Shame on my greed! Of course, the day after my last entry, I find a bag stuffed with two dozen apples in my office. A girl in sixth form left it. I have no idea how – it is probably half her weight. She is so, so tiny, and always wears a furry white vest. I imagine her as a baby fox burrowing into the snow. Oh my God, the cuteness.
As further proof that everyone knows everything about everyone in a village, it’s now common knowledge that I love apples. Viktoria, who teaches Ukrainian, is always giving me some from her garden, along with carrots, beets, even a pumpkin once. She joked that I would work in her garden in return, but I will take her up on it. I can’t wait for spring and wet ground and planting things. But I write this as a woman who has killed several plants in her day, including a cactus, so maybe Viktoria doesn’t want me gardening after all.
Baba Valentina seems to be under the impression that no one in America has ever SEEN an apple before. That is probably what I’d think, too, if I were her and I witnessed my apple consumption. She asked me recently, “Will your family visit, my daughter?” (She’s taken to calling me “my daughter,” which I like because it has a certain ring to it of a wise old Asian man.) I told her yes, they’re planning to come in June, and she became very excited and said, “There will be so many apples for them to eat!”
So, my Americans, begin making your travel arrangements to visit me now. If you come to Bogdanivka, you will witness the warmth and hospitality of the Ukrainian people, and eat as many apples as you wish.
No comments:
Post a Comment