Maybe this sounds unbelievable, but really, it is true : I was sitting down one morning in the pizzeria "Rovinj", taking it easy with the boss Riza Kresa and Sasha Vukotic, and we were talking about the good times in the past. We were remembering the old friends like Zlatka - Cone Miladin. We were talking about how the city has gone downhill without them and what it would be like to see them with us again.

An hour later, I am back at my workplace, and the telephone tings, and Cona is ringing from the distant country of Norway. The old company from Rondo, Velezac, all the way, the Neretva lover. True Mostar man, from head to toe. Always was, and always will be. He was asking about everything, and was interested to hear about Orho Burljevic, about Mujo, and also about Sula Repac, Emir Balic, Velez. We were talking for a good half an hour, and I have to admit that it took me a long time to go back to my daily routine and back to my work. In my mind and thoughts, I was still with Cona, and many of my dear friends and comrades that this damn war has displaced all around this huge world of ours. I was wandering, what is the good old Mugda Karabeg doing in Chicago, Ermin Krehic and Milan Andelic in Norway, Joca in New Zeland, Zlatko Hodjic in Switzerland, Sasa Hefic in USA? Do they remember this coast, the sunshine, the blossom, Neretva and Velez? Will they come back so we can start building a better, nice, but still the same, old, beautiful Mostar. Awaiting the return of the pre-war residents, here, more and more people are dying.

Not long ago we were shocked by the news that in his 62. year, Namik Cehajic had died, one of the regular members of the pre-war "Bristol". There were a lot of people at his funeral in Sutina, and Namil's death will leave a very big hole. After a long illness, Hiba Kajtaz also died, aged 75.

Ten days ago, we felt a strong movement of the earth. Seismic apparatuses recorded an earthquake that measured 5,5 on the Richter scale, whose epicenter was right beneath the city. There was no real damage, except the unrest of the city's residents. What kind of a coincidence, the earthquake was at exactly 11 minutes past 11!

 FAZLIJA HEBIBOVIĆ  11/11/1999