Fathers at War

"There never was a good war or a bad peace." Benjamin Franklin

This is Brigadier Danil Organov, commander of the 5^thArmoured Regiment speaking. We have completely overrun the village of Amur. I repeat, Amur is flattened and everything has been destroyed.

Bravo. Well done Brigadier. Now you and your men can rest a while before we give orders for launching our biggest offensive on Kyiv.

Noted and out….Brigadier Organov was a decorated officer of the special corps who were known for their closeness to the army’s top brass in Moscow. They took orders right from the top and had special privileges including good food and allowances.

The tanks stopped in their tracks and the soldiers inside came out of the hatches to breathe some fresh air. Unfortunately, the air outside wasn’t fresh for they could smell the burning rubble nearby. The support team quickly put up tents for the night, with the best and biggest reserved for the commander.  After freshening up, Organov went for a small walk to stretch himself a bit and what better place to go to than to take a look at the victory spot itself. As he walked, two of his soldiers went along for his protection for who knows, hidden from naked eye, some Ukrainian gunman would be waiting for the revenge killing.

The Brigadier looked from a small elevation and felt a sense of pride in having gained victory without losing a single tank or man. As he surveyed his victory, his eyes fell, at a distance, on a small child standing, wearing a blue furry jacket. The army man pulled up his binoculars and saw clearly….yes a little child who was no more than two or three years old.

Sir, should we shoot the boy? If we don’t do it now, we will have another person who will want to take up arms against us tomorrow when he grows up.

No, that’s a child. You will do no such thing….having said this the Brigadier walked towards the boy who was now looking at a corpse of a young woman lying beneath a collapsed wooden pillar.

Mommy…mommy….sob sob….

Organov went to see the woman and one look told him that the tank shells from his side had taken out any hope of survival. He looked around but couldn’t find anyone around. He went towards the kid and bent down. The kid had beautiful blue eyes and chubby cheeks which had turned red having cried for long. The Brigadier was known as the Monster of Minsk in army circles for he was always called into service by the masters for ensuring total annihilation and extermination of enemies of the state. But quite unlike his image and reputation, he picked up the boy and started walking towards his tent with his soldiers following him in amazement.

The boy was given a good warm water bath by the nursing staff accompanying the forces. The Brigadier made the boy sit on the table he was working and offered the kid hot milk, cake and fruits.

What is your name?

Yurichenko but my mother calls me Yuri. And what about you?

Ahh me…Danil but my mother would call me Dani.

And the two took to small conversation but the Brigadier soon found out that the kid was very close to the mother. He would refer to her in every sentence he spoke.

Yuri, it is getting late. It is now time for bed.

My mother would always tell me a story before she put me to bed. Tell me a story Uncle Dani….please.

Fighting wars was the only thing he knew and story books and fairy tales were things left for his wife Svetlana back home who took care of his twin daughters Sasha and Misha. He tried to convince Yuri about not knowing stories but the kid was adamant and just kept his big blue eyes awake and staring. Not knowing much, Danil opened up a map of Ukraine. It was a detailed map and then he started….

There was an old king who wished to live forever. He spoke to all his courtiers about the secret of an eternal life but none was able to give him the answer. One day the king was riding his horse in a jungle near the Ural Mountains when it became dark. He took shelter in a cave where he met a witch. She gave him this map that I am showing you now. She showed him that if he went deep into this countryside, he would find a tree with golden apples. The king should pluck the golden apples and make fine juice and drink a glassful every day. So the king drove down from his kingdom into this new land which was full of ferocious animals and armed people. The king had to fight all the way to reach the apple tree……

Yuri had gone off to sleep and Organov felt a huge sense of relief….Uffff story telling…why do they have such things in this world? 

That night the Brigadier could not sleep. He was wondering what he would do with Yuri the following day when the orders would come for him to lead his armoured corps into deep enemy territory.

I can’t keep him with me. I need to hand him over to someone….he said to himself.

Just before dawn, Organov left his tent with his two soldiers following close behind. He went back to the village and went close to the woman Yuri was pointing at as his mother. Helped by his soldiers, the brigadier removed the pillar and saw a dead woman lying. She had a sling bag next to her. Organaov opened the bag to see an identity card….Lydia Verkhovich and a mobile. He then walked back to the tent to find Yuri crying….I want my Uncle Dani….

