Mamun did come to my roof one day totalk to me but I wanted him to go away. I didntwant anyone to see us talking. As you know, inBangladesh rumors go around so fast. When wetalked, I saw deep love in his eyes. I always smiledat him; I didnt talk to him much. Still, life wasgoing on so wonderfully. Mamun never told me heloved me. I thought that was because, I was five orsix years younger than him.
Very soon, I found out that I and my familyare leaving Bangladesh and coming to Canada.
I was devastated. I cried all night but there wasnothing to do. When Mamun found out, he askedme on the roof, if it was true. When I said yes, heasked how long I would be in Canada. The answerwas maybe forever, and we were going to settle inCanada. He looked depressed, all he said was “oh”,then I told him our flight date.
The next month, it was Ramadan again.
Mamun came to say goodbye to me on the roof,and he was leaving to spend his Eid with hisfamily. That day, I was so sad.
I felt like I lost something veryimportant in my life. We saidgoodbye to each other. He saidhe thinks I am such a sweet girl,and he hopes I have a great lifein Canada. Oh my god, I couldnthold myself; I think my eyesbecame watery. I didnt want himto see that I was crying. I said “youtoo” and tried to smile and left theroof right away.
That was the last day I eversaw my first love. Now four yearslater, here I am in Canada. I havea guy in my life now, whom I amdeeply love with after Mamun. Inever lose him.
I am over Mamun now.
Everytime I remember thosedays, looking at each other on theroof, talking, I feel really down. Iwonder where he is now, and if wewill even meet again…But I willnever forget my first love.
幸运的礼服
圣诞节的时候我戴上了订婚戒指。我和男友交往已快一年,我们都感到是时候携手步入神圣的婚姻殿堂了。
我用一个月计划了我们将于六月份在阿拉巴马州举行的婚礼。我和母亲,连同两个姐姐前往最近的城市汉斯维尔的一些新娘服装店去挑选结婚礼服,这可是结婚至关重要的一个环节。
我们母女四个高高兴兴地开着愚蠢的玩笑。但是等到了下午气氛就变得严肃起来:仍然没有我梦想中的结婚礼服。我的两个姐姐都已经准备就此打道回府,改天再到其他的城镇去买,但是我迫使她们陪我再多看一家小店。
当我们进入这家满是新鲜花香的精致小店时,我有一种很好的预感。上年纪的店员让我们看了几件适合我穿的美丽的礼服,价格也都在我的预算之内,但是都不是我想要的。正当我打开店门准备离开之际,孤注一掷的店主喊道,在后面库里还有一套,最昂贵的,甚至不是我的尺码,但是也许我还是想看一眼。当她拿出来时,我欣喜地叫出声来,就是这一件了!
我冲进试衣间,穿上后,感觉它至少要大上两码,价格也比我预想的要高很多,我仍说服了母亲买下了它。这家店很小,连改衣服的服务都不提供,但是在激动之余,我确信能在家乡把它改好。
然而盲目的激动是无济于事的。礼拜一早上,当我们那儿的裁缝店告诉我礼服上手缝的珠子和饰片太多因而没法改动时我傻眼了。我打电话给那家服装店寻求建议,听到的却只是机器的自动应答。
一个朋友给了我镇上一个裁缝的电话,这个裁缝在家里做活儿。在绝望之余,我愿意进行任何尝试。于是我决定给她打个电话。
当我赶到她在郊区的简陋的白色房子里后,她仔细地端详了我的礼服,并让我穿上。她用别针将礼服的肩膀处和两侧别上,让我两天后来取衣服。她真是我祈祷的福音。
该去取衣服了,我却忐忑不安起来。我怎么这么愚蠢,将一件价值1200美元的礼服交到一个一点儿也不了解的人手里?如果她改坏了怎么办?我甚至不知道她会不会缝扣子。
还好我的担心都是多余的。礼服仍跟以前一样,不过现在我穿上正合适,仿佛它是为我量身订做的一样。我谢过那个高兴的女裁缝,并付了钱。
然而这只是解决了一个小问题,更大的问题在后面。情人节那天,未婚夫打来电话。
“桑迪,我决定了,我还没有对婚姻做好准备,”他宣布,语气一点也不温柔。“在成家之前,我要到各处走走,享受几年生活。”
他对取消所有婚礼的准备给我带来的麻烦表示完歉意后,很快离开了这个城镇。
我的世界崩塌了。我愤怒,心碎,不知道如何撑过去。然而随着日子一天天、一月月地流走,我还是熬过去了。
这个秋季的一天,在超市排队结账的时候,我听见有人叫我的名字。一扭头,看到那个女裁缝。她很有礼貌地问起我的婚礼,得知被取消时她十分吃惊,但随后认同未知的也许是最好的。
我再一次感谢她成功修改了我的结婚礼服,并向她保证,礼服被我完好地保存起来了,等待我穿上它挽着我真正的“白马王子”走上红地毯的一天。她眼睛里闪过亮光,开始跟我谈起她单身的儿子提姆。尽管我对重新约会没有兴趣,我还是听任她给我安排跟她儿子的约会。
我的婚礼最终成为现实,只不过是一年以后。站在提姆身旁,我终于穿上了我梦中的结婚礼服。在随后的十八年里,我们相亲相爱,相濡以沫。如果不是因为这件特殊的礼服,我们永远不会相遇。
Lucky Dress
