Yulia Andronova - Margarita and Luca, book 1

Her letter

“I like your taste, I would do almost the same. I like the floor in the bathroom. The sport club that I attend has black floor and walls in shower area which I’ve always adored. With light floor your living room would produce a hospitable impression. I believe dark covering on the floor can be really great too, but in spacious rooms with big windows, or in castles. I assume it’s not your case. Once I lived in such a place. In Russia, before “Perestroika” revolution they used to build rather large flats with high ceilings where at least 3 families were supposed to live. While studying at university, my 2 girl-friends and I were happy to rent one of those apartments for a few months. That was amazing!(After living in a tiny flat of 11,5 metros quadrates for 3 persons). The only disadvantage was that being there seemed to be in a tomba . It was always so dark and aria umida there because of the ground floor. But there was one sunny place – bathroom with white walls (I painted them myself with colore per facciate , this kind of paint doesn’t peel off in high humid conditions, plus it was cheap and I didn’t want to overhaul the accommodation where I was going to live not more than a few months ) and huge window. It was entertaining to have a foam bath watching people and cars moving outside, as it was located on the high street. But most of all I enjoyed the fact that the phone was in the kitchen and you would never hear it from other rooms, never disturbed, unless you wanted it, which was important after studying and working at 2 jobs till late.

About decoration: it depends on your lifestyle and character. If you like to invite guests and have fun – some bright patches have to be present, if you often come home tired and worn out and mostly lie on the sofa – these bright accessoristica will irritate you, colori moderati will be OK. Or, if you are not that sensitive – just anything modern will be suitable! As for my flat, I love nature so much, that my walls are wooden and various plants are growing and flourishing on the old terrible but spacious window-sills. Recently I’ve been surprised to see one of my flowers grew to a tree with mandarin fruits and one small plant turned out to a big exotic palm tree. I’m envious (in a good way) you are decorating a new house, that’s so exciting and refreshing! I’ve never been able to find time to renovate the decor. Fortunately I can follow your developments!

What picturesque scenery, the photo on the road! You’re so lucky to have true snowy winter, while we still don’t and I miss it a lot.

Concerning my boss, I’ve started working with him even before I entered university. He is the best businessman, a millionaire who’s intelligent in making money, but absolutely disoriented in life and quarrelsome. His children and wife escaped from him long ago. Trips with him stress me because I hate to waste time if I have to complete some task. I’d rather spend time on rest or some nicer things ;) (If you understand what I mean), than quarreling and arguing with somebody, as I have a calm personality and scandals exhaust me. So, instead of finishing work at 7 we finished at 11 or even midnight. I quitted my job several times (those were not haste decisions, as I’m sensible to boredom), but every time my boss with tears promised to change for the better and I finally felt sorry for him and returned. He’s improved his personality, but he’s still slow in understanding simple things and stubborn. Everything should be told 100 times before he gets it.

I believe the end of the year is crazy everywhere…”

Her letter.

“It’s 10 in the morning, sunny! I’m going to pay the final installment for my holiday trip!!! :D What a nice day today!”

His mail

“You must be flying around for such a desired vacation, I’m really happy for you… and for me too: you're becoming close to me, you took the right time as I really needed such good vibrations in the period. This year everything has been happening and I see no light at the end of the tunnel… Is it because 2008 is a leap year?

So when and where do you exactly go? Probably I may hope to receive a postcard....

Here the house is going for the final rush, it seems there's a party during the day for how many people come and leave…

I still have to decide about colors and I'm forcing myself to find the time to go and see some colors, not too bright because I'm sure I would get tired soon but I'll see… I'm thinking also to ask a friend for a drawing on the wall. I got some pictures but prefer to send you some next week if you are still home, when it's also a little cleaner, so you can see before and after. I like how the things are taking form, if you can wait…

In Italy we say that curiosity is a woman. Is it the same in Russia?

(Honestly you cannot imagine how curios I am but I assure you that I'm not a girl!)

Поцелуй на твой левый плечо”

The last phrase truly excited the girl. She imagined him speaking Russian with his hard Italian accent. “But how would he do that?! I bet he’s not even capable of reading Cyrillic!”: she was laughing.

Margot started downloading a file. It was the video, that she’d made the year before, that summer when she’d met Luca. Few months before going to Jamaica, the girl and her husband had spent two weeks at a nice resort on the sea in Turkey. After his adultery. She was still loving him, she wanted him passionately, and hated at the same time. The husband was chasing after two girls from Serbia. The story repeated every trip. The year before during their honeymoon he had been courting two women from Nefteyugansk, north-west of Russia, Siberia. He must have forgotten that he’d just got married.

