Verses from the Past - Part 1 (Episode 4)

***

We were sitting on the grass in the park. It was a warm September day, the sun was shining, gilded yellow and red leaves on the bushes around us. That day, classes ended early because we went to pick up trash for another anniversary of the Great World Cleanup. The plastic bags we were armed with filled up very quickly, but we certainly didn't clean everything up. It was all very sad, actually. There were colorful trash cans along every path in the park, yet waste was strewn across the lawns and in the bushes. How long will the park remain clean after our cleanup?

"This whole operation is completely pointless," Czaki said.

He sat cross-legged, braiding and unbraiding the strings of his sports sweatshirt.

"Why do you think that?" Robi asked

. "A cheap show," he pursed his lips contemptuously. "Dumbing the dust with slogans like 'young people care about the environment' and so on. The same propaganda as Mother's Day or Women's Day." Hey, let's be nice to our ladies one day a year.

"Well, I think you're exaggerating a bit..." Robi said without conviction

. "Don't you think that if we instill certain rules from childhood, show them how to behave, at least some people will learn something?" Marti asked

. "Yes, but not through a one-time action that involves more shouting than action," Czaki replied. "Did you see that while we were picking up trash, our friends were smoking cigarettes in the bushes and deliberately throwing the butts on the ground?

" "Childish!" Marti snorted.

"Oh my, friends, relax!" Konrad interrupted. He lay on his back with his hands under his head, exposing his face to the sun. "Let's enjoy the last moments of nice weather. "

I decided to interject and steer the conversation elsewhere.

"It would be good if this weather lasted for the duration of our trip.

" "Oh yes, golden autumn in the mountains..." Robi mused.

"I don't like school trips," Czaki said unexpectedly.

"Why?" – we became interested.

– You have to spend all day with teachers and people you don't like, and besides, there are always arguments. – he replied.

– The whole Czaki! – Marti commented. – He only sees the negative side of everything.

– That's not true – he protested. – I just don't like organized forms of spending free time.

"Oh my God!" Konrad jumped to his feet. "I can't listen to you. Why are you so boring? And the worst laggard is Czaki. Cleaning—pointless, a trip—an unpleasant necessity, school play—boring! How old are you, man? You talk like a bitter pensioner. Wait, I'll get you going!" He jumped at Czaki, who was sitting cross-legged, grabbed him by the arms, flipped him onto his back, and pinned him to the ground. "Hold him!" he yelled at us. "Robi, Piti, grab his legs, he's kicking!

" "Ouch, what are you doing?" Czaki tried to free himself, but we managed to pin him to the ground and immobilize him.

"You're ticklish, aren't you?" Konrad demanded. "Marti, come here, let's test your friend's sensitivity.

" "No, no, let go of me!" After a moment, Czaki was writhing on the ground, laughing hysterically.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" came a voice from the alley.

We turned as if on cue. An elderly woman holding a small black dog on a leash was clearly concerned by our behavior. From her perspective, the whole scene must have looked quite strange. Screaming, scuffling, four boys tormenting someone sprawled on the ground. We burst into nervous laughter.

"It's nothing, we're just fooling around," Konrad managed to explain.

"These young people today!" we heard before she walked away. "They're hanging out in these parks, destroying the greenery, drinking, smoking, what's it like..."

We let go of poor Czaki, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath, his hair disheveled, his clothes disheveled, grass and leaves stuck to him. We looked at each other, at our silly expressions, and giggled again.

"See, Czaki, we have a solution for you," Konrad announced. "Think twice before you start complaining next time."

"Tormentors!" Czaki muttered, but as he looked at us, his eyes sparkled with joy.

He adjusted his sweatshirt and began to pluck leaves and sand particles from it with reverence. He looked as amusing as some animal preening its fur. Marti approached him and held out his hands, offering to help him up. Czaki looked suspiciously for a moment, wondering if this was some kind of trick. Finally, he grabbed his friend and pulled himself up, probably too quickly, because he bumped into Marti and had to hold on to him to avoid landing on the grass again. I thought he was embarrassed. He gave me a fleeting glance, then lowered his gaze and stood silently, biting his lip. I was surprised by this behavior.

"Come on, I'll buy everyone a round!" Konrad called. He was already on the sidewalk and was walking away, gesturing for us to follow him.

"What round?" Konrad, fear God! – Robi laughed – People think we're scoundrels hanging out in parks, and you're still going to ply us with alcohol? Nice, no problem…

"Are you on Kondi's dime?" Marti was already running toward him. "Are you playing sponsor?

