The story begins in year 4 of primary school, I remember vaguely being moved to a new class room every year for reasons I do not quite understand even today. Maybe it was so that we would not become accustomed to a particular class and if that is the case I do not yet understand why that would have been a reason.
In any case this particular year was special, not because of the class we were moved into but because of those dark sparkling deer looking pair of eyes I happened to gaze my eyes upon in one of the first days. They were not of a class mate, they were belonging to someone who was most likely just like me and my class mates moved into a new class and as it happened she was in the opposite class to mine.
Every time the final bell rang announcing the time to head home I would get the chance to seek them out as all pupils would rush out the class and into the school hallway at the same time to leave school, none would remain behind for there was no reason for.
I remember at first she did not notice me gazing at her and that made it hard for me to get a good look at her, enough to be able to imprint them into my mind. In any case as time went by and as I became accustomed to seeking her out she became aware and started looking back at me but only for a glance. She was brunette with long sleek perfect straight hair or so I remember, not smiling ever, very somber which for some reason I liked beyond my words can describe.
This straight face expression of her never gave me a clue of whether she liked me back or not despite gradually being able to steal her attention ever slightly longer every time we passed by each other, but we never stoped to talk in fact I never heard a single word from her, ever. Not that I would have been able to say a thing had she approached me as I have always been the kind of person who would freeze when a person from outside my circle would try to interact with me.
Things would become clear at the end of the school year when we had our prom party. The event took place at a rather unusual location, not at the school where one would expect a bunch of 12 year olds to be having their party, after all the prom party at the end of the 8th year was very disorganised and held at the school, but for this occasion we were driven by coach all the way up into the mountains, upstream the river Ialomita actually the venue was right on the bank of that stream.
The venue is located on a cul-de-sac unpaved dirt road right at the end of it, however there are three venues in total on that road, all three of them being youth camps. The very first one on the right is called The Deer (Caprioara), the second one slightly up that road on the left side is called The Stag (Cerbul) while this last one where we had our prom party is called The Hunter (Vanatorul).
I do not remember anything about the trip other than when we arrived next to an outdoor basketball or mini footpad pitch paved with tarmac on the left and a step hill on the right of the coach leading to what I figured later were big dorm rooms with two rows of single beds aligned on both sides, stretching about 10 beds each side. I have very little memories of how we spent the time there during the day, In fact all I remember is the short trip up that stream of water, and I do not recall if it was the first day or the day after however I remember teachers being rather worried not to lose any of us or for anything to go wrong.
Before we delve into the prom party itself and again the little memories I have about it, I feel the need to tell a side story regarding an audio tape cassette. In early 1996 I remember my mother using our tape cassette player to record songs played on radio, I do not remember if the player itself was able to record straight onto the cassette from the radio or if there was a radio next to the player but it did have a record function and my mother was recording songs from the radio that year, two of the songs I remember clearly being recorded were Coco Jambo by Mr President which was released in that year and serves a time reference along with Words by F.R David. I also remember Boy George with Karma Chameleon but not truly sure it was on that cassette or not.
In any case I was given this cassette to the prom party, I do not remember how and why I just remember my mom giving it to me before I left home and as if it was arranged I was asked for it by my teacher when the party began and so I handed it over to be played. The party room was nothing more than the canteen and I remember it being quite empty with just long tables and chairs where pupils would be sited to be fed. Now at the time of writing I wonder if the tables in there were similar to how the tables in wedding venues around my area are placed, I cannot quite tell or remember the layout very well either, what I do remember as vividly as if it it happened yesterday is that once the music started playing we were asked to form a round circle
To be Continued ...