This morning I will not forget...(4)

Mr. Andrew!

You were in Katyn at the time... It's unbelievable to me. So I will compose a fewer words about this day, due to the fact that this morning I will remember for the remainder of my life!

That day I got up earlier than I utilized to on Saturdays due to the fact that I was expecting a morning visit from a friend of mine. A friend of mine finished work early in the morning and was expected to visit us. So I was up around 7:00. I looked in the guest room, and I looked at the airplanes, which, after taking off from Okecia, flew in the distance behind my windows. Around 7:30, I saw Tu-154 as he failed to gain altitude. It's always been easy to get to know, due to the fact that against the background of trees increasing behind windows, it was clearly lower than Western aircraft. Trees, like an eider, were a good mention point for assessing the elevation profile. I'm a pilot, I can justice that. The distinctive painting left no doubt, it was a government aircraft. I was always amazed that the most crucial people in the country agreed to fly specified a technological rabble. While military commanders of not even the highest level have modern “Casy” for their sky travel. And that's erstwhile I thought about it. “Why don’t they buy something new, decent? I guess that's the way it must be, due to the fact that who cares about any kind of air safety? Who cares?’

This last thought was peculiarly bitter to me, due to the fact that it besides afraid my position at that time. I was at the time at the termination of the employment contract – specified a reward for walking on parliamentary committees, ministers, petitions to decision-makers on overtiring pilots on long-distance flights. A pea against the wall... twenty-two years of blameless work and slapping overboard the national carrier. C’est la vie!

Looking away, I thought to myself: “Yes, they are going to our officers...they are going to Katyn! This image of the plane disappearing will stay in my memory forever. At the time I did not know what the composition of the delegation was, but I felt large respect for people on board, due to the fact that it was our work to the ancestors, to what Polish...

A friend showed up a fewer moments later. I like these meetings with him very much due to the fact that although sometimes we have different views of the situation, these are interesting conversations. And since we frequently argue rather naturally, not to wake my wife, we went out for a walk. It took a good hour. erstwhile we got back, my wife was out of the kitchen. A friend of mine picked up his cell telephone and... his face said something serious happened... We turned on the TV...we couldn't believe what we saw...God! Who was on board? Or the president himself, or his brother himself? I've seen this plane before!

We stood silently, disbelieffully perceiving information from the screen. You could hear the lead in the tv studio breaking the voice...Someone supposedly survived! 3 people! “Who? What does all this mean? This looks like an assassination! The full general... on 1 plane... why did they get pushed in together? Who allowed it?" - he was knocking on his head.

Our friend left our home to be with his household in those moments. We wanted to be with our loved ones, too. On 1 of the calls from the household we got word that there was...Anna Valentynovich...God! Our dear woman Anne! My wife and I cried, like helpless children...And then this search, impatient search on the list of victims...Well, who...Mrs. Janki, or actually "Janeczki", as Mrs. Ania utilized to say...that possibly she didn't fly...but...they're always together like lovebirds. And we, though we've met Mrs. Janeka all time we met Mrs. Anne, didn't really know her name. "Mrs Janezka" - that was adequate for us at the time... Now the list of victims... longer...or possibly she didn't fly due to the fact that she was sick? A man grabs a piece, a flame of hope, though his head tells another thing! We're looking for names... Janina Natusiewicz-Mirer...? Is that her? She...they were always together and this time too! For the last time...

Terrible morning, terrible day. In the afternoon, like many others, we went to Krakowskie Przedmieście, in front of the Presidential Palace. Before we got there we passed different people. truly different, older, young with children, but besides those we would be afraid to meet in a dark street, any broad-necked tracksuits... carrying candles like us with each other! The mines are sad, they're down... all going to the same place. In front of the Palace, the crowds unattended, head to head. People giving their candles to others, coming close to make area for others. That's where we were the Nation! A large family! We felt the natural proximity of another people in this moment, so tragic for Poland. In the evening a sea of lit candles on Krakowskie Przedmieście, on Piłsudski Square, along both sides of John Paul II Avenue... On April 10, 2010, our heart broke!

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