Flower Thieves

In summer, people would swarm around Vlasina river and town’s lake, swim and enjoy warm sunny days. Summer heat made everyone a bit slow and lazy and even minutes and hours felt tired and lethargic and moved in slow motion.

Autumn brought red and yellow colors that covered the whole town. The parks were hushed in the fallen leaves and the wonderful smell of zimnica (the food prepared for winter) preparation, especially ajvar filled the air of my hometown.

White was the color of winter. My hometown, Vlasotince, was tucked into a valley in the southeast Serbia. We had beautiful white winters. The slopes of the hills surrounding the town gave a lot of joy to the children. They went sledding down the slopes of the hills and enjoyed the magic of snow.

Spring again brought plenty of colors. Blossoms and flowers bathed the town in freshness and greenery. Every house’s garden was full of flowers. Different types and different sizes. There were tulips, lilies, narcissus flowers, bell flowers, snowdrop flowers. Splash of colors invited the children who played on the street to admire these masterpieces of nature.