Running out of sight

I was bathing when the Kfir came. We expected them to drop their bombs far away, and then suddenly we heard a huge noise. They dropped their bombs close by. So we ran from bathing into the bunker, still wet.

It was after 7, after the Kfirs left that we climbed out of the bunker. It was after we listened to the news that we knew they dropped their bombs on Sencholai and 61 people died. I was scared after I heard all this. I didn't know what to do. There wasn't anyone to take me with them and go. Then later Myooran anna came and carried me to the bunker. Even now when I hear the Kfir noise I get scared. In class if I hear the noise I excuse myself to the teacher and run...

In the evenings, sometimes spy planes circle around, so we get scared that Kfirs are coming next, and we all stay awake and can't sleep. Some of the smaller children sleep, but we stay awake.

Another day the Kfirs came and dropped bombs closeby and we thought they were going to drop their bombs on our Iniya Vaazhvu Illam hostel...

Now with Kfir planes we can't study peacefully because we're afraid. In our free country we will be able to peacefully study and grow. We can do work and study...

But only with struggle can we get our country. We can get our country through peacetalks, but they will be jealous of this and so they will set claymore mines to take our country back...

-Arjun Maheswaran, 9 years

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