[March 1946]
Stretching the legs, then the arms.
Don't forget to also twist the neck a bit, so it won't stiff.
Bend the back, touch the toe from behind...
And done.
Andrei has finished stretching, and he finally ready to rehearse the soldier's dance once again. For the next day, he has to perform in front of pioneer kids, together with a ballerina with her gymnastyorka uniform. Even if the duration was short and performed for the kids, he still has to giving all of his might.
Then... his face secretly blushed. The black-haired girl still there, not perished yet from war. She still danced gracefully, as he twirl his waist to approached her and giving the flower as part of dance performance. His mind slowly drifted, as he imagined the flower was truly given not only for the performance, but also monthly.
But can he really do that? What if he failed to propose, as she will see his true personality? What if everything was just his imagination? What if the girl only close to him as coworker? And what if after proposal...
"Dyusha! Here you are!" called someone with a laugh. Andrei blinked hard and he look at his right. It's the redhead accordionist from the orchestra section.
"Ah, Sema. What's up?"
"Yeah, Maestro ordered me to be the instrumentalist for the performance. Just wanna tell you so you don't get shocked," joked Semyon. Andrei chuckled a bit.
"You've been my companion whenever we performed in small-scale concerts. I won't be surprised..."
"Sweet! And now you will perform new choreography, huh? Dance of Two Soldiers with Lyuba," Semyon start to pull a grin.
Andrei exhaled to see it, "True. Just a short dance for five minutes. Besides, it's a performance for kids."
"Just? Dyusha, she's been there since six years ago and yet still single. You sure about that?" teased the chubby redhead. Andrei rolled his eyes now, knowing that man won't follow the topic's direction. But later, Semyon patten Andrei's shoulders and sighed, "Maybe try to have lunch with her first. If she made thousand excuses, you know when to back off. Though... who knows if suddenly she cancel every schedule just for today."
The chubby redhead now released his grip, then waving goodbye before leaving the ballet hall. And the golden-eyed Andrei immediately knock his head to the stretching pole as his cheek getting hotter.
===
Today's lunch was okay in Andrei's tongue. Normal potato stew with eggs and tea, provided by the waiter in the cafe. The conversation with the black-haired girl was still normal too. Weather, street, small joke, gossiping a bit about the coworkers. Won't be hurt to spend another lunch time with her, as she always have free time whenever he invites her. The small-scale concert always went successful, appreciated by the pioneer kids' in the venue.
But as time passed, he didn't realised yet... soon they will have their thirtieth lunch. The topic start to talking more about each other. So far, he can only give imply that he also likes what the girl likes. Because Andrei still scared if he will be dismissed over shared his interest... or more likely, he doesn't know yet what truly interest him. The past truly erased his memory, turning him as a blond shell. And maybe... by following her path, Andrei can slowly fill this hollow body.
===
Till a month passed, the girl invites Andrei to meet her parents before she left the rehearsal hall. Andrei was very nervous, of course. He paced while surrounded by his dancer peers, who keep cheering him "Just propose Lyuba already, you twat!". It also heard by the other sections who still tidying the properties after rehearsal, including Alexandrov himself. Andrei's face reddens again, as that old conductor scold him for denying the obvious love.
Still, Andrei felt the hesitation. What if what he feared since a year ago comes in the wrong time? Shall he waited for another year again?
He did truly want the happy ending, on the other side. He knew the girl reciprocate him. She even confessing; already had crush with him, since first time she joined the ensemble in 1940. Then hesitated as seeing Andrei's indifference, almost giving up right away. But it is said one senior accordionist convince her to give time and space, as it will bear the good fruit...
Andrei took a glance at the orchestra section. Semyon packed his bayan to the case. And he swear he could see that chubby redhead stared back at him, winking for a while before leaving the hall too.
===
Another month passed. Once again he went so nervous. His beloved now occupied the communal and always pampering him. He tried his best to also fulfil whatever she wants. Andrei always make sure each day is full of blessings. Just in case... just in case the misfortune will come to him again.
Sometimes during night, the memory appears as he embraced his sleeping wife. Every disgusting kisses from the past still creeping through his chest. His limbs sometimes twitched, want to attack every senses he remembered. But thanks to his arm numbed from the girl's head, he only inhaled deeply to calm down. And so, he will often imagining, how he won't hesitate to protect this girl from Maxim's touch too.
Finally out of curiosity, he secretly visit the City Hall... disguised as helping his wife to buy for groceries. He browse each soldier's name lists that still went missing on the right, or has finally declared as dead on the left.
...And what a bless. Laruskiy surname is on the left side.
Without looking back anymore, Andrei continued his journey to the store. Spending his money with finest meat and vegetables. He will cook the shashlik generously, with spices that his late mother ever wrote in a letter.
Maybe for now, Andrei felt grateful. To never throw away those letters. A secret rebellion he did when the past still manipulating him, told to forget everything about the mother. He already forgot how did he hid those... but he still find those inside his ballet shoebox.
Therefore, tomorrow is a lesson to cook a Sailor's Macaroni from Kamchatka. Just like what his mother ever wrote its recipe inside the envelope.