On Sunday evening, June 18, my former colleague I. contacts me. Would I be interested in interpreting and translating for an international organization that is responsible for the preservation of art and cultural heritage? In other circumstances this would be a great offer, but having neither the patience nor the time for this work, I am writing back and recommending a young translator who is currently in Germany. I haven’t had any contact with I. for more than two months, although we are actually good friends. She was a university lecturer and chair, quit her job two years ago and went to Germany, where she is now doing care in Bavaria. Her son has been with her since the beginning of the war, her husband stayed in Chernivtsi. I write I. briefly what we are currently doing and ask about her brother R., he has been in the Ukrainian Armed Forces for a long time and is now at the front. Maybe we can do something for him. I. reacted promptly: “I want to take up your offer immediately and ask for help for his military unit. The situation is very difficult at the moment, they have many injured, their camp burned down after an impact. What is urgently needed are underwear, T-shirts, shorts, clogs, toiletries. Also used hospital sheets and isotonic saline. I’ll send you money, can you get some?” I assure her that we will get some of everything and ask for R.’s phone number so that I can clarify with him directly if there is anything. She sends me the number with the note: “But you’d better write to him, he often can’t be reached by phone because he’s at post or in the morgue.”
The next Monday morning there is a large amount of money on my bank card. Shopping at the Kalynivskyj market seems optimal, there you can get things at wholesale prices, but the market is closed on Mondays. With our warehouse manager we decide to buy the things on Tuesday, he would drive his car. He still has the isotonic saline solution in stock, T-shirts in different sizes are also in stock, the bed sheets are promised to us by the director of the student village, there are old sheets that have been discarded and are still in good condition.
If necessary, a courier service brings the aid packages close to the front, the “Neue Post”.
On Monday we have a reason to be excited. The rector receives a letter from the military authority which states that he has to “ensure that university employees who are reserve officers comply with the obligation to register”, the list contains only one name, namely that of the head of the International Office, S. Our otherwise not particularly empathetic rector is concerned – he even comes to S.’s office in person to discuss what can be done. We happen to meet on the threshold and I am greeted with the remark “Oh, the lady who is touring Europe” – a reference to the event in Munich on May 29th by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, because S. insisted on showing him the article about it. We are uncertain whether the university management can really understand how all the humanitarian aid comes about through our network. Anyway, now he’s ready to step in, contact the military authorities, sign a statement suggesting that S. is a key figure in securing humanitarian aid from abroad, and so on. Shortly before the end of the day, the all-clear is actually given: S. is allowed to “stay at work for now”.
On Tuesday morning we do the bulk shopping at the market, I.’s husband brings a personal package for R., we pack seven boxes, plus a paramedic’s backpack. Because there is no timely transport to the area, the things are to be sent with the “Neue Post” courier service, which S. will do after work. The place that R. mentioned is almost on the front line. We can only hope that the show will be well received. I am sending I. a report of what was purchased. In her reply email she writes that she didn’t expect any billing from me, she had known us long enough and trusted us. Then she writes verbatim: “What the boys are doing there is superhuman. We owe them until the end of our lives”. It’s pretty much in line with how I feel about the “guys”.
Read more episodes of this column here.