The diary entries document a young girl's experiences during the Kosovo War. In the first entry, her brother is captured by Serb police and she realizes how much she loves him. The family then flees their home, and in the second entry she feels sorrow at leaving and blames herself. They stay briefly at a KLA camp but then go to an uncle's farm, where in the fourth entry she finds happiness and purpose. However, NATO bombing and Serb robbers force them to flee on foot to Macedonia, leaving an uncertain future.

1. Created and Written by Daniel Fu

2. Diary Entry 1

DIARY:
Today Mehmet was captured by Serb policemen! We do not know
where he is and what condition he is in, Baba and I went to the
Serb policemen to ask but they ignored us! I hate those Serbs! How
could they do this to a boy of his age! I was fine with all the
bullying that I suffered from them, but now they have crossed the
line! I hate all Serbs! I pray that they one day suffer through all the
pain that we Albanian Kosovars suffered through. It was all my
fault, if I hadn’t drew that stupid picture of a pelican that looked
like Mr. Uka he wouldn’t have run off and get caught by Serb
policemen…. I truly hope he is fine, how would I live with myself
if he never came back? Baba and Mama would be so sad they
might even send us away! I hope he comes back unhurt, I now
only realize how much I love him.

3. Diary Entry 2
Dear Diary,

Today my family and I left our home. I cannot how much sorrow I
feel when I left my home. That was the only place I ever called
home, it was the place where Isuf and Adil would play their silly
games, it was where I felt happy. Knowing it was my fault I
couldn't’t feel more sad. Now I have left that place, I do not know
if I will return, but I have to stay strong, I cannot show my parents
I am weak, Mehmet did not cry either. I have to show my family
that I am a strong girl, and every bit as strong as Mama and
Mehmet. Mehmet says it is not right to go to Uncle Fadil’s farm,
Mehmet has decided that we should go to a KLA camp, where
KLA freedom fighters are stationed. Baba does not like the KLA
but Mehmet praises them because they rescued him when he was
left to die by those stupid Serbs. Well, we have arrived at the
family camp, I will write later on when I have time.

4. Diary Entry 3

Dear Diary,
We had to leave the KLA camp today, Baba and Mama don’t want
Mehmet to accompany the KLA soldiers. They do not want to lose
him. We are in Uncle Fadil’s little Lada right now going to his
farm. I was glad we left the old camp, it was so depressing. The
weather was so cold and our family wasn’t sticking together.
Mama and Baba say that Uncle Fadil’s farm is safe, away from the
Serbs. I hope they are right, I won’t admit it to my parents but I am
scared. I do not want the Serbs to hurt our family… I wish we
could go back home where Baba would run the store, Mehmet and
I would go to school, and everyone would laugh. But that won’t
happen soon, I might never see my beautiful home again.

5. Diary Entry 4

Dear Diary,
It has been a couple of days since we first arrived at the farm. We
have established a usual routine and schedule. Mehmet has started
teaching the little ones in his little makeshift school, all he really
teaches us is how bad the Serbs are and how the KLA will save us
all. I would pump water and bring the water back and forth to the
house. I am glad that Mama and Baba start to give me some
important tasks now, I feel like a responsible adult. I can’t wait to
teach the little ones some things, Mehmet isn’t a good teacher at all. I
can do a much better job. My life in the farm is actually good Aunt
Burbuqe makes the best food and we all get plenty. Although at
night the house is quite crowded with so many sleeping bodies, I feel
happy again and it’s like I am living a normal life with my family
again.

6. Diary Entry 5

Dear Diary,
It has been a long time since I last wrote to you, I am now trying to
sleep on the grass. When NATO started bombing the Serbs, Serb
robbers made it too dangerous to stay. We decided to go to
Macedonia, but when we were about to leave, Serb robbers came and
robbed us of all our gold and took the Lada with them. They burned
the farm… Uncle Fadil is very sad, he will have no home to go back to
if the war ends. We decided to go to Macedonia on foot, Granny had
to sit on a old wheelbarrow, her back must be aching. The only food
we had was some water Serb farmers gave us, and loaves of bread
that Granny snuck out of the house. I have to stay strong for our
family, I have to prove to Mama and Baba that I am a responsible
adult and can help the family. I wonder where we will go next, there
isn’t a place where there is not any war, now even in the whole Serbia.
I do not know why I am worrying, Baba will figure it out, he
will………..

7. Accompanying
Paragraph

The 5 diary entries I have written are all written at the time when the character
thoughts are changing. The character’s thoughts towards something or one
person would change frequently throughout the story. In diary entry 1, when
Mehmet is captured, she then realizes how much she loved him. Before his
capture, she did not realize how important he was to her. Her thoughts and
emotions towards her brother are changing. In diary entry 2, when Meli is in a
car driving towards the KLA camp. She is blaming herself for the things that
had happened to her family. She blames herself for Mehmet’s capture and
leaving her home. Her thoughts towards herself and emotions are taking a
turn for the worse here. In diary entry 3, she finds herself scared and afraid.
She wants to prove to her family that she is strong, and can also be counted
upon in times of despair. In diary entry 4, she is happy, she lives in the family
farm and is responsible for the little ones and water. She feels that she is living
a normal life with her family again. In diary entry 5, she is worried and
agitated. They had to leave the family camp because of NATO bombing and
the threat of Serb robbers. She is unsure about her future, and hopes that the
older people in her family will figure it out for her.