PORTRAIT OF LIFE
Within the artistic cauldron of the city of New York, Milena looks for a recommended painter (Luigi Franccini) to make a portrait of her. She is a ballerina who, as a young girl, escape from Russia in search of success, falls into the hands of the human traffickers who take her to America to prostitute her. He manages to escape and finds his way into the ballet. She triumphs and dances until, due to her age and physical ailments, she is forced to retire
Milena meet Boris who flatters her with gifts and good life to establish an intimate relationship. He recommends Luigi for her portrait. Milena suspects, but does not know what the origin of the power of Boris is until he is the target of an attack for revenge among NY mafias. Boris is the capo of the Russian mafia in NY.
During the process of painting the portrait, Milena and Luigi find affinities as artists who are and enjoy spending evenings and walks together. They fall into a beautiful friendship and without being able to avoid it, he falls in love with Milena and dares to tell her. She feels the same inside and accepts it with caution.
As a result of the attack on Boris in the nightclub, where there were shooting and an agonizing escape, Milena suffers a heart attack. Boris feels guilty. Luigi does not know anything and suffers greatly thinking that Milena has abandoned him for having manifested his love.
Milena appears later in the studio to tell Luigi what happened and that she has also thought a lot about him and promises to return to finish the portrait. But Milena returns to the hospital where they find that the problem that overwhelms her is greater. It is before the possibility of needing a heart transplant. It is possible to have the heart. The implant is done. But 48 hours later Milena rejects it.
Genre: FICTION / Action & Adventure
This is my first book published on Babelcube in English.
Dressed as a Ballerina
At the next session, Milena looked gorgeous in her ballerina dress, although she could not help feeling somewhat uncomfortable about appearing as something that belonged to the past. The skirt, now looking like a tutu, extended in a wide and graceful circle that showed her legs with white stockings a little bit more than it should. Luigi stood admiring her for several seconds when she appeared at the door of the bedroom, she just stood there until Luigi offered his hand, inviting her to go forward. Her steps recovered life, the feet remembered how it was to float, her knees stopped hurting and she reached the sofa, just like a swan silently gliding over the calm waters of a lake. She had recovered her self-confidence. It was just about dressing an image of the past, which was kept alive within the sidereal space of memory, to be upheld in the present of the reality that was in the brightness of her smile and the fluttering of her hands.
She took her pose and looked at Luigi with the grace of a princess accustomed to her beauty.
-How do I look?
-Milena… - and he couldn’t say more. But she realized the impact she had caused in the artist that had sensitive fibers and wasn’t able to hide his feelings.
Luigi took the paintbrush and started working.
Half an hour later Luigi let out an Uffff! of satisfaction. – Let’s take a break Milena, would you like a coffee?
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Cristian Marino
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Author review: Good translator and responsibly, being very careful on details. |
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Portuguese
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Translation in progress.
Translated by Tatiana von Sperling
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