Thus, being at the age of twenty-two, Lina was studying in Hamburg and she had almost forgotten about the love of her youth. Passing by the bookstall in the morning, she accidentally saw one of glamorous magazines with Garz’s face on its cover. The headline was: “Garz Herzlosen is flying to Hamburg for the premiere of his new movie”. Lina was amused, and during the day she carefully read the article, devoted to this event. In the evening, when her roommates, who worked in the bar downstairs, came out to earn some money, Lina finally had some spare time to dream. “He is arriving tomorrow…So soon,” she thought, “We haven’t seen each other for so many years! And I don’t have enough money to take part in the presentation. But maybe I can visit him at the hotel? There was the name of his hotel in the magazine. I hope, he would be glad to meet me here, in Hamburg…But would I have time to do this? I should try to…No, not try to – I must visit him, because it might be the last chance for me to meet my friend of childhood!”.
It was her final decision, but the problem was that Lina had to study and work the next day. Two years ago Lina’s father refused to help his former wife and daughter, because he didn’t have spare money in the budget of his new family. Then Lina started to work as a shop assistant after studies, to pay for the hostel and education. Two months ago the situation got worse; girl’s mother fractured her leg and couldn’t go to work. So, Lina had to find the second job; since then she had been working as a night receptionist of a shabby inn, to send some money to her mother several times a week. In the morning Lina was studying, and in spare hours she was preparing for exams or drawing. At that moment she was looking at Garz, depicted on the page of her diary. Suddenly the phone rang.
– Hallo, – Lina answered.
– Hi, – her colleague from the inn said, – Are you busy tonight?
– Well, I think I don’t have any urgent affairs. What’s the matter?
– Oh, that’s great! – the colleague rejoiced, – The point is that my child is ill, so I can’t work tonight. Can I ask you to work instead of me, if you don’t mind?
– Okay, – Lina said, – I understand your situation. No problems. Would arrive in one hour.
– Thank you so much! See you soon.
– Bye, – Lina hung up the receiver.
Then the girl put on her warm grey dress, and prepared all necessary things for work, like a pair of bananas to eat, shoes to change her foot-wear and worn textbook to learn some rules before the exams. Lina packed them in her bag, and was ready to get out. At the same time her marry roommates returned from the bar. They looked at Lina, hanging her bag in one hand and high winter boots in another one, with great surprise.
– Where are you going, Lina? – one of the girls asked, – Would you like to join us in the bar?
– No, thank you. I’m going to the inn, because one of my colleagues can’t work tonight.
– Oh, that’s pity, – the second girl noticed, – We’ve bought a delicious Christmas cake!
– Really? – Lana was surprised, – But it was very expensive! Have you robbed somebody?
– Certainly not, – the girls laughed, – There was a great discount in the supermarket. Moreover, we have heard that your friend Garz is arriving tomorrow, so we should celebrate this day. You have been waiting for this moment for so long. And, finally we are working on Christmas day, so it’s better to change the date of holiday supper.
– You are so careful, – Lina smiled, – Thank you for your kindness, but I think we can’t celebrate now. I have promised to work tonight.
– Well, we will keep the cake for you, so you can eat it in the morning, – the girls suggested, – And we are going to sleep, because it’s boring to have supper without you.
– Okay, – Lina said, – But I’m working tomorrow. So, we can gather together on 24th of December. Do you agree?
– Well, you have changed our plans, but we don’t have any objections, – the girls answered, – By the way, you’d better go now or you’ll be late for work.
– Yes, you’re right. Wish you good evening!
– Thanks, you too!
After this short, but pleasant conversation Lina put her boots on and went downstairs. It was late, so all the streets were dark and lonely, and it was a little bit sad for Lina to make her way to the bus station. Although the sky was cloudless and the snow was crackling under her feet, the wind was strong and piercing. The trees around were swinging, and pieces of rubbish were flying above the street. “The weather is conductive to work,” Lina thought with smile, “But I think it’s not so dangerous…And I just have to get to the station and then, nearby the inn I should pass only several buildings”. By chance, Lina didn’t have to wait for the bus; she managed to enter it before leaving, as usual. So she was joyful, sitting in warm transport and looking in the window. During her trip Lina thought about tomorrow that seemed to be the best day in her life. She imagined the piece of beautiful Christmas cake, decorated with sugar powder, nuts and peels, on the kitchen table. She even felt its delicious taste, sweet and spicy. Then Lina thought about her meeting with Garz, who, as she expected, would be very happy to see her. She dreamt of sitting in a small café with him and talking about everything, about all the past years…
Then, there was the right station, and Lina had to alight. She didn’t want to leave this warm and comfortable bus, but there was no choice. So, Lina took her bag and walked along the street in the direction of inn. There was a high grey building in front of the girl, and it seemed to be even ominous from the opposite end of the street. But Lina didn’t pay any attention to this fact, because she was immersed in her thoughts as before. When Lina was passing this strange building, which was under reconstruction, the sudden gust of wind blew, and several bricks fell from the surface of the building straight on her head… Lina’s colleague, working in the inn, was waiting for the girl during two hours, because Lina was often late for work, but then she began to worry. Lina didn’t answer the mobile phone and there was no telephone in the hostel, where the girl lived with her roommates…
Everything became clear later …When the first aid arrived, the doctors understood that they couldn’t do anything…Two roommates were quietly sleeping in their beds and the promised piece of cake was waiting for Lina on the kitchen table… It was early morning, and Garz was sitting in the taxi, driving to the hotel with his young pretty girlfriend. While the car was passing the dark grey building, Garz suddenly saw the small open diary, lying in the mud of the lawn and some pencil drawings flying above the pavement. But there were no memories in his head
Short story #2. Le macaron.
There was a small bakery on the crossing of two winding Parisian streets. The windows of this cafe looked out at the wonderful park with the pond, covered with December snow, and several regular alleys of straight trees. There were only five round tables in the bakery and only three workers: one cook, one cleaner and one good-natured elderly woman, who carried out the duties of house-keeper, manager and waitress at the same time. By the way, July had been living in Paris for three years, after her leaving from Canada. She was fond of French culture and art, that’s why she started working as an arts critic in a small museum, and published one scandalous book about Claude Lorrain, in which July changed her real name for pseudonym. It was the right decision, because no one paid attention to this book, and only the members of Writers’ Union at regular intervals criticize her amazing manuscript. However, such consequences hadn’t changed July’s plans to publish the trilogy devoted to oil painting. So, every evening after her work the girl was sitting in the cozy bakery near the park and writing her next book.
