any material damage?
Fioralba Kurti: The city? No, we had an apartment in Deçan and I know that we had some material damage. But, here, you know, the things were broken, bombarded… but we found another place to stay when we got back here.
The interviewer: So, things were damaged?
Fioralba Kurti: Yes, they were damaged, but I don’t remember what was.
The interviewer: Thank you very much.
Fioralba Kurti: You’re welcome.