Wednesday, June 9th, 1999

The Night of the "Victory"

    Yesterday night I watched the handball game Yugoslavia vs. Croatia on TV. I was cheering our fellows, as we won, and then there was a celebration. The firecrackers were cracking, the people shouted and sang, and I heard the laughter, which was unheard in last few months...

    When I heard first detonations I thought that it is AAA, then I was listening if I will hear the sirens warning for an air raid. I couldn't hear it, so I concluded that it was not AAA after all, but the cheerful people. I thought that it is nice that people celebrate a victory, although I never shared their obsession about beating Croats in every sport. (I really can not hate Dino Radja and Tony Kukoc, as I was cheering them, and crying out of happiness, when Jugoplastika became the European Champion for the first time.) Then I heard the AAA, too, and people remained outside singing. I felt it was strange that they aren't going to the shelters. The friend called me. "Have you heard already?" she asked. "Have I heard what?" I asked. "You know, the war is finished. RTS gave an announcement." Then I realized: RTS gave an announcement. The Holy Bible - RTS. I only could not realize how can war stop like if someone pressed the switch. Now there is a war, click, now there ain't any war. But if RTS says so, than it must be true. People sang and danced among the buildings until the late hours, the "great victory " was celebrated, and "the persistence in resistance" was celebrated. The ruining of the country was forgotten. The lack of water and electricity was forgotten. It was forgotten that we must wait in long queues every morning to get bread and milk, and that there is no sugar or sunflower oil left so you don't have to wait in queues at all. It was forgotten that you need several hours to commute from one side of the city to the other, and that we are squeezed in the public transport like the sheep in the sheep-pan... The soldiers and civilians all killed in the last two months were forgotten. The enter of the NATO troops into Kosovo was forgotten, along with the promises that that will never be allowed. Another forgotten thing was that The Signature could be put on the paper BEFORE the war also (especially because the demands were lesser than). Maybe it was not ever known, so it couldn't be forgotten. Many things were forgotten, but the "great victory of the heavenly nation" and its Great Leader was celebrated, victory of the Great Know-how to lose always the most possible...

Violeta