UP IN KYIV: BOMB SHELTER

 

We went outside and breathed in the frosty air. It was dark, but the street lamps gave a bright light. There was silence and peace.

We walked along the house and crossed the street. Cars were parked on both sides of the street. The glass of the cars was covered with frost. We crossed the bridge over the lake. Ducks crowded like dark balls under the shore. 

We approached the school. Half a dozen people were already standing around the front door. They were mothers with children.

The guard opened the door from the inside and asked: What was the alarm already? There was no signal yet, the young mother answered him. But we heard messages in the Telegram channel about missile launches from Russian missile-carrying aircraft. Of course, - answered the watchman. - So they will be here in forty minutes.

The guard opened the door wide and said: Come on, you want it already! Everyone hurried to the school lobby with joy. The vestibule was warm and there were comfortable chairs and benches.

We didn't have time to take our seats when the siren wailed loudly. We went down the narrow stairs to the basement. There was a real bomb shelter in the basement, as the school was built in Soviet times. At that time, the authorities were expecting bomb strikes from the West. No one could imagine that the bomb attacks could be launched by Russia from the East.

The bomb shelter had several large halls. The halls were equipped with chairs, tables and blackboards. Many children's drawings in A4 format hung on the walls.

We sat down at the teacher's table on both sides. There were soft, flat cushions on the chairs. The basement was damp and cool like any unheated basement.

Our part of the basement was filled with young couples with children. I noticed the expensive clothes of some couples. Many adults and children coughed loudly. Speaker Johnson is a scumbag, I thought.

My wife and I took out our smartphones and started following messages from special telegram channels. The channels reported where and where the Russian missiles were flying from. Russian planes launched missiles from the waters of the Caspian Sea. We calculated the approximate route of the rockets and exchanged opinions on this matter. 

So far, Kyiv remained safe. Strikes were made in Kharkiv, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kremenchuk. At the time, we did not know what destruction this missile attack had caused.

The basement dampness seeped through the warm clothes. Some couples had thermoses with hot drinks. We didn't think about it.

The children were sleeping in winter clothes on stacked chairs. Speaker Johnson is a scumbag, I thought.

An atmosphere of patience and prudence reigned in the basement. People were completely calm and focused. No fear. Such everyday heroism was impressive.

The rocket attack lasted three and a half hours. We received a message on our smartphones about an air raid warning. We went outside and breathed in the frosty air. It was dawn and the sun was rising. The street lights were off. People were standing at public transport stops.

Day 758 of the Russian full-scale military aggression against Ukraine has begun.

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