Voice of Ukraine

From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 881 posted on day 882)

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great
and too marvelous for me.
Psalm 131:1

Someone overheard and posted the conversation between a recently released POW and his mom.

We could not believe we were going to be exchanged until it happened. Because they fooled us so many times, they mocked us so much… They would often escort us, saying it was an execution or exchange… And then they would bring us back and laugh at us. And when a man in a uniform entered the bus and said, “You are home, guys. Glory to Ukraine!” I started breathing again. And then, we saw people along the road greeting us with flags, flowers, and posters. It felt like a movie, not something happening to us. And then, when we arrived, they gave me the first cigarette, a hug, the phone… I forgot your phone number, Mom. Can you imagine? I’ve been repeating it in my mind for two years. The boys cried, but I didn’t. They took us to the hospital, gave us clothes and took us to the canteen. And there was food, mom. There were three different plates for each of us on the table. It was more than I ate in a month in captivity. And the smell of soup. My head was spinning. The bowl was so big, filled with soup to the brim. I took the spoon carefully so as not to spill anything, and my hands were shaking. I tried to eat nicely, but all I wanted to do was grab that bowl and just drink it all. And my hands were shaking. A woman walked in to give us seconds. She approached me, hugged me, stroked my head like grandmother used to, kissed my temple, and said, “Eat, child, I’ll bring more.” And that’s when I cried. I ate and cried. I was afraid to raise my eyes because I was ashamed. And then I looked up and saw that we all were like that – eating and crying.

I can’t even imagine what these men have been through when simple food and human kindness can bring them to tears.