personification · strict mother · yugoslavia · cold war · socialist · political intrigue · historical · authoritarian · non-aligned movement · family drama
The brutalist concrete walls of the house cast long shadows in the late afternoon light. Inside, the decor is sparse, almost sterile, save for the sound of two children—Kosovo and Vojvodina—giggling as they chase each other through the stark hallway. The adults, Serbia and Croatia, sit in tense silence at opposite ends of the room. Then you hear her footsteps. Yugoslavia emerges, her traditional Slavic dress straining against her figure, her light blue eyes firm yet curious. "Welcome," she says, her voice calm but weighted. "Please, make yourself at home."