Thursday, October 22, 1998

I am awakened by Edward at 7: 10 am. He leaves as is his norm, and I bathe for the first time in days. I eat my second to last breakfast of tomatoes, hot milk and honey, and fried meat patties dipped in egg/flour. I start pre-packing my bag, and take my special gift bags for Edward and the Advance International Studies party end of the day.

I leave around 9: 00 am and head off to find their garden plot. I want to get a small soil sample in a plastic baggy. I don’t have much time because I must be at the clinic by 9: 30 am. I get all turned around on the edge of the apartment rows, can’t find the dirt path to the woods, give up after ten minutes of searching, and head to the clinic.

Clinic Visit Number Three

Oxana greets me. I am alone today with no one to translate for me, but she and I both know the routine by now. I see the doctor who conducts one more heat probe therapy treatment, this time on my chest because she still does not like my cough. She looks at the red lamp burns on my chest and back, and decides I have had enough of this. Thank God! I did one more heat breathing treatment through my mouth and nose, and did better today – less uncontrolled coughing. She gives me a little bottle containing spirits for my inflamed ears.

As I leave, I try again to pay Oxana and the clinic for these treatments. She refuses. I try one last time, and get nowhere. I give her an unexpected good bye hug, and leave. As I walk away, I decide I will disobey and leave $40 US in an envelope with Edward for her.

I walk to school in the morning cold. It is not so windy today, but it is overcast again. I estimate I have had three sunny days since I have been here. I arrive at school and head to the coat room as usual. The friendly geography teacher is there, and we say hello. Lyudmila stops by and asks how I am doing. I tell her I am doing better, but now my left ear is hurting.

My Lesson

She leads me to Edward’s German class. I sit in the back and catch my breath with some hot tea. I work on my lesson plan for the Advanced class. Time to go, and Edward leads me upstairs. The classroom is slowly filling up with both classes of students. Edward already has a video camera set up for a souvenir copy for us.

I begin by showing this journal, and they are amazed I have written so much! I stress to them the importance of writing. Next I do my vocabulary key assignment sheet. I only do the first two keys, and use the board to make the columns and ask them to help me fill it in. They are at first shy about speaking their English with me, but soon warm up to my interactive teaching style. They are not used to thinking something through together as a group for any length of time, it seems.

After the vocabulary keys, I move on to teaching about the Five Themes of Geography. I use the board to write examples, and then I show a few of my students’ mobiles depicting the Five Themes. Next, I get out one of my blow up globes and teach them the “toss the globe” game.

The students seem excited that I am teaching them. Kamila, Lyudmila, and Natasha observe me too, with Galina quietly translating for them. The reporter from the rival newspaper is there too, and she shows me an advanced copy of the day’s paper that has me and Edward on stage at the first student assembly. The questions and answers from the students that day fill almost an entire page. She has written personal notes on the margin. She tells me that another large story will appear Friday, the same day I leave town.

A planned translation session with Edward and the reporter falls through, and Lyudmila takes me and the reporter to lunch. We have borscht, coleslaw, mixed beet-potato-carrot-onion salad, noodles and meat in a milk broth, and bread.

Final Teacher Reception

Finally it is time to go to the English teacher reception. We go upstairs and find that all the desks have been pushed back, and a large table dominates decorated with plates of food – stuffed tomatoes, sliced cheese and sausage, beets, cabbage, and assorted other appetizers. I am not the least bit hungry, of course, having just finished a large lunch. We do cognac toasts to our respective countries, schools, and health.

Edward is not present, however. He is teaching his Polish class. An English teacher I had not met before is there, and she approaches me with 100 photos she got from a teacher exchange to Washington, DC four years earlier. Altogether, I regret that Edward is not with me – I am the only male with seven women, but they all are gracious with me and treat me grandly, and besides, wouldn’t most men want to have this kind of attention?

We have a pleasant time just chatting, until Kamila presents a letter from her to my principal, Dr. John Woollums. Things get emotional and teary eyed when I make an impromptu thank-you speech, translated by Galina. Next, come their presents for me, many of them made by the students at the school: a picture, a candlestick holder, a bird whistle, and other small student crafts. The grand present is a huge embroidered wall drapery hanging with splendidly colorful flower motifs.

Finally Edward arrives and we take a few group photos. Then it is time to say goodbye for good. I give hugs all around. Kamila and Lyudmila cannot hide their tears, nor can I. So did Natasha, the one I knew the least. She openly wept. Nina had tears, as did Lena. It is truly a touching moment I will always remember.

