Our soldiers and policemen took care of it, and they didn't let curious villagers to approach to the bomb. We were on alert all day long  waiting if they will detonate or deactivate it. We all felt that danger has come closer to us, even we were far away from the city and from military objects or possible targets. In the next period we were just waiting when the next bomb will fall onto our house. 

Another bomb fell on the village soon, on one  house about 300 meters from ours, in the inhabited part of the village, but fortunately it also didn't explode. But it has destroyed the roof of that house and a small building in the backyard. Fortunately nobody was hurt. It happened during the night so the inhabitants of the house were sleeping. The owner told us that after a horrible sound he opened his eyes and saw a huge hole in the ceiling and starry sky trough it.  

That made us more concerned because now bombs were falling on villagers' houses without any reason, destroying them even if they did not explode. And imagine just what would happen if it had exploded! This family has many children and also old members living under the same roof. The bomb surely would destroy about thirty houses around, because by just falling it damaged that much buildings ( broken windows, roofs, cracked walls ).  

Following nights we spent in bed, staying there even when planes were roaring above us, but we were not so relaxed as before, waiting if some bomb will fall on our head. Exploded or unexploded, the danger was almost the same. 

In the village we were waiting for the end of war following carefully news on TV ( we could  watch our state TV and the pro-Western Republic of Srpska and  Croat TV ) when there was electricity, and radio ( our state program and Free Europe). There were signs of negotiations between Russia and NATO countries, but the bombing was still harder and harder. So Anica's two daughters used to come from Novi Sad with their husbands to spend weekends in the village, to relax and sleep, because it was like hell in Novi Sad - bombs falling day and night, no electricity, no water supply for days, sleepless nights, suffocating smoke in the city. There was enough place in the house for all of us and we were happy to be safer here than in the city. 

Despite such a desperate situation Marta decided to cook cherry syrup for the winter stores. I told here not to bother with that, since we didn't know what could happen in next days, even more so till winter. Also it was more difficult to make it without electricity and water, she had to keep fire in the stove and bring water from well. But she climbed the cherry tree and under a hot sun began gathering cherries which were beautifully big and dark red. In few hours  she filled a basket with about ten kilos and in the evening in our room there were twelve bottles of ready cherry syrup. I really admired the optimism and heroism of my wife, her belief in future. She did such a hard work, gathering cherries in the hot sun, then she spent hours in the hot kitchen by the stove stirring the syrup, prepared sterilized bottles and filled them with that tasty liquid, believing we will drink it in the winter. Her strength and optimism gave us all hope that war will end soon and that we will be able to go back home. 

From the beginning of May 1999 I was occupied with an artistic activity that I named "Building of Tower Of Angels". I realized that if I can't fight against war and bombs physically, I can fight spiritually. So I began collecting all pleasant impressions, beautiful scenes, feelings of love from the reality around me, but also from my memory, writing them down daily. I believed that by collecting such a positive energy I can influence events to become better. I planed to build a huge spiritual fortress of positive energy that could defeat all violence, destruction, hatred around me. I collected about two printed pages of text and on  25th of May I sent an information about that trough Internet. It said: 
 "Recently I am building a Tower Of Angels, a huge building of positive energy to fight NATO's destruction, to bring peace to Yugoslavia, to make all sides stop the violence, to find peaceful, political solution. Day by day my fortress of beauty and goodwill is bigger and stronger. Join in my friends." 

Soon came the end of bombing. I have seen the airplane of Martti Ahtisaari crossing just above our house yard, going to Belgrade to sign the peace treaty. It was strange to see a civilian plane in the sky after three months pause, flying slowly and low, as it was landing, and noone was shooting at it, and it was not throwing bombs. I watched it almost as an illusion. But just fifteen minutes later, as the plane landed in Belgrade, NATO jets attacked Novi Sad just to show who is ruling the sky. Also that night the bombing was terrible. And the last day, as the peace treaty was signed, on 9th of June was the worst. People who thought it is over and returned to town, but also those who stayed there all the time said it was a hardest night ever. Refinery was bombed again, but with some bombs that go 30 meters deep underground and then explode. The entire city was shaking as in earthquake and detonations were tremendously loud. Fortunately we decided to stay in the village  until the water and electricity supply are fixed. 

Finally on June 11th I returned home with my family. In our luggage we brought also twelve  bottles of excellent and tasteful cherry syrup, which we used with pleasure during that winter.

Andrej Tisma

in Novi Sad, August 31, 2000

 
After fall of the second unexploded missile 
onto a village house roof 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  
  Marta and I were waiting for the end of bombing 
admiring the nature and simple village life 
 
 
 

Last days of bombing of Novi Sad were horrible,  
worst ever 
 
 

 
Even after signing the peace treaty NATO wanted to  
show who "won the war"