Goodbye

By Aleksander Sowa

Only during dreams, we can be truly free

Short and long. About women, men, death, and friendship. Each one is different. About love, passion, fight and destiny. Stories that are completely different from each other, but at the end they are all connected.

What happened in the coffee shop nearby the film school? Why a father, while mentioning school time didn’t tell whole truth? How it’s possible that heart can beat after death? What happened before the pilot of the aircraft Il–62 Tadeusz Kosciuszko on 9th of May 1987 gave a radio message "Goodbye! Hello! We are dying!”. Is it true that the people, who are making suicide remain with living people after their death? And why it happens that sometimes high above the ground, radio is silent?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aleksander Sowa
• Release date: May 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310532115

Aleksander Sowa

Aleksander Sowa – pisarz niezależny, weteran samodzielnego publikowania. Jeden z pierwszych polskich autorów, który wykorzystał do samopublikowania Amazon, Smashwords, CreateSpace czy Lulu. Wydaje również w sposób tradycyjny. Jego debiutancka powieść jest pierwszą polską powieścią wydaną na papierze, a następnie sprzedawaną w Amazon jako e-book. Autor powieści obyczajowych i kryminalnych, zbiorów opowiadań, książek tematycznych i poradników. Jego książki oraz e-booki trafiły do rąk blisko 50 tysięcy czytelników. Strona autorska: www.wydawca.net--Aleksander Sowa – freelance writer, self-publisher, Web 2.0. author from Poland (Europe). Published over a dozen books. His publications have been translated into English and German. Author’s website: www.wydawca.net

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GOODBYE

Aleksander Sowa

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Copyright by Aleksander Sowa 2013

Original title: Do widzenia

Translation from Polish Sumeer Chakuu 2016

Copyright English Edition by Aleksander Sowa 2016

Cover photo: Aleksander Sowa

Cover: Aleksander Sowa

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781310532115

Aleksander Sowa|Self-Publishing

www.wydawca.net

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All rights reserved.

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Goodbye

Fourth day of December

Her last suicide

How do you hear me?

Yes, Captain

Syndrome of broken hearts

Security guard

Half an hour of Tadeusz Kosciuszko

First step in the sky

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Opole, May 2016.

***

Goodbye

This happened in one of those students’, cramped and stifling cafeteria, somewhere close to Krakowska Szkoła Filmowa, when I had no idea, what to do with my life. It was May, the air smelled delightful, and the sun was burning eyes nicely through the window. I was wandering through the city in love with Baczyński, Szymborska and Gajcy and wondering during that time, me, stupid greenhorn, why this Ferdydurke is a compulsory reading, and not Pornografia. I entered there to quench my thirst. Squinting my eyelids, I surrendered myself to the blissful mood, sleepy but apparently immovable. Moment later, this calmness of my place, was destroyed by her.

– Coffee please – she directed in the direction of bartender, while coming in – Damn, I mixed up the time – while adding, she flashed with a charming smile.

– Exam?

– From movie – she answered, holding a crumpled sheet of paper in her hand.

Hair tied in mouse tail. White shirt, navy– blue sweater, black skirt till knee. Along with her incursion, strange state of anxiety in fluxed into our place. Unexplained waiting for not knowing what, that is supposed to come, not knowing from where. But without doubt that it will come.

– I understand – bartender answered kindly. – How much you have to wait?

– Fifteen minutes

– So, it is exact time for a cup of coffee.

After a moment, when the cup was already full, bartender add warm good luck, and she headed toward us. I must point it out quickly, that besides me there was one more gentleman. He was sitting in the corner of the sung of that ridiculous room, and besides three and a half meter, the abyss of the deep mystery was between us.

In immobility, just like some reptile, I observed her since beginning. Our eyes finally crossed. But what, from my Gombrowicz barricade, it was not enough, as I was not able to see color of her eyes, then in a moment it turned out, that maybe it was good. Because she moved her eyes of unknown color towards a poor guy on the next table, and she started walking stiffly towards him.

This made me to think. What directed her, I don't know. Maybe, while choosing, she assumed that I’m reading? She didn't want to stop me? That is why her choice was an unfortunate man in the corner? Her next words were supposed to reveal the reason of this decision, seemingly deprived of logic.

– Excuse me – she initiated – Can you practice with me?

Certainly, he was above forty, and he looked like a rag. Or like calf. Not that I was offended with her backbreaking decision, but the fact was like this. Anyway the circumstances are justified, but about it later. It is enough to mention, that the rag was sitting alone, loser, with head down, in the slavery of black thoughts, almost like dozing, and especially he was not looking intelligent.

– Practice – he asked thoughtlessly.

There was not punctuation in his reply, nothing from emotions, not even a question mark, he seemed to be absorbed in his thoughts and alienated. I could swear that he looked like a man just before his suicide jump from the skyscraper, bridge or rock.

– Yes – small nodded immediately – dialogue. I have text. For exam.

– For exam?

– Uhm. In fifteen minutes. The best one will play in a movie. Can you please do me… – she hesitates for a moment – Can you please do me a favor?

– Favor?

– I would repeat for the last time this dialogue.

