K

K IS FOR A KLUTZ IN KOMÁRNO, SLOVAKIA AND KOMÁROM, HUNGARY

Miro had arranged to meet her on the Elisabeth Bridge at midday. Before leaving the house he double-checked he had the ring in his jacket. The box caught in his pocket as he pulled it out, he fumbled it, dropping it to the floor and hearing the metal tinkle as the ring rolled across the floor. Five minutes of desperate searching on his knees located the ring, he stuffed it back in the box and left the house behind schedule. At the best of times he was forgetful, clumsy and awkward. The nerves were only serving to exaggerate his inelegant coordination.

Kata checked her outfit in the mirror. Spring had finally arrived, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky, and she had chosen a floral dress to reflect the new season. She tied her dark hair up in a stylish bun and applied a final dab of lip gloss. She kissed her mother on the way out the door, with ‘Boldog Születésnapot,’ ringing in her ears – today she turned eighteen.

Miro made his way through the streets of Komárno towards the river. The Elisabeth Bridge crossed the Danube and joined the border city of Komárno in Slovakia with Komárom in Hungary on the opposite side. Until Czechoslovakia claimed the northern half in 1918, Komárno had been one city. Hungary briefly gained full control in 1938, but since the end of the 2nd World War the Danube had been the division between the two countries and the two halves of the city. In 2007 the border controls on the Elisabeth Bridge were lifted thanks to both countries joining the European Union Schengen Area of free travel. Since then Hungarians and Slovakians have daily crossed between the two sides of the city. It was thanks to this that Miro had been able to meet Kata.

Kata wasn’t sure what her parents would make of her relationship with a Slovakian. They were a conservative, traditional couple, but in Komárom Slovaks and Hungarians had co-existed for centuries. It was more likely that they would object to his being five years her senior and a distraction from her University studies. That was why she had concealed the relationship from them. They had met a year previously. Kata was out with her girlfriends, celebrating the end of term in their usual club. She had been drawn to the shy, gauche senior who was the older brother of one of the girls. She had persisted with the hesitant conversation and eventually unearthed the sweet, sensitive soul hidden underneath the clumsy exterior.

Miro arrived at the bridge on time after hurrying through the streets. It was not a romantic setting. The Danube here was not the idyllic river that passed through Vienna or Budapest, but it was still the Danube. The bridge was part of a highway, with traffic constantly passing in either direction and was functional in appearance, made of iron and painted a muted, dirty green. But it was symbolic of their relationship, a physical bridge between two countries and two halves of one city. Kata was running late as she always was. She worked to Hungarian time they always joked. He reached the centre of the bridge, where the pedestrian path had a small bench, and looked towards the Hungarian side of the river, waiting to see her.

Kata saw Miro standing next to the bench as she neared the bridge. Her spirits rose as they always did when she saw him. She ran the last hundred metres or so, unable to contain the huge smile that spread across her face. They kissed on the border where Hungary and Slovakia met.

Miro pulled away from the embrace. He had to do this just as he had pictured it in his mind or he would falter. ‘Boldog Születésnapot,’ he said, in his halting Hungarian. He had never been able to master the language fluently. They usually conversed in Slovkian or English. He bent down on one knee. Kata realised what her birthday present was to be. She squealed with delight, prepared to let Miro go through his prepared speech. Miro pulled the ring box from his jacket, as he did so it caught in the pocket zip. He pulled hard. The box freed itself, but flipped open. Miro and Kata watched as the ring flew from the box and over the railing. By the time they looked down the ring had disappeared into the Danube below.

Kata saw the look of devastation on Miro’s face. ’The answer is still ’yes,’’ she smiled, ’with or without the ring.’

A passing truck driver beeped his horn at the young couple kissing beside the motorway on the bridge over the Danube, as he left Slovakia behind and entered Hungary.

Written as part of The A to Z Challenge 2018. Click HERE for more details of the challenge.

Each day in April we will visit a different town or city in the European Union, whose name will begin with the letter of the day – today it’s two countries for one with the border city of Komárno/Komárom in Slovakia and Hungary – for a story based on a theme also corresponding to the same letter.

