Glass Curtain, | |||
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Chapter 78 - Reunion || All Chapters | |||
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| Not even minutes passed when Polish antiterrorist units appeared in the vicinity and swiftly surrounded them.Some were airlifted from the sky,jumping down the ground from colourful military windmill planes. There was a smile on the Steven Mac Dantosch�s face.The action was professional,without one single mistake.He did expect it.Simply,because there certainly must have been rapid exchange of information between the Nato and Polish military officials since the moment he was allowed to use the British Harrier.Doubtless,they were monitored all the time. He saw someone of a higher ranking,a general,approaching them.The smile on the Steven Mac Dantosch�s face became even wilder.Yes,they knew everything.They knew absolutely everything! There was no need,therefore,for any explanations. -�Welcome in Poland!.�- There were the first words out of the mouth of the general who grinned to them warmly and shook hands with them.He had a compliment to Steven Mac Dantosch himself when he shook hands with him. -�I am proud to feel the touch of a master!�- He said.He expressed his great sorry to both women for their terrible expierences and desire that they will no longer be treated by any sort of evil. -�Welcome in your homeland,my dear gentleman.You�re an absolute hero in our eyes.�- He said to Tadek Vangard,when he shook hands with him. -�I have impression you know everything.�- Tadek Vangard answered. -�That�s right! Ever since you got into that wonderful flying machine!�- The thoughts of Steven Mac Dantosch were definitely confirmed. -�We�re happy you did such a fantastic job and there is no need for us to do anything else but to ask you to be our guests.What are your desires?�- His question was directed to all of them. They exchanged glances and it was Tadek Vangard who felt himself compelled to answer on their behalf. -�I think we would like to have a brief visit to some of the best places in Cracow,dine in the Wierzynek restaurant who is believed to have had three monarchs at its walls long time ago in the historic times and then be allowed to fly with �our� Harrier to Katowice in order to meet with my family and return my sister to her husband and children,and finally,Steven and I,myself,have to be able to fly back to Belgium without any problems.� -�You got it! Let�s be my guests!�- There was the swift answer of the general. He gave some invisible sign to the comandoes in the field and they reacted as if at a glance.The place was cleaned rapidly of the corpses and the car the dead Russians used,which were taken away to their destinations.Some comandoes got back to their windmill planes and were carried away,some other departed in their military vans.Only the police vehicles stayed around. -�Let�s go! Don�t worry for 'your' Harrier.We keep eye on it.�- The general said.There were several comandoes indeed around the plane.Doubtless,also some police enforcement would be stationed around the place. They got inside the general�s limousine who only then introduced himself to them as simply:�Leszek�,a simple name for his countrymen but certainly not that easy to pronounce for either Steven Mac Dantosch nor Melissa Charleroi.They succeded,however after several goes. From now on a fantastic whirlwind began for them.They were brought to the Wawel castle,the home to most of the Polish kings and they were even treated there with a royal breakfast at one of the dining halls of the Polish kings.They felt heavens in their mouths,from the wonders of the food they were treated with,especially when a warm liquer,made of finest honey and not existing at any other part of the world,was poured down their stomachs.They felt invigorated at an instance.Afterwards,they were shown many of the secrets of the royal castle,something what was certainly a privalage only to few people. -�There were only two US presidents who could see as much,Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.We hope to have president Clinton here as a special guest as well.He is doing a lot for our country.�- The general initiated them. -�Any of the European statesmen were treated similarly?�- Tadek Vangard was too curious to notice how indiscrete was his question. The general grinned to him. -�I'm not so good in politics to remember absolutely everything.But I think,not that many.Only the former president of France,Valery Giscard d�Estang-if I remember it correctly-and honestly�I don�t really remember any other name.� Tadek Vangard had no other questions.He knew from his own expierence how arrogant could be those people in the so called Western Europe.He had an aversion especially to the British,the masters of arrogance in a really bad meaning.Whatever to say,disregarding fellow Europeans was not a good thing. After the Wawel Castle they followed the royal route and found themselves on the Cracow Square,the largest medieval square in Europe.Also there they found wonders to be delighted with,the Mariacki Church with its fifteenth century sculptured altar by Wit Stwosz,the Sukiennice,a medieval market turned into a museum on the upper floors and a ring of cafes and restaurants downstairs,picturesque old houses surrounding the square,many of whom housed cafes,cabarets,restaurants and all sort of shops. Soon there was a midday and time to have