Chapter 5: Sorrow and Farewell
16th February - 10:00
I'm walking around my room,wondering about the ultimatum that Alfred Jones gave to me through Tino Vaina. Before that,I had a solid sleep,because I suppressed my fears temporarily. I also took a shower to make me relax for a while,despite having a headache and a cold from both the Rambouillet and the overall anger that I've had once I knew what were those "negotiations" about.
Though I finished my breakfast about an hour ago,my emotions were mixed with anger,sadness and loneliness. Ever since I escaped this beautiful but wretched palace of Rambouillet,I'm alone again and I'm even sure that I'll get Yeltsin yet again should I call Arisha to visit me. Worse,I didn't had time nor mood to celebrate my birthday yesterday.
Still,I can't get the ultimatum through my head. Whenever I think about it,it gives me shivers that I had to endure yet another war. I've already told this stubborn moron that I won't accept them,I even confronted him two days ago. However,because of this,I have a feeling that I made it worse. I thought that this would make him stop to knead me,but no,it only made him start doing it.
I told Milosevic about the aftermath to him and he seemed to understand. He was also annoyed like me that he has to accept absolutely everything from the ultimatum,simply because Alfred hates National Syndicalism,the current ideology which Yugoslavia has,that much. Why does he hate it? I don't know,but from the conversations which I had with some of the members of NATO inside the Rambouillet,it's a very long story.
I wanted to call Arisha again and I swear that,if I get Yeltsin one more time,I'll smash this fucking telephone to pieces. I hate him so much. But before I called her,I went to the bathroom to wash my face and fix my hair.
I took the telephone and called her number. It rang and I clenched my first out of fear and anger. To my joy,however,I heard a female voice.
"Привет?" She said,in a semi-sleepy voice.
"A...A...Arisha,is that you?" I replied,stuttering.
"Da,my dear." She replied,gently.
I felt tears falling through my cheeks out of sheer joy. After less than a year,I've finally found her. It wasn't Yeltsin this time.
"I...I'm glad that it's you...thank God..." I stuttered again,but with relief.
She paused for two seconds.
"What happened?" She asked me calmly,but with worrying tone.
I took a deep breath. I had so much to tell her,but I feared that if the conversation gets long,Yetsin would find her and,as usual,abuse her.
"I have so much to tell you,but to make the long story short,I was busy fighting back against the KLA. I was involved in the battle of Racak and they've fled like headless chickens" I said,chuckling,bringing in my telephone and went to sit on my bed.
"Yes,some of my citizens have told me about it." she said "Though they also explained that the information that they've got was from the Western Press,which to..."
"I already know that." I cut her off "That's what Alfred has said."
"Alfred...Alf..." she asked me,shocked,trying to remain calm "Y...you mean Alfred Jones?"
"Yes,him." I said,angrily "It was him that propagated against me and for some reason,he wants to get involved in Kosovo."
She sighed heavily,probably knowing what had happened.
"And what happened next?" She asked again,growing more irritated.
"Well,I was in Rambouillet Palace to negotiate with him and it turned out to be a complete and utter scam from the start." I said,now with a serious tone "He even invited the freaking KLA on the negotiating table!"
"That asshole..." she sighed again,angrily,but lightly "He's a snake who waits any moment of weakness to exploit!"
"I know,I know!" I stressed,having the urge to cry again "But what I don't know is how did he picked Yugoslavia out of all nations out there?"
"It's a very long story..." she said "It's an even bigger subject than your own."
I paused,thinking that she and Alfred have had some tough relations and reasons with one another. It reminded me of Adele.
"Do you know Adele Bonnefoy?" I asked her,since Adele has mentioned my sister many times during one of our conversations in Rambouillet.
"Yes I do," she replied,happily "she knows me and I know her. We've been friends during the Entente Years and she doesn't get along with Alfred."
"She already told me about that and you were right," I said,reverting my serious and angry voice into the calm one "negotiating with him is like eating a pigeon. It's nonsense and disgusting."
"Told you." she said,then exclaimed out of fear "Now,I have to end the call with you. I'm lucky that he and my twin brother Ivan were at the local pub drinking vodka with one another and Yeltsin is almost there. Otherwise,he would kill me."
