Chapter 5
-Flashback-
Author's pov:
"Cordina, don't jump on the couch, you'll hurt yourself." Her dad said looking at his five year old daughter joyfully jumping on the couch cause she got to know that her dad's taking her to Russia for holidays.
"No, I won't." Cordina said, still jumping.
Her dad went and stopped her from jumping.
"Go pack your bag, We are going tomorrow." He said with a smile.
"Mommy is packing my bags." Cordina said.
He smiled looking at her and played with her. The next day they all went to the airport and took a flight to Russia.
After a few hours they reached Russia and came out of the airport. Victor and Mr. Yakov was waiting for them outside the airport.
"Leo over here." Victor said, waving his hand.
Leo, Lilie and Cordina went towards Victor and Yakov.
"Long time Leo." Victor said, hugging Leo.
"Yeah, such a long time." Leo said hugging back.
"How are you Lilie?" Victor said, breaking the hug.
"Fine, what about you victor?" Lilie siad, with a smile.
"Fine as always." Victor said, with his usual smile.
"How are you Abe ?" Yakov said, with his expression less face.
"Fine coach." Leo said.
"You're the only one who calls him Abe." Lile said, smiling.
"And he's the only one who's allowed to call that." Leo said looking at Lilie.
Yakov laughed seeing that. While the elders were talking all this, our little Cordina was watching Victor and Yakov with an amused face. Victor noticed Cordina and kneeled in front of her.
"Hey little girl, you must be Cordina." Victor said, stretching his hand for a shakehand.
"Yes." Cordina siad, with a smile and gave a shakehand.
"Come on let's go." Yakov said.
They all went to the house where Leo used to stay earlier. Cordina spoke to Victor and Yakov with ease. They all had lunch and it was evening time.
"Lilie, we are planning to go to academy, wanna join?" Leo asked, looking at his wife.
"It's fine. I'll take a rest. I'm a bit tired from the journey. Lilie siad, with a tired face.
"Okkay." Leo said and was about to turn when Cordina came and stood in front of him.
"Daddy, where are you going?" She asked with the cute little voice of hers.
"To the academy dear, wanna come?" Leo said lifting his daughter.
"Yes." Cordina said with excitement.
Leo, Cordina, Victor and Yakov went outside the house and took a cab to the academy. They reached the academy and went inside.
"It hasn't changed in years." Leo said, looking at the academy.
"Daddy, I want to go in there." Cordina said showing her small index finger towards the ice rink.
"Leo, does she know how to skate?" Victor said, looking at Cordina.
"A little." Leo said.
"Why don't you let her in Abe, I also want to see if you remember your training." Yakov said.
Leo went into the changing room and came out holding 2 pairs of ice skates, one for Cordina and one for himself.
He made Cordina wear skates and he wears them too. They both go on to the ice rink. Cordina starts skating.
"Be careful Cordina." Leo shouts when he sees Cordina skating and going far away.
"She'll be fine, look at her, she's doing good." Victor says with a smile.
Yakov makes Leo and also Victor go on to the ice rink and show how well they remember.
On the other side, Cordina skates with a smile. She was skating so well, but she didn't realise she was losing her balance, she was about to fall on the ice, when a little hand stopped her and helped her from falling.
"Thank you." Cordina says, looking at the small kid, who helped her.
"Welcome. You new here?" The little boy says with a smile.
"Yes, I came with my daddy. He's there." Cordina shows Leo skating on the other side of the rink.
"Oh. I'm Yuri." The little boy says introducing him.
"I'm Cordina." She says extending her little hand for a handshake.
Yuri gives a shakehand to her.
"You know skating?" Yuri asks.
"A little. Can you help me with skating?" Cordina asks.
"Okay. Come on." Yuri says, holding her hand.
They start skating again, laughing and giggling.
On the other side, Yakov gives a break to Leo and Victor and goes out, when he gets a call. Leo sees Cordina skating with Yuri.
"Victor, who's that kid skating with Cordina?" Leo asks, pointing his index finger at Yuri.
"Oh, he's Yuri Plisetski. You know his grandpa, Nikolai Plisetsky." Victor says, giving details about Yuri.
"Kolya?" Leo asks with a doubtful face.
"Yeah, and this kid comes to the academy for practice. Looks like they both became good friends." Victor said with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm happy she made friends at least here. She was a total introvert at home." Leo said, looking at Cordina and Yuri, who were at present holding hands and skating.
"Sounds more like you." Victor said.
Leo smiled in reply. Till then Yakov came back and made Victor and Leo start their practice.
On the other side of the ice rink Yuri and Cordina were playing happily. Yuri taught her how to balance while skating.
"You are so good at it." Cordina said, while skating with Yuri.
"Thank you. I was practicing." Yuri replied with a smile.
They both stopped skating and went back on the ground.
"So, you stay here?" Yuri asked while removing his skates.
"No, I came on vacation." Cordina said, trying to remove her skate laces.
Yuri's face went dull after listening to that. He thought his new friend was from around here and he wanted to meet her every day and skate like today.
"Oh, So you go back?" Yuri said with a dull face.
"Yes." Cordina said untying her other skate lace.
"When will you go back?" Yuri said, wishing she will stay at least some more time, so he can spend more time with her.
"Tomorrow." She said looking at Yuri.
Yuri felt more sad. She was the first one who spoke to him in a good way. She was the first one who wanted to be his friend and when he heard that she is going back home tomorrow, his little heart filled with sadness.
"You look sad." Cordina asked, looking at Yuri.
"You're going back." He said with his head down.
"But we can meet next time." Cordina said with a small smile.
"We can?" Yuri said, seeing a chance to meet her again.
