#21 AND THEN I MET HIM
You never know when you fall in love. It can happen today, it can happen in a week or in a year. To some it happens quite often, others fall in love only once in a lifetime and some missed their chances too often and then they die without knowing what they missed.
Mia was on her way to a drug store. She always used to go to this drug store when she lived in Wroclaw. And now every time she visited Mrs. Nowak. Mia was in a rush, because she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Mrs. Nowak.
Actually, Mia should not even be here, in Wroclaw. Since two days she was on a school trip, but for this day something else was planed than climbing on the highest mountain in the region, organise snowball matches, and just to walk and enjoy the landscape. The Carpathian Mountains are a range of mountains forming a long arc across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the largest mountain range in Europe. No area of the Carpathian range is covered in snow all year long and there are no glaciers, but now there was snow everywhere. It was great to walk and to feel the cold, soft and cuddly snow under her feet, to sense the winter on her face, to see how it was snowing and just to run around almost all day long. The class trip was uncoordinated. They could do what they wanted to do. There were no trips planed and it was more like holidays without parental control. It wasn't boring to walk along the hiking trails; it was just difficult to avoid her classmates. Therefore, she decided to go to Wroclaw for one day, which wasn't so far away. It was a trip of only 3 hours.
Mia decided to use one of the few possibilities to visit her old friend and previous neighbour. Mrs. Nowak was from the generation of Mia’s grandmother and she was the person who was the grandmother, which Mia always wished to have.
Mia always used any opportunity to visit the old woman and this was just a great one offered to her. It would be a sin not to take it.
So, she came to Wroclaw, one of the biggest Polish cities, where she had spent 3 years of her life. When she was living with Aunt Renata, she got to know the nice neighbour and their relationship grew from saying “good morning” into something bigger.
Now Mia was on her way to the drug store. She gladly offered to go and buy medicine for the old lady.
The snow laid on the streets and it wasn't easy to walk through. Still, Mia was running. Wherever she wanted to go, she was running. She loved to feel the wind on her face and the air in her lungs.
The distance between the drug store and the Mrs. Nowak's apartment wasn't long. It was five minutes, just around the corner of the block and then across a small street. It didn't even take five minutes to get there, even with the streets being full of snow and the winter road service not managing to salt the sidewalks. For the old woman it was much longer, the stairs and the slippery sidewalk made it very difficult for her to walk. When you’re young you don’t perceive such distances like this. As everybody knows, the old age requires special attention.
When Mia entered into the store, the first person she saw was a guy who was buying some medicine against a bad cold. He was about 30-35 years old, his nose was red like the one of Rudolph and his eyes were tired. He was wearing dark winter clothes in which he was looking smaller than he really was. He was looking at the glass between him and the sales clerk and Mia followed his unsettled eyes.
Near to him stood an old lady and behind her a boy with his school bag.
Behind the counter was the saleslady she already knew, a woman of middle age with two little kids at home. She wasn't the slimmest person, had always sleek hands and a warm smile on her face.
There in a corner was a very attractive guy and Mia was amazed that she hadn't noticed him from the very beginning. He was handsome with his short-cropped brown hair and sapphire eyes. He was maybe 25 years old, not older, and he didn't seem to be a student. He was too well dressed to be a student, or he was from a rich family. By all means he had a sense for dressing. He was wearing elegant winter shoes. It wasn't typically Polish; it wasn't typical for a young man.
He looked at her with the same enthusiasm in his eyes. The sparkling sapphires glittered even more. However, his face stayed just at the level “nice”. From the corner of his mouth a smile crept upon his lips. Mia looked away, but she couldn't really take her eyes off him. It was like an invisible power would direct her look in his direction and force her to stare at him. Her heart was speeding up and her cheeks turned to a shade of red.
She looked at him every now and then and Julian let her pass when his turn arrived. She thanked him with a shy smile and went towards the counter. While she handed over the receipts, she felt his eyes on her back. She felt a very warm and pleasant ray at her back that thrilled her inside. Maybe it was the fact that the drug store was well heated. Or maybe it was because Mia knew that the next two, three hours would be a pleasure and very relaxing. Or maybe it was simply the first spark of love she felt in her heart and which she didn't want to admit to herself.
Mia took the medicine and turned around quickly.
The stranger with the well-suited winter jacket and the interesting eyes didn't look at her. Mia was amazed how disappointed she felt about this. Inside she wished that this stranger would look at her and smile. However, it didn't happen.
While she was passing him by, she tried to sense his smell. He smelled nicely. It was a complicated, but lovely mixture. It was unique. Never before had she met a person smelling half as good as he would.
She walked past and returned to Mrs. Nowak.
The way to the drug store was a pleasure. She was running with her usual enthusiasm for running. The way back was a pleasure, because she was flying. She felt lightweight and charmed.
It was another Mia who returned to the apartment. Mrs. Novak told her to sit in the kitchen. Mia always loved to sit in the kitchen. She loved to observe people cooking, baking, washing up, preparing salads, and sandwiches or being busy in any other way. She loved the smell of herbals and tea. It was fascinating for her to look how a tea bag was dyeing the water and how a cake was growing in the oven.
As Mia entered into the kitchen, she looked around quickly and noticed that nothing had changed. The table was still standing below the window, the furniture was still old and dark brown, pots were standing stacked on the cooker, and the smell of cake with plums and cherries was the strongest scent in the air.
