Mariia Vaino
translated from Ukrainian into English – Kvitoslava Tesliuk
I love you, Ed!”
(short story)
– Are you free?
– Yes.
– To Khreshchatyk, please.
– As you say.
A nice fat man wiped sweat, he obviously was in a hurry. Taxi moved. The driver glanced furtively at the passenger and switched on the tape recorder, not the radio, as usual. Something made a scratchy noise inside of the cassette, but in a moment … “Cheremshyna” … it not just a sounded, but very easily flowed involuntarily through the mood of the day…
He was not prepared for such a revelation …he has not prepared his heart for this. He cried … an emigrant from the land where people sing such songs… But in such emotional way? … He has never felt so before … He felt he was confessed … by that voice.
– What is her name? – Asked casually in English.
– Casey.
– How? ..
– Kvitka Cisyk , Ukrainian emigres…
They understood each other…they were both speaking the same language – Ukrainian.
As Alex had a far, native land, but now there was her voice … and its grounding …
– My name is Max.
– And I am Igor. – blurted taxi driver.
– I want to know everything about her … – he was bogging on the car seat, wiping his wet face and then, unexpectedly even to himself, said: – I want to do something for her. For my lost heart… Читати далі…

Mariia Vaino

translated from Ukrainian into English- Martha Kuchar

Françoise
(fragment of movie-essay)

Ring Latch

“Annie’s son Dmitry has again brought her bread and milk. They say he’s feeble-minded but he’s kind-hearted and loving like a child,” yelled Olena.
“When it comes to love, he takes after his unwed mother,” declared the neighbor across the street pottering about in her flowerbeds. Читати далі…