LIVE
by
Jennifer

        The season was going to begin soon. Alexei already had prepared his two new programs; one short with Spanish music that, every time he heard that Spanish guitar, he felt more vigorous and arranged to leave  the ice and eat the world; free like that music, that violin, as they enchanted the violins to him of the Suite Symphony of Korsakov, he cant stop to listen that piece. He remembered his childhood  when he ran  free and without preoccupations by footpaths and prairies of his Russia, his native country. Sometimes he was asked to himself if would return there, with his family.
        This was his last season, after these Olympic Games of 2006, he had been decided to retire and he thought that in a pair of years he would be good for beginning like trainer. And her… He wanted to retire for her, after his gold season but, she cleared that idea of his head. He still remembering that day in the airport  where she caressed his hair  and whispering to him that he must go on, that she’ll be waiting for him  in Russia. Could be truth?  Oh!, How many times had been made that same question, how many? thousands, two thousands, millions... He did not know it, had been so many. He continued writing letters, calling her. She answered in the beginning. Until a day he received a telegram from Russia in which it put: " you don’t  look for me, you will find me in the right moment ". That could not be able. No, no, must be false. That day he sent an infinity of letters to her , that they were given back by the new resident of the house. Why she go out from my side? Alexei asked himself. He took an airplane and he went to look for her but, he didn’t find her. There was no sign of her. He decided to wait. He knew that she hadn’t  promise nothing to him, only a few words written with her fine romantic handwriting of woman and her smooth slow voice that said to him something... No need promises. He knew that she never would lie to him, never. It was not custom of her.
Six months later, the end was near. He was there, in backstage hoping that the performance of Plushenko  finished and start his program. He had something pending with him. They must talk, they must did it a few years before. when he trained with Mishin, they were friends. They liked to go out at night together and now he was thinking that was very stupid kill that friendship. Surely when finishing the Olympic Games, he’s going to write a letter to Evgeny for tell to him all that words that he didn’t say before. Because he  competed in a separate competition with Plushenko, that was something more than a medal and a trophy. They competed in a fight called the pride of being greatest, and that was a pain, but that is the life.
Plushenko was placed first, of course, once time ago he fell in the quadruple in the short program, in Salt Lake City and Alexei heard to him between frames repeat himself annoyed that in the next Olympic he wont do that error, and now he did it. Alexei had a small moment of pride, pride to compete with that amazing rival, his better rival after him. He was crossed with Plushenko where they must wait the notes that were right next to the entrance of the track and for a moment, single, their eyes crossed with a  complicity glance. Evgeny seemed to be saying that in these Olympic Games he was going to be to his height and  winning would not be so easy get the  medal.
        Alexei was lost the European and the Great Prix too. But he said to himself that didn’t  return with her without the Olympic gold medal, he must get it. When the agreed ones of guitar began to sound, he listened to different music, he notice it deeper and almost forgetting where he was, with the memory of her in the mind he began to dance with the sound of  the Spanish guitar. Guitar that he remembered to her, because she was from Spain, and now  she would be more close waiting him.
The program was perfect. He did it. Again he get better notes  than Plushenko in the short program, but he wasn’t  safe, lacked the worse thing: the four minutes of the long program. Seems an eternity.
        The four minutes arrived frightful. Plushenko triumphed with a mixture of Slavic dances, now was his turn. He had to risk  the maximum. The program that finished Evgeny would be difficult to surpass. He was very excited. In the training he hadn’t  been able to remove ahead  the quadruple combination toeloop, quadruple loop and triple loop. Could he do it now? Plushenko  made it and with a perfect landing.
        When Evgeny left the ice, they commented to Alexei that he must wait a few minutes, because the place had small problems with the loudspeakers. Yagudin was more expecting. He began to slide arrives and crushes down, more and more nervous in the ice, until this hands began to shake. Then as a smooth breath of fresh air, he listened to between the tiers a sweet voice that called to him. He elevated his glance and saw her. Was she!. She was standing there and she smiled to him. His body stopped to shake, also his hands too and as a magic moment, a smile were drawn in his lips. She didn’t  shout to him; she was speaking. Don’t matter all that noise, he could understand what she said to him, read his lips. She said that he must be calm, that he must skate and enjoy as never and not skate for a medal. Soon they are going to be together forever.
        The program was simply brilliant, better even than in Salt Lake City, and he get the  medal, that precious golden medal. But he wasn’t  in the celebration that  prepared to him Tatiana with careful. No. He returned to the pavilion, and saw a precious figure sliding  nervous, as he did it before. Was she? Of course!. When she looked him, she dedicated to him the most beautiful smile of her life. They didn’t change words. She took his hand and guide to the changing room. There was a blanket and a pillow in the ground. They never did it before. He fell in love with her without a touch or kiss but they were together for the rest of their life. Those minutes of pleasing were the best ones of all their life. He didn’t  know as to describe them and he hated the moment at which the dawn began to blunt, the magical moment which they would have to separate their bodies. Before she go out, she said to him:
        - I see you in the place that I told youu.
        - Ok. – he said – I love you.
        It was the first time that he said that words to somebody in his life. That morning presented his resignation  like amateur to Tatiana. She knew the reason. After the exhibition he will leave with her.
After three days they became to find, as they said, in Leningrad, his native district. She was so pretty that day. Then she said a words that Alexei didn’t understand in that moment.
        - Take care for her.
         What mean that words?

         The life was bad with they. A few months later she was pregnant. But what is the bad thing? She died in the childbirth.
Now, Alexei, with his sad eyes full of tears glanced her daughter . Now he understood those words in the Seat of Leningrad. How she knew it?. Long ago, he thought that  he couldn’t  live without her. But watching his small daughter he found another reason for living. Now was the moment to explain his daughter what was her mother, just  an angel. And in her memory, he put the same name of his angel:

Dawn