Enlarge Mato and Mirjana Lukic in front of their home in Plaza Midwood.

Posted: September 26th, 2009 Andria Krewson

By Aleigh Acerni

Photos by Deborah Triplett

Interviewed via interpreter Ines Pecanac Lukic




If you’ve driven through the Plaza Midwood neighborhood during the past several months, you may have noticed Mato Lukic sitting in his driveway on Matheson Avenue, behind a table loaded with vegetables, mostly tomatoes, for sale.

His wife, Mirjana, may have been nearby—tending to the flowerbeds in her front yard, or supervising from her front porch.

You may not have realized, if you didn’t stop to buy a tomato or two, that the Lukics aren’t your typical retired American couple. They don’t speak English. Only one of them, Mirjana, is an American citizen. Refugees from Bosnia, they have lived through two wars, been persecuted for their “mixed” marriage (they are from different religious backgrounds), and were forced to flee their homeland—mostly on foot—to survive.

“The life over there was hard,” Mirjana said, speaking through her daughter-in-law, Ines Pecanac Lukic, who served as interpreter. “We couldn’t find jobs. We walked miles and miles to get away.”

The pair has lived in the United States for close to 11 years, all of it in Charlotte. They love it here, but they miss the family they left behind in Bosnia, and it’s hard to make ends meet depending on social security, food stamps, and the little extra they can cobble together from their vegetable sales and the aluminum cans Mato collects to exchange for cash.

“The living is hard for us, but we’re managing,” said Mirjana. “It’s hard when you don’t understand the language.”

Their home is simple and cozy, and Mirjana is quick to offer a drink, some coffee, a seat. She’s animated and friendly, and gets misty-eyed watching the stoic Mato brushing out tangles in her granddaughter’s doll’s hair. When she spoke, gesturing with her hands, there were glimpses of the girl she used to be—and a twinkle in her eye when she talked about how she used to sing and dance. “I was wild when I was young!” she said.

The next time you drive past Mato in his driveway, stop by for a chat. It may be mostly gestures and pointing, but it will be an experience you won’t soon forget—and if you’re lucky, you just might get a taste of Mirjana’s Bosnian espresso with whipped cream.

More photos of Mato and Mirjana on Flickr.

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