"Understood." I concluded,then asked "Will you come to me?"
"Yes I will,my bro." she assured me,speeding up her voice "I don't care about what he says and I'll be with you as soon as po..."
I heard an elderly but loud voice through her phone,cutting her off. It's Boris "The Drunkard" Yeltsin.
"See you in Belgrade,then." I ended the call. I don't want to make Yeltsin take a blow on her because of me.
I sighed out of relief and cleaned my tears. It made me feel better,despite the high fever. What I must do right now is to go to Belgrade with my bike where she'll arrive,but not before I bring the Ultimatum letter,my coat,the map and an umbrella,in case the rain will fall soon.
15:00
I've just arrived at the Tasmajdan Park,sitting on the bench,reading and viewing the map that I brought. The calm winds have flown into the environment. I viewed the distance between Moscow and Belgrade and,if Arisha decides to go at the maximum possible speed limit,she'll reach Belgrade between 04:00 to 06:00.
Though technically the distance from Visevac to Belgrade was 120 kilometers long,I occasionally stopped at the local gas station to rest for a while and when I stopped at Mali Pozarevac,I bought and ate the lunch. It was exhausting,but it was worth it.
While most of the people,the majority of whom being children,who were in that park playing chess,swings,teeter-totters and sliding down from the slides,I'm still waiting for her. Sometimes and every time I'm in Belgrade,I always get reminded about the times of old,from the marching royalist soldiers at the parade to the festivals commemorated for and sanctioned by Tito himself.
In order to suppress my boredom,I joined in with the children and played with teeter totters and hide and seek,but not before I asked someone to guard my stuff at the bench for a while. Once I was finished,I returned to the bench and thanked him for keeping them.
17th February - 04:20
I'm sleeping at the same bench,covering myself with my coat as my blanket,putting my folded map below my head as my pillow and I've put my open umbrella near my head at the bench so that the rain can't hit my head.
I heard a car moving towards the parking lot. I know this since almost everyone was at their homes sleeping. It was quiet,but loud enough to hear it. A minute or two later,I heard a soothing voice from a woman next to my ear.
"Vuk..." she called me,sweetly.
I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Then I got my back up.
"W...wha...what's the time?" I asked her,still sleepy.
"Shh,my love...I'm here..." she whispered,in a motherly tone,ignoring my question.
I got up and rubbed my eyes to see her clearly and it was none other than my sister Arisha. I smiled weakly. She hugged me and put her hand on my forehead,checking my health state. Then,she unclasped her coat and wrapped me and herself.
Her red scarf has fallen onto me. I suggested her that we should continue sleeping,and she agreed. The cold night and our coats have wrapped around us,and the rain has enhanced our sleeping mood. It fitted the atmosphere,depressing but idyllic.
11:20
Arisha has just woke up by the fresh breeze and I was still sleeping. She put her hand on my torso and swung me to wake me up. I woke up and looked at her.
"Добро јутро,Arisha." I said,in a silent voice.
"You too." she replied,smiling.
I hugged her. Then,I remembered that I brought the ultimatum paper and gave it to her to read it. It's a bit wrinkly,but nevertheless readable.
"22nd March,he said..." she said,after reading the paper,calmly but angrily "That son of a...the pindo surely has frightened you with this threat of a "paper"."
"Y...yes he did..." I said,trying to contain my tears.
"And on which "terms" does this ultimatum consist of?" she asked,still angrily.
"Kosovo Autonomy,the permission to allow his NATO troops to enter Kosovo,the establishment of the military camps called Bondsteel and Monteith and..." I said with agitated breathing,now releasing the tears from my eyes,no longer having the ability to keep them anymore "And if I don't accept them all,then I must either oust my president from office or face the war against him. I don't want this..."
Once I told her,she turned her head at the vertical direction and slowly but tightly clenched her fist out of hidden rage.
"COWARD!" she shouted,slamming her fist at her knee. It frightened me a bit.
