Syedyshev Oleg
Syedyshev Oleg

Humorous Essays Based on students' memories

"All have died
except for those who are alive, and those whom we remember"Confucius

Essay 30. Can't wait to get married

After the school leavers, then college entrants finally became students, they received some personal freedom. They became their own masters. That was very natural. And there was a lot of opposite sex around, and young, and in its majority pretty, too. The head was spinning.

I do not remember in what novel I read a phrase, which for the years of my study became my life credo. I did not misuse it, but if there was an occasion, I pronounced it, and everybody liked it. Well, I won't intrigue you any longer, here is the phrase: "I am not one of those refined ninnies, who resolve their sexual issues via marriage". The phrase was good to be used at the institute. At home I behaved in a different way. I was the only child in the family, and, of course, the spoiled one. Though I was spoilt not to the extent to fall down on the floor and jerk my legs and cry "I want!...". But I was used to obtain what I desired by any means. So, with my parents I chose tactics of blackmailing. I was a scum, I do not object, though that was the way the tings were, one cannot omit a line in a song. If there was something I wanted, and my request was denied, I used to say: "Well, then I'll get married and will be independent and won't have to ask to get a refusal". Apparently I was saying that very convincing, as even my batya (not to mention my mom) calmly started explaining to me, that there was no need to be in a hurry, that one had to get married once and forever, that it was a very important decision. With that conversation the topic was over, and then I saw that my request was complied with. Of course, I used that tactics not often; I was aware, that one did not use a sledge-hammer to crack nuts, but I practiced that. And I was successful in it till somewhat the middle of my fifth year, when again I threatened my parents that I would get married, and my mother, as usually, got scared, my batya calmly as before said an absolutely opposite thing: "Well, get married, it is high time".
It was, as if he poured cold water over my head. To the credit of my parents, they satisfied my request that time as well, but I scared them with my getting married never again.

My fellow students, not all of them, but many of them, got married while they were students. What kind of problems they resolved by their marriages was their personal matter. Among my close fellows who got married being students were Marik Golubkov, Tolik Lopatin and Vagram Agadzhanyan.

I was at Vagram's wedding and even proposed a toast, which was liked by all Vagram's Armenian relatives. I'll share it with you: "Now, after the reception, the newlyweds will go to the nuptial bed and put their heads on their mutual pillow. So let's drink to that, that when they grow old, they still kept their heads on their mutual pillow!" I remember, Vagram's father came up to me and gave me a hug, and his mother kissed me. It's a pity, that I put not much emotion in the toast then, as since recently they put their heads on separate pillows.

Well, enough about that. So, those days marriage was nevertheless an obstacle, though not to those who were married, but to some people around.

Well, why do you think that popular quartet NASNANE ceased to exist? The answer is trivial - because of Sveta's marriage. Sveta got married and dropped the course. The girls were looking for someone to take her place. But how could one find an equivalent? So, while they were doing their search, Nelli Sashenko got married, too.

That was the end of NASNANE. We never again heard them singing "A Blue Modest Headscarf", or "You are the only one for me, like a pine tree in steppe...", or "Come back, I am without you for so many days", and their hit "My splinter, be alight, I will burn down together with you...". NASNANE left, but the memory of them and their songs is still there, and that memory is good.

july 21, 2011

© Copyright: Oleg Syedyshev, 2012
Publishing licence #21202101842

Translated by Viktoria Potykinato content