Lisa was afraid to let Alexander be more than a friend. Of course, she was not the star of the screen, the society lady. She was a very ordinary woman. She felt she should not suddenly decide that he was genuinely attached to her.
Coming back to her host family, Lisa took her earphones and started to listen to Schiller’s music. The following song fit her mood perfectly:
I just kept breathing
hidin' my tears
I waited for you
all the years
And I'm tired of pretending
I'm tired of fighting on my own
42
Alexander and Lisa made arrangements to meet on a Saturday evening. He picked her up and they cordially greeted each other. Then he opened the door and she got in. They were silent a good portion of the time and only the roar of the engine could be heard. He reached for her hand and placed it on the gear shift. They laughed as they cruised through the neighborhoods together.
“That’s how you shift gears,” he said.
“Now I know how to drive a car!” Lisa exclaimed.
His hand was resting on top of hers as they sat at a red light. When the light turned green, he drove on. The moment grew silent once more. She felt compelled to hold another conversation.
“I was born blonde, you know. But then I became wiser and my hair became darker,” Lisa said with a laugh.
“I was born blonde as well,” Alexander said. “But the more money I earned, the darker my hair became.” Lisa giggled.
“It is so good to be a pretty girl. One smile and the whole world lies at your feet,” Alexander said.
“No, it’s not,” Lisa said.
She grew quiet. Her life was never easy. Lisa never told Alexander how badly she was treated by her host family, working for peanuts.
“Tell me, Lisa, what do you like in men?” he suddendly asked, continuing to drive.
“You know, I once contemplated what I would like in a man.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a smile spread across his face. “Really? And what might that be?”
“Well, first of all, he should be older than me.”
“Hmm… go on.”
“Second, I like muscles. Lots of muscles,” she said and grinned.
“I see…” His calm voice was music to her ears. “I’m intrigued to hear more, my dear.”
She giggled, keeping her hand tightly on the gear shift. “Third, I like smart people.”
He snickered. “So, in other words, I’m your Mr. Right?”
She laughed. He was flirting, that was evident to her. He parked and they got out of the car. She looked down at her attire, noting that it was the perfect outfit for the occasion. Her blue blouse perfectly suited her blue eyes.
He held out his hand and she grabbed it. They walked hand in hand until they reached a clearing in the trees. They laid down in the grass and stared ahead, looking at a majestic building.
As if it were a perfectly planned final touch, Alexander reached to turn on the radio and try his luck with whatever was on the air. What came over the airwaves was one of Lisa’s favorite songs by Schiller, owed to its profoundly romantic lyrics:
But I have one request
And if you don't think it's senseless
Let me give you something else
Let me love you
Let me love you
Free of all rituals, nothing habitual
Something you can sink your teeth into
Lisa closed her eyes. Listening to the song, her heart began to pound. She looked into Alexander’s whisky-colored eyes and felt lost. Soon they got back in the car and he began driving somewhere else.
“Close your eyes,” Alexander whispered. Lisa obeyed and suddenly he lifted her into his arms and carried her.
When they got to the middle of the road, Alexander covered Lisa’s face with a scarf and then went on. After some minutes, Alexander led Lisa onward.
“Now you can open your eyes,” he said.
When Lisa opened her eyes, she was speechless. She was standing at the topmost floor of a building.
“The reason I brought you here is to see the moon rise,” he said.
Lisa found herself in a beautiful house directly on the bank of a river. The house was still under construction. The moon and the stars reflected off the water, creating a magical atmosphere. Lisa was so excited and could not believe her eyes.
“It’s so beautiful here, Alexander,” she said. Her heart was beating faster with every passing second.
“I’m currently building these houses. I purchased this piece of land at a bargain and decided to build a few houses for renting.”
“That’s a great idea!” Lisa said.
“A dream house. It would be nice to live here with our kids,” Alexander said.
In this abandoned place on the bank of the river, an isolated line of houses was built. His little yacht stood near the house.
“Come on board, my lady,” he said, stretching his hand out to Lisa.
“Ok, Captain Alexander.”
Heaven was full of stars that evening. Alexander brought some life jackets and suggested they swim.
“Isn’t it too cold?” she asked.
“No, I promise.”
Afterward, they drank whiskey with cola and listened to
some romantic music on his yacht. His charming hazel eyes, the rays of warm moonlight, the gentle lapping of the waves, the breeze blowing through her dress, it all made her heart melt. All of her emotions were saturated with sensual impulses and the beauty of the surrounding landscape.
The beach was a backdrop for the blue sea stretching all the way to the horizon, the albescent yachts, golden beaches and the branches of plants, leaning over the water.
Lisa was so tired, that she wanted to fell asleep directly on the little yacht. But she had to return to her host family.
“Alexander, could you please drive me to my host family”, - she asked.
“Yes, Lisa”.
“Thank”.
Lisa fell asleep when she returned to her host family. She immideately fell asleep.
Golden rays of the morning sun and a magically pink sunrise met her in the morning. She listened to music of Schiller:
before the dawn and after sunset
i am lost
i am lost
but then i feel you through
the darkness
and i am found
oh i am found
the sun will rise
She felt refreshed and she was thinking about Alexander. But she had to get back to her duties.
43
The host family always seemed interested in Lisa's future plans. On the second day, she was asked if she had bought a return ticket. She answered that she had not saved up enough money for a return ticket.
“Book your return flight quickly. Otherwise, it will be too expensive,” they advised. Of course, Lisa was sving money for her return ticket.
Another time, she was asked what she planned to do.
“I would like to continue my studies,” she answered. She had become interested in attending University. One of her friends had received a scholarship to study at a prestigious University and she was considering the possibility.