#11 ~ 1973 ~ Decisions, decisions...

On a very warm bright, autumn afternoon we, Felix and I were walking in the park. He stopped, looked at me  and said: "I have a very important question to ask you." After a moment of silence he said that he is planning to leave Soviet Union and go to Israel or USA and if we are to stay together, I will have to come with him. I was in shock. I knew he was thinking about it, talked to a lot of people about it, but I had no idea that he was actually going to do it. So the decision I had to make: stay and live without him or go and leave my family, friends, life as I know it behind. It was just too much. I said that I cannot do it. And that was that...
I walked home by myself, crying, confused, scared. I don't remember if it was hours, days or weeks beeing without him. Nothing seemed real. My friends were trying to help me, but I could not tell them the real reason we broke up. I could not tell ANYONE the real reason.
I was home, tired and depressed, when Tanya, my roommate said:"He is here, Felix is here!" I turned around and here he was. He looked sad and exhausted. He simply said: "I would rather stay here with you than lose you. Forgive me." I was elated, ecstatic, overjoyed, in seventh heaven. Huge, enormous stone fell off my chest.
Life went on. We saw each other every day, I was going to school, he was working. We were busy. Still read letters from abroad, still listened to the BBC station.
 My Coach, Elena Vasilievna was talking to me about becoming her assistant. Life was good, or so it seemed at that time.
I would go home (city of Vinnitza) to visit my family several times a year. Since Kiev was the Capitol of Ukraine, there was a little better selection of food products in the stores. I could buy and bring with me some cheese, sometimes oranges or some kind of cake. My brother, Eduard was always happy when I came to visit.
In the winter of that year, we were walking, holding hands and Felix simply said:"It's time for us to get married." Just like that: no kneeling down, no ring, no big words or flowers. I did not say a word. But as everyone knows, silence is a sign of agreement. So in May we got married. Nobody approved of this marriage at first. My family were saying:"Where are you going to live? Why don't you wait until you finish College?" His Mom just was not happy with his choice.

Felix and Marina Davidovich are getting married in the City Hall, Kiev, Ukraine

Felix and Marina Davidovich are getting married in the City Hall, Kiev, Ukraine

But we did it anyway. We had only close friends and family present at the ceremony and a small reception.
After getting married, we still lived in separate apartments. But we spent every waking moment together: talking, planning, dreaming, laughing, enjoying each others company.