Partizanų street

Gabrielė: Street, yard, house. I still remember where a turn should be taken in order to find myself next to the nine-store house, which was my most favourite place in my childhood. Now I am waiting for Fridays to get more sleep and to rest from lectures the following week, but in those days I used to wait for Fridays so I could travel to my most beloved places. Jacket, winter hat, gloves, even while firmly holding my father’s hand I could barely lift up my heavy shoes from snowdrifts. I always fell asleep after finding a comfortable position in the car, though my sweet dreams were often disrupted by my mother trying to wake me up. Trips did not seem long to me, as right after closing my eyes I felt father pinching my cheek and heard him saying that we had arrived. We are already here! Hopping around I used to run round the car and with all my strength I could barely open the heavy door of the stairwell. I knew that I still need to take five steps over stairs and enter an elevator in order to get to my most favourite place. Seven was the number that took me there. A few minutes and the elevator would open and I could see the magical number seven on the wall. Just when I stepped to the left side a door would open, as if welcoming me, and I fell into the embrace of a woman. It was warm, cosy and smelled nice there. The woman always helped me to take my winter clothes off and asked if I was cold. Most of the day both of us used to spend in the kitchen and she allowed me to be her little helper. In the evenings I used to become her personal hair designer. I collected all the combs and hair clips, then tried to do her a hairstyle which was already perfect. Partizanų Street is the most memorable street of Kaunas to me, as this was my grandparents’ house where they lived during the time my family was living in Kaunas. The most memorable adventures, the best and the happiest time of my childhood was spent right there. It was a big and spacious apartment which remains in my memory even now. I remember every place of the room, colours and the layout of everything. (2017)