Verses from the Past - Part 1 (Episode 6)

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The train rumbled monotonously along the tracks. It was dark outside, with only the occasional light flickering. I sat with my jacket covered, my forehead resting against the window. Muffled voices drifted from the next compartment. We were going on our first trip together. It was the beginning of October, warm and colorful.

Czaki sat opposite me, reading a book. Marti slept next to him. He rested his head on his friend's shoulder, his legs stretched out on the seat next to mine. Robi was also snoring. Jurek and Maciek, riding with us in the compartment, were chatting quietly. Konrad had disappeared at the beginning of the journey. He was probably spending his time where the fun was.

I felt the initial excitement and nervous anticipation had already worn off. The trip was meant to bring our class together. It's a high school tradition; first and last years usually leave in September or early October. We planned to spend as much time together as possible – preparing meals together, spending evenings together, and chatting. Just this morning, I'd firmly believed it would be great. Now I wasn't so sure. At the station, people had already formed small groups, taken compartments within those groups, and now they were hanging out in their own circles.

I was a little embarrassed that my parents had escorted me to the station like a little child. I jumped out of the car, grabbed my bags, and ran a few meters ahead of them. I think my mother was a little upset. There were quite a few parents at the station, though. Robi even came with his entire family, including his younger sister. Marti, Czaki, and Konrad were among the few who didn't say goodbye to anyone. I thought then that I didn't really know much about them.

I blushed with embarrassment as my mother reminded me for the fifth time to dress warmly, that there might be snow in the mountains, and to call when I arrived. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Czaki's mocking smile and felt like I could sink into the ground.

Getting on the train completely depressing. Forgetting the bonding nature of the trip, people pushed their way in to get better seats. I was left behind by this primitive behavior. Then I was overcome with anger at myself for being such a victim of fate and incapable of fighting for my own. All the good seats would be taken, and I would end up in the same compartment with Rob, the teacher, and our parents.

I was about to try to attack the entrance when I heard Marti's voice right next to me.

"What a wilderness!

" "It's moments like these that reveal the animalistic elements in human nature," Czaki added.

They stood disapprovingly behind me, watching my classmates crowd in.

"We'll go in like cultured people," Marti declared

. "After all, that's what we have Konrad for!" Czaki laughed.

Yes, Kondi's animalistic nature had stirred within him. He squeezed in before everyone else and took over the entire compartment for us. I was pleasantly surprised. It's just a shame he'd disappeared almost immediately. Since the memorable hazing, I'd felt a growing fondness for Konrad.

We never spoke about what happened at the party, but I'd thought about it a lot. Robi lost his temper. Fortunately, only for a few days. After that, he was himself again. Several times, however, I caught him longingly looking at Dorota. She, of course, paid him no attention, but she and her friends said "hi" to Marti every time she passed him in the hallway. I wondered what Czaki had said at the end. Did the fact that Marti was so handsome really hurt his chances of finding a girl who cared about him, rather than just wanting to show off in his company? I wasn't sure. By attracting the attention of the opposite sex, he could meet more girls and finally find the one, the one. Unlike him, Robi would have to put in a lot of effort to win over a modern teenager. He acted a bit like a man from another era. Gentlemen weren't exactly in fashion. But really, what did I know? In that respect, I was as green as young grass in spring.

Dawn was just beginning to break outside. Someone knocked softly on the door, and a moment later, Monika's head poked in.

"We'll be there soon," the girl whispered

. "OK," I whispered back.

Czaki put his book aside. Marti sighed deeply in his sleep and snuggled closer to his friend's shoulder. Czaki just rolled his eyes heavenward, and we both giggled softly.

This time, the door burst open, and Konrad burst into the compartment like a hurricane

. "Get up, you sleepyheads!" he yelled. "We're there!"

Robi jumped up, startled and completely disoriented. Marti stretched lazily, let his sleepy gaze wander over our faces, then stopped at Czak and gave him that incredible smile of his.

"Why do you have such thin, bony arms?" he asked. "I didn't sleep very comfortably."

Czak's cheeks flushed slightly. He looked away. I thought he might be a bit like me. He, too, was embarrassed by such natural reflexes.

With a series of unpleasant grinding noises, the train pulled into the station and stopped. We spilled out of the carriages, lugging our luggage.

