Birthday

A gray Warsaw housing estate isn't exactly the most interesting place to celebrate a tenth birthday. I came to that conclusion as soon as we arrived at our agreed-upon location. I immediately shared this observation with Wojtek, my brother two years older.

"What do you want? Jacek couldn't have invited guests to his house. A party among a bunch of screaming brats, his fat mother, and his choleric father would have been wonderful," he muttered with a sarcasm no one would have suspected from this tall, pretty-faced eleven-year-old.

"True. Do you think he invited anyone else besides us?

" "I don't think so. We're his only friends. Besides, his house isn't overflowing. I'm sure the treats for the two of us must have cost him a lot anyway. He once confessed to me that he was saving money especially for this day.

" "I feel guilty. We could have easily bought tons of sweets ourselves and invited him to our house. Our parents are much richer."

"More affluent sounds better," he corrected, a bit smugly. "Jacek's stubborn, and there's nothing we can do about it. In a month, I'll be twelve, and then we'll invite him and throw a big party. He's coming!" he called, pointing to Jacek, who was approaching. He was dressed in faded trousers and a sweater a little too small for him. He held several plastic bags in his hands.

"Hi, Maciek. Hi, Wojtek," he greeted us cheerfully. "I'm afraid it's going to rain. I suggest we go to the porch.

" A few streets away, in front of a house, stood an old bench under a small roof. We colloquially called this place "the porch." The three of us would often sit on it and watch the cars pass by. Now we occupied it with a sense of the significance of the day. Wojtek and I looked expectantly at Jacek. He sat between us in silence. After a moment, he stood up and said solemnly,

"Gentlemen, we are gathered here to celebrate the centennial of my birth.

" "Now," my brother commanded.

We both stood up and began singing "Happy Birthday." People passing by looked at us with disgust, but we ignored it. Today, the only thing that mattered was our friend. We had to make his birthday more pleasant. We wanted him to forget, at least for two hours, about poverty, the filth of his apartment, his many siblings, and his constantly quarreling father.

"Happy birthday, Jacek. We have a present for you. Maciek, take it out!" Wojtek ordered.

Smiling, I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket. The present was gone!

"What happened? Don't tell me you lost it!

" "I'm afraid..." I began, and burst into tears. Grief gripped my nine-year-old heart. I was so happy we were going to give Jacek something nice..."

"I can't do this with you!" Wojtek fumed, clearly as frustrated as I was, only showing it differently. "What possessed me to entrust such a brat—"

"Don't argue," Jacek interjected. "The greatest gift is your friendship."

I was touched by this answer. I wiped my tears and snotty nose with my sleeve.

"What was that?" the birthday boy asked.

"A pocket knife," Wojtek replied, "with twelve functions.

" "Thank you for your good intentions," Jacek said bravely, though his expression grew longer. "I suggest we begin the feast. "

The feast turned out to be a bag of chips, chocolate, a handful of candy, and a can of Coca-Cola.

"I wanted to buy a two-liter bottle, but I didn't have enough money.

" "Fine. Fine."

After fifteen minutes, the "feast" was in our stomachs.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Don't whine. You're the youngest and you shouldn't..." Wojtek scolded.

"I have an idea," Jacek said. "Today we won't be looking at cars. We'll be observing people. We'll give every passerby a nickname. And the most interesting person we'll..." he brought our heads closer together and whispered, "...follow. "

"That's stupid," Wojtek criticized the idea.

"I think it's a fantastic idea!" I exclaimed, adding emphatically, "It's Jacek's birthday, and he should be the one coming up with the games.

" "Okay," my brother agreed. "What do you think about that old lady with the dog?

" "Dog Girl," the birthday boy came up with, looking at us, expecting applause. I didn't like the name, and I don't think Wojtek did either. But we nodded, not wanting to upset him, especially since we'd lost his pocket knife. Okay, I did.

" "So, it's Dog Girl!" "Jacek exclaimed with delight, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Look at that fat guy eating a doughnut! What shall we call him?

" "Grubączek?" I suggested hesitantly. The guys burst out laughing.

