Smile

A short story by Tatyana Plotnikova. Translated by me.

He called her “smile”.

First time he met her at the bus-stop. In response to his inviting gesture to get in the bus the girl gave him a smile – light, sparkling and a bit shy.

Perhaps that was a simple coincidence but his day was very lucky after that – he’s managed to finish some things which were hanging over him like the sword of Damocles, he’s coped up with a quarrel that his partner was trying to impose on him. He called his mom and for the first time he wasn’t angry with her unending advices about making his life better. He just understood that she loved him. And thanked her for her care.

Next morning he saw that girl again. She wasn’t in time for the bus where he was, but he saw her smile again. That day the girl was dreamy and unattainable, the girl didn’t notice the bus leaving the stop, she was just going towards her dream.

On the third day he was already waiting for her but she didn’t appear. And the day was of so-so kind – troublesome clients were calling, they were demanding for abatements, discounts and special prices, he was annoyed with his colleagues discussing politics and football, mom again was uneasy about absence of grand-children in her life.

He was cursing himself for not approaching to her, and he was finding excuses like she was not his type – small in height, dark-haired, delicate.

He was regretting he didn’t know her name at least.

He couldn’t banish her from his memory.

That’s why he just left her smile for himself – every time he met any hardships he just remembered her, getting inspiration from her gentle light.

He saw her again in half a year. During that time he already forgot the magic effect of her smile – his life was on the same track and only sometimes pain in his soul reminded him that he still hasn’t met anything important in his life. He met some girls of his circle, dated with one of them and parted, he was again up to his ears in his work and forbade his mom rising topics about his family life.

He stopped going in the bus. Now he had his personal driver and another status. But once he saw her again, her face shining, her eyes full of light, her glance on a guy next to her.

He was so much envious, so hateful! That guy dared to touch that flower and pick it to get all that beauty and tenderness.

He was dreaming to be at the place of that guy and he knew exactly he couldn’t, he wasn’t worth that shine of her eyes.

That encounter turned his life upside down again, made him look at himself with the eyes of that girl – light, clear, sincere. She was changing him even not knowing and not touching him.

He was very busy with his work again.

But…

He stopped relaxing with his friends loving alcoholic drinks and started engaging in sports.

He quit going to night clubs and having affairs with girls “of his type”.

He became interested in one of his business partner’s charitable projects and he became its eager participant.

He started calling his mom more frequently and telling her about his life. He started talking to her, not dismissing her advices. And mom stopped giving him advices, they were just talking on various topics.

He quit spending his vacation on his sofa, became interested in active rest and once in two months went in open air to know new places.

He started going to the office on foot.

He got acquainted with his neighbours and took an old woman from the ground floor under his patronage.

And he began feeling more frequently that he was becoming a single whole with that girl, that now he was worth her smile.

He didn’t hope for meeting. He knew he would see her as soon as he changes his life.

“Danya, look, it’s so beautiful out here!”, a delicate girl was standing on the edge of a steep rising her hands up to the sky and smiling to the world with her sunniest smile.

Oleg’s heart started pounding. Before he saw her he already recognized that very girl who once just touched him with her light.

The same young man he already saw beside her was approaching to her. They were looking awesome together, but Oleg was feeling only joy – she was happy and that was above all.

He came up to that wonderful couple – in the mountains one has to greet those whom he meets, in case they need help – and smiled at her in response, widely and joyfully. His body filled with such a lightness as if he’s found something he was searching for long.

“Where are you both heading for? And where are you from?”

The guy was answering his questions and Oleg was feasting his eyes upon her. Everything was so beautiful in her. Smile fully transformed her wrong features making them sweet and transparent. Her whole look aroused wish for protecting her, pressing her to his heart and never letting her go. He was banishing those thoughts, was figuring out new questions not to part with them, to admire her face and the light of her eyes again and again.

“So let’s get acquainted! Even more so coz it seems I’ve already met you somewhere… but I don’t remember where. My name is Olya, and this is my brother, Danil”.

Oleg felt his t-shirt sticking to his body and his heart pounded – that guy was her brother! How couldn’t he notice earlier – Danya was just a teenager though higher than his sister.

They started going down from the mountain, three of them. And Oleg didn’t remember how her small hand appeared in his strong hand – he could see only her smile which now belonged to him only!