She

It was almost ten. Night was creeping in through the open window. The smell of rain hung in the air, and she could hear the tolling of a church bell and the meowing of wild cats. Every now and then, a drunk staggered past her window with a broken bottle of cheap wine, his laughter booming, yet sad. For a moment, she wondered how life could be so cruel to someone. But soon her thoughts wandered elsewhere, to someone she knew well. Someone she knew and loved even more deeply than she wanted to. She remembered his words from a few days ago. "Next year you'll break free from this too, you'll breathe more deeply and have a free September," he said just before the train left. He smiled mischievously, mysteriously, in his own way, a smile she was afraid of, because it seemed to her that he was hiding some evil intentions, some little nastiness, some small disloyalty.

A small room, a small window, a small lamp, a small life... When he was leaving, he promised to write, to call, and all the things you promise the second before departure, when you start to forget about your city and start to carefully nurture the hope of some extraordinary event, new, different, and therefore more interesting and beautiful. She waited... It was impossible for him not to call. Thursday was their day.

It all began that fateful afternoon. He and Karolina had prepared a wonderful party, attended by everyone the two girls had met on vacation. Kamil arrived – the best comedian in the world, and Anka – yes, that little, slim Ania who had always been the life of the party. They arrived. Michał and Artur joined them – twin brothers whom no one can tell apart to this day. There were others, too, but she was drawn primarily to Dawid. He was 21 when she met him. Now he was 24. She had always felt the vast gulf that separated them. She, a simple girl, young, had just turned 18 and was always eager to have fun. Every romance was just good entertainment, something she could still afford. Dawid was different. Sedate, serious, preoccupied with his work and the problems of adult life. He wasn't looking for adventure. He wanted to find a partner, but one for life. He wanted to start a family, not chase after some bratty teenagers who knew nothing about life. Sure, they had always gotten along, but their relationship never went further than she would have liked. This time, however, it was different.

The party was already in full swing, everyone was reminiscing, they had so much to talk about – after all, they hadn't seen each other in ages. And it was a wonderful ball. The first and unique. Everyone was so incredibly cool, so different. Cheerful, carefree, flawlessly playing the role the moment dictated. With balloons, lanterns, champagne, which didn't need to be hidden from anyone, quite the opposite. They toasted to a successful life. They danced the polonaise, the waltz, and rock. The girls wore fashionable makeup, colorful blouses, jeans, and laughed louder than usual. The boys watched them, admired their charm and eloquence, and weren't ashamed to approach the chosen one. They never left her side and held her hand for a long time. Many couples formed that no one would have ever imagined before. But the mood they surrendered to could work wonders.

She stood against the wall. As hostess, she had to maintain order. She poured more champagne and chips, which disappeared at an alarming rate thanks to her insatiable friends. But she watched David constantly and couldn't bring herself to look away. She had always been absolutely convinced she was weak-willed. She hid her true feelings for this man behind a mask of indifference, yet his eyes betrayed her. And whether it was these feelings that made him approach her or something else, she couldn't believe her luck. She went to get another bag of chips. When she returned, she couldn't spot him in the crowd of friends. Suddenly, someone touched her shoulder. Slightly startled, she turned around. It was him. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart was beating twice as fast as usual. He must have heard what was happening to him. She stared at him with her dark brown eyes, mesmerized. As usual, in his presence, she couldn't muster any coherent conversation. She simply asked, "Would you like some?" and pushed the plate of chips in front of her. It sounded rather silly, and she blushed slightly with embarrassment, something she rarely did. Then, for the first time, she saw his smile, but not an ordinary one, but one that sent shivers down her spine. He took her hands and asked her to dance. She was delighted, though she hadn't expected anything special from the dance. Just a simple, polite dance. It was only proper to ask the hostess.

They walked into the middle of the room together. No one paid them any attention; each was absorbed in their partner. "Oh, that pesky Kamil, he had to play that slow song right now. Dawid will probably leave me soon and ask out another girl, prettier and older than me. He wouldn't want to miss such a great opportunity to pick up a girl," she thought. But it wasn't. He simply asked, "May I?" and wrapped his arms around her waist, gently, like a true gentleman. He grabbed her tenderly with his large, warm hands and, with a question in his eyes, pulled her to him. She didn't know what was happening. The world was spinning around her, and she was dancing slowly in David's arms. She was completely disoriented—he'd never paid her any attention, yet now she was the one dancing with him to the rhythm of a slow, beautiful love song. She thought it was a dream and didn't want to wake up.

