With the Window in Paris

The daughter of the great writer, Dritëro Agolli, has returned to the manuscripts that she says are "so numerous that the largest part of his biography is hidden in them". Elona Agolli has discovered a part of this biography, but the memories were written by the hand of his wife Sadije Agolli. The memories speak of great literary events in the life of Dritëro Agolli.

His masterpiece "The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo" is translated and published in France. The publication of a work in the West was a rare event for writers who wrote within the socialist camp, but when the works become universal, like Ismail Kadare's "The General" that was published in the 1970s, also the work "The Rise and Fall of the Shock" Zylo" of Agolli would go far from the perspective of the country where he lived.

"Not infrequently, in these months that I read and read notes, letters, impressions, poems and manuscripts of my father, I felt my heart beating hard and I cried as many times. Today, the date of the birth of my mother, Sadija, I opened that small notebook with a blue plastic cover, small enough to be easily kept in a pocket, with all kinds of notes, phone numbers of foreign friends, but also travel impressions. It started with the father's notes, and after a few-page break, Sadija's diary started for several days. The trip that coincides with the publication of Zylos in France," Elona Agolli confesses.

The notes of the wife of the great writer Dritëro Agolli, when they faced Paris for the first time, are published below.

"8.6.1990. We have four days at the Montparnas hotel. 3-star hotel, $120 per night. The room is small, with a minibar that we dare not open. The attendant Ana Renard told us that they are very expensive. Everything is expensive. A floral dress costs $110. My clothes are like those of a peasant. We have the room from the street with a lot of noise. So far we have met the director of the culture department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Gaudini, who gave us the program.

We saw the George Pompidou museum, a miracle. We walked there for over three hours, we saw hundreds of young people in the library where they read, where they learned foreign languages, where they listened to music and looked at paintings of modern art. In one corner there was a cafe, where young journalists hung out, while in a square there were young musicians, painters, making some money. We also saw an exhibition of applied painting by an Austrian painter, Andre Korabi.

We received five copies of Zylos yesterday. We had lunch with Gyti (the translator of the novel) at a restaurant in the suburbs. It broke about $400, just with two bottles of wine. Today we spent about 3 hours in the Louvre. We saw a sculpture pavilion and the French painting pavilions. The director of the museum was very kind and accompanied us the whole time. All these days I have been confused, depressed, in pain. It is an inconceivable world for us. In the museum, there were from small school students who had lessons with the teachers to elderly people from all over the world. I regretted not taking my camera. We had lunch in a restaurant, Baltimore, very luxurious with a chairman of the culture committee, young, very cultured and with a lot of protocol. Mabëno, director of the publications department, Giju, chief editor at Gallimard, Gyti and Ana were invited. Giju spoke highly of the book. Dritroi has not been outsourced.

The strangest person yesterday at 4.30 was Zhan Didnje. An extremist man, in an office with a triangular table placed in the middle of the room, with books on the ground, no closet, with some armchairs placed in disorder. A scattered man entered and left with the expression "excuse me". Dritëroit addressed you: What exactly do you want from me? We stayed for a quarter of an hour and he escorted us to the door. This was the director of the painters of France. We went outside and the three of us laughed out loud. In Turkey we were very happy, while in Paris we are confused by the high culture. Dritroi reads Zylon in French while I watch endless movies on the 6 French channels. We are going to see a modern ballet and a theater performance at the French Comedy.

The days are cold, rainy and windy, like in autumn. Black pants, mini skirts and floral, silk dresses are more in fashion. Lots of cars, the road shakes from them. You can't sit in a cafe if you don't spend. The French don't rent to you. No coffee was served in any office. Meetings are measured in minutes. One can learn about saving time anywhere, in the hotel, in the Ministry, on the street, in the cafe".

"11.6.1990. We had a great time. Visiting Versailles a miracle. In these times, one of the most beautiful lunches is with Ana Barluka, in a restaurant where Picasso, Hemingway, Verlaine and other artists have eaten. She is a very romantic woman. He told me what to buy for the kids.

A blue denim suit for Lona $40, then I bought small things. For myself only a blue and white t-shirt and a T-shirt.

We walked with Ana to the Royal Palace, to the Moliere Monument, to the Defense Center, with modern palaces and fountains, with modern sculptures. We were in Montmartre where painters were painting. We saw the Forest of Bologna, where the prostitutes were staying. Tomorrow we are in modern ballet.”

"13.6.1990. Today and tomorrow are the busiest days with journalists and photographers of Gallimard. Lunch is with Antoine Galimard. I am sitting on an armchair in Galimard's studio. Dristrei and Ana entered the studio for photos. Today I have emotions like never before. Great photos are taken. Driteroi is a little contracted although he tries to be calm. We were at Hygoi's house. We took some pictures. I think in these moments about Elona who, if she were in France, would be the same as me. People come and go. I have very scattered thoughts. The deserted window that will answer all these journalists, who have put them in the plan. These are the most awkward days.

I see the big pictures of some published writers. If he succeeds, his picture will be placed next to the others. Alen Boskeja spoke very well. It is one of the best books I have read - he said." These are some of Sadija's notes, notes that prove a lot of things said and unsaid about the time, about relations with the unknown world of the West, about relationships between people with a lifestyle and way of thinking that is completely different from that of our parents. And yet, noble and full of values." /Dhurata Hamzai/Albania/