"Why have I never married?" He was trying to explain to me. "Ah, why. What do you know, young as you are, what marriage is? What is a wedding for you? A church ceremony? There is much, much more to marriage, with or without a wedding ceremony.
After many years, I've met her again. Yes, her: the only woman I've loved, the woman that had loved me, too. I saw her at a store. She was with her husband and two children. Her glance was enough for me. No words, no smile. Not even a glance was it, just a faint blushing and a vibration like the quivering of the aspen leaves. Just for me, because of me. Ah, you don't know... You cannot know what I'm talking about. You can't understand.
You know, only the first man is really important in woman's life. She never forgets him. Only to him she stays tied by secret, invisible and unbreakable ties. To him only she is faithful. So, when I saw her again, after all those years, nothing was changed. Just a brief glance of recognition was sufficient. No. No. This was not remembering, for there hasn't been any forgetting and there never will be. All the past came back, present and alive, at that moment, and we were one again.
That man by her side, her husband, so secure, so content, was a part of another world. He had nothing to do with us. How chaste and soft her shy smile was, the smile I know so well. And her beautiful, doe-like, caressing eyes.
She passed, went away and the air behind her was warm and turbulent, excited like myself. She is gone, my bride, my love. She has brushed me with her sad glance, as if touching me secretly. One more yellow leaf fell upon my head."
After this, I felt compelled to talk to her, to tell her how much she is still loved, although married to another man. She responded readily:
"I don't know what you are talking about, or who. The man from the store? What about him? I used to know him, long time ago. He said he still loved me? Back then, he never said that. I figured it out, of course. Everybody knew it, but he never had the guts to tell me. He is a strange guy. Forget him. He is talking marriage now? Where was he then? I was single. He never said any of those things then. What does he know about marriage? He is not married yet. Never will be, you can trust me. Of course I married another man. What was I supposed to wait for? And how long?
As for that stupid, sentimental story about the first man in woman's life... somebody has got to be the first. There is nothing in it so memorable. I remember him only because he was so strange, poor guy.
But why are you dwelling in the past? Let's go have a drink and enjoy the present!"