a story by Ianka Trencheva - Bansko
I had my high school graduation with so much joy and happiness. And now there are such great expectations and children get all offended if something is not as they like it.
I am not sure if your grandma Trenche knew that there will be a graduation. I studied in Veligrad to become a teacher. Back then no one talked of these things at all. From a friend of mine, who studied in a different school I borrowed a dress, black dress with a white collar. The dress fit me, then I needed shoes too, she gave me a pair of black shoes – size 38, but I wore size 39. The landlord lady with a spoon sweated over trying to make the shoe fit me and I finally put both on. Filled in the shoes and could hardly move. Barely with two people holding me I got on the city bus.
The graduation was on the lake Kleptuza. I got off the bus and there others picked me up to help me walk to the restaurant. We walked in. I went to the cleaning ladies – at the time inside people walked with white soft shoes called slippers. I took my shoes off immediately, the feet had gotten swollen, they gave me these white slippers and I danced all night.
In the morning I knew the shoes would not fit no matter how much I tried. So I took them in one hand and walked out barefoot. There was no bus, all were walking home. There were many like me – I realized – with borrowed shoes.
