22 Apr 2025

A Tale of a Gray-Haired Librarian and a Glittery Chestnut-Matchmaker by Vira Niemkova

Once upon a time, there was a couple.

Magically bound-like. Absolutely fantastic. Wise men say matches like that happen not more than twice in a millennium: once for one soul, and once for another. All that matters is for both of the souls to equally want this. These two wanted. And so they met.

It all started with a chestnut.

***

The sound of something tiny hitting the window woke her up from the dream. Sunbeams, warmly golden, softly flood the room. It took her a couple of slightly painful moments to stand up and look (at this point her joints often resisted working properly and needed some time to warm up). When she finally reached the windowsill, she saw nothing even slightly suspicious—only a single chestnut, stuck from the outside. Suddenly she knew that it was waiting for her. So she opened the window to feel its cool glossy surface in her hands. And she remembered everything…   This type of tenderness, only Octobers can give.  

Gathering chestnuts in an autumn park was their annual tradition. Victor used to call her his chestnut princess, as she once became the "fastest chestnut gatherer - 1975". But she preferred him to call her by her real name. Lana. He had his special way of pronouncing it, making it sound like the most beautiful name in the whole world. No one ever could really copy it. And she was happy it belonged to her.

Her grandson David adored gathering chestnuts too as a child. It’s in the blood, for sure. Martha, her daughter, promised they’d come over today. 

“I wonder when —", the sound of the doorbell didn’t let her finish the sentence. It must be them.

She smiled and went into the corridor to let her closest in. She’s got some great news to tell them.

“Tomorrow’s my first working day at the library!”, announced she as they sat around the kitchen table. Martha’s eyes, green and glowy, lit up with surprise.

“You never told us you were looking for a job, Mom”, she spoke with a hint of a happy laugh in her voice. Being a librarian was her mom’s childhood dream.

“I know. Just wanted to keep this a secret for a while. Seems like retirement is high time to let dreams come true” – her face was radiating with pure excitement. There, at that moment, she was eight again.

“You mean, our central library? I can give you a lift if you want. When does the work start?” – David’s voice was so deep. She couldn’t get used to it. Felt like it was just yesterday that she read him to sleep. And now he even has a driver’s license. Time flies.

***

Lana stood in front of the library entrance. A few seconds ago she waved goodbye to David and could still hear the car in the distance. She squished the chestnut in her hand, trying to find some balance. She hadn’t let go of it since yesterday, the moment it woke her up.

 This is it. Get yourself together. You’re almost 80, for heaven’s sake! There’s nothing to be scared of!

And so she went inside, triggering a tiny golden bell, hanging from above the door. Bright little sparks fell down.

Oh, no. I'm getting really old. First joints, now these visions. It is pure luck I still can remember my home address. Could it really be just a vision?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a pleasant female voice.

“Hello, you must be Lana Freidkin. My name is Lizzy. I’m going to assist you on your first day here. But should we drink some tea first? I’ll sprinkle some fairy dust on top if you like”

“Pardon?”, Lana looked at her black coat. It was all covered in those sparks from the bell. She was wearing a night sky on her shoulders.

***

“I mean sugar, of course”, said the girl with a light smile

***

Lizzy didn’t have a partner but was pretty much in love with the idea.

“You know what they say: «Once for one soul, and once for another. All that matters is for both of the souls to equally want this», I would really like for this to happen to me . I would really like someone’s soul to want mine”, she sipped her tea. She couldn’t explain why she decided to say such deep things to an elderly woman she met just today. But there was something about her. There definitely was.

“I used to have it. The thing you are talking about. His name was Victor. He--”

She felt a strange shiver in her pocket. The chestnut jumped straight out of it, looking like a golden snitch, all glittery and shiny.

“I’m losing my mind, for sure”, thought Lana, as her precious chestnut paved its way through the shelves.

But Lizzy is seeing it too. We couldn’t be both mad, could we?

It was at the exact moment it reached the door that they heard it open. A young man stepped inside. The “golden snitch” hit his chest and left a sun-like pattern on his jacket, right where the heart is.


“Lizzy, you’re here? I was looking for you”


 He wasn’t surprised by the flying glittery chestnut or the fact that it hit him He was just looking for Lizzy.


“My dear, I think that is your soul”


***


Wise men say matches like that happen not more than twice in a millennium. Sometimes, they even say that an old woman could not be a librarian. But there are always exceptions, and chestnuts are good at finding them, especially if you put some glitter. They know how to make “happily ever after” happen.


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