by Jane Gorman
Two hours later, Adam had a lot more information about politics in Poland, the tragedy of the recent past and its many victims, and the differences that divided Polish society between those eager to move quickly into capitalism and those reluctant to change. Between those who wanted to go back and expose the past and those who simply wanted to put it behind them and move on.
The Solidarity labor movement had brought the end of the communist regime. Solidarity took great pride in its role not only in creating the new government in Poland — some members of the labor union were still active in the Law and Justice or PiS political party — but also in aiding the dissolution of communist regimes throughout the former communist bloc.
Since the fall of the communist regime, Poles had looked in a variety of directions for answers to the question of how best to build their government. Some had followed the charismatic and well-schooled leadership of the Freedom Union and later the Civic Platform. Advocating for full and immediate capitalism, their leadership was enhanced by the support of a strong youth movement, the Young Democrats.
Against these forward-looking parties, Łukasz described the Soyusz Lewicy Demokratycznej, SLD. The post-communist party. Leaders within this party were good people, Łukasz explained; they simply believed that too abrupt a change would hurt Poland.
Basia had been a Young Democrat and an ardent supporter of the Civic Platform. She accepted her position with Novosad because he had had a change of heart, switching his allegiance from SLD. She saw hope in his personal transformation, she had explained to her father, hope for the future of all Poland.
“How could someone so hopeful ever commit suicide?” Łukasz asked, downing the rest of his beer. “Nonsense. Just nonsense.”
“This is all helpful, Łukasz. I know none of this speaks directly to who might have killed Basia. But sometimes the truth is hidden in the smallest of details. The more I know about Basia’s background, and the people she spent time with, the better I’ll be able to help,” Adam explained. “If there’s anything else you can remember, no matter how small a detail it may seem to you, please tell me.”
“I wish I could remember more, I really do,” Łukasz said for the third time that night. “It was all in my notes, I know, but they are gone. Who knows where. And whatever was in my head” — Łukasz beat gently on his head with a balled fist — “whatever was there is hidden from me now. I simply cannot remember.”
“All right, then let’s work it out. If you can’t remember who you suspected, maybe you can remember where you found your information. We can follow your footsteps, put it together all over again.”
“Yes.” Łukasz looked over at Adam hopefully. “Yes, we can do that. I know where I went. At least, I think I do. I started as always with the newspaper archives. When the subject is corruption, you’d be amazed how much the same people crop up again and again, whether now or in the previous regime.”
“Great. Anything else?”
“Another place I often do my research is in the national archives. They still have most of the official documentation from the previous regime. Well, at least those files that haven’t yet been transferred to the Institute of National Remembrance. But I need a letter from my editor to access them. And I can’t go back to him now to ask for that. Why would he support me if he is the one trying to stop me?”
“If you can’t get access, can I? As a Polish-American, can I apply to review the documents to see what I can find out about my own family?”
Łukasz moved his head slowly from side to side, his hands open to the ceiling above. “Well… I doubt it would be that easy. You would have to apply through the embassy. After weeks, maybe months, you might be given permission only to view those documents connected to your direct relatives. I do not think that will meet our needs.”
“No, I guess not.” Adam looked into his empty glass and ordered just one more for the road. “There must be a way. I can reach out to my contacts in the force back home, too. Or at the Philadelphia International Council. We are here to help forge a stronger relationship between the US and Poland, after all. That might be worth some special privileges. Who knows?”
“It’s certainly worth trying. And I will start with the newspaper archives. I have easy access to those. I will retrace my own footsteps, as you say.” Łukasz put a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Thank you, cousin. Thank you for your faith in me, for believing me and for helping me.”
Adam thought with guilt of his phone call before he came out to meet Łukasz, then put it out of his mind. He was here to help, that’s what family did.
“I may be able to offer you some help, too. If you’re interested.” Łukasz raised an interrogative eyebrow as he added the last few words.
“About what?”
Łukasz frowned and looked down. “You mentioned seeking records about your family. Where you come from. How your family ended up in America. Would you really like to know more about that?”
Adam shrugged. “I figured my grandfather left the country looking for his fortune. Didn’t exactly find it.” He laughed to himself. “But no harm in trying, right?”
“Hmm, yes. I suppose you could say that.” He took a sip of his beer. “But he was only ten years old when he left. You haven’t wondered how his father — your great-grandfather — managed to leave in the middle of a war, when Poland was occupied by the Germans and the Soviets?”
Adam’s surprise showed on his face. “I’ve only heard that it was a difficult time. A difficult journey. Why, what do you know?”
Łukasz pushed himself off the bar and stood behind his stool. “Not many facts, just rumors. But I can see what I can find out for you. Now it is time, I think, to head home. Can you find your way back to your hotel on your own?”
“No problem. I’ll just finish this, I’ll be fine.”
Łukasz nodded and made his way out the door. Adam turned his beer glass in his hand, watching the shafts of amber light reflected onto the bar. He had heard so many stories about his grandfather. When Adam had asked about him, he’d always been told about his bravery. His willingness to take risks. He’d died when Adam was still young, so perhaps he’d only gotten the version of the stories fit for young ears.
