My brother was almost never born. It seemed like a moment, but in reality only three days had passed. Yet these three days would change my life forever. I feel like it was only yesterday that my family lived in Kiev, a quiet town where nothing ever happened and where all the Chernobyl workers lived like my family. But one day everything changed when the accident happened. A meltdown has occurred in reactor four of the nuclear power plant. My father (Nana) was working on Reactor One at the time, on the east side, repairing the walls, so when the explosion happened it didn't really affect him. He thought it was a new test that scientists were doing to create a different kind of energy for our city, which they did often. The city was beautiful, with flowers blooming and chestnuts budding along the streets and ushering in the Ukrainian spring. Yet there were no disturbing clouds to be seen. When the explosion occurred you couldn't see or smell the radiation filling the air, only small sparks of light floating around. As if children were running around with giant streamers. This was unknown to many citizens, even my mother. A kind neighbor knew about this and told my mother that it might be a good idea to come in because she had heard about a fire at a nuclear power plant. After the explosions, my mother (Matb) was out with me and my younger sister Lena. That information provided by my father and neighbors represented my family's level of knowledge about the Chernobyl accident. Over the next few hours the Soviet government continued its activities as usual. As if nothing had ever happened and that everything was fine, but that was just a big lie. Government officials cheerfully continued to celebrate May Day, or "Spring and Labor Day" only... middle of paper... ....has the same beating heart." Tears flooded my face as I let go of her hand. I love my mother dearly, but without a father I had to be the head of the family in times like these. He was not in the right state of mind to be rational. why couldn't we just go home and be with him. Thoughts swirled in my head, but the next thing I knew, my mother was lying on the ground in pain. Her face creased and swollen as she clutched her stomach in her delicate hands "Anya, the baby is coming!" Her voice was shrill, but full of so much fear. Her eyes darted like trains racing up and down the railway. “Matb I'll ask for help.” escaped my lips as I flew out the door, down the damp concrete stairs and into the busy street to find someone, anyone to help me.