In the video Margot’d looked emaciated, as she’d been suffering anorexia nervosa. Unbelievably thin waist, almost every bone of her body was visible: you could count her prominent ribs on her back. Legs were skinny and shuddered in convulsions at every brusque movement, but thanks to hard training and lean protein from time to time, there was a trace of muscles, and resilient buttocks protruded, like thirteen year old children have.

That summer storms were in full swing. She skipped along the coast, plunging into the water having seen the tenth wave approaching.

The girl imagined Luca watching her laughing and squealing, having swallowed the water while the sea is stranding her tan body on a colored mattress with a whirl and a rush: “He will feel closer to me”.

She added the letter:

“Ciao, Luca!

I will go to Turkey, Belek. It’s a beautiful place. My parents have never been abroad and I decided to present them with the tour. I hope that will help them to start a new life after everything they’ve been through. We’ll go in January, after New Year’s Eve. Usually the prices fall after the 5th and you can enjoy the best fashionable hotel for a reasonable charge.

This year was not a cinch for me too.

Sometimes happiness and deep frustration overwhelmed me at the same time or changing each other without giving me a minute to take a breath, like those waves.

Although it’s praiseworthy to plan things long in advance, that may also be enjoying being moved this way, as finally U may relax like in the cinema and be curious waiting what’ll happen next…

No, we don’t say in Russia that curiosity is a woman. Nowadays people are so indifferent, only kids are still curious and some men, may be. Women are busy with gluing fake nails and buying stupid things, then discussing these only topics.

Drawing on the wall is a fresh idea. I long to see it, if it takes place. Once my uncle went mad with the same idea and drew the whole flat instead of using wallpaper. Looked kind of cute, but too much. Concerning fade colours: very light pistachio always look elegant and not irritating. I like it fashionable hotels, but could never imagine at somebody’s home. May be also not bad. I’m impatient to see what U’ll decide and the photos”.

His letter.

“It's incredible, I really wish this year to finish as soon as possible… Yesterday I got into a road accident: another car touched my bumper. As it was raining my car started rotating in the street until it stopped crushing into a wall… While whirling trying to hold the car all my life was passing in my mind. I was really lucky having got my knee a bit swollen and some pain in my neck but not too bad, things could have gone worst… You're right when you say "....be courious waiting what will happen.." . I have my fingers crossed and go on. At this point I almost start to laugh, possibly because I'm going mad or perhaps ‘cause my life scenario seems to be written by a comic dramatist…

A good thing among these troubles is that the doctor gave me work exemption for few days. So next week I can assist at the installation of many things inside the house. Finding time is a rare thing, day should be over 30 hours....

How will you celebrate Christmas? Do you like it? For me it's strange because I like it but at the same time it gives me some sadness, don't know exactly where it comes from but I cannot avoid it.

Have you already jumped into the crazy crowd of pre Christmas hustle that runs everywhere like hypnotized? In Italy people at this period seem to become insane, running around without a particular destination…

This year I asked to materialize you here and talk to u looking in the eyes. I've been a good boy?, do you think it will be possible soon?

Ps By the way, what kind of music do you like?”

Her letter.

“What a frightening thing U told me. Please, be careful.

Meanwhile I’ll ask Santa to shorten the year for U, you really need it.

Life is throwing us back and forth! Once I also kissed an airbag .

For me this year was terrible and great, especially the Friday 13th in June, when I became so nervous and exhausted that thought would truly have a heart or brain attack (many relatives died of them). Same day I did important translation for my boss, passed the final exam, defended the thesis, got the diploma, was robbed and found out that my beloved husband had been unfaithful to me. And that was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, as only God knows, what I’ve gone through to graduate from this first-rate university of Nizhny Novgorod studying free of charge.

I never notice when Christmas or other holidays come, ’cause I usually have to keep working. I think I’ve never celebrated Christmas, but would like to. I guess just never had time, unfortunately, always busy at various jobs, that even didn’t finish school. The consequence – must have done my best completing education at one of the “evening schools” in Moscow to be able to enter the university. Always dreamt there were 48 hours in a day. So, I don’t know whether I like this holiday. What I’ve always liked about New Year’s Eve – I could sleep whole night and next morning till late, as nobody works!

How do U usually spend Christmas? New Year? Could you take some photos for me? In Russia everybody gets drunk to death and fall asleep, face in popular salad “Olivier”. I eat, then sleep.

About music: I love Tiziano Ferro, but some of his songs are too romantic for me, depends on the mood… I also enjoy a lot Adriano Chelentano, Eros Ramazzotti, Biagio Antonacci and somebody else whose names I don’t remember. But recently I’ve forbidden myself to listen to music and now add only Spanish lessons into my mp3player, a kind of trap, otherwise I’ll never start speaking the language”

CHAPTER 4

“ Ciao, principessa!

Christmas is a family day, so, everybody gather at our house at a big table, a lot of food, presents… I’m sending you few pics. They are not so sharp but I hope you’ll get the idea, the atmosphere…