Belgrade is being destroyed and Europe is looking away

Friday, 30 April: (11:31 a.m.)

Dear Sabrina,

It is very difficult to write now, but I talked myself into writing,
perhaps I'll feel better.

They hit Belgrade tonight, starting at 2:40, and the strikes lasted for
quite a while.  The symbol of my undergraduate days, Avala TV Tower, always
looming over Belgrade, is now down, destroyed for ever.  Whenever I would
travel by bus up to Belgrade, this tower was always comfortingly there,
high and proud...

They hit the old and beautiful buildings of the Ministry of Defence, the
Military HQ and, again, the Ministry of the Interior.  These are all in the
very centre of the City.  The smoke coming out was suffocating for the
neighbouring houses and for the whole downtown area.

They hit the so-called South Boulevard.  Again, very near to the centre. 
They were very imprecise.  They razed off a couple of civilian buildings
and people were killed, civilians, of course.  I don't know the death toll.

Says a cousing of mine living in Belgrade  -- 'Djordje, they want to
destroy Belgrade'.

Ljubitsa was having labours for such a long time and then at 4:30 this
morning it gave birth to a still-born.  And we, not yet knowing about the
tragedy unfolding in Belgrade, cried and cried and could not go to sleep. 
She was going around crying herself, as if asking what was going on. 
Wide-eyed, white and beautiful, our angel of peace and love.  Now, she does
not have anyone to look after, no one to run after and play.

I cannot say why or what happened:  we called the Veterinarian Station this
morning -  they said that it was quite possible for a slightly older cat,
especially, to give birth to one kitten, and not so terribly rare.  Nis was
not hit last night, only its vicinity.  And it had been rather quiet for
the past couple of days here.  She had been fed well...  We cried because
we wanted a new living being with us, creation of life and got a dead
little gray-white kitten.  We cried and cried.

If you have time and will, please look for Doris Lessing's "Particularly
Cats".  She felt about cats the way we do.

Not much I can say now.  Belgrade is being destroyed and Europe are looking
away.  WHY WHY WHY
They are killing us, for no reason.  WHY WHY WHY

Love,
Djordje

-------

(11:44 a.m.)

Dear Sabrina,

Please let Mrs Ambrosino that I received her message through you and that I
have just read it.  It was not difficult to read.  I will try to reply as
soon as possible.  But right now I cannot as I am deeply hurt by everything
that has been happening.  It is cumulative and it gets to you in time.  It
did after last night.

Tell her that I am honoured by her message and that I am glad at the same
time as the Ambrosinos and my family have some intellectual interests in
common.

Will reply.

Love,
Djordje