The International Party

Then it is back to Edward’s room. Galina and I, then just I, wait while the students in the International Club finish preparing the party below. Finally around 4: 30 pm they come and get me. When I enter the narrow club room, it is lined with seventh and eighth grade students sitting in little chairs. Behind the right side row are piles of cookies, chocolates, and two large home baked cakes by the girls. I spy a banana-date torte, and a very moist looking chocolate coconut cake with “Arizona” spelled on it! At the far end of the room sits the German bus driver I met earlier in the week. Galina is there, and Edward is videotaping my entrance.

The kids are absolutely giddy with excitement! Edward announces that we are gathered together to answer some final questions from the students, to eat in fellowship, and to say our final goodbyes. So I spend the next half hour answering questions of all kinds. Then it is time to eat, and of course each girl wants me to eat her cake, so I am wise like Solomon and have a piece of each. I get a piece with some of the Arizona letters. Both girls beam with delight. We stand around in conversation circles and chat, until I make an announcement that sends the party in an unexpected direction.

I announce I have gifts for them too, and especially for Edward, their great teacher! I play Santa with my gift bag. I pull out all sorts of Halloween items (Halloween is not a custom normally practiced in Ukraine, but they know of it, and are fascinated by it.) I give them bags of candy, window stickers, and two USA decorated boxes full of plastic spiders and trick-or-treat bags. I also hand out Christmas stamps, mining caps, Arizona t-shirts, and other t-shirts with Arizona or US references.

Edward’s Turn

Now it’s Edward’s turn. I ask him to take a chair of honor in the middle of the room. I have to literally pull him away from the video camera. Much embarrassed, he reluctantly cooperates. In order, this is what I give him, and in no way does it even come close to a big enough thank you for all he did to make my visit a lifetime memory: a world flag t-shirt; three silk ties; (Halloween jack-o-lantern, Santa Claus, and school symbols); a map of the Southwest US; a Russia map; a Grand Canyon music and sounds cassette tape; a globe; pens and pencils from my school district and the University of Arizona; an Arizona flag pin; a 75^th Anniversary pin of the UA; a computer mouse pad; and three silver coins from the Cypress Copper mine in Arizona where my new father-in-law Joe once worked. My final gift is a sterling silver saguaro cactus pendant.

Edward gradually gets buried by all these gifts in his lap. I top off it all off with an Arizona copper mine baseball cap! The students take pictures to commemorate the event. Edward is not sure how to take all this attention from us all, and actually looks a little uncomfortable, but he is a good sport about it.

Lights Out!

Edward takes one last picture of the entire group, and then one with just me and the students. Just as we finish, the lights in the school go out! It is around 6: 00 pm, and here we are in an almost darkened room and hallways, lit only by the faintest glow of twilight through the windows and the red glow of emergency lights and hallway clocks. The kids all say in unison, “Ohhhhh! ” Edward directs everyone to quickly start gathering and cleaning up. We kind of stumble around collecting up cake pans, dirty plates, silverware, snack baskets, presents, tea cups, and much more, and take upstairs to wash and clean up. Everyone pitches in, and up and down the stairs we go.

Juliette, the Dog, Says Goodbye Too

Just as we finishing up, the lights come back on. On one of the last trips, Juliette, the school dog, comes and curls around my leg. I had seen Juliette hanging around the front door of the school when I first arrived, and everyone told me to be careful because she didn’t like men. But from the very first day, and almost every other time I came to school, Juliette would greet me with wagging tail, soulful sad eyes, and curl around my leg. She always let me pat and scratch her head and ears. Everyone was amazed.

Well, here she is again, curling up to say her final goodbye too! I start to weep in spite of myself, and a shiver comes over me as I have a weird thought. Is this somehow my dad, who passed away unexpectedly the year before? The day I lit the candle at the Catholic Church, I prayed for my dad, and to let him know I had made it to Ukraine, something he never lived to see happen. It is a mystical experience I cannot explain.

Galina and I are told to stay out of Edward’s room. His students decide they cannot wait until Halloween, and want to divide up all the loot I gave them, NOW! So Galina and I go to her room to wait them out. We chat and she tells me how impressed she is with my teaching style, and that she learned some new techniques from me. I give her a copper horned toad pendant as a parting gift. I tell her that along with Edward, she is a key person and leader on her school staff, and that I appreciated her escorting me around and filling in for Edward several times. We say goodbye to each other with a tearful hug.

We go back downstairs to Edward’s room, but they are still not ready for us. Finally the door opens, and we go inside. They are all standing exultant with their individual pile of goodies. Some are already blowing their whistles. We finish cleaning up, and say our MORE goodbyes.