"I don't want you to be dragged to yet another war,especially not against that cowardly pindo like him." she said,turning her head and looking at me,after she composed herself for ten seconds "I also can't let you endure his verbal abuses against you. "Genocidal Brat",what a disgusting and hypocritical label!".
"How do you know that he's a coward?" I asked her,out of curiosity.
"Because he always goes after those who are weaker like you." she answered,in a serious tone "It doesn't matter in which situation they,his targets,are going through or if he doubles or even quadruplicates them,in size. He'll never confront someone with his own strength."
"Why,if not,he didn't attack Adele when she left the NATO in 1966? Because Adele would fight him back with her nukes and it's the NUKES that make a good deterrent against him." she continued to rant,while taking a deep breath "He always backs off when faced with the risk that he'll get nuked if he even dares to try to start yet another World War that he oh-so wants against me. But,like I've said,he can't do it because I have nukes and unfortunately for you,you don't have them."
"I see." I nodded my head up and down,then asked "Can I introduce you to my president at the New Palace? It's just 200 meters from Tasmajdan."
"It would be a pleasure,Vuk." She concluded.
11:40
Arisha and I have just came out of her jeep. She chose to drove herself and me to the New Palace since we didn't wanted to risk worsening our fever. It took her just a minute or two to get to the parking lot.
As we came and stopped at the entrance door,I turned to her.
"Arisha." I said.
"Da?" she said.
"As much as I don't want you to leave,can you wait for a minute to ask my president for a permission to enter here?" I requested,softly "He'll suspect you as an intruder if I don't do that."
"I'm not leaving you,Vuk." She replied.
I hugged her and entered the Palace. Then,I approached my president near the main hall.
"Oh,Vuk,welcome back!" he said.
"You too." I said,raising my head. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes?" he said,simply.
"There's someone I would like to show you. She's...uhm...how should I put it..." I said,thinking about how to elaborate myself "A Russian journalist. She's a potential ally and she's also my older sister. Can you give her a permission to enter?"
"Of course." he replied "Go and tell her that she can enter,I'm waiting for her."
I smiled in joy and rushed towards the entrance door. I opened it.
"He accepted." I concluded,joyfully "You're now allowed to enter."
She thanked me and entered the room. I rushed towards Milosevic again.
"She's coming!" I said,loudly.
Once she came towards us,Milosevic introduced himself to her.
"Slobodan Milosevic." he said,proudly,raising his arm to shake her own.
"Arisha Braginsky,pleasure to meet you, ." she replied,smiling and shaking his hand.
I remained silent and with it,a short silence filled the room,but it quickly ended when Milosevic gave me a question.
"Vuk,is it true that she serves Yeltsin and that she has backed Americans' actions?" he asked me.
I nodded my head and my finger left and right,telling him that she didn't. Arisha,on the other hand,just stood there silent,with an opened mouth of shock,raising her eyebrow and twitching her eye out of disbelief.
"Madame," he tried to break her trance,snapping his fingers near her face "are you alright?"
She blinked,jumped her head and coughed loudly,signifying that she's conscious.
"Sir,with all due respect,I didn't and even if I did,it's because I was worried for him." she replied,politely. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath,as if she wanted to cry. She spoke,in a serious but shy tone "I want...I want to apologize for...for Yeltsin's abusive attitude and his absence regarding what happened here,in the Balkans. He doesn't represent me nor my people. I would rather die than to serve anyone like him."
Another wave of silence has swept the hallway,this time with a suspense. I looked at him and her simultaneously and covered my mouth with my hand,so as to think what would my president respond to that.
"Heh...I already know that." he smiled,patting at her shoulder "Your brother Vuk Misic occasionally tells me about it. I hope that we could handle this ultimatum that the West gave us."
"I'm glad that we share a common ground,sir." she smiled back at him,with a relieved sigh escaping her lips "You,I and my brother could avoid it...or prevent it.".
The ambient around this room turned warm with ease over their agreements. After that,she and my president had some conversations about everyday topics,while I in most of its time listened and sometimes joined it if I find one of their topics particularly interesting.
Once my president wished us farewell,we exited the palace and went outside. As we arrived at her jeep,I suggested her that we should go to my house to sleep and stay with me for as long as she wanted. She agreed and we went to Visevac,but right after I packed my bike and the rest of my stuff into her car,while the bike has been placed inside the jeep's trunk.
