Concrete Jungle

Chapter 3

2 October 1986

Dearest Diary:

I think you deserve a name that isn't just a journal or diary. Something pretty like my mama's name. Should I call you Katya? I will have to think about that. I would like to tell you that you are beautiful and blue and new to me! Mama got me three journals of different colors because of how much she knows I love to write. I am in the first grade at school # 7 here in our beautiful city of Gomel. I started a month ago and have been learning so much. Autumn has come on slowly here, so the leaves haven't turned a different color yet. I love autumn so.

The other two journals that I received from mama are pink and yellow. But blue is my favorite color, so I decided to start writing in you first. My papa is a librarian, and mama works as an administrator at the same library. That is how they met. Isn't it romantic? I take solely after papa for writing. He writes different articles and even small books, but he can't really get published because he doesn't have the money, but we think that someday he can follow his dreams. My parents have been talking about America a lot. My aunt Nadya and uncle Vlad who is papa's younger brother moved to America in February of this year, and we miss them so much.

Mama is pregnant and should give birth in about a month or so. We think she may be having twins. She is big and round! I can't wait to be a big sister. I don't care if they are brothers or sisters or both. I will love them so much. I am tired of being an only child. It is so boring. I have some neighborhood friends, but they are still into dolls and don't understand how I can spend time writing. I will not spend too much time talking about them because they took up the last pages of my purple journal that I just finished before I started you, dearest Katya. Yes, I like that name for you. Mama will be honored when I am done with you, and maybe I will let her read a few chapters here. So welcome to my life, my wonderful journal! How many adventures we shall have together! I cannot wait! Bye for now.

Love, Sasha

4 October 1986

Dearest Katya:

I must tell you a secret. I know that sounds scary, but it is not. I had to write in you as soon as I got home because I met someone really nice and he is an adult and not a child, and we had a delightful conversation. Homework can wait, and my parents aren't home so I can get this out on paper. My school is very close to my home, and I just have to walk past the hospital in our district on the way home. So I never worry about walking alone.

So anyway, I was walking home from school, and there are these beautiful trees and flowers behind the hospital, so I was just humming to myself when from the second-floor window, someone called down to me.

"Hello, little girl." I turned my head and tilted it up, the window was open towards the outside, and a man was sitting there almost hidden in shadow though the light was on in his room. I could tell he was a patient in the hospital.

"Hello, mister," I said pointedly.

"What is your name?" He asked me kindly.

"Morozova, Alexandra Feodorovna. But everyone calls me Sasha."

"That is a very long name indeed, for such a little girl to pronounce. I like Sasha too." He smiled.

"Thank you. I am not that little, I am 6. What is your name, mister?"

"I apologize for my mistake, 6 is a great age. As for my name, it is very long if not longer than yours, but you can call me Vasya."

"Like the camel?" I giggled thinking of the famous Soviet comedy where there was a camel named Vasya. This Vasya, however, laughed along with me.