It was still a long way to the shelter where we were to spend the night. We walked slowly, sleep-deprived, rubbing our stiff muscles and groaning under the weight of our backpacks. We still had a hike in the mountains ahead of us, and then a bonfire together.

"Here, eat something," Robi pressed a chocolate bar into my hand.

He looked like someone who'd already walked the tourist trail – good hiking boots, thick socks, denim trousers, and a kangaroo jacket adorned with all sorts of badges and insignia. I suspected he'd inherited this equipment from someone. I wasn't wrong. Along the way, he started telling me about the mountain and kayaking trips his parents organized. I nodded appreciatively, simultaneously wondering how many useful, yet unusual things Robi's backpack could contain.

When we reached the shelter, chaos reigned for a moment. The teacher was assigning rooms, and I was convinced once again that consolidating the class was out of the question. People must have already agreed on who they would share their quarters with on the train. Now they were reporting to the teacher in groups, also agreeing on who would live next to whom. It was a bit sad, but in the end, I had my own group too. We were assigned a six-person room. Luckily, no one had to be added to the five of us. Bunk beds, a small table, a sink in the corner.

"I'll take the top floor!" Konrad announced from the doorway.

"Do you want to be lower or higher?" Robi asked. "It

doesn't matter." I shrugged

. "If that's the case, I'll take the top floor. I've never slept on anything like that before.

Me neither, but let him have it." With a loud sigh, I plopped down on my bunk.

"Where's the bathroom?" Marti asked

. "In the hallway, son," Konrad explained. "Co-ed, I presume, communal showers, problems with hot water, that sort of thing

." "What?" Marti looked rather pathetic.

"Get used to it, boy," Kondi chuckled. "Before you go to the army!"

Robi began unpacking his backpack. I couldn't help but stare, fascinated, at what he was doing. A warm sweater, gloves, hat, and raincoat, despite the nice weather, didn't make much of an impression on me. A multifunctional hiking kit, compass, and binoculars were a different story.

"You can always spot some interesting wildlife," explained Robi.

Konrad grabbed the binoculars and ran to the window with them

. "Wow, I think I'm seeing an interesting wildlife!" he announced after a moment. "But noooo!"

Robi was truly well-equipped. Of course, he had a map of the area, a handy atlas with descriptions of the fauna and flora, even an alarm clock and cream for his tired feet. From the next room, we heard loud music and the clinking of glassware. I thought our friends had packed completely different things for the trip.

We rested for a while after the journey and then went for a walk in the mountains. Colorful leaves on the trees and under our feet, the smell of wet earth and pine needles... The five of us trailed at the very back of the group. Robi tried to use the atlas along the way, but he wasn't very successful. None of the plants we passed matched the pictures in the book.

"You, maybe it's an encyclopedia of tropical vegetation?" Konrad suggested at one point

. Robi only sighed. Czaki was gathering leaves and weaving them with grass spikes into some fanciful composition. He was completely absorbed in this activity. Marti whistled as he walked alongside. For a moment, I felt as if we were wandering through a land straight out of a fairy tale or a fantasy story. A group of people making their way through the forest, mysterious chiaroscuro, treetops gilded by sunlight. Like a story by Tolkien or Usula Le Guin. I longed for this moment to last forever, to walk endlessly, without a care in the world…

But soon we reached the top of the hill, where everyone sprawled out on the grass. Some people had taken sandwiches and bottles of drinks from their backpacks. The girls tilted their faces to the sun. Robi spread his yellow oilskin on the ground, which, of course, was rolled up in his backpack. We sat down on it, and Robi began unpacking the provisions – a small thermos of tea, cookies, apples, and sandwiches. Everything was wrapped in elegant, colorful napkins. I don't know why watching Robi was so fascinating. When he took out his universal pocket knife and began slicing apples into wedges, I heard a rather unpleasant snort of laughter from beside him. Hedgehog and his friends were walking away towards the dense undergrowth. Every now and then, they glanced in our direction, pointing at Robi and exchanging comments. Anger filled me. Why were they always making fun of him?

The laughter also caught the attention of Marti and Czak.

"The guys are going for some fresh air," Marti's voice was laced with sarcasm. "They're so cool, aren't they?

" "And Marti, you don't smoke anymore?" Konrad asked. "I think I saw you with a pipe once.