– Dialogue?

– Only once. Please. – small is pushing charmingly.

On this, man is slowly turning his head in the direction of toilet, just like he would like to run away, but all the time he keeps an eye on the girl. In this sluggish move is some compulsion, an inexplicable necessity.

– Once?

– Yes.

– All right.

And with this he astonishes me, surprises me and intrigues me. After all he was looking same like anyone of us, boys, man in that damned moment. Pathetic and lousy. Assay of text in such circumstance seems to be not only displaced, but simply unreasonable. Almost like frozen dishwater drunk with pipe just like a colorful drink with the umbrella. Nevertheless, he agrees, which had inside even more from grotesque. Gombrowicz fine, Witkacy for goodbye.

– It is starting here. – Girl is pointing out text with her finger to the calf. – Artur this is the end! – she speaks – And you… you are reading next line. Okay?

– Okay.

– Great. Let’s start. Artur this is the end!

– I don’t understand.

– I’m Julia, and you are Artur – she explains to the wretch just like to cow on the ditch – You are reading lines of Artur, and I’m of Julia. And you have to tell – she is peeking to text – but exactly, what a fun – she smiles again – you have to say I don’t understand

– Aha – calf answers.

– Artur this is the end!

– I don’t understand.

– And to what life is coming to? – starlet is reading.

– To what?

After his words, girl stops, and for a moment she is looking at calf’s face. His answer is even more thoughtless. Girl, you can see that she forgot text and for sure she regrets choosing idiot for a sparring partner to the dialogue. Situation is changing from absurd to non– funny comedy.

– Wait, wait – she is requesting the rag – don’t prompt – Mmm… – she is muttering, and you can see that she is trying to remember the line. – To nothing.

– To nothing? I don't understand – calf said.

The silence engulfs. You can hear only ticking of clock and the blades of celling fan that are intersecting warm air. The girl suddenly realizes, what just happened.

– A yes, yes you are right. This is repeated few times – she says.

Apparently calf, while looking on page, remembers the text. Indeed, it was not hard, but the guest was making impression of a mule.

– I don't love you anymore – the girl adds immediately. – I was thinking about this since long time, but now I’m sure. I’m leaving. Don't look on me like this – she is chattering – don’t be angry on me. I’m sorry – she adds after short pause.

She smiles in satisfaction. She almost remembers. However, the man in not in laughing mood. His face is not changing even for a moment. Mule seems to not even blink his eyes. He is silent. No wonder. This practice, or something that was in its shape, I would say the practice of practice, is not having even a bit of resemblance with acting. Wench barely learnt the text. Even not reciting, and what to even think about acting – I’m thinking.

– I’m getting up and going to toilet – actress, peeking in text explains continuation – and when I will be back I have to tell you Well, I’m going. Will you give me a kiss?.

– No, get lost – rag is replying immediately, in accordance with Artur’s dialogue.

– Well! And this is the end!

The moment of silence embarks. Starlet is happy. He is looking blankly at the girl. He stares at her more like catatonic.

– Dissatisfied, what?

– Not really.

– Let’s start from beginning. Artur, this is the end! – she said – And to what our lives are coming to? – she repeats, skipping lines of man. – I don’t love you anymore. I was thinking about this since long time, and now I’m already sure. I’m leaving. Don’t look on me like this. – she is chattering just like a machine gun – don’t be angry on me. I’m sorry. Well, I’m going. Will you give me a kiss?

– No, get lost.

The girl nods her head in appreciation, even more satisfied. Man start speaking with his own words:

– You know text.

– Thank you. But there are no emotions. Can we try one more time?

– One more time?

– Yes, please. Last time.

– Last time.

– Yes.

– Fine.

– Artur, this is the end! – she starts, and in her voice finally I can hear statement of a woman, who is leaving her husband or lover – And to what our lives are coming to? – This sentence, however is break through with artificiality, just like aspartame instead of sugar in carbonated beverages. – I don’t love you anymore – she says, but this time she is aging hopeless – I was thinking about this since long time…

– Smile

– What?

– Smile – calf repeats.

– Should I smile?

– Yes.

– But she is leaving him, this Artur – she explains patiently to the dumdum. – In such a situation, should I smile?

– Yes.

He is sitting motionless almost like madman, unquestionable idiot, sick person on the bench in the park near hospital for nervous and mental illness. He confirms with nod of head. Student is looking in disbelief to the object of her bizarre choice. I’m wondering, if she regrets now. It is hard to describe her face at that moment, because word surprised will shallowly reflect her expression. But even so, much to my consternation, after a moment she is smiling, how madman is advising her, and she starts, once again:

– Artur this is the end.

– And to what our lives are coming to? – she smiles further.

– To what?

– To nothing.

– Nothing?

The girl concentrates her effort, to play with her face, how he advised her. And very good. She is making it great now – brutally giving verdict. This time in this dialogue, I see a real spark. This starts to look really – I’m thinking. Meanwhile she is playing further, simply fantastic.

– I don’t understand.

And then. That moment, when THIS just happened. The air in the cafeteria, movement on the streets and even rotation of the fan blades