On Wednesday, November 10th, at 10:30 PM, the streets of Warsaw are already empty. It's raining, cold, and unpleasant. Only in one dark alleyway is the silence broken by the dull sound of heels clicking on the sidewalk. Tap-tap-tap... First faster, then slower. As if one moment the woman were afraid of something, almost running, and the next, stopping and waiting for who knows what. In fact, if you listened closely, you could still hear Mrs. Ewa's muffled sobs... Yes, because it's Mrs. Ewa walking down the street right now. She walked like this yesterday, the day before, and a month ago... She's crying because she knows that the 1,500 złoty she received today won't be enough for her and her two children for the entire month. She's crying because she knows that, working 15 hours a day, she deserves a higher salary. She's crying because she knows that her little, precious children are home alone, waiting for her. And finally, she cries, because she knows very well that everything could have turned out differently... Suddenly, Ewa stops at the edge of the street, right at the pedestrian crossing, even though no cars are moving on the road. Without even realizing it, Ewa stands. Stands, and the image that has just appeared before her eyes slowly fades. In Ewa's eyes, the great glass skyscraper begins to engulf in mist and tears. And at that very moment, Ewa begins to remember everything she has been trying so hard not to think about for two months...
This year, the summer was exceptionally hot, and September was a true golden autumn. And it was on one of those warm autumn days, on September 2nd, at 12:30 PM, that the woman pushed herself away from her desk, stood up, and stretched. She looked out at the sun-drenched streets of Warsaw. From the 13th floor of the glass skyscraper, the view was truly stunning. She smiled to herself. She glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall and realized with satisfaction that exactly a year ago she'd been promoted and moved to Warsaw. Now she was someone! How wonderful it was to be able to say, "Yes, I'm the Director of a Department at the Ministry of Health." She was so proud! Her gaze wandered around the office, her own office. Modern furniture, equipment. Everything was top-of-the-line. Her gaze only settled on the 20-inch flat screen of her monitor. She sighed a little, discouraged, knowing she had to get back to work. She was working on a list of subsidized medications. A distinctive knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She knew immediately who it was. She said a curt, "Come in," and sat back down in her swivel chair. Marek, smiling as always, entered the room. Marek was her deputy, whom she liked very much, by the way. From the doorway, he called out, "
Good morning, Ms. Ewa! How are things going? Can I help you?
" "Oh, thanks!" Marta left a list of Very Important Matters on your desk that I'd like you to handle. I have one Very Important Matter on my plate right now that I have to handle myself.
"Yeah... So I won't bother you anymore. I'm off to take care of these Very Important Matters." Marek smiled, stood up, and headed for the door. In the doorway, he paused as if remembering something and turned to Ewa.
"Oh! I almost forgot. The boss wants to see you. Now," he added dramatically, and disappeared behind the door.
Ewa rose from her chair. She was quite a stocky woman, so it was quite difficult. She wondered what reason her boss could have for calling her in at this hour. In fact, she often visited his office. You could even say they worked closely together. Mr. Piotr—that was the name of Ewa's superior—never signed any important contracts without consulting her first. Besides, he usually arrived at work around 3 p.m., and that was only two hours later! "Maybe he's angry that I didn't give him that medication list?" Ewa thought. "But he never minded me being a week late with some contract. Hell, even two weeks late!"
With these thoughts in mind, Ewa walked down the long hallway, turned left, and was already in front of her boss's office door. She smoothed her skirt and knocked. In response, she heard Marta's warm voice—her secretary—acknowledging that she could come in. Marta was talking to someone on the phone and gestured to Ewa that her boss was waiting for her.
"Oh, you're here! Very well. Please sit down," her superior said. He pressed one of the buttons on the phone and said, "
Ms. Marta, please bring two coffees to your office." And turning to Ewa, he added, "Oh, please feel free to sit down."
Ewa obediently sat down in the seat indicated. Marta brought two coffees, and as soon as the door closed behind her, Mr. Piotr began the conversation.
