THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 28, 1995 TAG: 9512280305
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SANJA OMANOVIC, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
More than anything else, Sarajevans' destinies have depended on where they lived.
Location influenced everything: how many shells would fall on your building, how many people would die, whether your family can stay together. Luck and coincidence could affect your destiny - but for some, determination overrode all.
When the war broke out, Asim ``Saco'' Sakovic and his wife, Nata, lived in Grbavica, a Serb-controlled suburb. Their daughter, Ljiljana, had moved into her grandparents' place in the part of the city called ``new Sarajevo,'' right across from Grbavica.
Another happenstance that became very important during 3 1/2 years of war: Sakovic, a Muslim, has a Serb-sounding nickname.
``Since I was a child, people had called me `Saco,' '' Sakovic said. ``During the war, I thanked God every day because of that nickname. Everybody thought that I was a Serb. It has saved my life a couple of times.''
He is tall and thin, with brown hair and cheerful blue eyes. He spoke slowly, as if carefully choosing the words.
``I left Grbavica a month ago,'' he said. ``Don't ask me how it was to be there.
``My wife died there two years ago. You think maybe she was ill? No, she was sad. Sadness killed her.
``So she had died. I was alone, with my daughter some 300 meters away from me, and I couldn't see her. I couldn't watch her growing up.
``Some friends had helped me to hear her twice on the phone, and after that I wanted to see her even more.
``Every night I used to have the same dream. Ljiljana is coming toward me. I'm trying to touch her, but I can't. She is my only child, the most beautiful and the biggest thing I have ever had.
``I said to myself, `I will see her, one way or another.' And I decided I would go on top of the highest building in Grbavica. And I got word to her to do the same in the other part of the town, across the river, just to see each other and nothing else.
``My friends had been telling me not to do that. It was a big risk. Anybody could have killed me. They might have thought I was a spy.''
As Sakovic talked, his hands shook a little. But there was a little sparkle in his eyes as he continued.
``They had been talking in vain. I would have done it even if I knew I would be killed. I didn't need a life without the possibility of seeing my own child.
``And everything has been as I had decided. I borrowed binoculars and climbed on top of the building. I was standing there watching, waiting, looking for my daughter. Suddenly I saw somebody waving to me. It was her, Ljiljana. She didn't need binoculars. Even without them, she saw me and waved.
``The minutes were passing - the shortest minutes in my life. All my feelings were in them, and all I could do was to wave back to her. My arms wanted to fly across the river to hold her. It was the first time I had seen her in three years.
``We had made an agreement before: We will smile when we see each other. The tears were to be left for later on, when we were alone. But I didn't keep my word.''
There were tears in Sakovic's eyes as he talked.
The father and daughter kept their long-distance meeting a secret between themselves. They repeated the feat a couple more times. It was their victory. They had defeated the haters.
And finally, they are together. Sakovic is in Sarajevo. There is peace. They both hope they will be able to visit Nata Sakovic's grave in Grbavica.
Sakovic was silent for a moment. Then he pulled out something from his pocket.
``Read to me what is written here,'' he said.
It was an invitation. These days there is a student exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts. Ljiljana Sakovic, a third-year student, is among the young painters.
``See, this is my daughter.'' Sakovic's face was full of pride.
``We had too much evil here. Better days are coming.'' by CNB