"Maciek is quite clever! Congratulations, brother!" Wojtek patted me on the head approvingly. Pleasantly flattered, I looked for another "victim."

"A guy with bags is approaching us.

" "Henpecked," my brother said immediately.

"Why? There aren't any shoes in the bags."

"I don't know that word either," Jacek confessed.

"Ignorant..." Wojtek sighed. "He's the most interesting character. Let's follow him. I'll explain everything on the way."

After a minute, we knew the meaning of the word "henpecked."

"We're not sure. Maybe he's just a lonely man doing his weekly shopping," Jacek remarked.

"And he uses sanitary pads?" – asked the oldest of us ironically, pointing significantly at a typically feminine item found in one of the transparent bags of the guy in front of us.

That dispelled all doubts. We were undoubtedly following the Henpecked Man. We followed him for a good fifteen minutes, occasionally pretending to admire shop windows or tie our shoelaces. Finally, he stopped. He turned and looked at us.

"Boys," he called. "Come to me."

I looked at Wojtek with apprehension.

"What are we doing?" Jacek whispered in panic.

"Well... Let's go. "

We approached the man we were following. We stopped a few steps ahead of him.

"Wait here for me. I'll be back in a moment; I'll just take the groceries to my wife." He smiled encouragingly and disappeared through the doorway of a nearby tenement building.

"Wow! A real henpecked man!" Jacek was impressed.

"What do you think he'll tell us when he gets back? Maybe he noticed we were following him?" I wondered aloud.

"Maybe we'd better go home. Maybe he's some kind of pedophile...

" "In real life!" the birthday boy interrupted. "This is my first opportunity to talk to a real henpecked man, and I'm not about to give it up!"

He'd barely shouted this when the tenement door opened and an urgent voice rang out:

"Come on in, boys! My wife would like to meet you!

" "Let's go!" Jacek was already running for the door.

"We shouldn't..." my brother hesitated.

"It's his birthday," I insisted. "We have to go with him. "

"Fine," he sighed.

"My wife adores children," the man said as we followed him into the apartment. "My name is Zachariasz Glębski, and you?"

We introduced ourselves. Then he led us into the spacious kitchen. The room was exceptionally dark, with herbs hanging everywhere, and garlic predominated.

"What handsome boys!" Mrs. Glębska exclaimed, entering the kitchen through the other door. The sweet voice was completely at odds with her appearance. She was a short woman with sharp features. Her hooked nose and long, disheveled hair made her look like a witch. I began to feel afraid.

"Right?" Mr. Zachariasz said this with the tone of a proud father. Wojtek frowned. He looked worried.

"Where did you find them?

" "Under some shack. They were celebrating a birthday.

" "How do you know?" I asked tremblingly.

Glębski laughed, what seemed to me to be a sly

laugh. "Your singing could be heard for a kilometer," he declared with conviction.

"And which of our lovely guests was celebrating a birthday today?" The flirtatious tone of Pantoflarz's wife chilled my blood.

"Me," Jacek replied proudly, clearly not feeling the slightest fear.

"You probably had a wonderful cake with candles?" Glębski asked inquisitively.

"Unfortunately not," our friend said sadly.

"Oh, what an oversight! Poor little one! Aunt Matylda will fix it soon," Glębska simpered. She kissed Jacek on the cheek. I looked at Wojtek in horror. His eyes showed fear, but also understanding. After a moment, I understood too. Our friend rarely received tenderness from his parents. Therefore, he accepted the kiss from this strange, suspicious woman with gratitude. Meanwhile, Mrs. Matylda opened the refrigerator and took out a huge three-tiered cake with ten candles. The strangest thing was that on top of the cake was an inscription in icing: "Happy Birthday, Jacusiu!" I swallowed nervously and clutched Wojtek's hand tightly.

"I see the birthday boy's friends are hungry. Sit down, boys."

My brother cleared his throat, embarrassed, and said apologetically,

"I think we should be getting home. It'll be dark soon. "

"Let's stay a little longer," Jacek murmured, staring at the cake as if entranced.