22:30
We arrived inside my house. At first,she didn't knew what and where is the village of around 750 people where I live in. She drove me there and I helped her out about which directions should she drive through so that she can find it effectively and easily. The most important hint being that Visevac was near Smederevska Palanka and Mladenovac.
Before we entered my house,I showcased the statue of Karadjordje,Leader of the Serbian Uprising. It was built because he was born there. Aside from that,we took a walk around Visevac,visited the church and talked about the topics that had nothing to do with the Ultimatum,Alfred Jones or Boris Yeltsin. Of course,we occasionally took some pauses.
Currently,she's laying on my bed,napping. I brought my stool near her and sat there. She looked tired and exhausted,due to her best efforts of resisting Yeltsin's abuses against her. We both had a fever,though not as high as we had yesterday.
Truth be told,she looked and acted as if she was my mother,even though she's just my best sister. She's kind,reserved and impulsive woman,but sometimes cold when she gets angry,though there are occasions where she can get loud and brutal if her coldness has run out. Yes,I had to break up with her against my will by Tito in 1948,but I didn't lost the contact with her after Stalin died in 1953. I always know her,she always protects her siblings,but due to her weak state,she had little to no time visiting anyone,with the exception of her sister Natalya from Belarus.
"A...Arisha,can I make you some tea?" I asked her,trying my best to take care of her as much as she did for me.
She didn't responded,but she accepted it by nodding her head up and down. I walked towards the kitchen to open up the upper shelf where the list of teas are located. There was chamomile,mint,rosehip and the winter tea. I know how to make a tea out of one of them,my dad Radoje Velisavljevic have taught me and his children how to do it,among many other life necessities like cooking.
In the end,I choose the chamomile tea instead of the winter tea. Arisha was patient and she didn't asked me when will the tea get finished. Once it was finished,I walked towards her and put the tea at the table and she got up,yawning and taking the cup,but I advised her to wait for at least five minutes to cool itself up.
"Th...thank you..." she thanked me silently,in a raspy voice "You have no idea how much I'm grateful..."
"You're always welcome." I replied,also silently "Now,I want you to rest and sleep. You've earned it."
We hugged each other and we both cried out of joy. I haven't seen her for few years and I've got what I wanted. She's finally with me.
Out of humility,I decided that I'll sleep on the floor until she eventually goes back to her home in Russia. I gave her my bed and,like usual,I had my coat as my blanket and I used my arm as my pillow.
19th February - 15:00
Me and Arisha are at the Jesen Park in Smederevska Palanka,observing the still-cold but natural environment. But compared to Tasmajdan Park,Jesen Park was desolate.
As we sat there,we saw the plants and trees grow their leafs and grasslands. The spring is coming soon,but since the war would happen around 22nd March or so,I wouldn't enjoy Spring as I usually did.
"Arisha," I asked her,feeling that this was the right moment to tell her something important,especially when we've just recovered from fever "how's Ivan? Is he still drunk?"
"Yes..." she took a deep breath of sadness "He's been always acting like this ever since the fall of the Soviet Union. He used to drink occasionally,but now,he's always at the pub drinking alcohol as his only breakfast,lunch and dinner,to the point of creating a massive loan out of it."
"Poor him." I said,lowering my head "Will he get sober someday?"
"I hope so,but not after I get rid of Yeltsin. It's also him that drove Ivan into further alcoholism. I know my brother personally,he usually drives me to the pub to talk to one another. " she explained,in a sad tone "But now,ever since Yeltsin,he's always there at the pub with Boris Yeltsin often joining in with him doing the usual."
"So...if you could oust him or even better,kill him,will you,your brother and everyone in Russia get and feel better?" I asked her again,suggestively.
"Of course it would!" she answered,loudly and angrily "They would've made the biggest party out of it. His policies have only worsened us and he even bombed the Russian Parliament in 1993,killing around 200 people and wounding many others. All that just because the parliament denied him permission to privatize state enterprises!"
