Nostalgia

November is a month when I feel nostalgia much often and deeper than usually. Today I accidentally found one of my short stories written in my schooldays...

When in Rome, do as Romans do
‘I can’t believe you’re doing this to me!’ Kate cried out.
‘My family must meet you at one time’, Preston tried to explain.
‘But you mother treats me like a woman in scarlet!’
‘I know, but it’s only one weekend… Remember: when in Rome, do as the Romans do and everything will be ok’, Preston didn’t loose his calmness.
His mother, Mrs Downey, had asked him and Kate for a weekend in her residence, where Kate would be introduced to Preston’s family. The problem was his family was very conservative and Kate… well, she was not conservative at all.
‘What do you mean?’ Kate asked suspiciously.
‘Wear a blouse with a high collar, a long skirt, smile shyly and don’t speak much.’
‘A Victorian!’ Kate wheezed with the highest disapproval.
But on Friday they finally arrived at Mrs Downey’s and Kate behaved in a perfect Victorian way during the whole greeting dinner. Preston was really relieved and proud of his almost-roman Kate and Mrs Downey –
- nicely surprised. ‘She’s quite a proper girl after all’, she thought with appreciation. We’ll pass over Kate’s thoughts, because they were rather unprintable. The moment the dinner ended Kate hurried to her bedroom without speaking to Preston. Hardly had she started falling asleep, when she heard someone knocking the door.
‘That’s me. Let me in’, Preston whispered.
‘What for?’ Kate asked innocently.
‘Oh, come on, Kate. Everybody’s asleep’
‘So what?’
‘So what?! Kate, stop joking and let me in’, Preston was becoming irritated.
‘But we’re in Rome, my dear, have you forgotten?’ said Kate in a sweet voice.


To be honest, I've been almost sure that I was much more naive those days...