The last line came from a young man wrapped in a Marine Corps flag singing to his mother over the phone. He doesn\u2019t finish the song. Upon singing the last words, he covers his face with the flag and whispers, \u201cPlease forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this moment, many people feel guilty for what their loved ones have had to go through. They waited for months just to finally be able to ask for forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Chernihiv, at this very moment, relatives are receiving the calls. One of the mothers can\u2019t hear what her son is saying to her and just keeps repeating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDima, Dima, my darling, my son, I can\u2019t hear you, my flower, my dearest, my little bird, everything\u2019s fine, we\u2019re all right here, we\u2019re all here, Dima, we\u2019re waiting for you at home, my sunshine, my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One time, the exchange fell on my birthday. I allowed myself to dream that a miracle would happen, that my friend Sasha Ivanov, a Marine from the 36th Brigade, would return. The last time he called was from the Illich Plant in Mariupol. It was around four in the morning; the wounded were moaning in a dark bunker. He called via video link, and it was clear: he was about to be taken prisoner.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four years have passed since then, but the miracle still hasn\u2019t happened. So I just rejoice for others.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Viktoria is shouting about her brother\u2019s return so loudly that she can be heard on several neighboring streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hugs his girlfriend, Nastia, whom her brother started dating when they were still teenagers. The girls are shouting, laughing and recounting how, on their way here, a wedding procession crossed their path; they were sure it was a good omen, and it indeed was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The families of captives and the missing look for good omens everywhere. They don\u2019t see the bad ones \u2014 only the good ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a few hours, their Sasha, whom Nastia calls \u201cmy smiley guy,\u201d will step off the bus and ask her to be his wife. And she\u2019ll say yes. You should have seen that smile in response to her \u201cyes.\u201d Sasha really is her smiley guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Svitlana approaches the women to congratulate them. She didn\u2019t receive the notification on her phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nShe hugs the girls \u2014 this is also a community superstition: to hug the relatives of those released, \u201cto pass on the good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
6.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Valentyna is holding a green fishing rod meant for her dad. She steps aside \u2014 her mom is calling. A minute later, we hear her joyful exclamation. Valentyna waves the fishing rod around:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI told Mom: \u2018If we take the fishing rod, he\u2019ll come back!\u2019 The guys who were released \u2014 the officers \u2014 said that my dad dreams of coming back, buying a car and a fishing rod, and going fishing. I told Mom, \u2018If we take the fishing rod, they\u2019ll exchange Dad.\u2019 But Mom didn\u2019t believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dad, Yevhen Anatoliyovych \u2014 one of the oldest prisoners of war, chronically ill and seriously wounded \u2014 is coming home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Valentyna kissed her dad as they wheeled him over \u2014 he couldn\u2019t walk on his own. She pulled the priceless green gift out of her bag. Her dad smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Valentyna called her mom and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGet up and exercise with two hula hoops at a time \u2014 you\u2019ll need to carry him in your arms! You\u2019re strong enough, you\u2019re from Donbas!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I saw relatives holding crosses blessed by a priest, wedding rings, bracelets woven by children and brand-new vyshyvankas to wear instead of the hated, worn-out prison clothes. Almost everyone here believes in something like this: if you take important things with you, it will definitely speed up the reunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have my own good-luck charms, too \u2014 a magic wand in a box and a ticket from Platform 9\u00be, for Sasha, whom we\u2019ve been waiting for four years now. The wand has already been with us through 15 exchanges. The box is worn at the corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Sasha is one of those people who believes in miracles. He\u2019s a Harry Potter fan and knows the books and movies by heart. In our letters to him, we write about things completely different from what others write \u2014 for example, which actors have passed away: Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore. When someone dies in the world of Harry Potter, others raise their wands. We know that as he reads our letters, he raises his wand in his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In truth, we don\u2019t know if our letters ever reach Sasha. But we want to believe that they do. A friend brought us a toy of Harry\u2019s snowy owl Hedwig from London \u2014 she\u2019s now in a bag along with our letters.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the world Sasha believes in so strongly, house elves are granted freedom in exchange for an item of clothing. That\u2019s why a pair of socks lies next to the wand and the owl. On them, it says, \u201cDobby is free.\u201d One day, when he gets off the bus, we\u2019ll hold out a sock to him \u2014 and he\u2019ll get the joke without any words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n You may have seen it flying over train stations, post offices, business centers, and along highways. You might even have wondered: What kind of flag is that? A white stripe, a black stripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is the flag of hope. The white stripe represents the hope for the return of prisoners and the missing. The black stripe represents the grief for those who have disappeared forever or were tortured to death while in captivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nastia attends every prisoner exchange, every support rally, and every advocacy trip around the world wrapped in that very flag. She keeps coming back, rejoicing for others, even though she herself doesn\u2019t have anyone in captivity anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her father, Oleksandr Savov, stepped off the bus, gaunt and thin, last March. He had spent 1,153 days in captivity. He returned with sores, scabies and tuberculosis. He couldn\u2019t hug his daughter properly \u2014 she held him gently around the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He returned in March. In November, his heart gave out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nastia is one of those who got reunited with her loved one and lost them. But at prisoner exchanges, she still carries the flag of hope, and more and more such flags appear in people\u2019s hands and on their shoulders. They write the names of military units and insignia on the fabric while keeping the two colors unchanged: hope and loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n One day, Stas, who had been in the same cell as our Sasha, returned as part of an exchange. The freed Marine recounted how Sasha had, in whispers, recounted to them all seven parts of the saga about the Boy Who Lived. People who had never read these books listened to him retell them. Our friend in captivity \u2014 a living audiobook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We wrote to the Pope about Sasha, and just in case, his wife also wrote to J.K. Rowling, the author of his favorite books, so she would know: her most devoted fan has been kept in a prison more terrifying than Azkaban for four years now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes we visit Sasha\u2019s son. We play as wizards casting spells that would bring Sasha back home. We wave our wands and shout out the summoning spell: \u201cAccio, Ivanov!