Chainbound

By Walid el Houri

Every so often, a book comes along, which challenges everything we think we know about love and relationships; a book that takes us on an incredible journey and allows us to glimpse those rare moments in life when love truly conquers all and sometimes the most unlikely candidates find themselves drawn to each other like bees to nectar. This is one such book.

In this book, you will discover that true love has no boundaries. It is the glue that holds the pages of life together for two unlikely souls who just happen to discover that love is timeless and does not come with an expiration date. This book represents the intense love a man has for his wife. Its an uncommon union, to be sure, but make no mistake about it, for the love shared by these two unlikely people is real and true. You only need to read this love letter written by man to his wife to understand that true love cannot be quenched or stopped; it continues to grow into something intense and beautiful.

What makes this book special is that it proves that fairytales can really come true when you let them. Heres one that did.

I was both entertained and fascinated. It is a powerful story and well told. A great read.
John Hughes-Wilson (British Writer)

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491883259

Walid el Houri

no ATA. au does not want to place ATA

Book preview

Chain Bound

WALID EL HOURI

AuthorHouse™ UK Ltd.

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403 USA

www.authorhouse.co.uk

Phone: [phone]

©

2014 Walid el Houri. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/03/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-7510-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8325-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Contents

About this book

Prologue

Chapter One

THE LOVE STORY BEGINS

Chapter Two

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Chapter Three

MANY FIRSTS

Chapter Four

NEAR DEATH

Chapter Five

THE ACCIDENT

Chapter Six

THE WAR BEGINS

Chapter Seven

FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE

Chapter Eight

BACK IN LEBANON

Chapter Nine

MEETING IRINA’S FAMILY

Chapter Ten

IRINA´S EXHIBITION

Chapter Eleven

NEW BEGINNINGS

Chapter Twelve

LIVING IN AUSTRIA

Chapter Thirteen

IRINA’S EXHIBITION IN NORTH CYPRUS

Chapter Fourteen

ANOTHER HEALTH CRISIS

Chapter Fifteen

ANOTHER NEW LIFE—SPAIN

Chapter Sixteen

¨LOLA¨

Chapter Seventeen

WEEKEND TRIPS

About this book

Every so often, a book comes along which challenges everything we think we know about love and relationships; a book that takes us on an incredible journey and allows us to glimpse those rare moments in life when love truly conquers all and sometimes the most unlikely candidates find themselves drawn to each other like bees to pollen. This is one such book.

In this book, you will discover that true love knows no bounds. It is the glue that binds together the pages of life for two unlikely souls who just happen to discover that love is timeless and does not come with an expiry date. This book represents the intense love one man has for his wife. It’s a rare union to be sure, but make no mistake about it, for the love shared by these two unlikely people is real and true. You only need to read this love letter written by this man to his wife to understand that true love cannot be quenched or stopped; it continues to grow into something intense and beautiful.

What makes this book special is that it proves that fairytales can really come true when you let them. Here’s one that did.

Dedicated to the crown of my life,

Irina, my wife!

Prologue

As a highly successful businessman of sixty seven who had been involved in numerous affairs and appeared to fall in love at least once a month, the prospect of finding endless love—the last love I would ever have in my life—was becoming increasingly slim. I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen at all.

Keep in mind that I was considered to be an international playboy who had dated movie stars, top models and even a few princesses over the years. I was a cosmopolitan man who had traveled far and wide and lived in different parts of the world. I spoke eight languages and had been educated in the United States and Europe. I had been married three times and had four beautiful children; yet true love had always eluded me and was the one aspect missing in my life. It would be in the time period between my failed marriages that my wild playboy tendency reared its ugly head. This continued well until well into my sixties, if you can believe it. I need to point out that I had always looked much younger than my actual age and I attributed much of my youthful appearance to the fact that I had never smoked, have rarely drunk alcohol and had been a professional athlete for many years of my early life.

Without sounding arrogant, I also had this incredible ability to attract women of all ages. However specifically, I seemed to possess this uncanny power over women much younger than myself. Sometimes I wondered why.

Still, with all the attention, the women in my life and my marriages, I was a lonely man. My friends could never quite understand this. To my friends, who always envied me for the fact that glamorous women were always by my side, I would explain that I truly was just a lonely man in search of his true love; and that even though I never appeared alone, I felt more alone than they could ever imagine.