She took her favourite place on the kitchen bench behind the massive table and here she could lean back with her right arm on the windowsill. Then Mia took a pillow into her arms and hugged it. Her legs landed at the other end of the bench. She felt comfortable here.
-You didn't change. – said Mrs. Nowak cheerfully. – Already on the first day you came to visit me, you took this place and you sat down just like now. Your couldn't be seen behind the table, you were too small. And you wanted to see what’s happening outside. You could watch people from the window for hours! And now you’re already an adult. Old Time, that greatest and for the longest time established change of all!
Mrs. Nowak smiled in a jolly way and sat down at the opposite side of the table. She put her old, wrinkled hands on the table and shook her head with amusement.
-So, tell me what’s going on in Warsaw? – asked the old woman calmly.
Mia looked at her and smiled.
-Oh, nothing new. It is always the same. Same homework, same teachers... I already visited the Warsaw Castle and there was nothing impressive. I liked the National Theatre, I invited my grandmother to go there with me like we traditionally do it every year, but she said traditionally that it is a sin to spend money for culture and I should invest in real work. – Mia smiled as she imitated her grandmother’s tone.
Mrs. Nowak had to smile as well. She could even imagine how Mia’s grandmother was complaining and making bored and irritated grimaces.
-And I already booked tickets for next week for us. On Tuesday, we are going to the Polish Theatre.
-I would be glad! – The old lady was smiling. She always appreciated it when young p
eople were fascinated by art. She was a former art teacher and often organised trips to theatres. She took Mia often with her, even if Mia was the youngest viewer and although Mia’s grandmother didn't like it. – It is a pity how expensive it is now to see something worth seeing. Earlier we had so many good stage plays, many good directors and actors and now it is all different. – Mrs. Nowak was sad about this fact and apparently, she lost herself in memories. – I remember when we went to a theatre for the first time and you wanted to see the backstage. Nobody noticed where you went and I looked for you everywhere. In a couple of moments, the play was about to start and the lights were already off. Moreover, I stood there, in front of the stage and was calling for you, and then the curtain opened and you stood there, in the middle of the stage and you were so ashamed. Before I even noticed, you were already jumping off the stage and you wanted to leave the theatre. I told you that we had to wait there until the end of the play. I couldn't leave my pupils alone. Afterwards you were very glad that we stayed there. It was the only time when I saw you in a spotlight. It was the only time when I saw you being insecure.
The old woman gesticulated a little while she was talking. Mia gave her some minutes to come back to reality.
-You always knew what you were doing. This was my impression.
Mia didn't answer. She waited for the next sentence.
-And now you are here and you look differently. I don't know what changed, but you are a young, self-confident lady and you have changed.
Mia didn't see it. She didn't perceive it. When did she change? How did she change?
-You should be with people more often. You always avoided contact to others. You didn't play with other kids, you didn't talk with people, you always stuck to your books and you rather lived between fictional heroes than in the real life.
Mrs. Nowak stood up and turned around. The cake was already done. She wanted to take the plate out of the oven, but Mia was faster, she was suddenly next to her and took care of this task. She opened the hot oven and using just one kitchen towel she took the hot plate out of the oven. The kitchen smelled of cake and baked fruits and Mia took the smell in with pleasure. She loved cake with plums and cherries.
Although the cake was very hot Mia cut a piece and ate it. Mrs. Nowak looked at her with joy and her criticism wasn't serious:
-You’re like a hungry wolf! don't burn your tongue!
Mia smiled back while she wolfed the piece from her hand. It was really hot! But the first bite is almost the most beautiful one. You know what is expecting you, but still you feel this strange insecurity. The moments of waiting for a good surprise are happy moments.
After Mia had finished she took two plates from the cupboard, cut two more pieces of cake and put them down on the cupboard. In the meantime, she prepared tea and when this was done, she put everything on the table in the middle of the room.
Mrs. Nowak smiled. Mia always helped her in the kitchen. It was a pleasure to have her here. She was like a ray of light. Her presence alone gave her energy, even though Mia didn't talk much.
When they were sitting at the table, Mrs. Nowak asked what Mia was up to.
-I still go running every day. Furthermore, I still read books and my grandmother still doesn't like it.
They both had to laugh. Mia didn't ask why Mrs. Nowak wasn't eating the cake. She knew her old friend wasn't allowed to eat many sweet things and she was just baking cake when Mia came to visit her. To tell the truth, the whole plate of cake was made for Mia who usually wasn't eating much, but was still able to eat the whole cake with plums and cherries alone. It was a kind of wonder.
-And any boys in sight? – The old lady looked at Mia watchfully.
-No. – Mia answered shortly, maybe even too quickly.
-So he is not your boy, yet. – concluded Mrs. Nowak.
Mia shook her head:
-I don't think we will ever be more than good friends.
-My dear child, love is not always a flame of fire; sometimes it presents itself as a solid ground. It is better to build a serious relationship on something that is concrete and hard like a rock. Emotions are very passionately, but most of the times they are not reliable and not stable. My deceased husband always used to say that love is burning in two ways, sometimes it is burning like litter: rapidly, fast, uncontrolled and exploding, but only for a short time, and sometimes it is burning like coal: slowly at first, but it is indeed a durable and solid fire. It is the only advice I can give you. Anything else, you already have under control for years. I never had to worry about you.
Lovefool (complete 1st part of Lovefool trilogy) Page 22