Virginia Slims and California Dreams, Part 3

Virginia Slims and California Dreams
Part 1 of 5
Copyright 1997 by drhumo@juno.com
Reproduced here with permission of author



	It was a beautiful summer afternoon when Alexsandr, Elena's
father, signed for the large box that had been delivered to their
apartment.  He couldn't make out any of the markings on the box other
than his daughter's name and address.  He assumed, however, that the
parcel had come from California.  

	A couple of months ago, after Elena had broken off with Pasha,
and after she had made friends with a girl from Canada, she had received
a blue envelope from America.  Her correspondent hadn't said very much
about himself, but he seemed very nice.  And his picture was that of a
young, good-looking man.  He had looked to Elena like a real American.

	There had been one paragraph that in that letter that struck
Elena as being the tiniest bit curious.  Michael had stated that he
drank, though not very much, and that he smoked (he didn't say how much).
 He sounds considerate about it, she thought--not like Pasha.

	Pasha had been Elena's boyfriend during her first year at the
University.  They had actually known each other for years, having grown
up in the same apartment complex.  Pasha had been nice enough at
first--when he wasn't drunk.  But toward the end of their relationship,
Pasha seemed to spend all of his time either acquiring or recovering from
a hangover.  Sasha smoked, whenever he could scrape up enough change to
buy some cigarettes.  And he always managed a way to get some vodka.

	One such occasion was a reception they had attended last year at
the Hotel Konstantinopl in her city.  It had been an elegant affair, and
she had been thrilled to be one of the few students invited.  She wore
her best outfit and looked forward to an enchanted evening.  The hotel,
newly constructed as a joint venture between the government and a Turkish
businessman, was the grandest place she had ever seen.

	Unfortunately, her date--Pasha--used the event merely as an
opportunity for free alcohol.  She had a glass of champagne and later a
cup of coffee.  Her Canadian friend had snapped that picture of her
radiating elegance in her short skirt.  Pasha, however, had been ejected
from the premises after getting into a fight with the maitre d'.

 	The photo with which Mike later fell in love had actually been
taken on Elena's last date with Pasha.  The reception had been in the
honor of Christina's father, a visiting professor.  

	Pasha's ejection from the festivities had not gone unnoticed, but
nobody seemed to dwell on it excessively.  Christina, however, realized
that Elena had been this cad's date, and wanted to make some attempt,
even in this strange environment, to make friends with Elena.

	She walked over, carrying a cigarette, and exhausted most of her
Russian vocabulary simply by saying hello.  Elena smiled, and wanted to
chat with the Canadian girl.  Christina asked, "can I sit with you?" 
Elena answered, "sure!"  The girls talked for a while, and managed to
start a friendship despite the language barrier.  When Christina took out
another cigarette, she offered one to her new friend.

	Elena hesitated a bit, and for a moment contemplated trying one
of Christina's Marlboros.  She had, however, never smoked, and ultimately
declined.  Christina responded, "well, that's good I guess.  These really
aren't very good for you."  She added with a slightly wicked laugh, "I
love them, though."

	As Christina lit her cigarette and left the open pack on the
table, Elena was fascinated.  She had always supposed that good girls
didn't smoke, but Christina was clearly one of the most friendly people
she had ever met.  The orange glow of the cigarette seemed to match the
lipstick stain on its filter.  As Christina tilted her head back and
exhaled through a smile, Elena noted how strangely elegant it appeared.

	For a moment, Elena even considered changing her mind and asking
for a cigarette.  Christina obviously enjoyed smoking, and Elena was more
than a bit curious to try it herself.  Her timidness won out, however,
and she was content merely to watch her friend savor her cigarette.
	
	Nothing more was said about smoking, but Elena took note of how
Christina radiated such Western elegance--especially when she exhaled a
blue cloud of smoke.  Before the two parted, Christina snapped a
photograph of her new friend, and the two exchanged addresses.

	Christina and Elena kept in touch over the next few months. 
Christina's Russian was non-existent, and Elena's English wasn't much
better.  But Elena remembered finding a friend when she needed one, and
admired the confidence that her Canadian friend somehow projected.


            -              -                    -

	When Elena arrived home from the University, a large box was
sitting on the floor near the entryway.  She immediately saw that it was
from Michael (to whom she had started referring as her "boyfriend in
California").  She immediately, but carefully, opened it.  At first, she
saw what seemed like dozens of boxes of different kinds of food.  Then,
she saw an envelope with her name typed on it.  Finally, she saw a large
red box tucked underneath some of the other packages.

	She ran to her bedroom to read the note.  Minutes later, she
returned to the main room to retrieve the red box.  She announced, "Mama,
Papa--this box is a present for me--I'll show you after I open it.  But
everything else here is for all of us."

	Dinner that night consisted of an odd assortment of crackers,
cookies, sausage, cheese, coffee, tea, and chocolate.  After dinner,
Elena put on a fashion show with her sweater, shoes, and perfume.  But
there was one present that she didn't know quite what to do with.  She
would decide tomorrow.  In the meantime, she put the carton of Virginia
Slims and the typewritten card in the back of her armoire behind some
boxes.

	Elena dreamed that night of California and of Michael. 

                 -            -            -

	That next morning, Elena awoke earlier than usual, before anyone
else in the house.  Her first thought was the sweater and shoes.  She
considered wearing them to school that day but thought better of it and
decided to save them for a more special occasion.  As she put on her
makeup, however, she did dab on some of the Channel No. 5 perfume which
Michael had sent her.  And for the first time, she closely examined the
cigarettes.  They were packaged in a large box, which she opened
carefully.  The large box contained ten smaller boxes, upon each of which
an elegant script proclaimed "Virginia Slims."

	She carefully peeled the cellophane off of one of the smaller
boxes.  As she opened the box, she caught a wonderful aroma.  These did
not smell anything like the cigarettes papa smoked or that Pasha had
smoked.  These had a cool, minty aroma that surprised and fascinated her.

	Next to the carton of cigarettes, Michael had packed a pink
cigarette lighter.  After a bit of experimentation, it produced a flame. 
With a little more practice, Elena was able to operate the lighter with
one hand.

	Elena wasn't sure just what she would do with so many cigarettes,
but she knew that she would try one that day.  

	Her California dreams from the night before, like most dreams,
had not been rich with detail.  These dreams were not like a drama that
had acts and scenes and things that happened.  Instead, they were the
kinds of dreams in which she had simply sensed the essence of things.  

	And the essence of all of her dreams had been beauty.  America
was beautiful--California was beautiful--Michael was beautiful--she was
beautiful.  She had always known that Michael had smoked, and she
realized that in her dreams--in which she had experienced his
essence--the fact that he had smoked was one his essential elements.  His
smoking blended with all she knew of his character to make him the man he
was.  Smoking was a part of his essence, and the essential Michael of
whom she had dreamed was the most beautiful man in the world.

	In those dreams of California, she had been the most beautiful
woman in the world--the beautiful woman with whom that beautiful man had
fallen in love.  And in her dreams she had seen everything that made the
essential Elena so beautiful.  Her love for Michael made her beautiful. 
Michael's love for her made her beautiful.  Everything about her essence
made her beautiful.

	And that morning, she remembered one more detail of her essence,
revealed to her in her dreams:  Just like her beloved Michael, she too
loved to smoke cigarettes.

	She reverently placed the opened package of cigarettes and the
lighter into her small purse.  She also changed her mind about this being
a special occasion.  She put on the lavender cashmere sweater, and the
same skirt she had worn last year to the Konstantinopl.  She put on her
new shoes and picked up her purse, knowing that it contained the special
gift from Michael.

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