I also had a strong inclination and talent for writing poetry. I would often sit down and string together wonderful words and phrases for the special women in my life at the time.

Through it all, I continued to believe that I knew what true love was, but was unable to find it for myself. Clearly, the loneliness I was experiencing had a strangle hold on me and was unbearable and depressing at times; but the promise of true love some day and the possibility of finding that special woman who would share everything with me, prompted me to continue hoping and searching for the last love of my life.

As the years passed by, realization dawned on me that I no longer just wanted women to share my bed, but was more interested in finding a woman who would share my life as well. This is what my book is all about. It’s the story of a man who has been searching his whole life for true love. It’s a testimony of sorts, which proves that despite all the women and the relationships in my life, I never did find nor experience true love until now; until I met the most incredible and loving woman I have ever known. Irina turned my entire world upside down and I knew immediately that things would never be the same again.

On my business trips to Kiev, Ukraine, I often noticed the many beautiful women in the city. They seemed to be on every street corner; in every office; and in every restaurant. I was simply fascinated with this occurrence. However, the problem was that most of them only spoke Russian and my skills in the language were anything but proficient. So, after a few more trips to this city, I decided that I would find myself an apartment there and work towards improving my skills in the Russian language. This was not spurred by the intention to facilitate any of my businesses negotiations, but to help me to communicate better with some of those beautiful angels who seemed to inhabit every inch of this vigorous city.

There I was, a sixty-seven year old man, ready to learn a new language that would enable me to pick up women. How’s that for adventure?

Chapter One

THE LOVE STORY BEGINS

Hey you, with the sparkling eyes,

Look at me, my lonely heart cries,

Love me, let me feel your tenderness,

Embrace me, shower me with happiness . . .

Hey you, with the shinning hair,

Touch me, let me smell your fragrant air,

Hold me, brighten my life with joy,

Squeeze me, let me feel like a boy . . .

Hey you, with the seductive smile,

Kiss me, let me dream for a while,

Caress me, make my mind go insane,

Feel me, over and over again . . .

Hey you, with the pretty face,

I searched for you in time and space,

Take my hand, never let go,

And the winds of love forever will blow . . .

Sometimes, the unending search for rare gems and diamonds that are mixed in with all the rocks and dirt can leave us hopeless and wondering if we’ll ever really find true love that will become our treasure in life. But, there are times when you can find treasure in the most unlikely places—when you least expect it.

When I sat down for a cup of tea on that warm sunny afternoon in September of 2005, I had never imagined that in the following few moments my life would be forever changed by a simple glance and a warm smile.

I remember it like it was yesterday. The sun was vibrant and the air more crisp than I had ever remembered it to be. The main street known as Kreshatik, in Kiev, was bustling with people and it just looked like it was one of those days when you just knew something spectacular was about to happen. I had just sat down for my daily tea at the little café that I often frequented, when I first noticed her. She was seated just a few feet away from me, sipping her tea and reading a newspaper. It was truly a vision to behold. There she was, a stunning woman whose beauty and grace could only be dwarfed by her sheer elegance. It would be a few more seconds before that obstinate newspaper would be lowered, revealing her angelic face, but I already knew that the sight of her would be well worth every lingering second.

I swallowed hard and my heart pounded in my chest like a bass drum on steroids, as she put down the newspaper ever so gently. She glanced up over the top briefly and our eyes met in what I can only describe as a death grip between souls. I smiled awkwardly and to my utter amazement, her head tilted slightly to one side as she smiled back warmly. A shiver streaked up my spine and my hands began to tremble. I remember thinking at the time that not since the tender age of fourteen, when I had set my eyes on the first love of my life, had my palms turned so sweaty or clammy or my body trembled with such nervous anticipation. But there I was, a sixty-seven year old man on the verge of blushing like a virgin teenager. I smiled again, certain that this time my advance would be shunned, but to my utter delight and amazement, this beautiful woman smiled back for what seemed like an eternity. I didn’t know it yet, but I had found my treasure and my life was about to be changed forever.

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Kiev 2005

Do you speak English? I quickly asked feeling like an awkward school boy for saying it.

"Nyet she replied which meant no" in Russian. Her voice was soft and inviting and I couldn’t seem to pull my eyes away from her lovely countenance. But I had to say something and luckily at that stage in my life I had learned enough Russian to carry on a mediocre conversation. I responded quickly.

