Time Is A River

Chapter 4

"Is it an important letter?" Kolya asked his mother. She gave him no answer, even her always emotional and telling face wasn't giving a certain answer to his question.

"Have you already read it?" He asked then. The eyes of his mother were finally saying something, but it was not the answer that he was hoping for.

"Why do you read my letters? They are mine!" He said a bit angry.

"You know, as long as you live in my house, then nothing is from you! I care for you from your birth! I cook your food! I wash your clothes! And the only thing you do is saying that I am not allowed to touch your stuff!" She shouted annoyed. "You know, if you don't want that I touch your stuff anymore, you can go to that place you want! Leaving your mother alone here!"

Kolya was a bit overwhelmed by the reaction of his mother but accepted her words. Then something came on his mind.

"What do you mean with: 'you can go to that place you want'?" He asked.

"Just read the letter." His mother simply said.

He looked at the envelop laying on the table in the kitchen. It was a bit wrinkly, it looked like it came from somewhere far away. He took the envelop from it's place and looked closer. He looked at the stamps. There were four. They had each bright colors and had pictures on it that he didn't recognize. He looked closer: the postmark told him that the letter was sent almost 6 days ago and... He looked closer. It was sent from Venice!

Venice? Venice in Italy? He thought.

He looked behind he shoulder to his mother who still sitting in the dining table and waiting for her son to read the letter where she was very upset about.

Kolya looked for a split second to the postmark. He never said that he wanted to go to Italy.

Finally, he opened the envelop. The letter wasn't handwritten, by typed and looked very official. It contained the next words:

Dear Nikolaj Fyodorovich Petrov,

your earlier sent request has been approved by the headmaster of our school. With pleasure I can assure you that you can attend our school at the beginning of our new schoolyear.

Your new living address is arranged. The schoolbooks have been ordered too. They are expected to be delivered at you new address on the day before the first day of the new schoolyear.

We can also ensure you about your visum for the United States for the coming ten months. Your planeticket is due to be delivered at your current address two days after you got this letter. Hopefully we'll see you at the opening of our new schoolyear, since it's the first time our school will have an European exchange student!

Gregory Joseph - Head of the Exchanging Programm at Venice High School

Kolya had to read the letter twice before he was getting what he was reading. An exchanging programm? He didn't sent a request to that school as far he could remember.

"Mama, there's something wrong, I think?" He said to his mother.

"I understand what it is: you wanted to go to USA to study and didn't tell me a single bit about this whole programm. Then you secretly sent a letter to that school and got accepted." She said quite calmly. 

"But the thing is that I didn't sent a letter."

"Not?" Her eyes were saying that she was suprised and relieved.

"No, mama," Kolya said. "I didn't."

"So you're not going to leave me alone?" He had never seen her so relieved before. Her eyes were glittering.

"Well, if this is real I think I have to go, but..."

"Why?" His mother interrupted him.

"You got only one chance in life to do something great with your life and if that chance appears you HAVE to take it!" Kolya said wisely.

"There is a big chance that this is a joke, Kolya."

"That why I said: 'if this is real'." He said and in his heart he hoped that it was real. He didn't know anybody who visited countries that were futher away than Poland or Sweden.

"Just wait." His mother said and he nodded.

And they waited. Two days later a planeticket was delivered in an envelop at their address.