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I often dream about exchanges. Once I dreamed that our friend was coming back. We were standing there with a sign that had the most touching quote from \u201cHarry Potter,\u201d one that encapsulates longing and love:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter all this time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n10.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been lucky enough to ride together with our guys from the border three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the way from the border with Belarus, we pass through many villages. The residents of these villages know that in the morning, the buses go to pick up prisoners, and a few hours later, they would return with the released; and so, there\u2019s a flag flying in front of almost every house to welcome our people home. The villagers come up with something new every time. Once, they sewed a flag several meters long; you couldn\u2019t take your eyes off it, as it stretched along the road for at least ten seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who come out to greet the released put aside their chores, grab their children and head to the road. They hurry to light the blue and yellow flares. Among the crowd are those whose son, father or husband is on the front lines; those whose family members are missing in action; those who have lost someone; there are the wounded who were discharged from the military on account of their health; and simply people from the community \u2014 because how could you miss something like this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The buses carry strangers. Only one thing is known about them: they are Ukrainians who were held captive, survived torture and are returning home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
11.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Previously, when exchanges took place in Sumy Oblast, buses were allowed to stop along the way. The doors would open for half a minute, and the delighted villagers would throw boxes of gingerbread and crates of lemonade inside. Newly released prisoners aren\u2019t allowed such food, so for a while, they\u2019re deliberately isolated from their relatives to keep them from overeating the pastries and sausages they craved so much while in captivity. There are no such stops in Chernihiv Oblast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re on the bus with marines and paratroopers. We sing. We start with the national anthem. Then the guys lead us in three songs by the band \u201cTin Sontsia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first is \u201cAres\u2019 Sword.\u201d Oleksandr had never heard the band perform it, but he learned the lyrics while in captivity: \u201c\u2026Ares\u2019 sword will return our nation\u2019s flag\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, the group sings \u201cThe Cossacks Rode.\u201d It\u2019s about their fate and about true freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then \u2014 \u201cWe Were Born in a Great Hour.\u201d Oleksiy sings it. He sings well, though his voice is hoarse from being sick. Oleksiy skips a verse \u2014 the one about living in chains as mute slaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
12.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Residents of Chernihiv are also taking to the streets to wave to the freed prisoners. By this time, official reports are already coming in: an exchange has taken place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The released prisoners can\u2019t tear themselves away from the windows. The world on the other side of the glass is once again familiar: gas stations, supermarkets, people, trees, dogs on leashes. It\u2019s been so long since they\u2019ve seen the things so dear to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relatives are already rushing to meet many of them. They\u2019re trying to guess which bus their loved ones will get off. They\u2019re anxious: will they recognize each other, will they be happy to see each other, will they have time to hug?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When they spot their loved one, they rush in for a hug. A brief moment together, and then they have to go inside: there\u2019s food, a shower and clean clothes waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The welcome ceremonies are boisterous. There are definitely more than a thousand people there to greet them, and they shout nonstop:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWelcome home!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs anyone here from the Kursk operation?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you for coming home!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMarines, who\u2019s from Mordovia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWelcome home!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLook at the photo, please \u2014 maybe you\u2019ve seen him!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I see children being held up through the window \u2014 so their dad, grandpa, uncle or brother could hold them, even for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a few hours, the crowd will disperse. But most will return here again for the next exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n We try to give our contact information to those who were reunited with their loved ones so we can later send them photos and videos of their reunion, as a remembrance. When the quarantine ends, and the whole family is finally together, they sometimes send us photos of them eating cake together, taking their children to school, hugging each other or celebrating their first birthday outside captivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes those who have been released come to the exchange points. They approach us and say, \u201cYou were there to greet me when I returned.\u201d Or, \u201cI showed you my letters.\u201d Or, \u201cWe sang together on the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now we\u2019re there together to welcome those who have returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we get home, it\u2019s already dark outside. I scroll through social media and like hundreds of posts. The photos are overwhelmed by the yellow and blue of the flags. There are screenshots of messages announcing the return of relatives and images of hugs from those lucky enough to meet their loved ones right as they stepped off the bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I post my own photos and videos \u2014 not for the hype, but so people can feel that the line of captives has moved forward by a few hundred people. I add the hashtag #OurPeopleAreHome. And I write that we\u2019re rejoicing with those who\u2019ve finally been reunited with their loved ones, and we\u2019re sending our love to those who still have to wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
14.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The bag of artifacts for Sasha is getting fuller. We drew a poster with that same poignant quote from \u201cHarry Potter\u201d and put it in with the wand, the owl and Dobby\u2019s socks. We had to take out the Every Flavor Beans \u2014 a captive who\u2019s just been freed isn\u2019t allowed to eat that kind of food. We joke that if he doesn\u2019t come back soon, we\u2019ll have to buy a trailer just to haul our hallowed relics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have no reason to believe he\u2019ll be back anytime soon. But we constantly tell ourselves \u2014 and write to him \u2014 that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. Last June, I made a promise: when he returns, I\u2019ll tie the flag of hope around his shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWe\u2019re waiting, just like thousands of others.
This story culminates in hope emerging from years of despair. The main protagonist, Major Oleksandr Ivanov of the 36th Marine Brigade, returned home on 15 May after 4 years, 1 month and 3 days in captivity. His family and friends had envisioned their reunion a thousand times, yet on his first day of freedom, they were only able to hold him for a few fleeting seconds. But now, more than ever, this story is proof of why we must hold onto faith and keep waiting.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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