Steel Love

By Sandy May

This is the story of an untold romance that bears our characters from Romania's wild and picturesque country places to the fabulous and colorful New York. Sofia and Wilhelm learn how to love each other in spite of the hard decisions they have to make. In the middle of their love turmoil, the little Gloria fights to adapt to different life experiences. Will they succeed in being together or will they part?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandy May
• Release date: Feb 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370608416

Sandy May

I was born in Sibiu or Hermannstadt, as the German inhabitants call it, a middle-sized town situated at the very heart of Romania. The beauty of the place, the cultural diversity and the people's kindness made me the person who I am today. I graduated University in my native town, in 2002. I have a diploma in Modern Languages and a Master's Degree in Industrial Management. During high school and college I wrote poetry and published in the school magazine. After graduation I was attracted by the industry sector to which I dedicated most of my professional life. I worked as a translator, assistant manager, production planner and logistics supervisor at different companies from heavy industry to automotive sector. I traveled a lot throughout Europe and fell in love with Germany. Traveling preserved my observation sense and my cultural sensibility high. Given the life experience I have, I decided to return to writing. No job in the world can bring you the thrill and the satisfaction that writing brings even to a beginner like me. I am married and I have a beautiful baby girl to whom I dedicate most of my time. "Steel Love" is my first novel which I published in February 2017. I am working at two other projects which will hopefully be released in 2017: a collection of short stories inspired by the people's ancient habits and lives in Transylvania and a social monograph of my country after the fall of the communism.

Book preview

STEEL LOVE

A short novel about steel choices

By Sandy May

Copyright 2017 Sandy May

Published by Sandy May at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Leaving Home

Chapter 2 The Encounter

Chapter 3 The Kiss

Chapter 4 Summer Fun

Chapter 5 From Romania with Love

Chapter 6 The Choice

Chapter 7 New York… New York…

Chapter 8 Returning Home

About the Author

Chapter 1. Leaving Home

I knew there was nothing for me to do here. I wanted to go abroad. It has been my dream since... well, since I first visited Germany. Some years ago... This county’s discipline and order have always fascinated me. It was not something that you could find in Romania. Sadly...

Anyway, what was I to lose after all?

I was 37 years old and had eight years of professional experience in the automotive sector, specializing in the supply chain management and logistics. I worked as a Customer Service Specialist in a multinational company which was producing electronic modules for cars. I had many connections to companies from Germany with whom I used to interact and I was sure my business profile was going to open some doors. It was only a matter of how quickly could I get my job transfer from Romania to Germany.

Such was my actual carrier.

But my life's biggest achievement was Gloria, my daughter. A five year old little girl, with radiant blue eyes and curly blonde hair, with a soft voice, happy to sing when we were heading home from kindergarten... Mommy, do you want me to sing you a song I learned today? It's about a pink elephant...

In a long, dark tunnel that was my life, she was the light.

After some internal arrangements and discussions with the management board, I finally got the transfer. I had only 2 months at my disposal to find us an apartment and a kindergarten. I had been to Duisburg many times, I knew the city, the streets, the industry but I had no idea how to look for an apartment or a kindergarten. Luckily, my good German colleagues helped me with all the information that I needed.

And we've got ourselves a great home, not so far from Gloria's new kindergarten but still far enough from my work. Anyway, with the marvellous network of highways that Germany has, 30 km is like a walk to the neighbourhood grocery store.

As soon as I got Gloria's father written consent, I packed the suitcases and booked my flight. Stefan knew that if I succeeded with my carrier in Germany, Gloria would have a good future, better than anything Romania could offer her in terms of education. He was not stupid. He was only a women chaser...

Chapter 2. The Encounter

It was a gloomy day in May. The rain has almost drowned the unpaved streets from my neighbourhood. The wild lilac flowers from the meadow stretching in front of my window were falling to the ground as the wind scattered their colourful blossom. A sweet scent filled the surroundings and, together with the mixture of wet grass, grey sky and rain drops, created the impression of a melancholic landscape.

My parents drove me to the airport. Gloria was staying with them in Romania for a couple of weeks till I managed to move all of our stuff and settled in.

I liked the idea of a new beginning but I was also afraid of it. Gloria made me think in advance, calculate all circumstances and weight three times before making a decision. Coming from the Balkans was not easy to adapt to the Germans. And I was sure that not their rigors were insurmountable, but the way that you, a stranger, were capable to integrate in their complex and different society.

The plane took off and soon I could see the plains and the mountains from above. Their plenitude and splendour were blocked by the heavy clouds which the plane cut like a forged spear.

When I arrived in Duisburg the weather was fine, with few clouds in the sky. A shy ray of sun was mirroring itself in the river Rhine while I passed by in a taxi which I took from the Düsseldorf airport.

It started to rain when I arrived on Jahnstrasse. My new home was situated in a small and peaceful neighbourhood with a parking place on the left of my leaving room window and a garden with playground in front of it.

In my apartment on the first floor there was no furniture, except for the kitchen and a one person bed; therefore the first goal had already been set: to furnish the house.

The very next day I woke up early in the morning and went downtown. I took the bus as I had plenty of time to look for all the bus lines connecting my street with the heart of the city.

Before working in a multinational corporation I had a small business of my own. I used to intermediate steel constructions for the mechanical and steel sector. The purpose was to build relationships between Romanian workshops, which had a great manufacturing potential in this field and German companies which provided construction contracts. I managed to do good work and had big earnings till the economic depression in 2008 which literally crashed the industry and ruined my business. What really mattered in this adventure of mine was the opportunity to travel all around Germany and made relationships everywhere.

I had always found the city of Duisburg fascinating and even romantic, although it was heavily industrialized. Situated in the western part of the Ruhr area (Ruhrgebiet), spreading along the rivers Ruhr and Rhine, it embraces a wide variety of cultures, easily observed in its cosmopolite cafes and restaurants.

I used to take long walks on the Rhine banks at night when the lights of the harbour perished in the depths of the hazy waters. It was the peace of mind I searched for after an agitated day.

With