THE ROMANCE OF TOMISLAV AND NATASHA 'Their marriage brought together two towns that never liked eachother'

Before the wedding, which was scheduled at the church of St. Martin the Bishop in Strizivojna on Saturday at 6 pm, Pastor Andrija Križanović flipped through a thick book of marriage. The number of pages are syonoymous with the many memories of the old priest. The pages stopped at November 10, 2007.

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- I was in Djakovo and there I met the woman who runs the choir. She told me: "Father, remember, you married Tomislav and Natasha, and I played? Remember how they were young and happy. " And that reminded me of their wedding so when I returned to the parish office, I took the book and leafed through it - says Pastor Andrija Križanović.

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Foto: Facebook

- He was a guy from Vrpolje but I didn't know him very well,  I only heard nice things about him, and she is from here, Strizivojna. I did not prepare her for baptism in 2001 because I took over the parish in 2003, but she continued to come to church, a devoted believer and a Christian. They informed me and wanted me to marry them. Here, you see, is written Tomislav Salopek and below Natasa Natalija Atlašević. He was born on June 2, 1984, and she on December 1, 1986. His parents are Zlatko and Manda. Her father Vladimir and her mother Branka (maiden name Milinovic), with roots from Dalmatia. They are very devout people. They also have a grandmother that attends my mass every Sunday. Darko Coklovic and Ivana Omazić are their godparents. I am a priest for 41 years, 12 of them here. I've married a lot of couples and it is difficult to sort out some details. For Tomislav and Natasha I can tell you they were young, in love and particularly happy, and the celebration was great - recalls the priest.

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Entry into community life

- You know, it's interesting here. Vrpolje and Strizivojna never liked each other, somehow, they were always competing - eternal rivals. This started back in 1928 when the parish Strizivojna separated from  Vrpolje, and culminated in war activities around the train station on which was written only Vrpolje. Yet somehow they managed to agree and it is now labeled "Strizivojna - Vrpolje. Natasha and Tom are in some way  responsible for linking these two places which are always competing with each other - says the pastor.

Foto: Facebook

The newlyweds began living together eight years ago from the longest Croatian street, says our priest.

The Brothers Radic Street is long, he explains, nine kilometers, it starts in Vrpolje in the Brod-Posavina County, and continues in Strizivojna in Osijek-Baranja County and has 662 numbers. Natasha's father Vladimir is also from Vrpolje, and has parental house, but married in Strizivojna where he built his own.

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Love between Natasha and Tom, according to acquaintances, did not happen at first glance because they knew each other for a long time before they started dating, and it all happened in Vrpolje. Their acquaintance grew into friendship, and then into love that brought two little children into this world, a seven year-old girl and two-year-old boy.

Foto: AP/Tanjug, Facebook

- I'm very happy about that, they created another life with love. Every priest is happy when married people, those he married, crown their marriage with children - said the happy pastor. But his smile was short-lived.

- All this is particularly difficult and painful, especially because of the children. When you see him in that way, kneeling in an orange suit with a masked man beside him, and when one remembers how earlier people ended up from those pictures... my God ... And he just went to feed his family. We can only pray and hope, appeal to humanity. We organized prayers for our Tomislav, dear God, let him hear them. We will pray again. Maybe it's a good sign that they extended the deadline. Maybe there is hope for him. We have to trust that the Tomislav will come back - says the priest.

In order to get Tomislav back, Natasha's uncle Ivica Atlašević would give anything, even his life.

- I'm the uncle and now, on this occasion, I am begging, please: let Tom go, do not hurt him. Come pick me up and carry me, do with me as you please, just spare him - cried Ivica.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

Anticipation of the family

He is one of five Atlašević brothers, including Natasha's father, Vladimir, whom the family called Vaso. - He works in Germany as an electrician, he should be coming around the Assumption, but arrived earlier. He used to work in Libya and helped Tomislav come over a few years ago. The boy just wanted to make money for his family, nothing more - tells uncles Ivica.

He sees a glimmer of hope in these new 48 hours that the terrorists extended the deadline.

- Maybe he succeeds, we have no choice but to hope. We all hope. I thank President Grabar Kitarovic and Vice Minister Vesna Pusic for their work, may it succeed - adds uncle Ivica.

Tomislav's parents are in serious condition, especially his mother who has been in shock for days and can not eat. Three decades ago the family suffered a severe tragedy. In a car crash, Zlatko's brother, Tomislav was killed. A new tragedy, God forbid, say Vrpolje residents, would be too much for this family.

- It was horrible, he was a musician and returned with a friend from a show. They died. Tomislav was named after his uncle - reveals Natasha's uncle Ivica.

Foto: Profimedia/AFP, Tanjug/AP

Sorrow runs through Vrpolje and Strizivojna this days, but it is especially difficult in the atria, which will be first get the news from Egypt. Tomislav's immediate family is waiting for them at his address. In addition to his wife Natasha, his sister Zdenka is present, who, in the night on Saturday, around 3 am, came back from Egypt, but also closer neighbors who take turns trying to give them comfort. Information from the inner circle of family informs that they've chosen a French journalist agency for several of his appearances, considering that it is perhaps the best channel that appeals to terrorists because Tomislav was kidnapped as an employee of the French company. Messages from family members on social media networks are coming from Natasha's two sisters, teachers Marijana Klaic and Iva Atlašević studying in Osijek. "Hope dies last! Brother in law, you will come back to us, and we will drink beer again," wrote Tomislav sisters-in-law, Marijana and Iva under a joint photograph showing them toasting with a beer.

His friend from Osijek, Alen Gaspic relayed a message to the kidnappers in English, German and Arabic in which he wrote: "We are not Americans, nor Israelis, we are Croats. We did not do anything, so let Tomislav Salopek go home. "

(Telegraf.co.uk/ jutarnji.hr)