"Kak dela? I said, which meant, How are you?" I could tell she was impressed; assuming that I had said the words right. She grinned a wonderful grin and softly replied as the newspaper dropped down even lower.

"Kharasho, spaciba I bi? which meant, Fine, thank you. And you? My heart raced and my insides churned as I answered. Toje I said, which meant, Also."

One word led to another as her face glowed and her laughter increased every time I spoke another word in Russian. That seemed a fitting enough acknowledgment that I was at least giving the language my valiant effort. I must have been saying everything wrong, but she didn’t seem to mind it at all. She just smiled graciously and let me continue.

After a few more moments of joyful conversation, I quickly moved over to her side of the table, feeling an immediate connection with this beautiful woman. It was a remarkable first encounter as we continued to have this awkward but amazingly wonderful conversation for the next six hours. As she spoke, I found myself mesmerized by her beauty and dumfounded by the fact that she really seemed to enjoy my company. During these six hours of pure heaven, we both enjoyed more than our share of delicious pastries, with plenty of tea to wash them down. With each word she spoke, I found myself being drawn deeper and deeper into her lovely personality and further and further from any inhibitions I might once have had. I simply could not take my eyes off of this vision from heaven and was sure that I’d found the preverbal pot of gold. Was this the gem I had been searching for all my life?

Her name was Irina and she was from Kramatorsk, a small city in the South about 750 km away from Kiev. She was visiting the capital for a couple of days and attending a business seminar. I learned that she was the department head for one of the governments’ marketing institutes and that she was very good at what she did. I discovered, through the course of our conversation, that Irina was only twenty-five-years-old and quickly realized she was an extremely intelligent young woman.

As we continued our fabulous conversation, Irina explained that she was returning home by train on that very evening. She went on to mention that sitting in the café was simply her way of killing time before the train departed. At that point, I didn’t really want to think about her leaving.

The journey would take fourteen hours and I asked why she didn’t fly. Irina explained that her employer would not absorb such a high expense. She went on to say that her salary was $100 per month and she boasted that she brought in another one to two hundred dollars in bonuses. For the fortunate ones that did have jobs in the Ukraine, this income was considered well above average. I couldn’t help but wonder how such a beautiful creature could afford to buy even the essentials of life let alone her clothing and cosmetics, which are very expensive in Ukraine. I wasn’t sure if asking her about that was crossing the line, but at that point the conversation between the both of us was so relaxed and so natural, I decided to risk it. She explained that she received help from her sister, Oksana, who ran a business with her husband, Sergei. I still wondered how she made ends meet; but perhaps that was a conversation left for another day.

I decided to accompany Irina to the train station. I had just met her and wasn’t yet ready to give up my time with her. As we got closer to the station; the anxiety of thinking I’d never see her again grabbed hold of me. It was like a death grip. I had to see her again; I just had to. Thoughts raced through my mind like shooting stars, as I scrambled to find the right words. After all, here I was an older man, and she, a beautiful young woman. What would she think of me if I pursued her? My nerve seemed to fade in an out as I searched for the words and prepared myself for total rejection. But I had never been one to shy away from tough situations. Moreover, she did seem to enjoy my company.

I’d really like to see you again, Irina. I blurted out, sounding more like an infatuated schoolboy, rather than the well-read, globe-trotting businessman that I was. She smiled warmly and nodded Yes. Right there, my heart melted. Maybe this chance encounter at the little café in Kiev could lead to more than just a casual hello and goodbye? I pondered.

Just before Irina boarded the train we awkwardly exchanged telephone numbers and email addresses. I promised to stay in contact with her and assured her that I would definitely visit her the next time I traveled to Ukraine. She merely smiled and replied that she would love to welcome me into her city. Quickly, I reached for my mobile phone and clicked a couple of photos. It dawned on me that this woman was far more beautiful than any top model I had ever met or dated in my life. I waved at her as she sat in her window seat and smiled at me. I was sure that such encounters had happened before in my life, but for the life of me; I couldn’t remember when.

Rather than take a taxi back to my apartment that night, I decided to walk back and take in all that had happened. It all seemed surreal.

As I walked, I couldn’t stop thinking of Irina who, in just a few hours, had stolen my heart away. But troubling thoughts nagged me, as I thought about the age difference between us and I found myself mulling over it with great difficulty. Can it really work out between Irina and me? I wondered. Good heavens! She was young enough to be my granddaughter! But I hastily swept back these concerns, convinced even at this early stage of our relationship, that Irina was the woman I had been searching for all my life. My thoughts were undoubtedly bewildering, but my heart knew exactly what it was doing.

