The Weird War  

It was March 1997. I was a student at that time. I will tell you about a war that happened in that period, but I just do not know why it was called war when there were neither enemies nor parties to fight against each other. 

I was very scared and very worried at the same time. I started to have a state of anxiety and panic. I did not understand what was happening. We were afraid to go to school and go out on the streets to continue our life normally. People told us to be careful at school and be aware of irresponsible people playing with our lives as if we were toys in their hands. Suddenly, a war with an invisible enemy had started. But against whom did we fight? This was a question I always kept asking myself. 

This war had its origins in the creation of pyramid schemes, behind which stood people who manipulated the population and dishonestly took millions of cash from them. With the bankruptcy of these firms, people rebelled and went under protests to overthrow the government and the president at that time. Everything got out of hand and more than many people were killed.  
 

As soon as the event of pyramid schemes occurred, some ammunition depots were attacked and crowds of people ran to get as many weapons as possible and hide them afterwards. People started to get scared from the situation and collecting ammunition was a way to make them feel safer against the others. Even after the situation lost its control, government officials did not have the power to stop these crowds of people from fighting against each other.  

“Hey Mom, I’m very scared. I don’t know what’s going on. Are we safe?” I asked. 

My mom answered, “No worriers dear, everything is going to be okay.”  

That evening young boys started to run armed on the streets, terrorizing people by opening fire into the air. Bullets seemed to fly like “popcorn” taking the lives of innocent people. All of this situation was new to everyone and sometimes I even felt myself part of a movie script, a situation far away from real life.  

A moment came when the noise outside stopped. My feelings were terrible and shocked so I immediately and quietly put my hand on the handle of the window and slowly opened it a crack, so I could peer outside.  It was very quiet; no one was out. In the distance a low rumbling noise began to grow. The army forces run on the streets like mushrooms, and they were using tanks which is impossible. The bullets starting to fly in the air. Every life becomes fragile.  

In Albania at that time a state of emergency was declared. Schools, shops and many institutions were closed, only a few private businesses and institutions were operating. Fortunately, this situation did not last long because the Albanian state took the necessary measures and this situation was overcome very quickly. This period left unforgettable traces to each of our lives. Although this “war” did not last long, it took many lives leaving severe consequences to those families who lost their beloved ones.