"Yes, stay," said Glębski, gently pushing me and Wojtek onto their chairs. "My wife has already lit the candles.

" "But how did you know..." I stammered weakly.

"Something struck me," she smiled faintly. "Please, Jacek, blow."

He obediently blew out the candles, and a moment later a plate with a large piece of cake appeared in front of each of us. Mr. and Mrs. Glębski stood behind the birthday boy, smiling radiantly.

"You won't leave until you've eaten. Don't upset Aunt Matylda.

" "That woman is insane," whispered Wojtek. "We'd better do as she says.

" "I think so too," Glębski said firmly. "And for those rude conversations while we eat, you'll eat the whole cake, every last crumb."

I was worried the dessert might be poisoned, but under the menacing gaze of "Aunt Matylda," I reached for a spoon and began eating. Wojtek followed my example. I must admit, I've never tasted a more delicious cake in my life. The sponge cake was so soft it melted in my mouth, the cream so sweet and aromatic... Without hesitation, I asked for a second serving. Jacek was probably already eating his third or fourth.

"Does my dear children like it?" Glębska asked.

"Wonderful!" the birthday boy exclaimed enthusiastically.

"And why aren't you?" the woman turned to Wojtek.

"Sweets rot your teeth!" he muttered.

Mr. Zachariasz laughed mockingly.

"If you don't finish this cake, you won't leave. And you, my lord, will eat at least five more pieces!" he smiled, but the look in his eyes was fierce.

It took us nearly an hour to finish the entire cake.

"I'm a little sick," Jacek gasped.

He didn't need to tell us. The greenish tint of his face spoke volumes. We felt exactly the same way he did.

"How about some tea?" Mrs. Glębska suggested, placing cups of steaming, dark liquid in front of us.

"Thank you," Jacek replied and drank the contents of his cup. He made a strange face, but after a moment he smiled gratefully at the woman. "I'm better now, Aunt Matylda."

I couldn't believe my ears. I glanced at my brother. He was just setting down the empty cup.

"I'm better too," he announced.

There was nothing left for me to do but feel better too. I took a small sip of the brew and winced. It was bitter as wormwood.

"Drink it all, darling," I heard Glębska's sweet voice behind me.

"We have to go now." Wojtek stood up and tugged on Jacek's arm.

"I don't want to. I'm very happy here," the man protested. "What awaits me at home? At least you have caring parents and your own room full of interesting toys!"

"It's quite dark now. Stay the night with us," Glębski suggested.

I protested, saying our parents would be worried.

"Give me your parents' numbers. I'll talk to them," Glębska offered.

Ultimately, we agreed, but only because we didn't want to leave Jacek alone with these lunatics. Our friend wouldn't go home for anything in the world.

"Auntie, I could eat something else," he said to the wife of the "henpecked man."

"Honey, you have no idea how happy this makes me! Maciuś, Wojtuś, you should follow your friend's example. Sit down. I'll bring the toffee cheesecake in a moment. You'll eat it, right?"

I realized with surprise that I was hungry.

"This tea must have had special properties," Wojtek whispered, his stomach growling loudly at the same time.

All night long, the Glębskis fed us various cakes, sweets, and a strange infusion. At one point (after the stuffed gingerbread, I think), Wojtek refused to drink the "tea."

"I won't drink that filth!" he rebelled.

"No one's forcing you to, sweetie," Glębska smiled, taking an apple pie with whipped cream from the cupboard. "Now, try some more apple pie. Surely you won't upset Aunt Matylda and try at least five pieces?

" "I won't eat another crumb!

" "You will, pretty boy. I'll see to it..." Mr. Zachariasz said firmly and began forcing more pieces down my brother's throat. It was excruciating! Wojtek cried, trying to spit out everything Glębski forced into his mouth. Finally, he vomited on the table.

"You see, Wojtek, you should have drank the tea politely, like Aunt Matylda advised." The woman quickly cleaned up what my brother had thrown up. Then she offered him a cup of the tea. This time, Wojtek didn't object. He ate and drank, and we ate with him, under the watchful eye of the Glębskis.

