Part 6. Success and Fame

Part 6. Success and Fame

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"Dear Lainie!" - Jack wrote the phrase and stopped…for the fifteenth time not knowing how to continue. How to tell her about all his love, tenderness and…to propose to her at last? For eight months they had been together and for four months already he wanted to propose. But every time he thought about the reaction of the most beautiful girl in the world to the proposal of a simple young man he got scared.

That day he made up his mind to propose for sure. He decided to do it in writing and leave the letter on the bench in the park – their park where they hat gotten used to walking for many hours. Lainie was to come in half an hour, Jack wanted to leave the letter and hide, but…

-  Hello, Jack! – said a very familiar musical voice near him.

Jack started. As usual he couldn’t understand her ability to approach him without any noise. Lainie apologized:
-  I didn’t want to disturb you. I felt…you really wanted to say something to me. That’s why I spoke.

-  Eh, yes, Lainie. There is something…Eh…ah…Lainie, what are you going to do in your life? – the question was unexpected, but at that moment Jack couldn’t invent anything else.

-  What do you mean? – Lainie was puzzled at this simple question.

-  Do you have any aims, ambitions?

-  Ambitions? – Lainie didn’t understand what Jack was talking about.

-  Yes, you know: celebrities…

-  Lainie asked again. - Who appear on TV and give autographs?

-  On TV, in the cinema, in newspapers. People worship them, because they’ve achieved everything. They are ambitious and impudent (that which I will never become – thought Jack sadly).

-  I understand, - said Lainie slowly, - they are or were considered to be prodigies, somebody made them rising stars. But are they happy? - Lainie liked to ask about something very obvious and this puzzled Jack for the whole evening.

-  Of course, they are. They realized their dreams completely.

Lainie thought for a while and replied:
 -  You are right from your point of view. For you they are idols shining in the light of their glory. They can make a good impression of their success. But do you think they really feel as happy as they seem?

-  Certainly, they do.

-  But how can the person be happy if he is not free?

-  Not free? – now it was Jack’s turn to be puzzled.

-  Imagine you are a starlet. In your world you need a sponsor for your career. But when you find him, he immediately forces you to account of every step in your life, and then – then he spies after you like your…F-B-I  so that you won’t be able to go to the bathroom without his permission. And if the person is a celebrity already it is even worse for him. Again he will have to make all his decisions under the pressure of another power - publicity influence. He won’t have the right to make mistakes because of fear of notoriety. And how do their families feel being constantly under the watch of cameras and paparazzi? I would never agree to have such life.

-  So you would never agree to marry a star or a public figure? – asked Jack.

-  Never.

-  But they are so bright and successful. Every girl wants a husband. – at least that’s what Jack thought.

-  Wealth and fame make people blind. They stop thinking about love. And love is the most important value. – was Lainie’s reply.

-  So if you find out that somebody who is not ambitious and not impudent loves you with all his heart, will you marry him? – Jack didn’t understand how he dared to ask.

-  I will marry somebody with an open and romantic soul, kind and generous, ready to save the whole world, but so modest that he still can’t make a proposal. - Lainie smiled, her eyes were shining.

-  How did you guess? – Jack gasped.

-  Oh, it wasn’t difficult at all. During our entire conversation you had the ring in your left hand and you worried much more than usual.

-  And what is your answer, Lainie? Will you marry me? – Jack knelt in front of the girl.

-  Don’t you feel what my feelings are? Try to do it. You can.

Lainie put her warm arms on his shoulders. Jack asked very quietly:
-  Is it “yes”? 

-  Of course, “yes”. It’s true, I love you.

-  I love you too, - said Jack at last and they hugged in a tender kiss.


Speaking Minimum Words:
aim - мета, ціль
ambition - амбіція, прагнення
celebrity - знаменитість, видатна людина
autograph - автограф
to worship - поклонятися, обожнювати
to achieve - досягати
ambitious - амбіційний
impudent - нахабний, нерозваждивий
prodigy - надзвичайно обдарована людина
rising star - зірка, що сходить
to realize one's dreams - здійснити мрії
idol - ідол, кумир
glory - слава
make a good impression - справити хороше враження
success - успіх
publicity influence - вплив публічності
notoriety - недобра слава
fame - слава

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