"Do you remember that vacation?" he asked, ripping her from the bliss she was in.

"The ones where we met? Yes, I remember," she replied. She couldn't understand where he was getting at with this question.

"Do you remember that moment when Krzysztof and I were kayaking and hit a rock and ended up in the hospital?"

"Yes... it was right after my birthday... that kayaking trip... I was so scared for you," she said, blushing furiously, because she'd never spoken to him like that.

However, he seemed oblivious to her embarrassment and continued his story.

"You see... Krzychu made it out alive. Unfortunately, I didn't. I remember waking up only after surgery in the hospital. The first person I saw after waking up was you... You came every day. Even after the holidays were over, you always skipped your last class on Thursdays, rushed to the bus, always bought me a gift—flowers or some fruit. You never let me down..." He paused, lifted her face, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"What does he want? It was a long time ago. Why is he only telling me now? Could he be sick again?" Intrusive thoughts swirled through her mind. She was increasingly afraid that David was sick, that something was wrong with him.

"Why are you telling me this? We both know that visiting a sick friend in the hospital is normal..." she said, losing words. She waited for what would happen next. "

The point is that I realized how much those visits meant to me. I've thought a lot since then. Now I think that..." He paused, looking into her eyes again as if trying to read something in them.

They stopped dancing. They stood staring at each other, each struggling with their own thoughts. Two people in two completely different worlds.

"The point is that I feel something more for you than I feel for a friend," he said in one breath, gasping for air with obvious relief.

He wasn't looking at her anymore. His gaze drifted downward. He wondered what to say next. "

I feel something for you more than just respect and gratitude. I'm telling you... I thought about it for a long time, for a long time I couldn't come to terms with the fact that I didn't say thank you back then. We never had the chance to see each other again. And I missed our Thursday meetings so much. I tried to forget, I don't deny it. I think you're too young for me, that I'm not suited for this kind of relationship... but... it's stronger than me... would you... would you like to go out for a movie, or dinner later?... would you like to be my girlfriend?"

She had waited a long time for those words. She had always wanted to be with him. She hadn't even imagined her dreams could come true. In that moment, all barriers crumbled. Now she took the initiative. It was clear that David had said a lot, that he had suppressed these feelings for a long time, and now, when he voiced them aloud, he was afraid of her reaction.

"I never believed this moment would ever come." Of course I want to be your girlfriend, I want to go to the movies and dinner with you! You have no idea how happy I am. You mentioned the hospital. About my visits... I've loved you for a long time... you didn't know that... I didn't tell you anything, it would have seemed so childish, so stupid... now..."

She didn't finish, he didn't let her finish. He captured her lips in a passionate kiss. It was gentle, sensual, his kiss conveyed his feelings better than words. Now their worlds found each other. They became one. They didn't even notice they had become the main attraction of the party.

"Bitter! Bitter!" Kamil shouted. Finally, everyone joined in the cheers, and chaos reigned. Then they stopped kissing.

That wasn't the end of the unexpected events. No one had noticed anyone missing from the party before. Only when Adrian and Monika burst into the room, panting, did everyone realize they were missing. And just then, as if on cue, the late couple shouted, "We're getting married!" Monika blushed slightly, and Adrian stared at her as if she'd just been miraculously revealed.

"Long live the newlyweds!" Kamil shouted immediately, and everyone applauded again, shouting "Bitter! Bitter!" The party continued. The mood was improving by the minute. No one even thought it was time to go.

She sat with Dawid at the table. She no longer noticed the empty potato chip bowls; there was also Karolina, now she had taken over the role of hostess. They sat in the corner of the room, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, and reminisced. They talked about their first kayaking trip, the one where Dawid had had an accident. They talked about horseback riding, about music, about everything. They also talked about themselves, about the future they had each envisioned together during their long period of solitude. In those few minutes after the memorable dance, they had fallen even deeper in love.

