Waiting...

We have been waiting for this day for a long time. The day that Anna asks us to evacuate her and her family.  I first met Anna in Kurdyumivka in June. I was told to drive to a location in the village of Kurdymivka  and a lady would be waiting. I was also warned that she had no english but would "shout" in Russian Left, Right, Straight for directions to the houses of the people waiting to be evacuated.

We continued this practice for months building a great relationship and laughing with relief after we had some close calls from russian artillery. After we got our interpreter's this relationship grew even more. Every time we would leave the village I would try to convince Anna to come with us but she was not going to leave until she had helped everyone else. The village is now a ghost town - houses and lives all destroyed. The remaining 25 residents all elderly and in there own words told me "the only place they will move to is the cemetery!"

When we arrived we all laughed as Anna, her mother, daughter and husband finally got into the vehicles to leave the village for safety.

But for our other evacuees the story wasn't a happy one. We had an elderly lady  80 yrs and a little 6 yr old girl Varia . This little girl stood silent looking at the strangers talking to Anna and her neighbors. Tears flowing everywhere, a mixture of happiness that people were going to safety but sadness as they were saying goodbye to life long friends they may never see again. The old man told me it was like losing his own daughter pointing at the little girl he called a princess.

The village has been under heavy attack from Russian soldiers for months. Last week while the little girl was in the bunker she hard the blasts and impacts landing above her. She heard her grandad shouting and came running up from the bunker to see what was happening. What this poor girl saw when she came above ground was her mother and grandad both lying on the ground dead after suffering a tragic death from artillery fire.

We all left the village for some the last time they will ever be back. We shared some pizza with Anna and her family and the little girl. Vlada took Varia for  a hot chocolate and pink doughnut while we waiting for the train. When the train came we said our goodbyes with a promise to meet Anna when her and her family are settled in their new home.