See the story "The Choice" of Kristin Dimitrova, on which the seventh graders worked on the exam for external assessment in Bulgarian language and literature today. Dimitrova is a writer and poet, the mother of music artist Papi Hans. 7th graders had to write a detailed retelling on behalf of a neutral narrator. The work was written by Kristin Dimitrova especially for the exam.
This was revealed by BNT.
"THE CHOICE", story by Kristin Dimitrova
Tanya and I were coming home from school. It was a sunny day, too warm even for April. Summer was in the air. A whole year had passed since I came to study in this class, but I was still passing for the "new". When I first entered my future classmates, only Tanya invited me to sit next to her. We've been best friends ever since.
- Kalina - she asked me at one point, - do you want to visit us at the villa during the vacation? Well, it's not exactly a cottage, it's my grandparents' country house, but it feels like a cottage. There is a river nearby and it even becomes a beach.
He looked at me with concern. She wasn't sure how much I liked the invitation ù. I really liked it, but I couldn't help it. It was necessary to ù I refused, repeating what the whole class already knew about me.
- I can't, Tanichka. You know I'm going to Italy during the holidays, don't you? My mother has already sent me the ticket. I can't wait to see her too, except that I can't stand the new ù husband there. What if there are so many hotels? This does not mean that everyone should indulge his whims.
Tanya looked at me with incomprehension. What else did I want from this guy? I knew that compared to the stories I was telling, the other people's parents seemed awfully ordinary. Mothers were frying meatballs, and fathers were fixing something on Saturdays and Sundays. But a person chooses himself whether to be ordinary or not.
However, at the end of the street, where we had to part ways, Tanya stopped. He paced from foot to foot as if he had something important to say to me, but he didn't know where to start.
- Kalina, I want to ask you something - she was afraid at the end.
- My brother is a student, but he has to work during the holidays. Can your mother get him a job in one of your hotels in Italy? He will not regret it, he is very diligent. It's been pretty hard at home since dad started going to the hospitals.
I panicked. I pursed my lips so it wouldn't show. I said I would ask, but not to expect miracles. I saw how the look ù went out. She had hoped for more support from me.
At home I found my grandmother sewing sheets. Apparently she had received a new order and the machine was rattling under the skillful ù fingers. Without taking her eyes off the needle, grandmother sent me to prepare the table for lunch.
The kitchen smelled of my favorite potato stew, but I guessed by the smell. I arranged the plates, sliced bread and covered my face over the table. When Grandma appeared at the door, I rushed to her side and locked myself in the bedroom. I threw myself on the bed and cried.
- Kalinche, what happened?
Grandma's rough hand caressed my head. Through tears ù i told how my best friend at school begs my mom to give my brother a job ù in one of their hotels.
- In one of her hotels?
- Yes - I confirmed.
I felt myself blushing to the tips of my ears. Grandma shook her head.
- Well - she finally said, - now you have to decide for yourself what you prefer to keep: the lie or your girlfriend.
I didn't eat anything until the evening. The other day during recess I pulled Tanya aside and ù I said:
- Tanya, my mother has neither husband nor hotels in Italy. A maid is there. But she did send me a ticket. I'm going to ù I help. In the summer, hotels are looking for more staff. Already ù I wrote. They will also take your brother.
Tanya was so puzzled that she almost didn't hear the good news.
- But why have you lied to me so far?
- I was afraid that I was new in the class and no one would pay attention to me.
- What a wildness! - she said and hugged me. We held hands and that's how we entered class.