Friday, April 17th 1999

Ecological catastrophe?

    On Saturday evening, after the usual several hours long fireworks by our anti-aircraft defense, defending my beloved Novi Sad (second largest city in Yugoslavia) from "aggressor" NATO planes, an unusual event occurred. Sometime around 1am, when all normal people in the world are in their beds, the sky over Novi Sad seemed like it was on fire. Night turned to day, while windows on all buildings and houses vibrated from the blow. I ran out to the terrace and saw a huge fireball (as in movies), rising to the sky. The fire came from the oil refinery. All of my friends whose parents work at the refinery assured me that the refinery was empty for the last few days (otherwise, due the explosions a five-minute oxygen loss from air would occur, and that would result in DEATH OF HALF A MILLION PEOPLE!). Still, something burned intensively in that fire, that was no ordinary smoke. Soon, the orange sky was replaced by black, reflecting the feelings in our hearts. Suddenly, something started to smell, badly. Shy at first, the smell started to expand, penetrating every inch of my apartment. It reminded me of chemistry classes, which I never liked.

    After an hour of waiting for someone to start choking, the oxygen prevailed. As they say - we were lucky. The wind blew the smoke, just in time, on the other side, carrying its deadly load to unpopulated areas. What was that and what consequences would it inflict, we will never know. One thing I know is, when this is all over, the psychiatrist services Clinton so generously offered for free (I bomb you, then I cure you), will be very needed.

Dusan, age 21,
electronics student