Allison couldn't bring herself to open either the envelope containing the note or the package with the bra inside at the law firm's office. She just wanted to get home where her childish blubbering wouldn't cause so much of a scene. She slogged through the remaining paperwork with Debra, and scurried off towards the elevators with her precious cargo clutched tightly to her bosom. Traffic was light.
Upon arriving at her apartment, Allison turned up the heat, put the teakettle on the stove, and curled up on her lumpy couch with the opened envelope. She unfolded the paper inside. It was covered in Ulyana's cramped but orderly handwriting. It read:
Dear Allison,
Your visit was good for both of us. When you were knocking on door I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to answer. But then I peek outside and there is worried lost looking girl standing in snow who has come long way in small car. Then I am thinking there is something this old woman can do still.
Yes, one last garment to sew, but I see there is more work in need of doing. But how to tell the swan it is no ugly duckling? The more times I say, the less it believes the words. Fool is stubborn. Very frustrating, but I repeat anyways. You are beautiful. Not common beauty to see smiling thirty times over from the rack of lady's magazines. No. More rare, far more precious. Do not rush and throw it away. Easier for me to say, yes? Beauty won't stop your back from paining. So please, try on bra I made for you. Maybe then we will be in agreement.
Still, is very difficult. I tell you many sad stories of the Ukraine, but here too in America is same struggle. You know of saving. You know sacrifice. It pained me to charge you so much, but important for me to see you were willing to take the hard road to happiness. Now with money it will be less hard, but you have far to go I think. I hope you get there.
With love,
Ulyana Ivanov
PS: If you still need tailor I have no choice but to refer you to second rate rival, Inessa Mihailova. Address and number I wrote on the back. Make sure to bring cotton for your ears or she will talk them off with stories and gossip. And never agree on first price! You must learn to haggle. Is lost art in this country.
Yeah, I have the bad habit of erring on the bigger side when drawing the same character :) There's that and a bunch of other things I don't like about this picture. I might just repaint it.
There's not enough I see wrong witht he picture to warrent a full repaint. True, her butt should be sinking into the cushion and the back of the couch looks too straight, but as for her herself, she looks fine to me. If she looks bigger, then either she's squished up between her ribs and her legs or "Oh well, she's bigger". ^_^
Repaint if you want, Woot, but I don't see the need. I'm not complaining.
Well, don't forget, she's only got those evil industrial bras, she's probably being compressed in uncomfortable ways. Ulyana's work will probably help her to look fuller and more balanced, as well as feel more comfortable and confident.
Is what we are call good story back in Old country. Much happiness is bring, ya? I am loving story. Is fun to talk like Ukraine. My tank is fight. All your base are beling to us.
It is indeed too bad that haggling has been destroyed by the hard-and-fast prices of the major corporations. It's no longer "Can I get this price down to something I can afford?" It's now you either can afford it or you can't. Period, end of discussion.
Ulyana has to be the single best character you've written for this site. Despite my obvious love of your breast-related subject matter, Ulyana stole my interest away instantly. Such an interesting (and sympathy-inducing) character!
Upon arriving at her apartment, Allison turned up the heat, put the teakettle on the stove, and curled up on her lumpy couch with the opened envelope. She unfolded the paper inside. It was covered in Ulyana's cramped but orderly handwriting. It read:
Dear Allison,
Your visit was good for both of us. When you were knocking on door I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to answer. But then I peek outside and there is worried lost looking girl standing in snow who has come long way in small car. Then I am thinking there is something this old woman can do still.
Yes, one last garment to sew, but I see there is more work in need of doing. But how to tell the swan it is no ugly duckling? The more times I say, the less it believes the words. Fool is stubborn. Very frustrating, but I repeat anyways. You are beautiful. Not common beauty to see smiling thirty times over from the rack of lady's magazines. No. More rare, far more precious. Do not rush and throw it away. Easier for me to say, yes? Beauty won't stop your back from paining. So please, try on bra I made for you. Maybe then we will be in agreement.
Still, is very difficult. I tell you many sad stories of the Ukraine, but here too in America is same struggle. You know of saving. You know sacrifice. It pained me to charge you so much, but important for me to see you were willing to take the hard road to happiness. Now with money it will be less hard, but you have far to go I think. I hope you get there.
With love,
Ulyana Ivanov
PS: If you still need tailor I have no choice but to refer you to second rate rival, Inessa Mihailova. Address and number I wrote on the back. Make sure to bring cotton for your ears or she will talk them off with stories and gossip. And never agree on first price! You must learn to haggle. Is lost art in this country.