My daughter introduced me to this singer and pianist – Regina Spector. I never heard her or about her before, but it turned out that she’s pretty famous and popular.
What Mariya didn’t know was that exactly forty years ago I was madly in love with another pianist who looked very similar to Regina. They could be sisters. She was in Moscow, and I was in Egypt where I was practicing my English as a military linguist. When I got back to Moscow I married that girl, which as I found out later was a huge mistake.
A sad New Year eve story with a bright side to it. I ended up with several albums of Regina Spector in my iTunes now (courtesy of my daughter), and I like them.
P.S. An antisemitic commander of mine, Col. Afanasiev, who was then Head of Western Languages Dept, asked me when we met at a streetcar stop: “I hear you got married, Comrade Zima. Congratulations! I hope she’s not Jewish?” He said it so loudly, dozens of people waiting for the ride, turned their heads. I felt a little awkward but answered his question firmly: “No, comrade Colonel. She is not”.
Today, I am not so sure. Looking at Regina’s pictures and videos, I wonder if I told the truth to my commander…
Моя свекровь тоже не любила меня за национальность :). Но зато дочь, светлая блондинка с зелеными глазами, в которой только половина еврейской крови (даже чуть меньше) недавно с гордостью мне заявила: “… я же еврейка”. А “своему парню” заранее сообщила, что со мной трудно иметь дело, ведь я “настоящая еврейская мамаша” 🙂
Этот придурок Афанасьев, которого мы звали “Кабан”, просто следил за “чистотой рядов”. В ВИИЯ же готовили идеологических бойцов переднего фронта… Значит анкеты у всех должны быть без помарок.