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E-Mails from Kosovo, Part IV Finnegan Hamill, a high school student in Berkeley, California, has been corresponding with a teen in Kosovo, who uses the pseudonym Adona, for several months. We've been following her story through her e-mails to the California teenager. Since the NATO bombing, Adona has not been able to write. But Finnegan spoke to Adona on the telephone on Monday night. We reproduce below his conversation. The piece was produced by Youth Radio in Berkeley.

Hamill

"When Adona answered the phone, I was so relieved just to know she was still alive. It was strange to actually hear her voice after months of knowing her only through words on the computer screen. At first the conversation was almost awkward. I think we both felt a little shy, but things quickly became comfortable. I was trying to tell her that she has a lot of friends here pulling for her. It's assumed that phones in Kosovo are tapped, so Adona is very careful about what she says, especially not directly answering any questions about the war and the bombing.

As of Monday night, Adona and her family were still locked in their home. She said the situation was extremely bad...no electricity, often no water, and a little more than a week's worth of food in the house. She said she can't call out on her phone any more and her family is hoping to leave as soon as possible...in her words 'as soon as they can see a corridor, or path out of the area.' Adona has little or no information on what's happening besides what they can see out the window and hear all around them.

Earlier, Adona expressed the desire to stay with her family at all costs. She now says the situation is so much worse, that her family has decided they are willing to split up if necessary.

As for me, watching the news at night and reading the newspaper in the morning, what before was a routine, has become an ordeal. It's unbearable knowing that my friend is living through the horror that I see on the news."

Youth Radio is a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley. Student-produced pieces and commentaries can be heard on KQED and KCBS in San Francisco; on National Public Radio; and Pacifica National Network. Youth Radio also contributes sound online to "Digital High," a service of the San Jose Mercury News, and commentaries online to "Youth Voices," a project of Brandeis University.