A New Life

My head aches as I head towards the baggage claim, I’d left Bulgaria over fourteen hours ago and now I was in a completely new country as well as continent. As everyone raced around me I feel suddenly lost, that maybe this pick up and run away move wasn't the right thing to do and I begin to reconsider my move from my homeland.

“Lina!” I look up and see the very person I had come to this city for. My brother Tony had moved here nearly a decade ago and I had barely seen him since. I run forward and throw my arms around him, not caring if I was creating a scene. Tony lets go of me and steps back grinning.

“What have you done to my little sister? She wasn’t this grown up last time I saw you.” He tells me and I smile.

“Its been six years since you saw me Tony, and you’ve grown up a bit too. Is that grey hair I see?” He lovingly gives me a slight shove before throwing his arm around me.

“I get no respect from you.” He scoffs and I try not to giggle. I’m pretty sure this jet lag messed with my mind and was making everything Tony said funny.

Once we gather up my luggage Tony guides me out of the claim and out into the Chicago street and I’m finally officially on the soil of my new home. Tony and I take a little train that is called the Kiss and Fly to the parking lot where his car is.

“So what exactly are you doing now? Something with hockey?” I ask communications with Tony were always jumbled and it was sometimes hard to understand what he was saying. .

“I am the assistant trainer to the Chicago Blackhawks, but you were to busy twirling ribbons to know about hockey.” Tony responds and I roll my eyes.

“Everyone from former Soviet Union knows about hockey Tony.” I answer annoyed at him discrediting my knowledge. Tony doesn’t seem to notice my tone because now he’s describing everything that he does for the team, and how amazing this team has been. How they won the Stanley Cup back in 2010 and were ready to make a comeback for the title.

“The’re all really great guys, very polite and not what you’d think about when you think hockey players.” Tony describes as we leave the massive O’hare airport. Tony pulls out onto the highway and soon I can see the massive skyscrapers of Chicago.

“The season is starting in October,I can take you to meet some of the guys at a practice before that if you want.” He offers and I nodd.
“I’m meeting the gym’s owner next week, she’s going to fill me in on the position.” I tell him, having just retired from the gymnastics world I’ve been able to take a position as a coach at a gym here. The U.S wasn’t big on rhythmic gymnastics but after seeing those artistic girls squash Russia in London I had hope to bring my style to fame here.

“That gives me time to show you the city, I’ll give you a proper Chicago experience.” Tony replies excitedly. I didn’t know very much about the city, besides a few Wikipedia articles I’d read on the flight. I knew about the Sears Tower, deep dish pizza and the Great Fire.

In about twenty minutes we’ve reached Tony’s apartment in a neighborhood called Lakeview, Tony tells me that Wrigley Field is in the same neighborhood and promises to take me to game.

“The Cubs are awful but you’ll love them anyways.” Tony jokes as we take my things up to his apartment. “I’ll order some takeout and you can settle in. “ Tony tells me and I set my bags down in his guest room.

He leaves the bedroom and I look over to some of the pictures on the wall. Tony seems to be obsessed with the Blackhawks and in one picture I see him standing next to a massive silver trophy which I’m guessing was the cup Tony seemed so excited to have his team win again. There are a few team photos, as well as portraits Tony has taken with members of the team. He also has one large poster of their emblem. I smile at the memorabilia, Tony never really did take anything lightly.

“Lina I’m going to get you some Chinese you like that right?” Tony yells from the living room

“No Tony I’m the only person in the world who doesn’t like Chinese!” I shout back before flopping down on the bed.

0000 True to his word two day’s later Tony takes me on a tour of the city. We took the El into the city center called the loop, we went up in the Sears Tower and I felt like I was in the clouds.We went out on the skydeck where we stepped into this clear box and I could look down the to the street, up here everything was so small. I felt like a giant and that I was looking down upon the world. After that we went down by the river and Tony told me about all the buildings. He treated me to my first deep dish pizza at Gino’s East and then we went out to the lake. There were some boats out in the water and all along the lake people were out running and biking, enjoying the end of summer.

“It’s really nice here we can go down to the beach or out to Navy Pier. Its almost like being back on the sea.” Tony told me as we stood on the docks. Immediately I thought back to the city on the sea I had grown up in. My heart began to ache and I began wishing I was back in Bulgaria. Tony seemed to notice that my mood had changed and he put his arm around my shoulders.

“Hey everything is going to be okay here, you’ve got new chances and everything.” He told me and I tried to smile.

I’d left everything to come here, my fame, my friends,my parents...my past. But I could start again here. I could forget the mistakes I made in the past and move on here, I was pretty much unknown in the US, that made it easier to start anew.
000 Tony was out at a practice when I had my first day with the gym. I hadn’t gotten a driving permit here yet but Tony had given me enough notes about which buses and trains to take. Luckily I didn’t get too lost and found myself in front of Second City Gymnastics Academy in about an hour.

Once inside I felt immediately at home. The sound of feet springing off of the floor, delicate chords of recorded orchestral music playing for routines and the shouts of coaches and gymnasts seemed just the same as the ones I had left. The gyms main room had a large performance space, right now there were twenty or so young girls around six or seven. There were two instructors guiding them through various stretches and moves.

“You must be Galina.” I turned and a middle aged women in a light blue warm up warm up suit with the gyms logo embroidered across the chest was coming from a small office.

“Ms. Tate?” I ask and she nods, “Please call me Holly, thank you so much for coming here.” She tells me and I smile.

“I’m happy to be a part of this new gym, I’ve heard great things about it so far.” I tell her and she offers to give me a tour of the space and explain my duties. I’m to work with the older students, given my skill level she wants me to be a part of their top prospects here. She tells me of a girl named Jana who has become one of the top competitors in the region.

“I know that you haven't had much experience coaching but given your credentials I couldn’t pass it up.” Holly explains and I feel relieved.

“Thank you so much, I’m very grateful to be given this chance.” I reply as we enter her office. Holly has photos hanging on the wall of girls who have won competitions.I may not be able to compete anymore but I surely could allow others to do so. Holly gives me a folder of contracts and tells me to read them over before coming back here the next day. She also takes my size so I can have an official warm up suit made. As I leave the office I catch sight of some of the girls doing their routine. As they perform I’m again caught up in the magic of it all. The precise movements, the twirls and swirls of the ribbons. The leaps and jumps as you sail into the air completely separate from the world and in your own one.

The world that used to be my whole life.

Notes