A scene comes to mind, from "Memories of Chernobyl: An Oral History of the Nuclear Disaster", the wife of a firefighter who died in the nuclear disaster recounts about her final moments in the hospital with her husband:
It was already May 9th. He used to say to me, "You don't know how beautiful Moscow is! Especially on Victory Day, when they set off fireworks! I wish you could see that beautiful view with your own eyes."
I sat next to him and he opened his eyes and asked, "Is it day or night?"
"It's 9 p.m. now."
"Open the window! They're going to light the fireworks!"
I opened the window, his ward was on the eighth floor. Looking out the window, the whole city is in front of us! The splendid fireworks soared into the sky, extremely gorgeous.
"Look there!" I said.
"I told you that I would take you to see the beauty of Moscow. I also told you that on holidays, I would give you flowers..."
I turned my head and saw three carnations under his pillow. He gave the nurse some money to buy the flowers for him. I turned and ran to his bedside and kissed him. "I love you! I only love you in my life!"
He began to whimper in a low voice, "Have you forgotten what the doctor told you? No hugs, no kisses!"
They wouldn't let me hold him, but I...I helped him up, sat him down, made his bed, and took his temperature. Then, I picked up the urinal, went out to wash it, and went back to the room. I stayed with him that night.
At first, the love between Boris and Veronica was touching. But after reading the introduction beforehand, I already knew that the end of the story was a tragedy:
Later, when the war finally ended, the soldiers returned from the front, but there was no Boris inside.
War is cruel, but not the cruelest. Because the subconscious knows the cruelty of war, that cruelty is "natural". The cruelest is the warm, beautiful picture. Experience the inner beauty, and know that such beauty will eventually dissipate. This is the cruelest!
Do not judge Veronica, she is also a victim of war. Someone should have told her that she was innocent. The initiator of the war chose to commit suicide to escape due punishment, and the people paid for it!
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