# **Chapter 3: 6 The First Elections (1985–1989)**

The 1980s in Poland were turbulent – martial law, strikes, daily tensions, and uncertainty about the future.

Aleksandra was 15 years old then. She felt that life outside the home was full of secrets that Marek never allowed her to explore. Piotr, her older brother, tried to balance loyalty to his father with his own curiosity about the world.

One afternoon, while Marek was at work, Aleksandra went to the window and looked out at the street full of striking people. Her cousin Małgosia joined them.

* “Aren't you afraid?” Aleksandra asked.

* “And you?” Małgosia replied.

Their eyes met in silence. They both knew this moment would change their lives.

That evening, after Marek returned from work, Piotr tried to warn his sister:

* “Don't do anything that might cause trouble.”

* "Piotr, we have to try sometime, even if we're afraid," Aleksandra replied.

Marek watched from the sidelines, unsure how to react. He felt the weight of tradition, responsibility, and fear, but also, for the first time in his life, realized he couldn't control everything.

This was the beginning of a period when Marek's children were beginning to choose their own paths, even though silence and discipline still reigned at home.

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# **Chapter 4: Rebellion and First Loves (1990–1995)**

The political transformation in Poland brought new opportunities, but also chaos. Aleksandra began her studies in Warsaw, and Piotr went to Gdańsk to work for a foreign company.

Aleksandra met Michał, a history student who shared her fascination with the past and freedom.

* "We can't repeat what our parents did," she said during a walk in the old park.

* "Do you know what that means?" Michał smiled. "Freedom. But also responsibility."

Family tensions were mounting. Marek tried to control the children, but increasingly had to acknowledge that not everything could be kept in check.

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# **Chapter 5: Departures and Separations (1996–2005)**

Piotr went to Germany for a contract with a construction company. Aleksandra went to London on a scholarship.

Marek increasingly felt that his children were beginning to live in a world he didn't know and couldn't control.

* "I don't understand you, children," Elżbieta said, looking at the empty rooms.

* "We don't understand you either," Marek replied.

The children were discovering life on their own: love, friendships, first successes and failures. This was a time when tradition was giving way to individualism and the courage to make choices.

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# **Chapter 6: Return and Legacy (2006–2015)**

Piotr and Aleksandra returned to Poland to care for their family after Marek's illness.

* "The house has changed," Piotr said, standing on the threshold.

* "Not us, but the times have changed everything," Aleksandra replied.

The family began to connect the past and the present: the memories of their ancestors, the experiences of younger generations, and the new opportunities opening up the 21st century.

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