Till then his little heart was sad knowing he can't meet his first friend again. But after listening to her words, that sad heart got a slightest hope of seeing her again.
"Yes, I'll ask dad to bring me to Russia for every vacation. We can meet." Cordina said.
"Promise?" Yuri said with a joyful face.
"Promise." Cordina said with a smile.
"But that too you'll be away for a year." He said, realising the next time he will see her is after a year.
Cordina nodded her head with her smile vanishing. They both thought of that and sat next to each other. Then the little brain of her's got an idea, she turned towards Yuri with a smile and spoke.
"I'll be back, wait for me"
Cordina rushed towards her dad, she stood beside Yakov and was waiting for her dad to complete his practice. Yakov saw the little girl and spoke.
"Wait for your dad, Cordina?"
She nodded her head in agreement.
"It'll take time, tell me what it is. I'll see if I can help." he said, kneeling in front of her.
Cordina removed the chain around her neck and removed the tow cheetha's pendant from that chain.
"Can you break it into two?" She asked to give her cheetah pendant to Yakov.
"Why?" Yakov asked, taking the pendant to his hand.
"I want to give one to my friend, please." She asked with puppy eyes.
"Okkay." Yakov said, chuckling softly. He broke the pendant into two, making the two cheetah's separate.
"Here" He said, giving the pendant to her.
"Thank you." She said with a smiling face and ran towards Yuri.
Yakov stood up again making stern faces at Victor and Leo.
Cordina came and stood in front of Yuri who was waiting for Cordina to return with his head down.
"Yuri." Codina called.
Yuri lifted his face to see her.
"Here, till the time I meet you, this pendant be with you." Cordina said, giving the Cheetah pendant to Yuri.
"A pendant?" Yuri said, taking the pendant into his hands.
"Yes. My dad gave me this. I asked Yakov to break it into two. So, we both can have it." She said showing the other pendant piece.
"I'll keep it safe. Thank you."Yuri said with a smile.
Cordina wore the pendant and Yuri kept the other half of the pendant in his pocket.
"Promise to be friends forever?" She asked him with a smile.
"Promise." he said.
They both were smiling happily when an old man called Yuri.
"Yuri." Nikolai said coming towards the kids.
"Grandpa." Yuri said while standing up.
"Grandpa this is Cordina, my new friend." Yuri said, showing Cordian.
"Hello, little girl." Nikolai said with a smile.
"Hello." Cordina replied.
"You came alone?" Nikolai asked.
"No, I came with my dad, he's over there." Cordina said, showing Leo.
Nikolai saw Leo. He was so happy to see him.
"He's your father?" Nikolai asked with a smile.
"Yes, you know him?" Cordina replied with a doubtful face.
"Yes dear, we are friends. Come on let's go and meet him." Nikolai said.
The three went towards the area where Leo, Victor and Yakov were there. Leo and Victor finished their practice and came out of the ice rink.
"Leo." Nikolai said, standing in front of Leo.
Leo looked at Nikolai and smiled with joy.
"Kolya. It's so good to see you." Leo said with a hug.
"I should be the one saying it." Nikolai said, hugging back.
Yuri and Cordina came there and were watching how the four adults were talking about random things.
"Leo came after these many years and you made him do practice." Nikolai said, teasing Yakov.
"I wanted to test him. Not bad but he still needs practice." Yakov said.
"Come one let's head back, I'm hungry." Victor said, keeping his hand on his stomach.
"Okkay." Everyone said.
Everyone including Yuri and Nikolai went home.
"Lilie, we came back." Leo shouted as soon as he entered the house.
"Perfect timing I made dinner for everyone." Lilie said coming out of the kitchen.
"We have guests too." Leo said, showing Yuri and Nikolai.
Lilie's face lit up with a big smile after seeing Nikolai.
"Nikolai, it's so good to see you." Lilie said hugging him.
"Me too." Nikolai said hugging back.
"It's Yuri, my grandson." Nikoali said, showing Yuri.
"Nice to meet you Yuri." She said ruffling Yuri's hair.
"We'll talk while having dinner. Come on I'm starving." Victor said, moving himself towards the dining table.
They all sat at the dining table with food in front of them. Yuri and Cordina sat next to each other.
They all started having dinner and the adults were talking about their olden days, where the kids were talking about the present and future.
"Seems like you two became good friends." Lilie said with a smile looking at Yuri and Cordina.
"Yes." Yuri and Cordina said at the same time.
They all finished their dinner. Yuri and Nikolai went home. Nikolai promised to come to the airport to give send off to Leo, Lilie and Codina when she knew they were going back to Germany tomorrow.
The next day everyone was at the airport. Leo, Lilie and Cordina were about to leave when Yuri rushed and hugged Cordina.
"Good-bye." Yuri said with teary eyes.
"Bye." Cordina said with the same eyes.
They broke the hug. The elders saw their friendship and smiled. Leo, Lilie and Cordina went back to Germany. Hoping to meet her in the next vacation Yuri went back home with a smile.
Cordina asked her parents to go to Russia but they couldn't go because of their work and all. It's been years since she went to Russia. Eventually Cordina forgot about Yuri because of her studies and all, after Leo's death there's nothing of her past she remembers besides her parents. She went into a trauma.
Even after that trauma and all that, Cordina still wore that pendant, thinking it was the gift her dad gave.
On the other side, Yuri started practicing at Yakov's academy, he waited for Cordina the following year but she didn't show up. Years passed and he became good at ice skating, but he still wears that necklace even though he can't remember Cordina.
It's been 10 years since he saw Cordina, the name and her face vanished from his memory but the promise and the pendant he remembered. He wore the pendant thinking he would meet his childhood friend again and fulfill their promise.
-Flashback end-