“Just take me out of here”

About a week ago when I was on my way into Odessa from Moldova, the bus got stuck at the border in the traffic jams that had formed in the opposite direction. Many Odessa residents who then left their city were well-off middle class with several residences around Europe. The escape becomes so much easier with money just pack the pearl white Landcruiser, shove some clothes into the Louis Vuitton bags, bring the fluffy little dog and put the kids in the back seat with an iPad.
Left in the city were those who have no other home to go to. No savings. No hundreds of euros for the taxi that can take them to the border.
No way out for them? Well, while the war has escalated, the free train at Odessa Central Station has become increasingly attractive.
Every day there are more and more people who stand for hours waiting to be able to jump on the trains. Anywhere really, or as mother of two Ludmila tells me there at the station:
– Just take me out of here.