Love Knows No Sides

Chapter 3

I quickly ran down the staircase, where I ran into an elderly woman and a boy of about my age, probably her grandson. I neatly passed them and ran on. When I rushed outside, a cold chill covered my whole body, especially my bare feet. It was like stilettos stuck in me.

I heard the desperate voice of the German, but it was very distorted, although I knew it belonged to him. I sped up my run and in an instant I was lying on the sidewalk, and passersby looked at me disapprovingly. I got up, didn't even shake off the snow, and started running away again, when suddenly someone's hands wrapped around my waist and pressed against the foreign body:

"Let me go!" - I shouted in Polish, breaking out and kicking in all directions. "Help!"

"Calm down!" A young voice shouted back also in Polish and I was lifted up, then slung over my shoulder.

"Let go of me!" I was still struggling. "I do not want to go back there!" There were tears in my voice. "Please, I do not want to ..." I lamented, but the boy did not care about it. Finally, he carried me to the tenement house, in the corridor of which the German and the grandmother, whom I passed in the corridor, were waiting. I guessed right away that it was probably her grandson who caught me. He put me on the ground in front of the gathered people, but I stuck in the boy's chest.

"Please, I don't want to go back to him. Please.'' I pleaded, and the boy exchanged glances with his grandmother.

"What did you do to her?" Asked grandma the German in English with a typical Polish accent.

"Nothing. She saw my uniform." He replied embarrassed and sadly. He probably managed to understand how much I wanted nothing to do with him.

"I see ." The old lady replied. "What will we do with her?" She asked her grandson in Polish, but he also didn't know. "She doesn't want to come back with you, so we have no choice than take care of her." Finally she stated what was in her mind. The German nodded sadly, but also understandingly.

"Thank you." He thanked them and went back upstairs. As I have already noticed, there were only two apartments in this cage, one upstairs, which was occupied by a German, and one downstairs, where the grandmother and grandson lived.

"Come on, let's take her inside. She must be cold.'' The grandma spoke in Polish instructing the boy, and soon we found ourselves in a warm and cozy apartment, which was rather modestly furnished, as opposed to the one upstairs. I was seated in an armchair in the living room and given a blanket that I wrapped tightly around myself. The grandson sat down on the couch opposite the armchair and was staring almost rude at me. He was quite handsome, but definitely not my type. His brown hair was combed to one side, and his gray eyes watched me carefully.

"What's your name, child?" Grandma came into the living room with a steaming liquid in a blue mug.

'' Maria. '' I answered shortly. The elderly woman wore a red handkerchief, which she tried in vain to hide her gray hair. She was of medium stature and fairly short. However, eyes the color of steel, with age, did not lose their vigilance and vitality, and wrinkled face gave quite a pleasant impression, which inspired natural trust. Not like a German...

"Nice to meet you. My name is Apolonia, but you can call me Grandma Pola or simply Grandma. And this is Mateusz, my grandson.'' She pointed to the boy who was still staring at me.

"Nice to meet you, too." I replied hesitantly.

"Where are you from, Maria?  Grandma asked, joining Mateusz on the couch.

"From a small village on the River Rega." I explained.

"It's quite a long way from here." She looked surprised.

"Sorry."  I started shyly. " But where am I now?"  I asked.

"In Kołobrzeg ." Mateusz answered my question, crossing his arms over his chest.

"W- Where?" I was really surprised. "Oh God..." - I clapped my hands. I've never been this far from home before. After all, it is almost thirty kilometers from the nearby town. I thought I was about to pass out. The river Rega couldn't bear me until Kołobrzeg! I should now be drifting in the Baltic Sea, not drinking tea in one of the tenement houses in Kołobrzeg ...