The Game Behind the Bombs 3

by Rastislav Durman

Special to the G21

NOVI SAD - [AUTHOR'S NOTE - The following is the transcript of a telephone conversation between two fathers, one Serbian, the other American, whose sons have been "called up" to fight the war. I know this just must have taken place. ---RD]

"Jovan? John is speaking..."

"John? [This] is a nice surprise! How are you?"

"Not very good, I am afraid..."

"Could you repeat it, please? These missiles falling in my neighborhood are very noisy."

"Sorry, Jovan... "

"Forget it, John, you do not [have] to apologize, it is not your fault that [the] designers of missiles didn't care about sound pollution. Did I hear that you have some problems?"

"I have a big problem, Jovan. I suppose that you have heard about decision of our government to mobilize some reservists. Well, my son is among them! I don't want him to be picked up and sent to Yugoslavia."

"You are quite right, John. I also had [to] not allow my boy to go in Bosnia and Croatia to take part in the war --- in which Serbia did not participate --- according to Mr. Milosevic's words. .. I believe that Mr.Milosevic thought that he was speaking the truth because he thinks that he is Serbia and he really didn't go there to take part in fighting. I had no other choice but to refuse to recognize that Mr. Milosevic is more Serbia than my boy and I did my best to help him to avoid the mobilization..."

"That is [the] reason why I am calling you, Jovan. I know that you have some experience in bamboozling mobilization and I would like to ask you if you could share that experience with me..."

"Well, John, I could learn you a few tricks, but in my opinion the best solution for you is to send your boy here, in Belgrade."

You didn’t understand me, Jovan, I am trying to save my son, I do not want somebody to kill him in Belgrade..."

"Who is speaking about killing? He will come [to] Belgrade to manifest statement of American youth which is against NATO bombs or something like this. He will be sure that US military police would not be able to pick him up here. On the other hand, our authorities will be happy about his attendance here and give him better shelter than ordinary people have."

"Sounds good, Jovan. [At] this very moment it is the most important [thing] for me to save his life. I will [worry] about [the] problems ... he could have as a deserter later."

"Don't kid me, John! Mr. Clinton also avoided to go to Vietnam, but it doesn't [stop] him [from] becoming your President."

"Thank you very much, Jovan."

"It is OK between friends, John. Didn't you employ my boy in American company when he left Yugoslavia?"

"It is OK between friends, Jovan. I hate to abuse you so much, Jovan, but could I open up your know-how to some of my friends who also have sons in [the] military reserve?"

"No problem, John. How many of them I could expect?"

"Well, Jovan, I would say some 35,000, but, you know.... nobody can be sure if Mr. Clinton is speaking [the] truth or not."


NOTE: JOVAN and JOHN are the same name. The first one is Serbian, the second one English version of Jewish JOCHANAN (means "God is merciful") or JEHOHANA ("amiable to God").


RASTISLAV DURMAN was born in 1956 (Senta, Vojvodina, Yugoslavia.) He is married and has been living in Slovakia since 1993. He's a writer, (4 novels, over 40 radio and TV plays, more than 1000 short stories,) and TV director (over 500 hours of program). Mr. Durman graduated from University of Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, 1982, with a degree in Philosophy. His postgraduate studies were at the same institution, from which he graduated in1984. Rastislav has twenty years of experience in TV media. He is one of the founders of City TV Foundation and the International Festival of Local TV Broadcasters (Head of Program and Development Dept., Kosice, Slovakia since 1995.)

This is Mr. Durman's third piece for The World's Magazine. His previous submission was a satirical and hypothetical look at a possible conversation between the NATO chief in Brussels HQ and the NATO spokesman.

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