Danil picked him up and gave him tight hug. I am here Yuri…stop crying….and the kid rubbed the tears off his eyes and smiled.

While Yuri was having his breakfast, the Brigadier opened up the purse and took the mobile in his hands. He switched it on but could not guess the password. Seeing him fiddling, one of his soldiers offered help…Sir, if you don’t mind let me try. I am pretty good with it.

Danil handed over the phone to him and in no time the password was broken and the phone was alive. He checked the last numbers called and incoming calls on the phone…..he saw a majority on both sides were from someone whose number was saved as Daddy. Dani pressed the Daddy’s number and waited….just when someone on the other side picked up…Hello Lydia….spoke the man on the other side….the Brigadier cut the call. But the ‘Daddy’ on the other side kept calling and Danil did not have the courage to speak….Danil the bravest man in the Russian army had suddenly become weak…become a coward…unable to talk.

Yuri came back to the tent and became cranky once again….I want to go to my mommy….I don’t want to stay here…mommy…mommy ….

Organov took a deep breath and made the call once again….

Lydia…hello Lydia…how are you? Why were you not taking my calls? What’s wrong with you…how is my Yuri doing?

Hello…this is Danil speaking and I have your son Yuri with me….Yuri come…Daddy is here…

Hello Daddy…

Hello…this is Danil once more. It appears your wife did not survive the firing in the village last evening but Yuri is safe. I will give you a location where you can take Yuri with you.

Oh those bloody Russians. They killed my darling Lydia…… Thanks so much Danil for rescuing my Yuri from the invaders but here in Kyiv we have strict orders that we cannot step out of our positions for any reason. I will send you my exact position and you can bring Yuri to me. I am Gary Verkhovich. I was a teacher in the government high school but have now been inducted into the army as a Major. Call me when you are close by and I will meet you in Kyiv….and thank you so much once again for this help.

Brigadier, you just cannot go to Kyiv as a civilian. It is too dangerous there and if they come to know who you are, they will torture you and kill you. Let us abandon this plan. One of his soldiers offered to go instead but Organov was determined. I will go myself and will return by tomorrow. If there is any order to move ahead, you start and I will come and join you in no time.

Danil took off his army attire and dressed like a civilian. Armed with only a pistol  he went  out carrying  Yuri in his arms. His army jeep took him some distance, after which there was no option but to walk the next fifty odd miles on foot. Danil was a strong person and he didn’t mind walking with  ten kilo Yuri in his arms for he had trained with fifty kilos on his back to travel such distances.

As he entered Kyiv, he was stopped at the checkpost….identify yourself.

Danil Organov, uncle of Yuri Verkhovich here whose father is a Major in the army here.

Identity papers please….

I lost them all when my house was destroyed by the enemy but you can call Major Verkhovich….here…and he dialed Daddy once more…Gary, can you please tell the security men here that I am Yuri’s Uncle and a brother to you.

Gary spoke to the guards who were now convinced and let Danil enter the fortified town of Kyiv. Danil was in the city and  he was amazed to see every inch being guarded by an armed man or woman….age was no bar…they were young…as young as fifteen and some as old as in their seventies. All were armed, alert but ready to kill or die for their country.

Danil reached close to the location Gary had sent and made the phone call again. Gary came quickly and was delighted to see Yuri. With tears in his eyes, he thanked Danil over and over again. He hugged Danil and then they parted.

At the checkpost Danil was stopped again…identify yourself.

I am Danil Organov of Kharkhiv. I had come to meet my cousin Gary Verkhovich and am now going back. See the register….here this was my entry done two hours ago.

Ok…you may go, said one guard while the other one sitting on the computer had a frozen look. He had run a quick check of the name. As Danil was walking past the barrier, the guard shouted….Monster of Minsk…..Organov turned around and was met by a volley of automatic gun fire. As he lay still on the ground, his phone started ringing….the Ukrainian guard saw the caller’s name on the small mobile screen…..Sasha-Misha …zzzz

SS