Kisvárda and further eastward

By L. C. Ichai

Meet Alice, diabetic and idealistic. And meet Levente, paraplegic and hungry for love. Could anyone think they would make the perfect couple?

But they do. Until Levente unexpectedly commits suicide the day Alice is due to give birth to their baby.

Deeply broken-hearted, Alice has no idea how to get over this. She decides the best way to heal is to leave her flat in France and go back to Levente's homeland - Budapest.

As she starts her new life with her new-born baby, Csilla, clues begin to appear until it becomes obvious things aren't what they seem to be...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9780244024178

Book preview

Kisvárda and further eastward

Kisvárda and further eastward

Introduction

Real title: Kisvárdán és tovább keletre

No… It’s a joke. There is no real title. But thank you Robi for the information about Kisvárda and thank you Levi for the translation.

Although my character is named Levente, this book is not for Levente, who kindly helps me with Hungarian since I started in 2016 but refuses to be my friend.

Although this story is called Kisvárda, this book is not for the citizens of Kisvárda – because the knowing of only one of them isn’t enough to say they are all kind, clever and patient with learners.

For the same reason, this book is not for the citizens of Hungary – because knowing only five of them (or so) is not a big sample enough to say they are all (as) kind, clever and patient with learners.

This book is for no one in particular. I just felt like writing it and my fingers did the job while I wasn’t paying attention. And when my brain was away on some EasyCup communication or my dearest Hungarian illative case, obviously. I had also left an open door in "When I kissed the teacher, that I couldn’t stand to leave ajar for ever. You know, OCD and things like that. Now that’s done. Maybe I could have gotten more from this illegally financed mansion but hey, some philosopher said: you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you may find, you get what you need!"

(I’ve wanted to quote that for such a long time!)

Nem kaphatod meg mindig, amit akarsz!

This book contains no propaganda!

This book contains (almost) no adult content.

This book is not an advertisement for anything!

This book can be read without having read the Batida de Côco saga, or Berlin-Est or the Pärnu trilogy. So you don’t need to buy any of them.

This book was started on the 25th of July of 2016 and completed on the 13th of October of 2016 (for its first version).

This book is not destined to be a purpose for wasting paper – it is freely downloadable from the internet and can be sent to anyone who wishes (and feels brave enough) to read it.

As I’m not a native English speaker, any correction is welcome, of course.

A bit of Copyright – though this book is free, you are not allowed to do what you want with it. It is a second edition. All rights are reserved. It even has an ISBN! 978-0-244-02417-8.

Ah, feck it – this book is for all the kind Hungarian people who were so generous, clever and patient with me that I am now a complete addict of their language and culture (and food). I am very happy I met you all, András, Robi, Borbála, Levente, Anita…

Orléans

My friends said I looked like Jabba the Hut.

But I didn’t care. Within two days (said the obstetrician), I would be giving birth to the most beautiful little girl ever. And I would live happily ever after with the most handsome boy in the universe. Of course, I could be called a selfish girl, because I was gathering those two treasures under my very roof. But I don’t care. Happiness is selfish.

I happily drove home, listening to PASO again to try to enter Hungarian into my ears (this language was pretty stubbornly and steadily driving me crazy but I constantly told Levente, the father of my incoming child, that I’d be stronger than it).

There was no mail in the letterbox and I walked home as quickly as my nine-month pregnant state allowed me to.

Szia, sweetie! I happily sang, hoping Levente wasn’t skyping someone or talking on the phone with a fellow Hungarian. I could hear no one talking. I felt safe.

That’s two days from now! I almost shouted, removing my jacket and carelessly throwing it over the adapted coat hanger. Doors were wide, and furniture was low – everything so my loving boyfriend could reach what he needed from his wheelchair. Are you ready for sleepless nights?

The obstetrician was concerned about me.

How will you manage with a baby, diabetes and your boyfriend to take care of?

I’m a big girl. I told her smugly. And Levente is a big boy too. He can take care of himself.

I know he is. But there are still things he cannot do by himself.

He may not be able to do the Tour de France, yet he can work, he can cook, he can use the bathroom and he can drive. There’s nothing anyone else can do that he can’t.

She sighed.

And you have no family to help you.

No, I haven’t. I finished with them when Levente and I settled together. Lots of people say you don’t get to choose…

Your family, I know! she interrupted me hotly. Are you sure you don’t need to meet our social service?

I am very sure. Thank you for your concern.

She sighed again and watched me as I retrieved my stuff.

I didn’t go back home at once, I knew Levente had a Skype appointment and had to finish some work and to deliver it to his last client, so I wanted to leave him in peace for that. I went to the mall and bought an adorable pair of baby shoes.

We had agreed on a Hungarian name. Csilla sounded beautiful to me. I knew she would be a star, anyway.

At half past four, I was thirsty, my legs felt like stone and I wanted to go home.

Levente, are you asleep? I asked him playfully, as I knew he sometimes indulged in daytime naps when I was away. One day I found him lying on the couch, fast asleep, with a French exercise book open on his chest. He was very cute and I couldn’t resist kissing him awake.

His wheelchair was abandoned next to the bathroom door. I frowned – how could he have gone to the bathroom with no wheelchair?

Then I saw it.

Thick, bright red and above all, running blood was pouring from the toilet seat.

Oh fuck! I shouted and stuck my head inside the room.

The large bathroom was swimming in blood. Levente laid face down on the floor, motionless, his throat apparently wide open. Next to his right hand, I saw my cooking knife. The one I used to slice meat and vegetables. Its blade was full of blood.

Levente! I shouted and walked to his body, not taking care not to slip. I tried to turn him, his hair was stained with blood and his body was cold.

No! I shouted desperately. No, no, no!

I could barely listen to them.

One nurse was wiping the blood on my hand and my face.

Two guys were lifting him and inserting his body into this horrible black plastic protective tent. In slow motion, I saw them zipping the tent. This was my last vision of Levente. Him in a bag.

He was dead when I found him. It was unbelievable.

Then someone asked me, from afar, if I knew his computer password.

They had to repeat it three times until my brains registered it.

oktogon15 I muttered under my breath, with a k and no E.

One minute later, one man was approaching me.

It seems there is a message waiting for you. He said quietly.

They helped me to stand up and to sit in front of Levente’s computer.

A LibreOffice document was open and a few lines appeared.

"Sweetheart Alice, love of my life,

I can no longer be your burden. You cannot waste your life with me.

I love you with all my heart. Which is why I’m going. You made me extremely happy for those years you spent with me.

I don’t want Csilla to have that kind of dad either. Take good care of her.

I will love you forever.

Levente"

My body decided it was time for a dramatic action. I emitted a shout and my waters broke.

And a terrible pain came to seize my womb and my back.

I met Csilla fourteen hours later.

Budapest

She said she was coming. Something like wanting to represent her French For Foreigners (FFF) learning school, and so doing a demonstration for our Music University in Budapest that wished to sign up a partnership with another French music University.

We had often joked about meeting each other, since a few months after she had started to teach me. But I never thought it would actually happen.

The day she said Hey, guess what, next Tuesday I’ll be in Budapest for business!, I thought she was joking but then she sent me complicated charts about an airplane ticket and asked me if it was easy to get to the city center from Ferenc Liszt Airport.

Are you free for dinner? she asked me in a friendly tone through our FFF chatting module.

Well… Sure. I admitted.

Can you think of somewhere nice for us? she playfully continued. Somewhere easy-going, you know, a cool place.

I know a couple of cool places. I informed her, pretty sure I wanted to make up for the big, big lie