" "No," he grimaced. "I was just trying. A truly stupid idea."

"Do you hear me, Czakuś?" Kondi nudged his friend

. "I believe everyone has the right to do what they like," he replied, scowling. "Besides, don't call me 'Czakuś.'

" "Oooh, he'll be offended soon," Konrad sneered.

Czarek looked him straight in the eye but said nothing more. He had just wove the last blades of grass together. They had made two quite beautiful wreaths. He placed one on his head, and after a moment's hesitation, he adorned Marti with the other. In those peculiar green crowns, they looked like forest deities.

"Hey, we need to take a picture of you!" Robi said.

They posed, making silly faces for the camera. Konrad lay on the grass, convulsing with laughter.

"Robi, make one of mine too," he gasped between fits of joy. "I'll have evidence for my file. One day, they'll lock you up in the lunatic asylum!

" "Look, some elves have appeared in the meadow!" – Marti and Czaki aroused the interest of the entire class.

Suddenly, a crowd of people decided to take pictures with them. The girls asked how to weave such wreaths. The boys were clearly surprised and intimidated by this sudden interest. This small commotion caused people scattered in groups all over the hill to gather around us. Those who had just been making fun of Robie were now helping themselves to his cookies. We took our first, class photos. People got excited, laughed, and fooled around, striking the most incredible poses for photos. We descended the mountain in one huge group, belting out an old, worn-out hit by the band Hey. It was undoubtedly the best moment of the entire trip. I hoped it would stay that way, that we had broken down barriers and become one. A shared dinner and a bonfire, meant to fully integrate us, dispelled my illusions.

With the shelter owners' permission, we moved the table and bench outside and lit a fire nearby. There was a planned potluck dinner, with everyone expected to help as much as they could. Most people pitched in – we sliced ​​bread and cold cuts and prepared skewers. However, a small group, three girls and Hedgehog and his friends, disappeared. They showed up when everything was ready, looking indifferent, as if they were doing us a great favor by honoring us with their presence. Naturally, arguments broke out. Even the teacher got involved, harshly criticizing their unfriendly behavior. Hedgehog's group wasn't impressed. They shrugged contemptuously and went to their room, letting us know they didn't care about such fun. We tried to ignore the loud music and laughter coming from their room.

Romek, a friendly, chubby boy, pulled out his guitar and started playing campfire standards. After a moment, Baśka joined him. She played better and had a strong, clear voice. There were stories about other trips, holiday adventures, and the teacher shared a few school anecdotes with us. Robi and Konrad were joking the entire time, and the girls couldn't help but giggle. Czaki sat with his knees drawn up, resting his chin on them. He looked ahead, smiling mysteriously. Maybe he saw something in the flickering fire…

Around midnight, everything had to be packed up. Luckily, apart from our class, no other tourists were staying at the hostel. We were very noisy. What's more, we filled the entire trash can with plastic dishes.

On my way to my room, I passed Magda in the hallway, one of the girls who had chosen to be with Jeż's group.

"What a great party, huh?" she sneered

. I just shrugged. I didn't want to argue.

There was a bit of chaos in our room. My friends had taken over the shower, used up the hot water, and no one else could bathe that evening. Marti was very unhappy about this.

"My hair is burning with smoke from the fire," he grumbled.

"Don't worry, we all smell like smoked sausages," Czaki consoled him

. "But I have to bathe every day!" Marti groaned. "Maybe he'll manage in this cold water?

" "You'll catch a cold," Robi warned. "Pneumonia is a sure thing.

" "So what should I do?"

Konrad walked up to his friend, slapped him hard on the back, and said,

"Get a grip, man! Show him you're tough, don't crack, you'll make it through the night.

" "I'm not tough," Marti collapsed resignedly onto his bed. "And I don't like to stink."

That night, however, even though we opened the window, our room was filled with a distinctive stench. I slept exceptionally well. In the morning, I was awakened by a strange sound.

"...twenty-seven, twenty-eight," came to my ears from the floor.

I propped myself up on my arm and only then saw it was Konrad. He was doing push-ups.

"Hi!" "Twenty-nine... get up, lazybones, or they'll take over our bathroom again... thirty, thirty-one...

" Marti immediately jumped out of bed. After a moment, he was waiting by the door with shampoo and a towel in hand.

