I am 62 years old and have been teaching literature in secondary school for almost four decades. Life has its usual rhythm: duty in the corridor, Shakespeare, lukewarm tea and essays that arrive in large numbers.
Every December, I assign my students a project: ‘Interview an elderly person about their most memorable holiday.’ This usually causes discontent among them.
It’s an assignment they hate.
But this year, quiet Emily approached me after the bell rang.
‘Miss Anna, can I interview you?’ she asked, clutching the assignment sheet.
I laughed: ‘Oh, dear, my memories are boring. Ask your grandmother or neighbour, or anyone who has been in interesting situations!’
She didn’t flinch and boldly repeated, ‘I want to interview you.’ Her eyes were full of determination.
In the end, I agreed: ‘Okay, tomorrow after class, but if you ask me about fruitcake, I’ll criticise it.’ She smiled: ‘Deal.’
Nostalgia and memories
The next day, she sat in front of me in an empty classroom, with an open notebook, rocking back and forth on her chair.
She asked a simple question: ‘What were your childhood holidays like?’
I told her about the bad fruitcake, how my father would play Christmas songs, and the year our Christmas tree leaned over as if it were tired of everything.
‘Can I ask a more personal question?’
When she asked if I had ever had romantic feelings during the holidays, I felt an old wound flare up in my heart.
‘With him, his name was Dan.’ We were young and crazy, dreaming of a future we couldn’t even imagine.
40 years of searching
A few days passed, and Emily returned, holding out her phone with the latest news. ‘Miss Anna, I think I found him!’
I couldn’t believe it: ‘Who did you find?’
She couldn’t hold back her excited smile as she showed me the message on the screen: ‘Looking for the girl I loved 40 years ago.’ My heart beat faster.
It was much more than I had imagined.
The photo on the screen was… mine, when I was 17, in a blue coat, with a noticeable tooth.
‘Do you want me to write to him?’ she asked, holding my gaze. I couldn’t say a word.
When Emily said she was ready to make contact, my heart filled with hope. I knew he hadn’t forgotten me and had continued to search for me even after all these years.
In the end, we exchanged messages and arranged to meet at a café. I chose an outfit that reflected who I am now.
The meeting that changed everything
When I saw him, he was different, but his eyes were the same, warm and sincere. ‘Annie,’ he said, and in those moments between the past and the present, I realised that we hadn’t lost each other.
The conversation took us back to the past, drawing us to fleeting memories, emotions and experiences. We shared stories about how we had moved on with our lives but never forgotten each other.
‘All these years, you’ve remained something special to me.’
At that moment, I regained hope and realised that perhaps life wasn’t over yet. Tim and I didn’t have a chance back then, but now we have the opportunity to rewrite our story.
Conclusion
Although we have been through many difficulties, meeting Dan allowed me to see that there is always hope. Isn’t that the essence of life — the opportunity to start over? Now I am ready for the future and look forward to what lies ahead.
