Gift of fate. Fabulous Moscow. Maria Lazinskaya

>Gift of fate

      Fabulous Moscow

      Maria Lazinskaya

      © Maria Lazinskaya, 2019

      ISBN 978-5-0050-2838-9

      Created with Ridero smart publishing system

      Preface

      “One of the laws of life says that as soon as one door closes, another opens. But the trouble is that we look at the locked door and do not pay attention to the opened”.

Andre Gide

      Now I’m thirty-seven years old. I have two wonderful children, and this is the best thing that’s left after six years of a failed marriage. I divorced my husband at thirty-six. This year I realized that I was ready to fall in love again and start living a full life… And I even managed to fall in love, but my love was not quite mutual… More and more often I began to have sad thoughts, and I began to sink into depression…

      Letter…

      Today I received a letter from Nail. He is going to come to Moscow in may. Nine years ago, when we spoke with him in Cuba, he said that he wanted to visit Russia. And finally, he decided to get a visa and plans to spend about a month in the capital. I will be on vacation during this period and plan to spend a week in Moscow. We agreed with Nail to see the main sights of the capital together, visit the Tretyakov gallery, to see the ballet “love Story” and the opera “Iolanta” at the Bolshoi theater.

      Apparently now again it is time to look at my life differently…

      I’m thinking, meeting Nail nine years ago was no accident… For some reason, during the difficult periods in my life, I received letters from him… He sent me his photos from different parts of the world. His letters always gave me positive emotions and, like the artist’s brushes, sometimes added bright colors to my gray days. I’ve always looked forward to the photos from his travels.

      This year fate is very generous to me for gifts…

      Even his name “Nail” in Arabic means “gift”. Meeting Nail is definitely a gift.

      Nine years passed.

      It was like a moment,

      But that autumn day

      I remember now.

      That warm first evening

      On beloved Cuba

      Accidentally or not by chance…

      I met you.

      Memories…

      I met Nail on October 24 in Cuba. Then I was traveling with my boyfriend.

      We decided with Dmitry to stay for a couple of days in Havana in the famous hotel Nacional de Cuba (in the hotel once stayed Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra…), and then continue our vacation on the famous beaches of Varadero.

      That evening, flying up to Havana, Dima and I quarreled. Checking into the hotel, went for a walk each on its own route.

      I went to Malecon, where the Cuban youth was having fun. I hoped that Dima is somewhere behind. Looked around, but I couldn’t see him on the horizon.

      The mood was on zero and the excessive attention of the Cubans were irritated. I wanted to climb into some corner of the bar with a glass of cocktail and be alone.

      I went back to the hotel and went to the terrace bar. Picked a table in the corner of the bar, ordered a rum and coke and a mini-cigar.

      Remember an interesting middle-aged man walking up to my table with an open smile, burning eyes and black curly hair down to his shoulders.

      I wanted to be alone, there was no desire to meet someone and talk, but the stranger, apparently not understanding me, sat in the chair opposite.

      The man was a very interesting conversationalist. He spends six months a year traveling the world. And now he was just finishing his two-month trip to Cuba and quite by chance this evening stopped at the hotel Nacional de Cuba to explore the interior of the famous hotel.

      We talked about an hour. When I said that I was tired after a long flight and I was going to go to rest, he asked me my phone number. I wrote him my number on a napkin and said goodbye.

      In November I received a message from Nail, he was interested in my impressions of the trip to Cuba. After congratulated with New year and Valentine’s Day.

      It’s been seven months since we met. In may Nail went on a trip to Estonia. He planned to live in Tallinn for two months and invited me to join him. At that time I was again in a quarrel with Dmitry, we once again broke up and I was plunged into depression, so I decided to accept his invitation. Then I hoped that this week in Tallinn, communication with a person who has a different language and culture, will bring me out of depression and bring me back to life.

      Maybe the Universe sent me signs not by chance… And warned that I should not continue relations with Dmitry… and marry him…

      I bought tickets, booked a hotel room and flew to Tallinn.

      I remember our walks in the old town. He acted as a guide, showed the most interesting places. We went with him to museums, the best restaurants and cafes of the city. He has a very interesting philosophy of life and every new day he considers his birthday.

      I remember one evening, after another walk, Nail called me to his room to show a magnificent view of the Gulf of Finland and the city, which opened from the windows of his room at the Swissotel.

      When we were in his luxurious room, Nail tried to kiss me. I told him not to do it. Then I was still in love with Dima. I was ready for a friendly chat with Nail, but apparently he had another interest to me. I remember our conversation:

      – I don’t know you at all… and I can only offer you friendship, – I replied. – It’s time for me to go, it’s late… I want to sleep.

      – Are you sure? Sleep?! – he smiled.

      – Yes, sure.

      – Okay, then I’ll walk you to your hotel. One look was enough for me to understand that you are a good person. I’m a good person too, but I’m not a saint, and it’s not enough for me to be friends with a girl that I like.

      He walked me to the hotel. I apologized to him. He said: “See you tomorrow.” I didn’t know when we will meet again… Now I could offer him only friendship.

      From that trip to Tallinn I have a video from the roof of the Radisson Blu hotel, where I captured a beautiful panorama of the city and Nail.

      First day in Moscow

      Nail arrived in Moscow a week earlier and came to the airport to meet me.

      I got my luggage and went to the exit. I was very worried… Haven’t seen a person in years.…

      Nail stood in the middle of the arrival hall. He looked, as always, very elegant. Looking at him, you can immediately note the impeccable taste.

      I approached him and he kissed me on the cheek.

      – I’m so glad to see you, – I said.