Back to Bulgaria again, trip!!!!!!! Gene arrived back in Bulgaria on August 2, 1994. After doing the banking thing, giving his car to his daughter Jeanne and selling most of his furniture and giving the rest away. It was Gene’s idea that once he and Yura married, that they would travel around Western Asia as much as possible, just as soon as they could. But soon, we had a completely different set of responsibilities, as will be seen, as the story continues.
One of the things that Gene likes about Bulgaria is the looks he would get from the young girls, some of them would walk up to him and ask if he was an American, and what was he doing in Bulgaria? Gene could of had his choice of many young girls some of them as young as 19 years old. The only problem is that they would only be interested in Gene for the chance to go to America. So three months after getting one of these young girls to America, they would be long gone. That is life!!!!!
Anyway, back to what is important - Yura!!!!
Gene was sure that this was the first time that, he was really in love. You know, Temporary insanity!!!!!
He and Yura married on September 10, 1994 in Vratza, Bulgaria and Gene was in seventh Heaven!!!!!!
He and Yura went to Katerini, Greece for the honeymoon. The weather was good, the water warm, the mosquitoes were biting, but who was noticing. Not Gene!!!!!
After Gene and Yura returned to Vratza, Yura had to return to work and he had to learn his way around the city. This was not easy, as Vratza streets run at all kinds of angles, from each other. Streets were put in wherever the houses were built.
Young girls and young men, would stop Gene on the street, to ask him if he could help them go to America, to sign papers for them. What they didn’t know was the fact that he had enough problems with just trying to get his own (At the time, just Yura and Gene.) family to go to America. As immigration laws had changed, very much and unless a person had a sponsor or were in danger for their life from a bad government, there was not much chance of getting to America. Now if a person is young and can pass the entrance tests for university or has a skill the America needs, there is not much problem. The people seemed to think that Gene was a rich American, he is not rich, just an American.
In the summer of 1995 Gene and Yura went to Kyustendil for the mud baths and other medical procedures. We met a very nice young woman, Called Roumiana Angelova from Kyustendil. Gene, Yura and Roumiana bummed around together and we went to visit the Rila Monastery near Kyustendil. Roumiana comes to Vratza from time to time for a visit.
Gene and Yura went to America to visit friends and family, in late November of 1995. While there we also borrowed $3000 dollars from a bank in Zion, to bring back to Bulgaria to pay for fees and expenses for the coming baby. Thank GOD for Gene’s brother Herb. - As Herb signed for the loan!!
Gene was 63 years and Yura was 42 years old at the time when Sasha was born. Gene and Yura named the baby Sophia Alexandra Eugene Maynard. Bulgarian law requires that the fathers first name to be included in the child’s name. Gene didn’t mind!! Now the last two years have been, baby shit and diapers, and for a difference, diapers and baby shit!!!!!
In June of 1998, Gene went to America for a rest away from diapers, and also to visit friends and family. Gene also borrowed $3000 dollars from the bank again to buy a washing machine, vacuum cleaner and maybe a computer when he returned to Bulgaria.
After returning to Bulgaria, Gene bought a computer for $650 dollars, but by
the time he bought a printer, scanner, speaker, and all the other things that it
takes to run a computer, the real cost was $1300 dollars. Gene knew nothing
about personal computers, even if he did help develop a industrial type
computer. So he hired a friend of the family, named Rumen, to teach him about
computers. It has been quite a learning experience. The more a person learns
about computers, the more there is to learn. Gene thinks he is half way to the
point, that he maybe understands that,
he doesn’t know anything!!! And after that, then he
will be able to learn!!
Gene did not learn about Hugh’s death until on January 11, 1999, when he heard the news from one of his cousins, who had written Gene a Christmas card that had taken almost a month to get to Bulgaria.
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