Imprint of Heart. Illumination with love

“All right,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “Come on!”

They went to the cafe “Arabella”. A small, extremely clean room was located on one of the busy streets.

“Of course, it would be better to go to a restaurant,” he said.

In his pocket he had only five hundred rubles, and going to a restaurant with this amount was just silly. Lucy knew “Arabella” for a long time and repeatedly visited with her friends. There it was possible cheaply and satisfyingly to eat, sit, talk, listen to music, throwing a coin in the jukebox.

Lovers of strong, spirits were not interested here, as the menu was full of only dry wines and juices. They came here to pass the time. As a rule, this ordinary cafe visited the same people. It was a sort of private youth club.

“It’s good that we came here,” Lucy said, crossing the threshold of the establishment. “Perhaps later, Olga and Irene will appear here, and I will introduce you to them.”

“Do you like it here?” he asked, looking around the room.

“Yes, I do, because I often visited my friends here,” answered Lucy, as she understood that they had chosen the right place to spend time.

“How many respectable personalities,” he continued.

The couple passed between the tables and took a place close to the window. They were served quickly. Alex ordered an entrecote, a salad of tomatoes, Lucy – two bottles of beer. Conversation again went about work.

“Over the past year, I made two business projects. One of them was introduced into production, and with the second there was a delay. The production manager believed that it was necessary to wait, to check all the pros and cons of the new method and only then to put his ‘agree’, ” he talked about his complicated relationship with the production manager.

Alex, in his youth, was impatient to see the fruits of his labor in the business as soon as possible. In Lucy, as in a young specialist, he saw his supporter.

“You know, Lucy, it’s great that we met. I really want you to enjoy our production. We have our own hostel on the banks of the Volga. We can get tickets there, if you want, we’ll go to the next Saturday for two days.”

“No, I’m traveling with friends to the Crimea,” she stressed her independence.

“Very sorry. We’d have a nice weekend there. You can get there on the river boat.”

“Will you wait for my return?” she smiled coquettishly. “I will go to the plant, will go in the camp site as a full member of the team.”

“Come back soon. I’ll miss you, patiently waiting for your return. Write my address and call, I’ll meet.”

Lucy liked the nice guy’s care. She felt like a child next to him. Well, if he wanted so much, she did not mind. However, Lucy has become unaccustomed to any excessive guardianship.

They did not stay in the cafe for long. At nine, Lucy hurried home, citing a headache. He did not want to leave. The music evoked pleasant memories, but she insisted, and they left. At parting, they agreed that Alex would come at the day of departure.

For a week she got ready for the journey, prepared everything she needed, did not even forget to put a notebook in her suitcase with the verses of her friend called “Illumination with Love”. She gave her to read and evaluate when they were resting with Yuri in one company at the cottage. The girlfriend studied at the Faculty of Philology and by lucky coincidence with Lucy in views.

They exchanged telephone numbers, found many common acquaintances and topics for conversation, but they saw each other rarely. Lucy often re-read one poem and again began reciting herself, remembering her former friend, marveling at the name:

Wanderer

Like white clouds,
A wanderer swims along the wave’s bounds.
He forgot peace and sleep.
An eternal wanderer in life he is steep.

Years pass, but again
The harsh truth does not in vain.
He had been forgotten and thrown by all.
Let the violins echo drawl.

The singer is cruel, cold and wavy.
But his bright face is forgotten.
The crown of thorns was heavy.
Forever he will be doting.

Anxiety, doubt, sadness trotted
And passed for him without a trace.
He is only an observer from the distance.
With longing was betrothed.

Fight, prove, and argue as a bull,
To victory go to the end and what’s?
Why should a wanderer be ruled?
Will prompt other hearts.

From now on, the fatigues mute
Will fill out a notebook with words as lute.
Forgotten other people’s suffering.
He has not any speech metaphoring.

Twice on weekdays Lucy went to the beach, where there were few people. There she, leafing through the pages of her diary, read poetry. Of course, it would be better to go to the beach with Alex, but he was at work. The week flew by unnoticed. The day of departure came.

With her friends she met at the entrance, took a taxi. The flight was morning. Alex promised to take time off work, Lucy called him beforehand. His voice was too confident in the phone, she thought that Alex was not at all the kind of person with whom she would be happy, but then she threw away such tricky thoughts and decided that she was too worried on the eve of her departure.

Alex was waiting at the airport with a bouquet of lilies. Olga and Irene were escorted by Olga’s brother – a student of the university, who came especially to Saratov to visit his parents. Five of them went into the buffet, bought champagne and drank in honor of leaving “for a smooth path.” Alex raised his glass and said:

“Look, Lucy, do not flirt much,” he sighed, “and you girls, watch my bride return home safe and sound.”

The girls laughed, and Lucy was offended by such rude patronage, but she did not say anything.

* * *

Gurzuf. Wild beach. The people are few. Here and there groups of tourists are visible. Lucy, Irena and Olga are already bored. They lived only ten days, and from the monotony it seemed that the whole summer was devoted to sunburn. The sea was turbid, slightly stormy. It was decided to return home in two days. The day before departure, Irena met a handsome guy Igor in the form of a paratrooper from Lvov. He escorted the girls to the airport on his black Ford sedan. Lucy flew to Moscow on the same day, but four hours later.

They left the terminal and returned to his house, where he worked as a rescuer. Crimea attracted by the variety of colors and flowers, the riot of plants and fruits.

In the house there were sports equipment, but in general everything was beautiful and cozy. Lucy was taken aback by the excitement. Igor hugged the girl by the shoulders, trying to calm, and they began to look for an inflatable mattress, so she swam before leaving. He suggested that she had to do a massage and undressed naked.

“I have a great experience,” he said, and showed his tanned stomach and shoulders without too much shame. “Touch me, I do not bite. Also undress. That’s more interesting.”

Lucy took off her shorts, tightly tied on her hips, a pink, glamorous jersey. She remained in a swimsuit, which immediately appeared on the floor, drawing white spaces on the body. She lay on my stomach right on the carpet. He switched on the receiver and began massaging her neck, back and legs to the beat with the music.

“Do not hurt, say if you feel something unpleasant,” Igor said, touching the body of the girl with strong hands. “Do you like?”

Lucy hugged the rescuer, and they lay down on the inflatable mattress and made love. Igor turned the girl on her back, admiring the beauty, and she pressed herself warmly to him, hugging him by the shoulders. Their sudden coition continued.