He shook his head. For now, he had to focus on the problem at hand. There had to be a way to use his connections here in Poland and in Philly to gain access to those records without alerting Łukasz’s editor they were revisiting them. He didn’t know how things worked over here, but he knew exactly how to get the information he needed when he was back in Philly. How much different could Warsaw be?
With a determined nod to himself, Adam replaced his still half-full glass on the bar and headed for the door. A trio of men at the bar stood just as Adam was walking in their direction, blocking the narrow path to the exit.
Adam waited patiently while they buttoned their coats and donned hats, talking slowly to each other all the while. One older gentleman struggled with the buttons on his coat, his arthritic fingers unable to gain traction on the tiny plastic objects. His younger friend finally leaned over to help, fitting one button after another. Adam waited, smiling politely as the group acknowledged him and apologized for the delay.
Finally able to pass by, Adam pushed through the door into the dark alley. He turned to his left, intending to head out to the main street to make his way back to the hotel. It was a little longer than cutting down through the alley, but Adam didn’t want to risk getting lost.
The sounds of the scuffle were unmistakable to Adam’s ears and he turned to face it. In the darkness that engulfed the narrow space, Adam could just make out Łukasz’s long gray coat, bent double like a folded sack. He heard the groan, and saw the large man in front of Łukasz raise his arm again.
“Hey!” he called out even as he ran headlong toward the larger of the two.
The guy took Adam’s full weight in the gut. They went down together with a thud, but Adam was back up on his feet first, ready to confront the second thug.
Pausing with his hands at the ready, Adam assessed his situation. The guy he now faced was smaller than him and Adam was sure he could take him. But the guy’s colleague was slowly lifting himself off the ground, and once he was up, Adam didn’t like his chances against both of them. One glance at Łukasz made it clear the older man was in no condition to join the fight.
Thinking fast, Adam swept his right leg out and the big guy fell heavily one more time. Keeping an eye on the little guy, Adam put his knee into the back of the big guy, expertly twisting his arms painfully behind his back. He wasn’t going anywhere.
“Łukasz,” he said, still keeping his eyes on the little guy, who had let go of Łukasz, “I saw some cops up on the street just ahead, go and call out to them.”
The little guy glanced up the alley toward the street, then took off into the darkness the other way. That just left the one.
“Sorry, buddy,” Adam grabbed the back of his hair and slammed his face hard into the cobblestones. It was this or keep fighting, and Adam figured this was better for both of them. The guy would have a headache when he woke up, but at least he’d wake up.
“Come on.” He grabbed Łukasz’s arm and turned toward the main street and the lights that were still lit there.
The two men stumbled out onto the street, startling a group of students passing by. Realizing how strange they must look, Adam dropped Łukasz’s arm and straightened himself out. “Where to, Łukasz? Where’s home and where’s safe?”
“I live in Mokotów,” Łukasz replied, wincing as he brushed down his coat and wiped his face. “It is a few tram rides from here. I can catch a bus at this corner, then change at the train station.”
“No way.” Adam shook his head. “I can’t let you make that trip on your own. You’re a hunted man, cousin. I don’t know who is after you, but he clearly hasn’t given up yet.”
He looked up and down the street. Even though it was late, students still roamed in small groups, some drunk and singing, others moving quickly from one bar to the next.
“You’ll stay at my hotel. I don’t think they know who I am yet, you’ll be safe there. Here —” Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. “The key to my room.”
“What about you, cousin? Won’t you come with me?”
Adam pictured the tiny room with its twin bed. His choice was to sleep sitting in the armchair in the corner or lying in the half-tub. There wasn’t even enough space to sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed. He had a better idea in mind.
He shook his head at Łukasz. “No. You’ll be okay on your own.”
“Where will you go?” Łukasz asked as he took the key from Adam.
“I have an idea, somewhere I can stay where I should be safe.” Adam gave Łukasz a confident pat on the shoulder. But his expression dropped to a frown as he turned away, wondering if he was right about that.
Ulica Miodowa was a short walk from the bar along well-lit streets. Adam walked quickly, keeping a sharp eye on everyone around him, including the people behind him. The cold weather kept everyone tucked into their high collars and scarves, and everywhere Adam looked he could see only suspicious eyes peering out at him, the steam of breath on the air.
Adam found Sylvia’s building without a problem. The church next to it stood out against the dark sky, its spires rising toward the heavens. The smaller building next to the church had a carved sign over the arched doorway, proclaiming its name. A plaque to the right of the doorway listed the names of the tenants, and Stanko was written clearly next to the third bell from the bottom.
Adam pushed the bell and waited for Sylvia to come out.
18
Weak morning light struggled to make its way through the white lace curtains, and a few brave birds called from the courtyard below. Adam sat up with a start before he remembered where he was and lay back onto the sheets.
It was Friday morning and he lay on a narrow sofa in Sylvia’s apartment. He could hear her steady breathing through the frosted-glass French doors that led into the connecting bedroom.
