CHAPTER 5  ZOYA       

Zoya Nikolaevna Lapitskaya, the star of our small group of classmates, was born on July 1, 1939 in v. Shchegorchik, Kursk region, and spent a hungry childhood there without parents: they were lost at the WWII. While they were alive, she was as if a football between a new family of Mom and a new family of Dad. She started the first grade in Shchegorchik, then the srcond half of the school year spent in Moscow with Mom’s family? then changed the school for Bryansk all-female school Number #1, where her Dad’s family lived. When she was at grade 6 Zoya saw that her life was not spoiled being very often without food and many beautiful things which the girls of her age were dreaming about, she decided to learn how to sow the clothes to earn money doing these things for other people. She dropped the full-time school, and finished her education extra-mural, getting the higher education: graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Textile Light Industry. Her labour carrer includes: a seamstress up to the General Manager of Bryansk Garment Factory with 10.000 employees. Married in 1963, divorced, raised her son alone, gave him full-time education. Her son was killed in automobile accident, leaving 2 months’ old son, whom she raised him as a son. In photos one can see her with Roman, her only grandson.

When we met each other 07.07.07, she passed me her own verses and a short autobiography essay which I mentione above. Personally she likes jokes and cracks them nicely in such a way that girls always enjoy her company. Last year she celebrated her 80-th anniversary at the cafe where the song was performed for her: ” Ah what a woman!” (It’s her favourite! Above))

This is one of her verses:

“Half life we’re losing ’cause of rush,

Sometimes without noticing, oh Gosh! 

The rain drops on russula head, guys,

Or pain in the deep of beloved eyes.

Only when it’s sunset of your life,

among the success and vanity,

the fear caught you by the throat:

Maybe, the main thing’s passed by.

the main thing you’ve overseen.”

(to be continued)