Over the course of the month and 26 stories, we will visit all 28 member countries to complete a farewell tour before Britain leaves the political union next year, touching on the history, politics, culture and people at the heart of Europe.

For a full list of stories and places visited, visit here: THE A TO Z CHALLENGE 2018.

101 thoughts on “K IS FOR KOMÁRNO, SLOVAKIA AND KOMÁROM, HUNGARY”

  14. Good to see the Mills and Boon in you make an appearance Iain! A delightful tale sir.

    I’m not sure he was, but hey-ho! I’ve got a horrid feeling you are going to hear about a lunch party I held that didn’t go quite as planned!

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  15. True love transcends the boundaries! With or without ring was best indicative of whole hearted acceptance.
    Loved this mushy romantic tale.
    Ian, after reading 12 posts so far, I must say, you have been a great history and geography teacher to me! Hahaha!!! Will never forget all these places and tales around them !

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  17. Beautiful scene setting, Iain. Sad about the ring that cannot be replaced with pocket change. They have a proposal story now to share for the rest of their lives. Happy for their future together.

    I have gotten behind in reading. I need to go back and catch up on your posts that I have missed. Love your writing and your theme.

    Emily In Ecuador

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  21. Your sweet story has warmed the cockles of this hopeless romantic’s heart Iain. So thank you.
    From the time you mention Kata pinning up her hair in a bun, I felt I was in the land of O’Henry’s ‘Gift of the Magi’ and I kept hoping for a happy ending for the two lovers, couldn’t wait to read to the end fast enough. Phew!
    Really like this phrase: inelegant coordination
    And
    the way you’ve woven the history and the geography of this fascinating part of Europe into the fabric of a tender love story.
    K is for Katara

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  24. He is a true klutz! It is a sweet and romantic story but you know they will have hurdles to cross since her family may frown on this union. Very nicely written story

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  28. Very sweet! I’ve seen a romantic proposal right here in Melbourne. A few people were standing by the tram stop late one night when one of those tourist-type horse drawn open carriages drove past, with a young man on one knee holding an open engagement ring box. I couldn’t resist – I called out, “Congratulations!” and the others at the stop cheered. I bet they remember that proposal all right! 😉

    Hungarian time, eh? Well, I do Jewish time, myself, and I was chatting once with a Sudanese colleague who told me about Sudanese time, which drove him crazy whenever he was trying to organise a community meeting. Must be a thing for everyone! I told my friend he should handle it the way we do, by giving people a time an hour earlier than we expect them to turn up.

    K Is For Robin Klein
    https://suebursztynski.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-2018-k-is-for.html

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  29. What a beautiful story brilliantly told. When Miro fumbled with it at the start I thought, oh man, be careful with that. But I am so glad Kata said yes the way she did!

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  34. Thank you, Google! Boldog Születésnapot, is Happy Birthday 🙂

    Too bad about the ring, but frankly, it was bound to happen!
    Great story chosing two cities with almost identical names just across the bridge from each other.

    I was in Budapest once and Vienna many times, and thanks to Mr Strauss, the Danube has in fact some romantic touch to me.

    Happy Weekend!

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    1. Ah, Vienna may crop up later in the alphabet! I had 28 countries to fit into 26 stories so a couple of them had to cover 2 countries, border cities and towns always make for good stories, glad you liked it.

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  39. Poor Miro! I couldn’t help but laugh at his clumsiness. However Bridges, no matter where is one of my favorites settings for romance!
    Love that she said YES!

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  42. Hehehehe, poor Miro. Clumsiness got the better of him. But the story was so sweet and romantic. Cute little romance. And thank you for that information on Komarom!

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  43. The names of the places are similar, so I guessed they shared a past. Sad that the ring had to fall into the Danube, but love is better without materialistic possessions, so glad that Mira and Kato are going through with their love for each other. Breathtaking picture!

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  44. Great story as always, glad it had a happy ending! As a Hungarian I selfishly hoped for a separate story but you chose a great setting to show a part of our common history. Great job!

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  46. Gorgeous. You left us guessing all the way as to whether they would meet and whether she would say yes, so the sweet end is all the more rewarding.
    I hope that ring didn’t cost poor Miro a fortune.

    Liked by 1 person

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