A few words on my love · Let's Master English

A few words on my love

It’s always been hard for me to open up to others... but this time, I’m ready to try. Today I want to share how I fell in love with English. A story told in three acts.

Act 1 — Steve

It was the hard 90s, and we were living in Donetsk—you know, Donbass. I was a nine-year-old girl who had just finished primary school. In my region, the school year runs from September to May, leaving us with endless summer days.

That summer, American missionaries came to our corner of the city. They invited all the neighborhood children to their regular lessons. Eventually, I went too — I couldn't understand their words, but I liked the colorful Bible pictures. I kept going with all the girls from our block — from a distance, we must have looked like some ragtag girl band, moving in one noisy pack.

The lessons didn't really click until we met Steve. He spoke Russian! Open-hearted and endlessly patient, he was always ready to answer our questions. From that day on, I went to the lessons with joy.

When the happy summer ended, it was time to say good-bye — Steve and the others were leaving. Vika, the eldest among us, wanted to give him something to remember us by. I wondered: What could I offer for a long memory? Then I remembered my brother's old coin collection, still kept at home. I opened the box and took the largest, oldest coin—dated 1842 (or thereabouts) and stamped with the initials of a Russian Tsar (likely Nicholas I, if I'm not mistaking).

At the farewell meeting, Steve accepted our gifts warmly. When he saw my coin, his eyes lit up. He took it in his hand and gave the coin a thoughtful look. Holding it carefully on his open palm, he said: «This coin is very...». He forgot the next word, so he opened his English-Russian pocket dictionary and turned over the pages for a couple of minutes (but what felt like forever to me). Finally, he finished: «This coin is very important!».

Act 2 — Aida Nikolaevna

September arrived, and that year I started learning English at school. My teacher, Aida Nikolaevna, told us in the first lesson: «If you want to name the things around you, say: "This is a desk! This is a window!"» We created personal vocabulary notebooks, carefully copying words like chair, door, pencil, etc.

That afternoon, I raced home after school, burst into my room, and sat at my desk. I opened my notebook and pointed at objects around me, announcing—loudly and confidently—«This is a chair! This is a desk! This is a window! This is a door!» I felt (and likely looked) like an explorer claiming new lands. From that day on, English became my favorite subject.

And so it began... a love that continues to this day.

Act 3 — What if...?

Thinking back to those days, I sometimes wonder—could I find Steve today? I’ve kept in touch with all my Russian teachers, but how does one locate someone from another continent? I really love that story from my childhood and it would be incredible to see him one day and to ask how he’s been. Does he still have the coin? Curious.

Once, I saw a TV show where people reconnect after many years—their meetings sparkled with joy. I’m not sure I’d go on television, but perhaps there are some American websites for such searches? Well, maybe my question seems naive, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't ask it. Sorry!

I’m deeply grateful for any suggestions. And I'm really happy to share my story!

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