Meeting Many Years Later

A month ago I left for the capital city of Georgia Tbilisi with my schoolmates and the teacher of Georgian Rina Shaginyan. According to the programme each of us was to be hosted by the family of a student from Tbilisi No37 School. I was hosted by Marianna Lebedevass family. At their place I was met by Marianna's father, grandmother and younger sister Alina. We made friends with each other in a very short period of time. In the evening my parents got acquainted with Marianna's family over the Skype, and in this way our two families began communicating with each other.

My friends and I got to know the educational programmes of Tbilisi School No37, went sightseeings in Tbilisi. We came back to Yerevan after having spent unforgettable days in Tbilisi. A month later the "Mkhitar Sebastatsi" Educomplex hosted our Georgian friends. We showed them the educational programmes of the Educomplex schools, went on educational trips to Echmiatsin, Matenadaran and to other places of interests of Armenia. Our Georgian friends were staying at our school GuestH home, but on the eve of their departure we invited Marianna to our place. On that day my mother's father also came to see us. He had had uncles in Tbilisi and had often spent his holidays at theirs'. In the evening we were connected with Marianna's grandmother over the Skype. Here is what we revealed from the conversation between Marianna's grandmother Marine and my grandfather Alexan.               

My grandfather said that his uncle had lived at house 10 on Klara Setkin street in Tbilisi. Marianna's grandmother was listening carefully, and her face expressed surprise and inspiration. Then she told us that before moving into their current flat their family had also lived on that same street in the house number five which stood just the opposite of House 10where my grandfather's uncle Grisha's family lived. We kept silent when she uttered the names of my grandfather's uncle and his wif Siranush who as she said had been a genuine Armenian housewife. She also added that she always rememered that hospitable Armenian family. We were all astonished at that moment. She said that her father Yeghishe and Grisha had been very good neighbours. At that moment my grandfather rang up his 90-year-old mother and told her what he had just found out. His mother said that she also remembered a man Yeghishe by name who lived in the opposite house. We were so much surprised and happy that we couldntt say anything. Our parents and grandparents continued speaking and reminded each other sweet memories of the past. Marianna and I went into the next room to play the guitar.In fact we are the fourth generation of those families and we are to continue this relationship.

It was very difficult to part with Marianna whos has already become so close to me.I want to express my special thankfulness to the Director of "Mkhitar Sebastatsi" Educomplex for the programme "Armenian Georgian Public Educational Bridges".

Ani Achemyan, Grade 10

The English translation by Maria Babayan, Grade 10