My son was about 14. My mother was visiting us in Serbia and very eager to take trips and do exotic things that she could not do in the USA. So my partner - ok, it is heterosexual, but I have grown to love the term partner - bought us tickets for the Romantika Train Tour. This is an old, restored train that runs from Belgrade to Sremski karlovci.
My son was very excited because he had a girlfriend, and he was going to invite her on this day train trip with us. So my partner booked tickets for all of us. My mother, my partner, my son, the girlfriend, and me.
So it turns out that my son started to feel silly about asking the girl to such an event as a "Romantic Train Tour". My partner was annoyed - not in a big way, but in that practical way of not necessarily understanding or remembering that fear of youth. He insisted that my son figure out something to do with the ticket.
So my son invited his friend Vlada Ristic to go along. This resolved the situation because the ticket was being used. When we arrived at the station in Belgrade, the conductor called the names of those reserved tickets. When he called out, "Sandra", Vlada dutifully answered, "Here!" in Serbian.
We went on this great day trip, visiting the town, drinking a bit of the famous local dessert wine - rumored to have been served on the Titanic. We saw the beekeeper there whose grandfather had brought the first American hives to Serbia.
Vlada has been and continued to be a fixture at our apartment.
Live went on, and my son went back to the States to work and study.
Today as I was leaving my job, I received a message from my son:
[ Tuesday, September 08, 2015 4:52 PM ] Sine: Vlada from the romantika train died last night in his sleep
[ Tuesday, September 08, 2015 4:52 PM ] Sine: Just never woke up
Vlada was 25 years old. I want to go to a forest where no one can hear me, and just scream "NO!" - over and over again until it does not hurt anymore.
Even as I feel this pain, I can still see Vlada standing there that day and so many other days with his bright sunny smile and his European man bag around his waist.
It just hurts so much right now.
Vlada was an only child, his mother is now completely alone. So much loss is just breaking my heart.
I don't know how to get this onto The Grieving Room. I am just too confused now. If someone could tell me how, I would like to move this diary to there and get it off the mainstream diary group.