Slovene Sunday - Trumpet Out Louise!

Summer of 2000, I was living in Maribor, currently with my companion Elder Wettstein. We were lucky enough to have the neighborhood of Nova Vas in our area, which neighborhood was filled - FILLED - with tall bloks, or apartment buildings. We knocked on doors there very often because of the sheer number of people all concentrated in one small area.



One fine day, as we were heading through the mazes of buildings on our way back to the bus stop so the we could make an appointment at the church back in Center, I heard a trumpeting sound. As we drew nearer to the outer edge of the particular clump of bloks the noise got louder, and I was able to pinpoint it - we rounded one corner, and there, halfway along the avenue, leaning on the railing of her balcony, was an old babica. She seemed to be enjoying the late afternoon air, waiting for the sunset, arms crossed, very relaxed-looking. And she had a bugle in one hand.

Every so often she'd raise it to her mouth, and toot out a merry little melody out into the courtyard, just in general. She was tooting away as we walked directly by her, and I smiled at the sight of this old lady, enjoying herself by playing her bugle. She saw me smile, too the bugle from her lips and saluted me with it. I grinned and waved at her, and she put it to her lips again, and played a jaunty little marching tune as Elder Wettstein and I walked out of sight.