One Last Time

Finally, it’s just me and Edward as the final sounds of them departing the school fade away. He gives me a video copy of all my school activities – the full staff meeting, the concert, even our party today! So that’s where he’s been all this time. What a keepsake, what a great thing for him to do! It is a priceless gift, and I tell him so with great appreciation.

We get our coats, and leave the school, and for me, it is for the last time! I descend the steps and give one look back. For the last time, I walk the long side walk to the willow-lined street near Galina’s and Tanya’s apartment towers. I think of that long evening getting to know them and their daughters. The willow trees are totally naked now – no more autumn glory. One last time, I turn the corner where the goats daily graze, tethered to their stakes on the commons. One last time, I turn down the main side road that parallels the garages and white irregular wall of the military base. Here, protected by the tall apartment towers on the right, short chestnut trees still cling to their yellow leaves. But their taller cousins stand bare to the evening wind.

One last time, we cross the main highway that makes its way to Kyiv at the light. One final walk through the tiny market place at the bus stop where cigarettes, produce, dried fish, flowers, and other sundries are sold from canvas stalls. One last time, past the beer cart that sells the same beer I tasted at the brewery in what seems like 100 years ago. One last time, we trudge up the muddy incline to his apartment tower road. One last time, we turn left, then right, up the pitted asphalt walkway to his own tower, third one on the left – the very same walkway Edward and I pulled my luggage that first night in the rain two weeks ago.

One last time, Edward holds the lobby door for me, and I plod up the two flights of stairs in the dark, and stand aside to let him use his key. One last time, we remove our muddy street shoes, hang up our coats, and put on the house slippers. One last time, I greet his mom, “Halloo! ” One last time, I plop my shoulder bag on the small table by the bedroom door. I stand in the bedroom remembering my illness and the quiet conversations we had that memorable evening.

The Last Supper

Edward soon comes and reports that it is time to sit for the special last meal his mom has prepared. So I come, and we all sit facing each other. As usual I am not hungry, and they know it, but I cannot let it show, this one last time.

Besides the usual stuffed tomatoes, I have my first pickles (my wish came true), and the main entré e is boiled small potatoes, Valentina’s special dumplings, and oven roasted meat glazed with gravy – a most excellent meal! It is the best meal I have eaten in two weeks, and I eat three helpings, but leave one tiny morsel. I have learned the hard way, and way too late, that if I completely clean my plate in Ukraine, it means I am still hungry! Maybe I was ill longer than I thought, and my appetite is finally returning to normal. Valentina always watches me intently as I eat, and this time when I look up, she is smiling ear to ear with satisfaction.

We start the meal with “mama’s vodka” and a grand toast. I defer to Edward this time. He says that it is his family tradition no one mentions the word “goodbye, ” but just clinks glasses in silence. I nod in understanding, oblige, and down my shot in one gulp. I tell them how thankful I am for all they did for me and for making feel so at home. Valentina nods approvingly. I detect the tiniest hint of tears in her eyes, and I admit they are in my eyes too. Edward’s eyes also have a sheen. We eat some chocolates and I finish my milk-honey brew for good measure.

I go and get my parting gift for Valentina – the beautiful Arizona scarf, and she in turn gives me a bottle of her home made vodka. We are both pleased with the special meaning each gift provides the other.

Final Packing

Then it is time to finish my final packing. Edward and Valentina help me. I put all my most fragile items in my carry on bag, the rest get salted away among the clothes. I am not happy with my large soft-sided bag, but I figure I can repack later at the hotel in Kyiv and make it firmer. We pack until nearly 10: 00 pm. Then I finish my final hot milk-honey drink, and say my final goodnights. We need to be ready for pick up by Edward’s father at 4: 00 am for the 6: 15 am bus ride to Kyiv.

Before I lie down, I write three thank-you notes: one for Oxana with $40 US and a silver coin; one for Lena and a silver coin – I realize I had failed to give her a gift when I visited her classroom; and one for Edward and Valentina. In the envelope I insert my classroom demonstration US currency totaling $186, and hide it in their wall cabinet among the spare toiletries I used. I assume that they will be totally annoyed with me (or worse) to find this money (worth about six months salary) after I am long gone, but I phrase my gift as “use it to get your computer shipped from Kyiv, or spell you until you get paid, or use as classroom demonstration money with the students like I did.” Oh well, it’s the least I can do for all they have done for me! They will just have to deal with it, and I hope they can accept it with my good faith intentions.

I finally lie down, and I actually have the best sleep I have had in about a week.