The Jewish Boy and the Bulgarian Beauty

"The Jewish Boy and the Bulgarian Beauty: A Tale of Love, Laughter, and Prohibited Radio"

Once upon a time, in the summer of 1981, in the city of Odessa, Ukraine, a 10-year-old Jewish boy named Michael lived with his parents and little brother, who had recently turned one year old, in the area of Bolshoi Fontan - one of the largest and most popular seaside resort areas of Odessa, located in the southern part of the city. This neighborhood had inspired many writers, poets, painters, and other creative professionals.

One day, Michael met a 19-year-old Bulgarian woman named Valya, who was a tenant in his grandmother's house. Despite their age difference, they quickly became friends and spent their days together at the beach, listening to forbidden radio stations such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, and laughing at the comical speeches of the Soviet leaders on TV.

They shared a love for humor and often exchanged jokes, especially when Valya was feeling sad. Michael would tell her different kinds of Jewish jokes, and they would laugh together, forgetting about the troubles of the world around them.

They both didn't like communism, and their shared passion for freedom brought them closer. They talked about the world events they heard on the radio, such as President Reagan's proposal of a "Star Wars" missile defense system, which was "decades away from reality," and the 1983 Korean Airlines Flight 007 incident.

Their summer together was a brief moment in time, but it will always hold a special place in Michael's heart. Now, many years later, he is happily married, and he compares his present love to the memories he shared with Valya. He knows that their time together was a reminder of a time when life was simpler, and love was pure.

Their friendship continued into 1982, a year filled with many rapid and tumultuous changes in the Soviet Union. After the passing of Leonid Brezhnev on November 10, 1982, the Soviet Union was "headless" for only two days. On November 12, Yuri Andropov, the former head of the KGB, was elected (and in fact appointed) as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and his closest assistant and "right-hand man" was Konstantin Chernenko.

Michael and Valya listened to the radio stations that were prohibited at the time, and they shared their thoughts and dreams of a better future. In the end, Michael will always remember the moments he shared with Valya, the Bulgarian tenant in his grandmother's house. They were an unlikely pair, brought together by fate and their love for humor, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness.