Bark River

A House Near The River In Riga (Part Two)

 

 

Victoria’s house in fact at one point had been two houses which had been joined and was now separated in to two sections with one being occupied by Victoria, herself and her 92 year old “babushka” while the other was reserved for her parents. It being in this part of the house where the toilet was which in fact was not what one could really call a latrine but a place to sit which in fact did not have running water; as it was a hole leading to a cesspool.

 

As for the rest of the house, it looked relatively normal though perhaps slightly un kept and messy given how cluttered it was with things ranging from clothes and musical instruments laying all over the place. This specially applying to Victoria’s room in which she kept a piano, several sofas, her computer as well as other items which made the room look most untidy indeed. As for Victoria’s grandmother, her room was right next to Victoria’s and in fact required her to go through Victoria’s room when ever she wished to go anywhere in the apartment.

 

Another thing about Victoria’s house which I noticed during my first night was that in order to heat the place, one was required to burn pieces of wood (which they kept stored in large quantities in a room between her parents’ bedroom and the only toilet in the house) in a stove. There in fact being one in each part of the house. As for the shower, I would also discover that the same held true when it came to getting hot water for this purpose as water needed to be heated with the assistance of burning wood which in turn made it possible for one to take warm showers.

 

Naturally, given that the night had arrived and I had just arrived from Warsaw, Victoria and I decided not to go out but spend our first evening at home while enjoying each other’s society in getting to know one another; as well as cherishing the first encounters of our lips as they engaged in the act of kissing. It also being on my first night in Riga that Victoria and I, to a certain consummated all the chatting we had done on Skype of how our bodies would meet in acts of carnality which in fact continued in the form of four times a day for the next month.

 

The following day arrived, after having spent my first night in Riga and it was then that I really got a good look at the house; I was going to be staying in. It in fact being as close as two meters or perhaps a little more to the river which ran across the city of Riga. As for the house, it seemed to have been made from all the junk which had been thrown away from other houses in the way of doors which were no longer useful along with things of that nature.

 

As for the property, it was also interesting with another house being on it which was even less livable than the first. Many things stood out in my mind about this house near the river, one of them being the amount of used and almost useless cars on the property which numbered 5, one of them even being a Mercedes.

 

Another thing which caught my eye was the many fruit trees which grew on the land owned by Victoria’s parents, some of them growing apples while the others grew pears yet it was obvious from the fruit that lay on the ground; that there was nobody to pick it off the trees. This even creating a situation which left a lot of rotted fruit on the ground which one could step on or perhaps worse yet which did give off an unpleasant smell. Looking back, I can honestly say that the place looked like a small village. As it had two houses, neither them particularly big or small for that matter along with a room, the purpose of which I never did find out and the many automobiles which simply stood there and naturally to complete the scene there was a dog by the name of “Charlie”; who in fact was a stray who had one day decided to stay.

 

It was also on this day which was my first full day in Riga that Victoria and I went shopping yet unlike the day before we did not take the car but walked to the bus stop. It in fact not being so far from the main road on foot yet there was a slight problem. One had to cross a bridge over a river, the sight which was even scary. It being a bridge which was made out of wood with parts which gave it a makeshift appearance about it yet it was not so much this factor that made it unsafe; as much as the fact that it did not have a rail on both sides where one could hold on to. This added to its surface being not entirely flat but rather lopsided, apart from its getting slippery when the rains came which made it a real danger to cross yet to get to the main road; the choices were limited to this bridge or the long way.

 

Of course, as with most things in life, one can get used to much. As I did to this house and it was during the next weeks that Victoria and I started enjoying our relationship that included a very active romantic life as well as going out. Victoria and I, often going to a place in Riga’s old told called “Madhouse” as well as other places; where we just felt glad to be together as a couple even if my age toped hers by 23 years.

 

Many experiences, did I have in this house in Riga yet perhaps the first one occurred when I went in to town by myself and got back home not very late but past ten in the evening. I remember getting off at the wrong bus stop and looking around for the bridge which I started thinking that perhaps somebody had moved it. Naturally, with not many people around this area, there was nobody I could ask and though I did encounter two people who tried to give me directions; I was still lost and was it ever clear that I was.

 

Good fortune however came my way when a car with a family in it saw the idiot American, who clearly knew not where he wondered to which made them stop to ask if they could assist. It was then that I got to use my Russian which though not my strongest language did suffice to ask these kind people if they could lend me their mobile phone so I might call Victoria and she might tell me how to get home. I for my part thought about doing this but since I had a Polish number, I needed to have money on my account just to receive a call let alone make one and the fact was I had run out of credit on my phone card. It was with true kindness and consideration that these people allowed me to use their phone to call Victoria, who then asked the driver of the car which had stopped to help me if he could drive me to the next bus stop which he did much to my gratitude. This man even having the common decency to light the bridge with his headlights while I crossed it.

 

During my stay, I must also say that I took a liking to Victoria’s dog “Charlie” who eventually moved in to the same room in which Victoria and I slept in. This making the house seem a lot friendlier with this silly pet around all the time. Charlie however one night started barking for some reason which neither Victoria nor I, first understood or could see yet he kept running around the house and wanting to go to the other end of the house. We did hear noises yet saw nothing though at first we did think perhaps it might be burglars which led us to check out the other side of the house where the toilet was and saw nothing suspicious.

 

The following day though it might have been two days after Charlie’s barking all night at what appeared to be nothing, another strange thing occurred when I left the house and saw Charlie running around. It seemed strange to me that he was in fact following me and running around me yet I sincerely thought he was going to turn around and run home any second yet he crossed the river ahead of me. I, for my part even lost sight of him and thought of a dog that lived in another house I stayed in many years before who in fact would go around the neighborhood but always managed to get back.

 

It was without further consideration to the matter that I got on a bus and much to my near shock saw that Charlie had gotten on the bus with me and as I looked at him; many people asked me in Russian if he was my dog. I told them that I had seen him outside the bus but was not his owner and before I knew it, I lost sight of him again in this crowded bus as I started to think of how I was going to get him home though I did not even have a belt I could tie him with yet as these thoughts were going through my mind; once again he did the unthinkable. Charlie got off the bus and ran away while I stayed on the bus which went on. I had lost the dog but worse of all I was going to have to tell Victoria what had happened to her dear “Charlie”. Of course, I do not doubt that such a street smart doggie like “Charlie” would have had any trouble surviving on his own or even finding a new and perhaps more comfortable home yet I was going to miss that little fellow. Charlie even inspiring me to write a story for children entitled “My Brave, Charlie” about a small girl and her little dog who saves her from danger.

 

Victoria was upset at first when I told her what had happened but understood that it had not been my fault and in all truth was not overly concerned. As she shared my notion that Charlie would be alright now matter where he went.

About the Author

My name is Gianni Truvianni, I am an author who writes with the simple aim of sharing his ideas, thoughts and so much more of what I am with those who are interested in perhaps reading something new. I also am the author of the book entitled “New York’s Opera Society” which is now available on Amazon.

Fallkniven or Bark River.wmv