"Ms. Ewa, please tell me how your work on that list of subsidized medications is going?
" "Um..." Ewa decided to pull herself together. "If you mean I'm late, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realize it was so urgent... But I guess it is. Please forgive me. I'll deliver it to you personally this evening, or at the latest, first thing tomorrow morning. Once again, I'm very sorry..."
"Ms. Ewa... We've known each other for a long time. You know perfectly well that's not what I mean. Rather, tell me which medications you've included."
Ewa began listing them, starting with the most expensive and important medications to be included on the list. When she finished, her boss sat thoughtfully for a moment, as if trying to reconsider what he'd heard. After a moment, he said,
"And why didn't you include the antibiotic Oxynogenium, made by the Western company Oscar? It's very expensive, but really effective. It could be a good investment."
"And what kind of medicine is this?" Ewa asked. "What does it treat? What are its ingredients? How much does it cost? Mr. Piotr!! I have to know these things! I can't just tell you, 'Yes, I do,' when I know nothing about it!" "
Of course, I absolutely agree with you," and pulling a piece of paper from his desk drawer, he added, "That's why I've already prepared all the necessary information about this medicine for you."
One glance at the written page was enough for Ewa to notice that a similar medicine was already on the list: the same ingredients, but at a much lower price. When she revealed her observations to her boss, he turned his head from the window he was staring at and turned to Ewa:
"You know what? You could use a new car. What would you say to... a Volvo V90, for example?"
Ewa, completely confused, still not quite grasping what her superior was aiming for.
"Huh?" she asked, her intelligence lacking.
"Besides," Mr. Piotr continued, "I personally think a three-week training course on the Caribbean Islands wouldn't hurt. With your family, of course.
" "But Mr. Piotr! We can't afford such expenses!
" "Please don't worry. All this would be a thank you from Oscar for including their drug on the list of reimbursed drugs. Please think about it and come back here first thing tomorrow morning. And now, unfortunately, I have to say goodbye to you. See you tomorrow!"
Ewa said a hurried goodbye and ran out of her boss's office.
The next 17 hours were probably the worst of her entire life. She felt like she was in a trance. She instinctively closed the door to her office, instinctively started the engine of her Fiat Punto, which had long since passed its prime, and instinctively drove home.
She couldn't sleep that night. She fell into a short, half-sleep state, from which she woke every 15 minutes. She paced back and forth in the bedroom. She was smoking cigarettes at home, something she had never done before, because of the children. She kept thinking about today's conversation with her boss. She knew that if she agreed to Oscar's offer, she would live in great prosperity for many years. Besides, the prospect of three weeks in the Caribbean sounded very appealing. But on the other hand, she was clearly aware that it was a kind of bribe, and taking one was strictly punishable by law. So if she agreed, she might just as easily lose everything as gain a great deal. But she couldn't afford to take that risk! The thought of the children sealed the deal. She already knew what she would tell her boss. She would refuse. Yes! That's exactly what she would do! She would refuse! There was nothing else she could do. For the children. For the sake of her own children! The sound of her alarm clock ripped her from her thoughts.
Three hours later, she sat in tears, her head in her hands. The reason for her current state of mind lay on the desk in front of her. It was a notice of termination. The reason? The reason was simple: missing deadlines. Yes, that's exactly what he'd written! Something that never bothered him... "Ms. Ewa, you know that's not what I mean..." Those were his own words! And now he was using them against her. How could he...
All of this flashed through Ewa's mind in a matter of seconds, like a movie. Suddenly, she realized she was still standing at the edge of the road, in front of the pedestrian crossing. She was soaking wet, and she didn't know if it was from the rain, which had steadily intensified from a light drizzle into a downpour, or from her own tears. Probably both. She was about to cross the street when she noticed a beautiful, silver Volvo V90 speeding down the wet street. Before the crossing, she slows down enough for Ewa to notice that behind the wheel of this marvel is her former deputy, who took over her position after she left.
Everything was now clear to Ewa...
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