大象传媒

One day my granda was late coming into the shelter and got a clip round the ear from the warden.
The bombing was very heavy that night and when people went up to the streets they were surrounded by rubble. In my grandfather鈥檚 half destroyed house was a budgie cage; the female was dead, but the male was alive and singing. Even the vet was amazed. I always thought this story showed the beauty of nature enduring evil times.

My grandfather often spoke about their shelter which was a big concrete slab on top of two small concrete walls. Two adults and two children were meant to fit underneath, but only two adults would really fit underneath, one nowadays. His sister was under when a bomb hit nearby. The concrete lifted up and turned, nearly falling on her. After that they sheltered under the stairs and up in the mountains.

My grandfather told me this story:
鈥淚 met my two older brothers when I was coming home one night. They asked me what I was doing. I said 鈥業鈥檓 going home, where are you two going?鈥� They replied, 鈥楾o war.鈥� Then they ruffled my hair and walked off. I never saw them again.鈥�

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