Finally, I arrived at my apartment and like an eager schoolboy, immediately grabbed my mobile phone only to lose myself in her thoughts, as I gazed at her photos again. She’s simply gorgeous! I thought to myself. God must have been very happy on the special day He created her. It just seemed right.

That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. I feared that thoughts of Irina would slip away and possibly, some of the magic too. Morning seemed so far away, I couldn’t wait to call her and hear her sweet voice again.

Irina was to arrive in her city at precisely 8:00 am. Five minutes after it turned eight, I called her and she quickly answered after the first ring. Instead of a ‘hello’, all I could hear was her wonderful laughter. She laughed at every word I said. It was like her laughter had taken on a life of its own after a while. I was so nervous and forgot most of my Russian, but she didn’t mind. I then began to speak in English, and again she would just laugh and we would figure it out. Finally, we managed to create a small conversation and I could tell that she really liked me. As for me, I was clearly smitten by her.

On that first day after our meeting, I must have called her at least twenty times. I simply couldn’t stop calling; and she just couldn’t stop laughing. It was wonderful.

A couple of days later I returned home to Beirut. As soon as I had opened my laptop, I began writing out my first email to her. I wrote in English but used Google to translate it to Russian. I sent the mail in both languages just to be sure. I received her reply just a few minutes later and my heart leapt with joy. From that day on, we began writing to each other a couple of times a day and I would call her at least once or twice between emails too. I was already a man in love and there was no way to stop it now. It was like a runaway freight train and I there I was, hanging on for dear life.

I planned to travel back to Ukraine in November and we decided to meet once again there. When we spoke, I could hear excitement in her voice. We fixed the date for the 10th of November 2005 in Kramatorsk.

I was to arrive in Kiev on the 6th of November and spend the next few days in business meetings. I spoke to Irina whenever I could and we were both counting the hours until our next meeting.

Irina arranged for the largest suite in the local three-star hotel. From our past conversations, she was aware that I traveled extensively and disliked hotels in general, but especially those with very small rooms.

The day arrived. I remember that on the morning of the 10th of November, as I sat through the one and a half hour flight between Kiev and Donetsk, my mind was racing. I conjured up images of every possible scenario of our next meeting together.

I arrived in the small airport of Donetsk and after picking up my luggage, I located the taxi driver Irina had arranged to pick me up. He only spoke Ukrainian and Russian.

The trip to Kramatorsk took another one and a half hours. The countryside was spotted with deserted factories and huge run-down industrial complexes. It was clear that this once flourishing industrial region had been hit hard and was in economic distress. I could see poverty in every village we passed through. It was very depressing. Compared with Kiev, this region of the country looked like a third-world country!

Eventually, we arrived at the hotel. It was a simple but clean establishment. The suite had three rooms and was modestly furnished. I was told that many prominent people had spent their time in this suite during the communist era.

Irina had planned to pick me up at 7pm for dinner, so I had just a few hours to get dressed. I was like a young schoolboy going out on his very first date; I must have changed my clothes ten times. As I checked my hair and appearance at every turn, I began to question myself again. What the hell was I doing here? A 67—year-old man coming to meet a 25 year-old young woman! Was I crazy? I tried to convince myself that I had no right to her youth, but quickly comforted myself by, thinking of relationships and marriages of famous men such as Marc Chagall and Picasso, both who had been in relationships with much younger women. Even my best friend of over 30 years, the late Professor Christian Barnard who had performed the world’s first heart transplant, had, at the age of 65, married a beautiful twenty-one-year-old model from South Africa. After much deliberation, I gathered my wits, convincing myself that I was ready for whatever was to happen.

At 7pm my phone rang. The concierge informed me that a lady was downstairs waiting for me. I took one final look in the mirror and gathered my emotions before heading out of the door.