The sun was starting to peek through the tiny window when they finally let us leave the table. They led us to a small, windowless room with three straw mattresses, blankets and pillows on them.

"Sleep well, my children," Glębska said gently, kissing each of us on the cheek. Even Wojtek didn't have the strength to argue. Exhausted, we collapsed onto the mattresses before the door closed. A few minutes passed, and I heard Wojtek and Jacek breathing evenly. I couldn't sleep. I felt stuffed. I'd never felt so sick in my life. I decided to stealthily leave this dark place. I fumbled for the doorknob and turned it. The door was locked. From behind the wall, I heard the murmur of the Glębskis' conversation.

"Don't worry, Zach. I still have plenty of cakes and cookies.

" "There's plenty of potion too. The cauldron needs scrubbing. It'll be useful soon. Do you think it'll take long?"

"In less than a week, they'll be wonderfully plump. When they've gained some weight, I'll be feasting!" Matylda laughed.

"And me," her husband added.

I groaned. I had to wake the boys up as quickly as possible.

"Wake up! Get up!" I whispered, desperately tugging at their arms.

"What's going on? Let them sleep..." Jacek muttered.

"Listen, they want to eat us!

" "Eat us?!" Wojtek said in horror, throwing off the blanket.

"They're preparing a cauldron for us, they want to fatten us up... Jacek, you're... fat," I stammered suddenly.

"You too." Wojtek patted my stomach, which was strangely rounded.

"And you," I replied.

"So it's true," he sighed, patting himself furiously.

"What are you talking about!" our friend snapped.

"Jacek, wake up!" The Glębskis aren't kindly Aunt Matylda and sweet Uncle, but a cunning pair of cannibals! Child-eaters...

"But..."

Wojtek couldn't bear it. I heard a slap in the face and my brother's voice:

"I hope this will sober you up. We have to get out of here, act... while we can still move," he added grimly. "Search your pockets. Maybe we'll find something that will help us escape."

Obediently, I began rummaging through my jacket. A small object fell from one pocket. A pocketknife!

"Look what I found," I said proudly.

"Great. That gives us a chance. Now let's figure this out... "

Suddenly, there was the creak of a zipper being opened.

"Boys, it's time for breakfast. I hear you're up. My wife is taking the cookies out of the oven."

Zachariasz Glębski stood on the doorstep. We froze. Then, suddenly, a force, a desperate courage, took hold of me. I discreetly opened my pocket knife and, furious, charged at the cannibal. I plunged the blade into its stomach. It hissed in pain, but was so surprised that it stood still for several seconds. I used that time to stab it again.

"You little bastard!" he shouted, sinking to the floor, trying to stem the bleeding with his hands.

"Now! Let's run!" I screamed.

A moment later, Jacek, Wojtek, and I were trying to unbolt the exit door.

Meanwhile, Glębska had arrived. She'd seen her husband's bloody body and rushed to the rescue.

"You'll pay for this!" she howled raspily. Now she looked like a real witch. "I'll skin you alive! I'll eat you alive! I'll bite off your fat fingers one by one!

" "Maciek, do something! You have a pocket knife!" Wojtek shouted.

At the same moment, Jacek managed to open the door. We ran out of the apartment. Glębska ran after us. I could practically feel her claws on the back of my neck.

"You've angered Aunt Matylda! You'll regret this so much! I'll make a feast of your young bodies today!"

I turned and blindly threw my pocket knife. A cry of pain rang out. I didn't know where I'd hit her, and I had no intention of looking back to find out. The important thing was that she'd stopped chasing us. Despite this, we ran as fast as we could. We only stopped at the porch.

"I lost... your... gift," I remarked, panting.

"It doesn't matter... The most important thing is that... you saved... all of our lives..." Jacek replied, panting.

"Let's get out of here... I... never... want... to come here again..."

Wojtek and I completely agreed. We embraced like brothers and left that cursed place.

Years later, I can say that a gray Warsaw housing estate may not be the most boring place to celebrate a tenth birthday, but it's definitely not safe.