Russian Lullaby (English Translation)

Grzegorz

12 pm. Saturday.

I climbed out of the shuttle bus and was glad to have finally arrived. Totally tired out because I hardly slept during my 28h-flight. The droll kid behind me continously kicked against my seat, matching to the rhythm of the theme music of the German soap 'Rosamunde Pilcher' (do not watch it, it's a pain). And the nice granny right next to me seemingly consumed a bit Valium or any of that kind. At least that's what I thought of, as she stared at me with the happiest smile ever made, and finally fell asleep, dribbeling, leaning against my shoulder.

Exhausted and with rings under my eyes probably deeper than the Grand Canyon, I tried to recognize any kind of sign through the blurry environment. Anything. I waited for two seconds. I waited for seven seconds...After five minutes I was tired of waiting and decided to go straight away on my own. Maybe I shall wait on a different place for them? I searched and searched and found...nothing. Or to be precise, no one. Still tired, and bugged because I didn't find them yet (or rather because they didn't find me yet), I looked at the café of the airport for them. Then in the foyer and to top it off, I even looked at the restrooms after them. Well, I mean it's human, everybody needs to pee at times...but everyone at the same time? Well...who knows...maybe it was a very long drive so they were supposed to go to the toilet instead of making a break every five minutes.

I didn't know exactly where the APH was...I just knew that it was somewhere in Vancouver an that no one was about to pick me up. I was so desperated, that I actually thought of going to the information center and request if they could possibly paging the name over the speaker. Like back then, as the little children played too long in the toy section, and pawed and played and where full of joy, at the same time they didn't notice that Mommy went to the cash desk already. That desperated I was! Just as desperated as these children! But fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) I heard a cheerful, feminine (and pretty annoying) voice which kept me out of my insane plan: "Hey, d'you have 5$ by chance?"

I turned and glanced over the scenery...then I turned my look a bit down and surprisingly looked into the face of a blond, quite small-boned boy, whose big, all devouring eyes stared at me with a taste of expactation (at first I actually thought it was a girl).

"Do I know you...?", I asked sceptically. No one's ever asked me that kind of question. Not least because Dollar wasn't the payment where I came from.

"He, he, nah...", the feminine boy replied to me. "But you seemed nice and I didn't want to ask straight away if I could get some food for free. Food for free doesn't mean anything good at all!"

I defered to this statement with the simple, yet expressive little word "What?" (I still wonder why I just didn't went off...) Indeed, the boy'd said 'nice'. Inwardly, I had to chuckle a bit.

"Yeeeah...I just passed a longer flight and now I'm really hungry! Like totally hungry!! You can't imagine how hungry! So hungry that I could eat a banana which's as tall as that man right there!!", he pointed at a man who just glimped at him in disbelief. Yeah, you usually don't get compared to a banana, you know.

"Eh...yeah, okay...", I did not quite know what to say, so I just said nothing. That turned out to be a huge mistake.

"Hm...in fact, it doesn't have to be a banana. Actually I don't like bananas at all...Strange, how did I come to this?"

Shorty appeared to be really puzzled by his own comparison. That was a passed chance for me to escape.

"So...ehm, yeah...sorry, sadly I don't have 5$. Ask the lady at the café counter if you could get some free food yet again. Or prove yourself as a dish washer. Well then...", I wanted to go but apparently I already have said to much, to just go.

"Dish washer? Why, you think I'll get some free food then?", he asked in amazement.

"Don't know...Seemingly, you've nothing to lose (such as time).", with that I intended to quit the conversation, but obviously I've awoken more curiosity than satisfied.

"Yeaah? You really think so?"

"Yeah.", I just said.

"Yeah, really?", he went on poking.

"Yeah!!", I responded, just about to lose my temper.

"Hm, okay. I guess you're right. I'll be off then.", he said while smiling.

"Finally..", I've said. In fact more to myself than to him.

"Say what?"

"I mean yeah!!"

But that didn't seem to convince him. At least, he walked towards me again and looked at me with that cheerful, expecting face, which was shining with pure optimism and joy of living.

"I'm Grzegorz, by the way. Grzegorz Bręczyszczykiewicz.", he told me with a smile.

"Aha.", I said and hoped with that the case would be closed. But the silence and this penetrating glare predicted the very opposite.

"And you?", Grzegorz asked with all these expressions of expectation in his eyes.

My silence, his exaggerated smile.

"Sergej...Braginski...", I said hesitantly and rather willinglessly.

All of a sudden Grzegorz winced and stared at me: "Bra-Braginski??? For real??? You're kidding me!"

I looked sceptically at him, why should I tell a fib at my name? I mean, I would've understood if I've said James Bond...or Helene Fischer...but Sergej Braginski? Why the heck was that name supposed to be extraordinary in any way?

"Nuh, that's really your name? Haha, how cool!! Now I finally know someone whose surname's Braginski!", he seemed to be really tickled, since he was all smiles. Even more than he did before, though I'd never expected this to be possible.

"Yupp...cool.", I said while thinking: "Yupp...cool....."