"Look, we had to find each other right now, when we were practically lost. Isn't life one big irony?" David said to her. She didn't fully understand his words. She only understood them a month later, when they had to say goodbye. For now, she was happy to be with him, even though she couldn't fully understand him. "

Promise me that Thursday will be 'our' day. That one of us will call or meet up on that day—no matter the circumstances," he said.

"I promise you... I promise you..."

The party ended around 5 a.m. It was Sunday. Everyone started getting ready to leave. Those who lived in Toruń stayed a little longer to help clean up. The rest, after saying goodbye and vowing to repeat this day someday, drove off to their homes.

She was left alone with Karolina. Her friend had promised to help her clean up, and there was a lot to clean up—scattered chips, spilled champagne, broken bottles, burst balloons—all of it had to be cleaned up before her parents arrived. They'd given her the apartment free for one night, but they'd have to come back eventually. She knew their meticulousness well and knew that to be able to repeat such a party in the future, she had to clean everything up as quickly as possible.

Now she was alone in her room. Memories helped her forget, but not for long. It had gone from ten in the evening to eleven. She was still waiting. "Promise me that Thursday will be 'our' day," she remembered those words clearly. From then on, true to their promise, they saw each other every week. When they couldn't meet, they called. He was always the one who came up with the meeting places, the one who called. He knew how much she hated waiting, and he knew why.

A few days ago, he came to her house. It wasn't Thursday, but Monday. September was approaching. David told her he had to leave. He'd gotten a well-paid job on the other side of Poland. He said he'd try to come back, that he'd write. She couldn't believe it. He'd mentioned something earlier about a job in Opole, but she didn't think it was realistic. They were so happy together. Dawid wasn't bothered by her age anymore. He understood that an eighteen-year-old could be mature and responsible. And now it was time to say goodbye.

"I'm leaving on Wednesday," he said sadly.

"Can't you wait just one day? Tomorrow's Thursday!... you know what that means..." She wanted to say more, but her voice broke. Finally, the happiness she'd been waiting for would depart so quickly on the evening express.

"Unfortunately... I start work this Thursday. I can't give it up. It's a great opportunity for me... for us... You'll see, next year you'll break free from this too, breathe more deeply, and have September free... then you'll come to me."

"Dawid... will you call, write? Will you find the time?" When will you come back? - Now she openly showed him her tears.

She buried her face in his arms and cried for a long time. Meanwhile, he held her tightly in one hand, stroking her long brown hair with his long one, which he so loved to touch. He didn't say anything. He let her cry, calm down. He gave her a tissue, helped her blow her nose. Later, he walked her home and saw her standing at the window of her small room, watching him leave...

The clock had just struck midnight. Her parents had long since fallen asleep. Grandma had also fallen asleep after a long argument with her father. He left yesterday. The moon was full. There were countless luminous stars in the sky. If you looked closely, you could distinguish the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, the North Star, or the Milky Way. But she wasn't looking at the stars... She realized he wouldn't call today.

"He forgot," she thought, "and he only left yesterday."

She began to cry. Quietly, so as not to wake anyone. Before her tearful eyes, she saw his smiling face, which could also be so serious. She felt the taste of his kisses on her lips, the touch of his fingers in her hair, the scent of his perfume.

Slowly, the image faded. It became less and less distinct, more and more transparent. There were no more tears. She felt nothing. She breathed slowly. The unexpected sound of her alarm clock roused her from this state. Startled, she jumped in bed. She was surprised to see that she was in her pajamas, that she was now sitting on the bed, wrapped in a duvet she hadn't spread before. She looked around. Grandma had long since left the room. In the kitchen, she could hear her mother making breakfast. She slowly got up, went to the bathroom, washed up, and dressed.

"What day is it today, Mommy?" she asked her mother during breakfast. "

Saturday, daughter, get ready, we're going shopping. Remember? You invited a few guests today."

It turned out it was all a dream. She couldn't believe it. It was so real, so perfect, except for the ending. But what was she supposed to do? Dressed, washed, and fed, she got dressed and left. She quickly did some shopping and returned home. Karolina was waiting for her, promising to help her prepare for the evening party, which was to be attended by several friends from her vacation and...Dawid.