a lunch which in Polish tradition was heavier than at the homes of their Western counterparts,more a dinner than lunch.They went to �Wierzynek�,an exclusive restaurant,dating its existence since ancient times.There also they were treated in a royal way,perhaps ten waiters assisted them at once,with all sort of drinks,salads and the so-called Wiener schnitzel of the Polish kind.The visions of the Polish King,Boleslaw Chrobry,the first Polish king in fact,and the monarch of Germany with all of the dignitaries surrounding them,beamed from the walls. Now they felt themselves like kings.They narrated their stories,Steven Mac Dantosch of his evil like expierences in the United States until the time he finally managed to get Harry Gullivers to his hands and only then his ordeal ended,Tadek Vangard of his no less dramatic story in New Zealand at the hands of Carlos,the assassin and the general about the events which unfolded in Poland since the time of the fall of the regime of general Wojciech Jaruzelski.Each story looked like if the events which were portrayed lasted a hundred years and not just a few years as it was in fact.Only Melissa Charleroy remained silent.Her story was much more horrific and could not be narrated.Steven Mac Dantosch kissed her at one point,knowing that he will have to try to get as much out of her as only it will be possible.Only this way,by sharing her terrible expierence,could she regain mental health.He knew there will be hard times ahead for her,painful and sickening at times.The evil of the deeds done to her certainly sat deep in her mind. Time in the meantime was the winner,as always,and they had to say goodbye to their new found friend,the general and return to the Blonia where �their� Harrier awaited them. They decided to walk there.It was not really far to get there from the Cracow Square.They passed the oldest buildings belonging to the Jagiellonian University: Collegium Maius and Collegium Novum.The university had its beginning already in 1364 when it was brought to life by queen Jadwiga,the wife of king Jagiello.The queen herself was a tenager,about thirteen years old,when she was married to over fifty years old king.It was a political act of uniting two countries,Poland and Lithuania. They were passing a park on the way to the Blonia.They noticed a crowd,approached and saw a terrible scene.Two men holding themselves by hands,gays most probably,were mistreated by about ten skinheads who held baseball bats in their hands.Strangely,the crowd cheered the skinheads. -�Beat homos,there can be no place for them among us! Beat homos!�- Many people in the crowd shouted. And indeed,the gays were hit with the baseball bats. Steven Mac Dantosch could not believe what he saw. -�Wait here for me.�- He said.He looked pale and there was an angry look in his eyes.He ran towards the skinheads.They noticed him.-�You�re also a homo?�- One of them asked. -�Leave them in peace!�- Steven Mac Dantosch demanded coolly in English. -�You�re English gay,aren�t you?!�- One of them said distasfully and all of them bursted with disdainful laugh. -�Beat the guy too! Beat the guy too! He�s also a homo! �- The crowd began to scan. They attacked him with their baseball bats.The moment when they were real close to hit him he turned viciously and hit them with his legs and hands while being in the air.They landed a few meters away.The crowd stoped to scan.They realised that the so-called English gay might win over their heroes,the straight boys who wanted to bring order.The skinheads sprang to their feet and again attacked Steven Mac Dantosch who only waited for that. He counterattacked even more viciously and the picture of the skinheads was even more grim this time.Blood was pouring down from their noses and some of them had even broken their hands.They looked resigned. Steven Mac Dantosch approached the two gays,still holding themselves by hands. -�You are free to go.But�do not hold yourself by hands in public.This society doesn�t like it.�- He said gently to them. They thanked him and walked hurriedly away. Steven Mac Dantosch returned to his pack and kissed Melissa Charleroy,just to let the crowd know he was not a gay.But the crowd was visibly at a discomfort. Tadek Vangard heard even some remarks when they were passing the crowd. -�What a shame! Gays won over us! What would our Glemp say?! What would our beloved Holy Father say?!- One ugly,fat lady remarked angrily. -�Shame,indeed!�-Added someone else. Tadek Vangard was sad.He realised that although the communism was gone the Polish society remained terribly intolerant,to the point of cheering a crime against gays as he just witnessed a moment ago.As much sad was the fact that Polish Church establishment,including cardinal Josef Glemp,bashed publicly homosexual people at their sermons and the Polish born pope was not an exception in this regard.Strange was indeed that Polish nation,his nation. They got to the Harrier,said goodbye to the comandoes who looked after it,got inside the plane and soon found themselves high in the sky,flying towards Katowice in a thunderlike speed. They landed in the courtyard where Tadek Vangard�s and Dorota Starcz�s mother lived.The neighbours were startled,naturally,and all of them stayed in their windows to have a look.The reunion of the family was cheerful.The most happy,naturally were the kids and they ran towards their mother as fast as they only could.Dorota kissed them and was close to crying.They stayed in their arms. No less happy was the mother of Tadek Vangard. -�Son,I have not seen you for so many years!