My First Lovely Love.
(A story by a third-year student Valentine M. written in his diary).
We were called the “proud of our school” - my gilr-frend and I. Her name was Lyubov, and surname - Lyubimova, so I gave her a nick-name: Lovely Love. She was more than pretty, she was beautiful, and smart, and bright. My name is Valentine and I liked my name too. We set up our own school music group, we called it the “Long Break”. She was a pianist, I was the guitar. She wrote wonderful poems and the were texts of our songs. There were a lot of songs of our own written in English.
I was the composer and composed music. All the guys were in love with her, but she was only my girl. My Love. When we were finishing our school, we two were to get gold medals. But our school got only one. I gave up mine, but at the end our headmaster managed to settle two gold medals, so we both were awarded.
Then we went to university and got into group ‘A’. We were at the top and the teacher
appreciated us both. One day a guy from another town, Nick, joined our group. He was a sportsman, a mountain skier. To say that his English was very poor is to say nothing, or to flatter him. It was awful. He made the teacher annoyed and the group wait for him. All of our students were irritated. So the teacher asked me and my Love to help him in English. Lyuba has to develop his oral speech and I was supposed to teach him grammar. So we did. He was quite slow. Little by little I got tired of him and these free classes. Then I got sick and stayed at home for 2 weeks. My Love visited me and brought me tasks and exercise books. Then winter exams passed. As I was ill, the teachers gave me good marks in credit. I got only excellent marks. Everybody was looking forward to meeting the New Year holidays. I invited my Love to celebrate the holiday with me. We were neighbours and our parents were friends too.
-Sorry, Val, - she said,- we are moving to the downtown in January. And we are going to celebrate the holidays out of town.
It was the first New Year holiday we spent separately. Then she went to Italy with her parents and their friends.
The second term started in February. She was still away, in Italy. I was missing my Love so much. I used to be the friend of her childhood. I was her first boyfriend. She was my first girlfriend. I gave her my first kisses, my first tenderness and my first dreams. I gave her all my heart. I had been her ‘Valentine’ for 4 times! I wanted to give her all my love forever.
She was to return on February 13. My stupid student, Nick, was also away, and I was not missing him. I despised him and I was happy not to see him at all. Meanwhile, St. Valentine’s day was upcoming and I was preparing a present for my Lovely Love. It was a new love song, my music and my verses. I prepared a good box of chocolates and a nice sweet wine she enjoyed. I wanted to invite her to a good but not very expensive restaurant not far from our university.
And so she showed up. She looked taller, thinner, blonder with her eyes bluer, tanned with Italian sun. She looked a little different and ‘alien’ but happy and smiling, as always. I came up to her, kissed her on her cheek, gave her my presents and invited her to the restaurant.
-Be my Valentine, as always, - I said.
-Forgive me, Val. I am already invited for tonight. I am so sorry.
-Have you got another Valentine? An Italian macaronian gent? – I asked in a comical way.
-Yes...No...Forgive me, Val, - she said. – Let us remain friends if you want. But I met another boy. I fell in love with him. And he loves me.
- I love you too! - I shouted.- We have got so much in common!
- Perhaps too much, - she replied.- Our children’s love was just a romance, probably just a mistake.
- How could you betray me and our love? - I was more than in furious.
- I don’t know how it happened. It just came to us for granted.
- Is he better than me? Tell me!
- No, Val, you are the best of all. And he is an ordinary boy. He is not so clever as you are. But he is kind and tender. He is intelligent and modest. He is sincere and simple.
-Who is he?
-Why ... He is Nick.
- Nick? Are you kidding? You must be crazy. He is dense, just a debil! He is unable even to remember two words in English.
-No, Val! - she exclaimed.- Nick is quite all right in English. You gave him so much of grammar. I helped him a little, too. He has just passed his exam in English, and the teacher gave him an excellent mark! And here he is!
At that moment Nick came into the classroom. His face was also tanned with sun (Italian I thought!), he looked handsome, strong, tall and very happy.
-Five!- he exclaimed and all the students of our group cried ‘Hurray!’
And he invited the group to the university restaurant to celebrate his success and, by the way, St. Valentine’s Day. Everybody went but me. I whispered: “Good bye, my first Lovely Love!” but nobody heard my words.
...Two years passed. Very fast. We are third year students. It is February now. The weather is nasty. I stay at home as I caught flu. Luyba and Nick are on holidays in Austria. He is taking part in European Championship at the moment. She is in Austria with him and their parents, to ‘cheer him up’.
I haven’t found any girlfriend yet. I despise women. I smoke and drink too much bear and miss a lot of classes. I hate my female’s name - Valentine. I hate music and poetry. I hate English and my future profession. I hate our teacher of English and our Dean who told me I might leave university for my bad attendance. I hate my parents who live far from the downtown and cannot afford holidays in Italy or Austria. I hate myself for everything.
It is St. Valentine’s today. I have just received a nice envelope with a lovely card inside. I thought it was someone’s valentines. But no. It is an invitation to Lyuba’s and Nick’s wedding.
Maybe I shall come. I will see.
She looks so lovely and happy... and I want to cry:
“Farewell, my First Lovely Love!”
February 2001.