" "I can see that," Czaki muttered. "He'll buy it and we'll pay

." We were walking side by side now, behind the others. Czaki, head down, was kicking a small rock. Neither of us spoke. I usually felt awkward in situations like this. I felt like I should say something, otherwise they'd think I was rude, silent, or some similarly uninteresting person. Unfortunately, most of the time, nothing came to mind. I envied people who had a natural gift for conversation. They made even the most trivial small talk seem like an exciting discussion. I couldn't do that. I think many people considered me a complete bore. But with Czaki, it was different. I felt like I didn't have to bother with idle chatter at all. The silence between us was completely natural. In a way, it brought us closer together.

"The day begins cloudy outside, I'm starting another day of my life," Konrad began to sing. After a moment, Marti and Robi joined him. "I get out of bed, I'm dreaming, and Grochów wakes up from a bout of drinking."

They walked side by side down the middle of the sidewalk, screaming at the top of their lungs. They ignored the passersby who were looking after them, unconcerned with how off-key they were. They shouted verse after verse of that old T. Love song, jumping a little or clapping along to the rhythm.

And I look into your eyes, tired like mine,

And I love this city, tired like me,

Where Hitler and Stalin have done their thing,

Where the Vistula breathes exhaust fumes

. "We don't admit to them, do we?" Czaki winked at me

. "Hey, don't linger there!" Konrad shouted in our direction.

"Unfortunately, they admit to us," I said to Czaki

. We joined the others in front of a grocery store. Robi and Marti were sitting on the edge of a concrete flowerbed. Konrad disappeared behind the shop door. Czaki plopped down next to Marti, and I stood opposite them. Czaki pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his sweatshirt pocket and held it out towards me. I shook my head. As I watched him light up, inhale, and exhale the smoke through his nose, I felt out of place. In a moment, Konrad would emerge from the shop with bottles of beer, and we'd probably be sitting outside this dingy grocery store, drinking beer, smoking, and chatting like the common bums I'd always given a wide berth. Maybe I should gently back away, say I had something to do, or that I needed to be home early? Well, yes, but then they'd make fun of me. I'd look like a hopeless numbskull. If that elegant and decent Robcio can sit here, so can I.

"What's the point, my dears?" Konrad's booming voice reached us.

He was walking from the store, laden with various products. The bottles were clinking dangerously, and he had to hold the bag of chips with his chin to keep it from falling.

"Did you win the lottery or something?" Marti laughed

. "I sold my old comics for a profit," he explained. "True rarities, although some of them were well-read, so to speak. Luckily, I came across a maniacal collector who, without batting an eye, paid me the price I'd sang to him.

" "That means he was willing to pay even more," Robi remarked. "

Hey, you conman, you could tear the skin off a man!" Konrad sneered

. "Come on, take those bottles, or my arms will go numb!

Those weren't beer. What a relief. Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, and... kefir.

" "Kefir's for me!" "Konrad announced

. "Ooh, he bought a better one." Marti feigned disappointment. "And we have to drink this Coca-Cola.

" "With caffeine and strychnine," Robi added. "Apparently, it dissolves the enamel on your teeth.

" "If you don't want to, you don't have to!" Kondi retorted.

"No, no, we'll have to drink this American propaganda product

." "Just be careful, Robi, so the bubbles don't go to your head."

Suddenly, I was overcome with joy. I liked listening to them banter with each other.

"Are you smoking again?" Konrad this time lashed out at Czaki. "Look at yourself better, emaciated, pale, humorless, and even poisoning yourself with cigarettes.

" "My problem," he replied

. "Sure, but in a few years we'll be listening to your wheezing. You'll see, you'll be coughing and blowing your nose, coughing your lungs out.

" "Konrad!" Marti groaned.

"That's the truth," he concluded, taking a long sip of kefir.

When he took the cup from his mouth, a huge white mustache adorned his upper lip. We burst into laughter at the sight. Konrad, completely unconcerned, simply stuck out his tongue and licked the remnants of the milky drink.

"You know you can get addicted to cola and chips," Robi observed. "And that's incredibly unhealthy

." "Yes, yes," Konrad admitted, taking a handful of chips and shoving them all into his mouth at once. "It's hilarious," he finished with his mouth full. I

thought to myself that I still couldn't quite fit into this exchange of teasing, but perhaps a role would be found for me soon.