Homeward bound – “Leaving Elena behind was the hardest decision in my life”

Our time in Chelyabinsk was great, meeting with Elena’s grandparents and sisters what I needed to do on this journey to complete the picture that Elena had illustrated so well in the many letters that she had written to me.

Org Pic Elena

One thing I wanted to do in Russia was to go to the circus, and in Russia there is a permanent circus in most large cities. It was a great night our even if I didn’t understand the language the comedy and tricks were fantastic. Elena wanted to take me everywhere and I was more that happy to tag along to the markets and stalls. Sadly there wasn’t the great Metro like in Moscow, but a tram and bus system that seems to move people well enough from place to place. The buses were old and the diesel spewing from them choked the pavement as you boarded.

Our reason for visiting Chelyabinsk we getting the Police Certificate that would show New Zealand Immigration that Elena was a model Russian citizen and held no criminal record. This process could take weeks we were told, but when you know people and Elena’s Mother knowing someone higher up the food chain in the Police Department things can move a little faster.
We spent hours walking and talking with Elena’s parents as they proudly showed my their city. The architectural state of old Russia is breathtaking, there was so much to take in.

Elena decided that she would travel back to Moscow with me as now that we had all the documents we needed it would be wise to get them lodged as soon as we could. Now all we were waiting on was the clearance from London, there was nothing more to do and I was dreading the day I had to head for home.

Loading the bags onto the train and saying goodbye to all the family on the platform was a sad moment, these people had impacted on my life and a piece on paper in London now decided our fate as to whether we would see each other again, this moment also played on both mine and Elena’s thoughts.

Inza

Night rolled on as we left the city and the darkness and uncertainty of our situation was now playing out stopping in the night as the remote city on Inza we stood on the now freezing platform as the first snow started to fall. Little did we know how this place in the future would be the name of our business for 5 years.

Racing from the Train Station in Moscow straight to the Airport never really gave us the intimate goodbye that we both desperately needed. tears fill eyes and long embraces were just not long enough. Everything now seemed in slow motion as I boarded the plane bound for Korea and on to home. The only comfort I had we the two middle aged Russian Business men who sat beside me and knew two worlds New Zealand and Whiskey – Why now drown my sorrows.

Goodbye Elena and Mother Russia, until we meet again…