FARUK HERENDA and Behudin Plakalo thought they would be in Dublin for a week before their families joined them. That was in May 1994, and they've been waiting for 602 days.
On Tuesday Behudin had his first conversation with his wife, Fadila, and his children since he left them behind in Gorazde in April 1994. They spoke for 10 minutes by telephone. "Our hopes are higher than they have ever been," he said yesterday.
The families have all the necessary papers permitting them to leave Bosnia. They await a transit visa allowing them to leave through Croatia, and tickets getting them to Dublin. The two men believe they are coming here at last, but fear that something could still go wrong.
"We are begging the Refugee Agency and the Government to do anything to organise this as soon as possible," says Behudin.
"We nearly lost patience for a while, I lost sleep for more than 600 nights, wondering perhaps would they be killed in Gorazde." Now the apparent imminence of their reunification seems to make them fear to hope, lest something awful happens at the last minute.
Behudin's and Faruk's families left Gorazde just last Saturday on the first available bus for Sarajevo. Their departure followed the lifting of a four year siege on the Muslim enclave in Bosnian Serb held territory. "Gorazde was the biggest prison in Bosnia" says Faruk.
Gorazde was one of those great misnomers, a UN Safe Area. It was therefore one of the most dangerous places in the world, under siege from Bosnian Serb forces. Behudin had his jaw shattered by a sniper's bullet. A grenade landed beside Faruk, severely damaging his right leg.
Both were in Gorazde hospital for a brief, period in April 1994 during which the UN had access to the enclave. They were told they could emigrate and, that, their families were on a list of those who could leave, but not quite yet. They were bought by helicopter to hospital in Sarajevo and some two weeks later were flown to Dublin.
Almost immediately, UN access to Gorazde ended as the siege was stepped up. For 20 months the two families have been without electricity or heat and with no direct contact with Faruk and Behudin in Ireland. They have been able to exchange radio messages through an amateur radio operator.
Faruk (45) drove his own truck before the war. He is married with a son and a daughter, aged 12 and 10. Behudin has a 15 year old daughter and a 12 year old son.
Both men have undergone major surgery since their arrival here Faruk had several complex operations to rebuild his leg. Several times during an interview yesterday he mentioned his debt of gratitude to surgeon Quinlan at St Vincent's Hospital.
Behudin's jaw was rebuilt with the help of 12 centimetres of bone taken from his hip. His jaw was held together by wires for some time. Next he will have teeth implanted to replace the 10 he lost. He insisted on publicising his warm feelings about Dr Heuston in the Dublin Dental Hospital.
Faruk lives in the Salvation Army's Granby Centre off Parnell Square, Dublin. Behudin lives in Cherry Orchard. Once their families arrive their housing needs will be reassessed, according to the Refugee Agency and they may be placed in private rented accommodation.
Some 543 Bosnian refugees have been admitted to the State since 1992. Although many families have been reunited in Ireland, families of some who came here live in parts of Bosnia from which travel has been impossible during the conflict.
Faruk and Behudin feel the 20 in months of waiting will end now time now to be reunited," says Faruk. "At the moment I am the happiest man. People always asked us were we happy in Ireland and we could not answer honestly. Soon I hope we can I'm almost 100 per cent sure."