June 19^th, 1999

Reservist Mladen Story

I play Tetris while I am in war

If you want to know what is going on in your country, and if there is any chance that it will finish, you have to listen to the radio-programs of attacking countries all the night.

    You live in an illusion that your voice is listened, that you can choose something. You educate yourself, you go to college, you make a family, you plan a thing or two, and then they hang you a plate around your neck, like that bronze thing around the ram's neck. If you think that the war is a kind of a natural disaster, that it could be avoided, but somebody made a wrong choice, than it is your problem. Once they hang you that thing around your neck, once they mark you, than you realize that you are not supposed either to think or to ask. You are just supposed to be quiet and to obey. You should wait for the miracle to happen, even if you do not believe in miracles...

    This is a totally unreal war. You never saw the enemies; you do not know how they look like, or what the heck they are attacking you for. You prey to God that the same guy, who put you into this mess, pulls you out again. Then you shall fight again, this time in order to impeach him. And if you want to know what is going on in your country, you have to spend your nights listening to the radio-programs of your attackers.

    There were no heroic battles in this war, or ambushing the asleep enemy, there are no "Look out, Mirko, there is a bullet!" but there aren't any "Rambo-exibitions", either. There is just an invisible enemy on the sky, miles above. The technics is committing this war, but the people are being killed.

    When your head starts to break from inside, you start to look for something to anastase your brain, usually some kind of alcohol. I used to prefer a Coke, but it is not useful here. That's why I play Tetris: I am putting those blocks in place until I feel dizzy in my head and until I lose any sign of space and time. I am playing Tetris while I am in war.

Courtesy of the Weekly Magazine "Reporter", Banja Luka
"Reporter" web site can be found on: www.reporter.co.yu