"I've tried two times to kick him out from my life..." she complained,nearly in tears "The first time was in 1993 and the second time was in 1996,which was almost successful,but then Alfred Jones has interfered and helped him to maintain him in power. S...S...Scoundrel!"
I already know how Alfred is,Arisha has told me about it and I didn't wanted to ask her yet again about it.
"Can you try to get rid of Yeltsin again this year." I asked her further.
"I could try for the third time,that's for sure." She replied,calming herself down "But I'm not sure if I could do it right now. I may have recovered from the sickness,but I'm still decaying,both from his abuses and the overall suffering of my people. Each experience and stories about and from them causes my blood to boil. I'm sick of him."
"Me too." I said,feeling her pain "Besides,the third time's a charm,right?"
"Indeed,my dear...indeed." she concluded "However,I must gather the support from my people under many associations and gain the support from the Duma,just like I did in 1993."
After her conclusion and our long talk,we went to the another round of teeter-totters and after some minutes later,we've gone back to my house.
22th February - 10:00
Arisha has just packed herself up to go back to her apartment in Russia. Just as she was about to get in her jeep,I got scared again.
"Y...You're going to return,right?" I asked her,nearly in tears.
"Of course,Vuk." she replied,smiling.
We hugged each other after that and wished each other farewell. I got happy again that I configured that she'll come to me someday. It was a great time being with her.
22th March - 23:00
It's been exactly a month and I'm at my President's Office,waiting for Alfred's response. The deadline of the ultimatum has just expired and last week Milosevic has proposed to him that he accepts the first and third term: Kosovo Autonomy and the Military Camps,but not the second one. Hopelessly,Alfred rejected it.
I told him all the time since 22nd February that it's no use and that we just have to face the new war. He agreed on the final day,but before that,he sometimes asked me if I could renegotiate with Alfred but I in return denied,because I don't want to repeat that same event at Rambouillet again.
The president's phone has rang and he took the phone. I heard an adult-like young voice through his phone. It's Alfred Jones.
"So,Mr. Dictator," he warned him "have you accepted all of the ultimatum's terms? If you don't,you'll be at war."
"I...I...I already gave you my counter-proposal,sir,but..." Milosevic stuttered "...C...Can you,I don't know,leave me and Vuk alone?"
"I can't,both of you are Leftists who must be dealt with if there is ever going to be peace and prosperity in Europe." He told him.
My president paused for a while,thinking about what should he say right now. I whispered to him that he should deny it severely. He did so.
"Listen here,you punk!" He shouted,angrily "No amount of "peace" and "prosperity" will ever grow if you and your president stop burying your noses on our affairs. It's you who refuses to have peace and I'll say for the final time the answer: "HE!"".
Another wave of pause has swept the conversation. After five seconds,Alfred responded.
"No..." he said,calmly,but then chuckled "Just like your henchman said back in Rambouillet. Very well then,tomorrow or overmorrow,you'll have your own war against me. Enjoy resisting it while you still can..."
Alfred ended the call. He had given the grim remark on me and my president. I know that what I've told him to say would make Alfred shut up,but it only prolonged the war. We have to get ready for it.
23th March - 21:30
I've just read the newspaper,it outraged me by the hypocrisy of it.
It said that Alfred Frederick Jones has returned to the NATO Headquarters in Brussels and announced that the peace talks had failed and formally handed the matter to NATO for military action. Hours before I bought the newspaper,my president had announced on national television called RTS that he has just declared a state of emergency,citing an imminent threat of war from Alfred and began a huge mobilization of troops and resources.
As if the KLA was not enough of a problem,I have to prepare myself for a new war. I guessed that it could either be an invasion or the bombing. What I wanted all this time gave me the opposite result. Either way,it will be...hell...
Here's the Fifth Chapter. The reason why I skipped the chapter's month between 22nd February and 22nd March is because it nothing significant has happened between these months.
But if you want to know what happened between these months,read this - slytherinroja/art/The-Other-1999-Troubled-753279668
Because like I've said before,this fanfic is based on my personal friend's fanfic,which is the historical take of the 1999 bombings. Mine is the Alternative History one which you'll find the PoD of it,soon.
Thanks for reading.