While in the elevator, I felt nervous excitement choking me; almost like it was a living thing. I took a deep cleansing breath seconds before the elevator door opened and there she was standing right in front of me. She stood there, as I simply stared for what seemed like eternity. Without doubt, she was the most stunning woman I had ever laid my eyes upon. I recall now that she wore tight blue jeans that were so figure-hugging, they almost seemed to be part of her skin. They also exposed her well-toned body. She had long legs and a well-rounded bottom. I must be dreaming! I thought to myself. Her long red boots seemed to travel up her beautiful, apparently endless legs and met her fur-trimmed claret jacket. Her hair was above shoulder length, revealing her long slender neck and skin that was no less than dazzling. I was certainly dazzled. I was so mesmerized that I was ready to drop on to my knees right there and proclaim that I worshipped her, wanted her and loved her. But that would have to wait until the right moment.

She slowly reached out for my arm and pulled me towards her in a generous and loving way. We embraced each other and I knew that I never ever wanted to let go of her. She must have felt my heart pounding like a jack hammer against her supple bosom and that was okay too. I didn’t want to let go of the embrace, but I knew I had to; if only for a moment.

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Kramatorsk 2005

Come on, let’s go. A taxi is waiting outside, she whispered and we left the hotel hand in hand. We made our way outside. The evening was crisp and everything looked brand new. It was just like going out on my very first date again and felt invigorating. What a wonderful feeling that was!

We arrived at a very popular local restaurant which seemed even more crowded than usual. But when we pulled open the door to enter; thick disgusting cigarette smoke engulfed us. Instantly, we were both gagging for clean air. We quickly decided to find someplace else to eat; someplace where one could eat and breathe at the same time. Irina and I were both highly athletic people who worked out at the gym almost every day. So, healthy living was high on our agendas. Even at my age, I had not put a halt to my body-building endeavors. The results were there for all to see. In fact, doctors would often comment that my body and physical condition were that of a healthy and athletic 40-year-old man. Such compliments gave me a sense of pride and perhaps my being well preserved was one of the reasons younger women were attracted to me.

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Kramatorsk 2005

After some deliberation, we headed to a Chinese restaurant and spent the next four hours discussing almost everything under the sun. It was obvious we were kindred spirits who could talk about anything and we quickly realized that we both had many similar ideas and views of the world and of other things in general. I seemed to be doing most of the talking, which was fine. I spoke in both English and Russian and shared with Irina many aspects of my life, my business and also some intimate and personal matters about myself. I wanted to be completely honest and upfront with her and I could tell that she appreciated it. I told her that my entire life, I had been searching for someone like her and although I had no right to come into her life because of our age difference, I simply couldn’t help myself. In response, she merely smiled and shook her head, as if slightly indicating that it was the last thing I should be worrying about.

That night she shared with me the happenings of her simple life. I learned that she held a very high position in the company where she worked and managed about thirty people. She studied regularly and had a diploma in Economics. However, what fascinated me the most was the vast general knowledge she had on almost everything. Irina knew a great deal about medicine and health, writers and poets, art and history, politics and wars. She seemed comfortable speaking on any and every subject, interjecting her own ideas and philosophies. That night I learned things from Irina that I had previously not known. On so many levels, I was impressed! Later that night, around midnight, Irina ushered me back to the hotel and we quickly agreed to meet early the next morning at 11 a.m. I recall that before she left, she shook my hand in a business-like manner and gave me a quick hug along with a small peck on my cheek. Although I was hoping for more, I was happy with that. Very happy!

Akin to a young school boy smitten by his first encounter with a goddess, I hurried to my room, undressed, took a cold shower and went straight to bed. I thought to myself, What a beautiful feeling it is to fall genuinely in love. And it was with this thought that I drifted off to sleep that night. Thoughts of falling in love with Irina; grand thoughts.

I woke up the next morning feeling great and looked forward to meeting Irina again. Hurriedly, I headed to the restaurant and had a big breakfast of fried eggs and some local smoked bacon. It tasted delicious, but not as delicious as I knew Irina would taste later. I rushed back up to my room and waited anxiously for the phone to ring. At exactly 11:00am, it did. Irina was in the lobby waiting for me and that’s all I had to hear. I hurried down to the lobby, anxious to see her. The elevator doors opened and there she was, but she looked different. Dressed in a pair of simple jeans and a jacket, she had minimal makeup on. Suddenly, it was as if she looked her age and was no longer the elegant feminine woman I had been with the night before. Her beauty seemed so pure and I had a quick vision of a very different Irina; young and innocent like a child.

I remember vividly. It had been a cloudy day. There had been a slight drizzle and it was cold. She explained that she wanted to walk me around her city and was eager to go to this one particular park. So, hand in hand, we began to