Rolling himself off the sofa, Adam stretched the kinks out of his neck and back as he made his way to the kitchen at the back of the apartment. An oven, sink and half-size refrigerator filled the space, with just enough room left for a table for two.
The night before, Sylvia had welcomed him as warmly as anyone could expect, showing up unannounced at someone’s door after midnight. He hadn’t provided her with too much detail about the events that had brought him to her apartment. He had simply explained his cousin had an emergency and needed to stay in his hotel room. Since it was too late to get a second room, he was hoping she would allow him to crash on her sofa.
In hindsight, he was a little surprised by how readily she had agreed. She had invited him in, offered him a warm drink. They sat comfortably on the small sofa, holding the steaming cups and taking small sips until the cinnamon-laced tea cooled off enough to drink properly.
“So, are you enjoying your time here in Poland? Are you glad you got this assignment?” Sylvia asked with pursed lips as she blew on her tea, her eyes looking at him over the mug.
“I am. It’s a beautiful country, plus I got to meet my cousin, which is good.” He nodded. “I think I’m going to learn a lot on this trip.”
“Learning about your family, your history… that’s nice.” Sylvia paused, considering her tea. “I have a large family, you know.”
“Are you close?”
“No.”
Taken aback by Sylvia’s abrupt response, Adam sat silent for a minute. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it is fine. My parents are very good people. I have cousins who were my friends when I was small.”
“Where does your family live?”
“In the north. A small village. A very small village.” One side of Sylvia’s mouth raised in a quasi-smile.
“Do you not stay in touch?”
Sylvia shrugged. “We talk, we do. I see them sometimes on holidays. But they have no interest in coming here, visiting Warsaw. It is the big city, you see, and they are happier where they are.”
“There’s nothing wrong with liking a simple life.”
“No?” Sylvia looked up at him. “No, I suppose not. Or perhaps they simply don’t know any better.”
“You don’t mean that.” Adam smiled. “I’m sure they love hearing about your life when you do talk to them.”
She shrugged again. “Perhaps. The parts they understand. My job… no, this they don’t understand. But I will travel farther, I’m sure.”
“Oh, yeah? You got the travel bug?”
Sylvia’s smile widened. “Yes, the travel bug, as you call it. I have only been to Germany and England so far. Thanks to the Young Democrats. But I will travel. I will see more of the world.”
“I have no doubt you will.” Adam put his mug down on the glass-topped table next to the sofa. “Now, me, I’m very close with my family. Still live in the same town, talk to them every week.”
“You are a good son.”
“I don’t mean you’re not a good daughter…”
“No, I know.” Sylvia raised a hand to clear the air. “Of course not. I just mean, they must be happy to have you near them.”
“They are. And I like being able to drop in and see them now and then. I get to hear stories about my grandfather.” Adam’s eyes clouded as he thought of what Łukasz had said about his grandfather, wondering what more there was for him to learn.
Sylvia watched him closely, but said nothing.
Adam shook his head and smiled. “And then there’s my sister. Julia.”
“You are close?”
“You could say that. She certainly relies on me. But, man, she’s crazy sometimes.”
Sylvia smiled, her eyes on his face. “Why do you say that?”
He shrugged. “It’s just her way, I guess. She drives me crazy. But I do love her. Just don’t tell her that.”
Sylvia laughed and Adam’s mind was torn fro
m thoughts of his family to thoughts of the beautiful woman sitting in front of him.
A noise outside broke the moment. Sylvia stood, picking up his mug and carrying them both into the kitchen. When she returned, she pulled sheets and a blanket out of a closet in the hall. “You can sleep on the sofa, if it is comfortable enough for you.”
“It will be perfect, thank you.” Adam stood and took the pile of linens from her, smiling.
“Good night, Adam Kaminski. We will talk again in the morning, I think.”
Adam shook his head now, forcing himself to wake up. To get the evening with Sylvia out of his mind. He stepped around the table to throw open the door that led to the narrow balcony overlooking the courtyard. Here, Sylvia had placed a cooler filled with perishable foods that wouldn’t fit into the small fridge but could stay cool outside throughout the winter. The balcony, just wide enough for a person to stand on, looked out over an enclosed space formed by the backs of neighboring buildings. He didn’t have to step far out onto the balcony to see the courtyard below, the yellow stone of the Polish Army Field Cathedral next door.
A thin layer of snow covered the pavement and patch of grass that grew in the sheltered space at the heart of these old buildings. A few black birds picked at what growth there was, calling to each other. Whether inviting other birds to join them or warning them to stay away, Adam didn’t know.
He left the door open as he turned back to the kitchen to light the fire on the stove and get some water boiling for coffee. It wasn’t until the scent of the coffee filled the room and he had had his first cup from the cafetiere that he felt alert enough to shut the door, blocking out the chill that had been keeping him awake.
He needed to check in with Łukasz first, to make sure he was still okay. Then he planned to launch his own investigation into what really happened to Basia Kaminski. Before that, he needed to finish last night’s conversation with Sylvia.