I got an engagement ring for Christmas. My boyfriend andI had been dating for almost a year and both felt the time wasright to join our lives together in holy matrimony.
The month of January was spent planning our perfectAlabama June wedding. My mother, two sisters and I went toHuntsville, the closest town with aselection of bridal shops, to buy thegown that would play the leadingrole on my special occasion.
We had a wonderful time justbeing together and sharing silly jokes,but the day soon turned serious byafternoon: still no sign of the dress ofmy dreams. Both sisters were readyto give up and try another day inanother town, but I coerced theminto one more boutique.
I had a good feeling as weentered the quaint little shop filledwith the scent of fresh flowers. Theelderly clerk showed us severalbeautiful gowns in my size and theprice range, but none were right.
As I opened the door to leave, thedesperate shop owner announced shehad one more dress in the back thatwas expensive and not even my size,but perhaps I might want to look atit anyway. When she brought it out,I squealed in delight. This was it!
I rushed to the dressing roomand slipped it on. Even though it wasat least two sizes too large and morecostly than I had anticipated, I talkedMom into buying it. The shop wassmall, so it didnt offer alterations,but my excitement assured me Iwould be able to get it resized in myhometown.
Excitement wasnt enough. OnMonday morning, my world crumbled when thelocal sewing shop informed me the dress simplycould not be altered because of numerous hand-sewn pearls and sequins on the bodice. I calledthe boutique for suggestions but only got theiranswering machine.
A friend gave me the number of a lady acrosstown who worked at home doing alterations. Iwas desperate and willing to try anything, so Idecided to give her a call.
When I arrived at her modest white house onthe outskirts of town, she carefully inspected mydress and asked me to try it on. She put a handfulof pins into the shoulders and sides of my gownand told me to pick it up in two days. She was theanswer to my prayers.
When the time came to pick it up, however,I grew skeptical. How could I have been sofoolish as to just leave a $1, 200 wedding dress inthe hands of someone I barely knew?
What if she made a mess out of it? Ihad no idea if she could even sew on abutton.
Thank goodness my fears wereall for naught. The dress still lookedexactly the same, but it now fit as ifit had been made especially for me. Ithanked the cheerful lady and paid hermodest fee.
One small problem solved just intime for a bigger one to emerge. OnValentines Day, my fiance called.
“Sandy, Ive come to the decisionthat Im not ready to get married,” heannounced, none too gently. “I wantto travel and experience life for a fewyears before settling down.”
He apologized for the inconvenienceof leaving all the wedding cancellationsto me and then quickly left town.
My world turned upside down.
I was angry and heartbroken and hadno idea how to recover. But days flewinto weeks and weeks blended intomonths. I survived.