�- She cried from happiness.Also they stayed entertwined in their arms. -�Yes,mother,I�m happy to see you again.�- He whispered to her.He greeted also with his mother�s husband,Wolfgang Barton,with his own brother,Marek and husband of his sister,Mirek as well as some other members of the family who waited here for them.They went to the appartament.The flying wonder was in the meantime inspected by some children from neighourhood. -�Don�t be afraid,they just curious.�- Mirek Starcz reassured Steven Mac Dantosch.-�Nothing will happen to the plane!� The table was full of delicious food and they had no choice as to enjoy it,dinner this time.They promissed themselves to have a week of lighter eating in order to return to the normal weigh. There was no end to questions.Everybody wanted to know everything. Time,however,was merciless.The night was coming rapidly and they had to fly back to Belgium. -�Mom,we have to go.I promise I�ll come back soon,really soon!�- Tadek Vangard announced. His mother was again close to bursting with tears. -�Go son,go.I know you must go.I know we see each other soon.�- She answered gently. They got out to the courtyard,placed themselves inside the plane and then made a spectacular show to the inhabitants when the plane went up the sky and finally flew smoothly away. It was late evening when they found themselves in Belgium,the plane was returned to the Nato base near Brussels,Steven Mac Dantosch and Melissa Charleroi were escorted in a military limousine to Braschaat,where Melissa Charleroi�s mother lived and Tadek Vangard was lifted,also in a military van,to his house in Berchem.When he finally got to his house there was a surprise awaiting him.He found a message in his letter box. -�Tadek,call us.We�re here in Belgium! With love,Helen and Herman Van Veenen.� There was a telephone number written down in the message. Tadek Vangard felt stunned. -�Helene and Herman are in Belgium? Are they on business here? On a tourist trip? Why didn't they tell me this earlier? Before I left New Zealand?�- He whispered with emotion which displayed nothing but happiness,from the sheer anticipation of meeting them again�He was not angry because he understood people had right to decide on the issues which concerned them and only them without confessing to anyone: their lives,their business and therefore their sovereign decisions... * Melissa Charleroi's heart beat wild and loud like if it were Angelus bell which rang for Church.Her teeth tattered like if she just got out an icy cold water. -"Oh,Steven,I fear to meet my own mother."- She whispered and diamond tears went down her cheeks.He took her hands to his hands and rub them gently. -"You'll see,Melissa,how your mother will be happy! How much!" They stood before the door of the house of her mother.She already knew,from earlier conversation with her mother on the phone,that her father was dead.She knew her father made a suicide.She heard her mother asking herself why he did it.Now she wondered whether she could ever explain this to her mother.No,it would be a killing spree for her mother.Her life would be crushed at an instance if she learnt what her daughter knew.It would have to remain a secret,a terrible one... Somehow she got some inner strength and pressed the knob on the door.She heard the bell ringing inside the house and heard even footsteps of a person approaching the door.She felt panicked but on the other hand desired to see her mother.She knew it was her mother who approached the door. And then...the door got opened and she saw her mother,older than ever before but still beautiful,with classic features on her face...She looked at her and had impression it lasted millennias. -"Oh,mother! It's me,your Melissa!"- She whispered and tears again went down her cheeks. She saw tears in the eyes of her mother.Tears of happiness! -"Melissa,it's you? Oh,God,thanks to you,my daughter is back home! Melissa,come here into my arms!"- She cried out and did not cared that her tears also poured down her cheeks like the ones of her daughter.They found themselves in their arms and cried. Steven Mac Dantosch just stood behind,understanding.Melissa's mother looked suddenly at him. -"Steven,I don't know how can I thank you for what you did.You saved my daughter from evil.You brought her back to me!"- She whisperd harshly to him. -"I did all I could and am happy she is back with you."- He answered and looked lovingly at both of them. -"Let's get inside the house,my dear children.It's already dark.You need to rest"- Melissa's mother seemed to regain her normal psychic composure. -"Mom,where is Eddy?"- Melissa Charleroi asked,having in mind her younger brother. -"He's in bed.He has exams tomorrow.Better not to wake him up.You see each other tomorrow."- Her mother suggested. -"Oh,then we must be very quiet.I don't want to spoil his exams."- Melissa Charleroi said earnestly. Her mother took her by arms and directed to the dining room.Steven Mac Dantosch followed them.He felt stunned and absolutely happy from the reunion of his beloved woman with her mother.So there still could be a happy end in people's dramatic lives...A happy end which could give beginning to a new life,a happy one.Melissa certainly deserved it... | |||
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