Robi and I somehow dragged ourselves out too. Only Czaki had covered his head with the duvet. Konrad finished his gymnastics and stood over him, disgusted.

"Hey, buddy, it's day already!" he shook the sheets. A faint murmur came from deep within the bed.

"Get moving, this isn't a family vacation, it's a trip to the mountains," Konrad urged

. "Later.

" "There won't be hot water later.

" "Hmmm...

" "Okay, let's go take the shower. You're supposed to join us in five minutes." Kondi gave up.

Complete silence reigned in the hallway. I guess everyone was still asleep. We had the entire bathroom to ourselves. We had to wait a while for the boiler to heat the water, but then we could splash around. Konrad was still fooling around. He slathered himself in soap and then flexed his muscles like a bodybuilder at a show. He had plenty to be proud of, after all. Robi and I laughed at him, a bit embarrassed. Marti focused his attention on washing and combing his hair. Czaki only appeared when, refreshed and smelling fresh, we were finishing brushing our teeth. The harsh fluorescent light blinded him as we entered. He stood there blinking for a moment, his messy hair sticking out in all directions. At the sight of this, Marti had his infectious laugh. Embarrassed, Czaki hid in the showers.

We were finishing up the bathroom when other people started arriving. We waited a while longer for Czaki, who, fortunately, finished washing his teeth quite quickly. As we were leaving, there was a slight traffic jam in the passageway and hallway. At one point, when we were passing by Hedgehog's pack, Hedgehog unexpectedly pushed Robi, who bumped into Konrad, who bumped into Bartek, a Nirvana fan walking in front of him.

"What are you pushing around, you fat guy, you can't fit through the door?" Hedgehog snorted. His friends cackled unpleasantly.

Robi blushed and opened his mouth to respond when, quite unexpectedly, Konrad jumped up to Hedgehog and said,

"What did you call me? I guess I didn't mishear, you said 'fat guy,' right?"

For a long moment, Hedgehog stood open-mouthed, completely surprised. Konrad, though a head shorter than him, looked menacing, his eyes blazing with anger and his fists clenched.

"Hey, that wasn't directed at you, man..." Hedgehog muttered.

"Yeah? Who was it directed at?" Konrad took a step forward, and Hedgehog automatically stepped back.

"What are you..." He smiled sheepishly. "I meant him," he pointed at Robi.

Konrad didn't even turn his head, looking Hedgehog straight in the eyes, as if he wanted to crush him with a single glance.

"Don't be so mean, son," he hissed. "I know you're picking on me, I just don't know why yet

." "I'm not picking on you at all." Hedgehog was completely confused. "You must be crazy,"

he said with a frown. "Is that crazy?" Konrad turned to us. "Did you hear that? First he calls me names, then he turns the tables. He doesn't even have the courage to tell me what he thinks of me to my face, maybe it's for the best, because I don't know if I'd hurt him. "

A strange snort came from Hedgehog, something between a growl and a laugh.

"You're so stupid," he said.

"Stupid?! Son, you're asking to be spanked

." "Piss off!" Hedgehog pushed Konrad away, and then something happened that no one probably expected.

Suddenly, Hedgehog curled into a fetal position and fell to the floor. He lay curled up, unable to catch his breath. Both his friends and us stood completely surprised.

"Remember, don't get in my way again," Kondi told him, then waved us off. "Come on, let's leave these jerks alone and let them get themselves together."

We obediently followed Konrad to our room. No one spoke. We only exchanged knowing glances. At the door, Robi stopped Konrad for a moment.

"You know what," he said, "he wasn't picking on you, he was picking on me."

Konrad looked into his friend's eyes for a long moment. After a moment, a broad smile spread across his face. He placed his hands on Robi's shoulders.

"I know that perfectly well, honey," he explained. "I just can't stand it when someone calls my friends names.

" I closed the door to the hallway and leaned my back against it, just in case. I looked at my friends. Robi was dividing a bar of chocolate, and Konrad was stealing pieces from under his hand. In front of the mirror, Marti was brushing his killer hair, and Czaki was scribbling something hastily on a piece of paper.

I thought my new class would probably never form a cohesive whole, that people like Hedgehog would make everyone else's lives miserable, but none of that mattered much, because I'd found friends. Maybe a little quirky, a little extravagant, but I was becoming more and more confident that I could rely on them.