St. Valentine’s Gifts.
A story by an unknown ordinary girl (2nd year student).
Actually I am considered to be not very pretty. Just ordinary. Average. My hair is between grey and brown, thin and not very long, then, a pip-nose, small brown yes, not very even teeth and moreover, I am very short, 157 cm. I am a little plum: about 65 kg. I am not very good at English and other subjects. Anyway I love to laugh and have got a lot of friends in the Institute. But I have no boy friend.
But on February 14, St.Valentine’s Day, something very unusual happened to me.
Let me tell you step by step how it happened, all the details.
I came into our classroom as usual, 10 seconds before the bell. There were 5 girls in the classroom. The boys were late, as always. They, and some smoking girls were downstairs. I came up to my place by the window and – wow! There was something in my desk. This something looked very nice and smart. I touched it with my hand. It looked like a pretty big box wonderfully packed. And … wow! There was a nice bunch of wonderful roses besides the box. I said – perhaps too loudly: ‘Wow!!!’ And all the group asked :’What is it?’ I said : ‘There are some presents in my desk.’ I put everything on it. The flowers were great, pink and very fresh. It was my favourite sort, Superstar! The girls were about to die of enviousness: ‘Open it! what are you waiting for? Maybe it is not for you?’
I opened the box. It was for me. There was a big box of chocolates - my best ones, and a beautiful cards with valentine’s rhymes. They were about love, from a guy I did not know yet and it was to me. There was my name in the rhymes. And there was a beautiful photograph of mine. I am somewhere near the Theatre of Opera and Ballet. I looked great, not so plum. Everybody saw it was a surprise to get this picture of mine. All the girls wanted to see this photo.
“Who is He?” – asked the girls.
At that moment our English teacher came in, and the lesson began. The smoking company joined us in a minute.
“Let’s read some valentine’s poems,- said one of our students, meaning those devoted to me. And we read and enjoyed them.
I was very popular on that day. I was very happy. Even the guys were looking at me with respect.
During the long break I invited all the group to the coffee-bar to drink coffee with my chocolates. So we did. I took my bunch of roses with me. When we were drinking coffee, on girl from our group, just appeared and came into the bar. She is always late and she misses a lot of classes. Her name is Yana. Yana joined us and asked me:
“Who are these roses for? How much did you pay for them, by the way?”
“What do you mean? This is a present to me!”- I said in a weak voice.
“Puff, - she said in her usual vulgar way.- Stop telling stories. I myself saw you last evening choosing and buying these roses at the market. As well as these box of chocolates. Say, not true?”
I was silent. It was true. All the girls and boys burst into laughter. I wanted to laugh with everybody, but I could not. I cried, though nobody could see it. The group were laughing and mocking at me... chewing my chocolates and drinking my coffee.
It was the day of my shame.
And happiness, too… Because one of the boys stood up and said:
“What are you laughing at, you debils?” That is none of your business, but I will tell you something. Though it is something very private, I shall tell you that!
It is my present. I only asked her to choose a good box of sweets and best bunch of roses. I gave her money and asked her to bring all the next day.
I do not understand about flowers. I did not tell her who it was for… and I wanted to give her best and what she would choose for herself. And the picture. This is the proof! I made the shot and it is my photo.
And that time it was the truth. It was one of our friend’s birthday party last May when we went to the theatre with some other school friends. I forgot about that. I did not remember who made this picture of mine. But he didn’t. I just found it in my album and took with me this morning.
Mike, my good noble and generous Mike! My best devoted friend! I touched his shoulder to stop him, but he got mad and went on:
“She is best of all of you, folks, taken together. She has kindness, and tact, and so on, and you have never even heard of it! And should you hurt her once again, remember, you will deal with me. And she has more taste than all of you taken together and much more than you, Yana! O.K.? - And he said to me:
“You will be my Valentine, today and not only, O.K.?”
I did not know what to say. I was mute and deaf. I was too happy. I had never had a real Valentine of mine on such a day!
Ðàññêàç ñî ñëîâ íåèçâåñòíîé äåâóøêè çàïèñàëà Òàèñ Êîëèáðèñ.
Ïåðåâîä íà ðóññêèé ÿçûê çàïëàíèðîâàí íà ÿíâàðü 2016 ãîäà.