THE LIME-TREE AND ITS SHADOW IN THE LITTLE PARK OPPOSITE “BRISTOL”

Our little ones were not just left without a few trees and one bench. They were deprived of the children’s play in the park, of the view of a nest just like in the picture books

Anushka Cvetkovska

In one breath and full-heartedly, yesterday I decided to give my support to several brave fellow-citizens from the central neighbourhood, the last guardians of the last few trees over the cobblestone opposite “Bristol”. Today, I am writing these few lines in an outrage and with zero tolerance towards the “woodcutters”.

We know that the decision on removing the greenery from the centre of Skopje was made hastily, surreptitiously. We often tend to blame ourselves because it was even more hastily carried out, finding fault in our absence and fear. The avenue of trees on Ilindenska Street and the green surroundings of the Macedonia Square are just a memory.

As of today, the lime-tree and its shadow in the little park opposite Bristol, which reminds me of one July, and which has been bidding good morning to thousands of long-time residents, is now gone. The trees that were the only verdure, a feeling of tranquillity and a dose of oxygen in this already polluted and suffocating city, are nobody’s future.

Our little ones were not just left without a few trees and one bench. They were deprived of the children’s play in the park, of the view of a nest just like in the picture books. The future of our children is among the concrete benches, through the grey labyrinths, in an endless video game-like wandering across the scorching asphalt.

On Macedonia Street, the sun set yesterday around 6 o’clock. This morning before it woke us, the headlights of the most tenacious bulldozer were turned on.  It was not easy, but even the last boughs of the maple-tree gave in. It was the last tree standing in the way of the idea of a yellowish modern building with luxurious balconies overlooking nothing.  I heard that it will be a state administrative building. A place from which the law will be observed, which will bring justice or from which the budget will be equally and fairly allocated.

Perhaps now in this way some of us are closer to the sky, as there is no one higher and more powerful any longer.

It will be too late when they understand that the secret of human intelligence and of spirituality lies in the nature - which they defy. However, we could neither breathe nor eat money.