Tangerine Dream

Monika was a huge fan of Michał Wiśniewski's wife, Marta, also known as Mandaryna. She had all her albums (two) and all her posters. She spent her days watching VIVE Polska and MTV Poland simultaneously to watch her music videos. But one day, something struck her and she recorded her favorite Mandaryneczka on a VHS tape. Once she had the idea, she recorded everything related to Mandaryna: interviews, a weight-loss tea commercial, her concerts broadcast on television. At any time of day or night, she could tell her idol what she liked to eat, when she was born, how much she weighed, how tall she was... She knew literally everything about her. But one thought kept her awake at night: she hadn't watched the reality show where Mandaryna and Michał Wiśniewski showed millions of viewers how they lived. Monika hadn't watched the show because, until she heard Marta's wonderful singing, she hadn't been interested in her. She absolutely hated Michał Wiśniewski, but now that she loved Mandaryna, she also loved everyone she loved. In short, Monika was a huge fan of Marta and desperately wanted to be featured on Bravo, a huge Mandaryna fan.

When Monika heard that Marta's photos were in Playboy, she couldn't sit still. She had to have the magazine! She went to the nearest store and asked for it, but... the clerk asked for her ID, which unfortunately she didn't have. So she stood in front of the store and waited for an older guy who could buy the magazine with it. She was certain the person she approached would buy her what she wanted, as she had memorized the guide "from disco to... sweet kisses," which was a supplement to her favorite Bravo girl magazine. So, she waited outside the grocery store for her prey. Suddenly, a boy in his 20s appeared in a dirty sweater and blue overalls stained with concrete and paint. "Oh! It's probably the guy from the construction site who came for another beer," she thought. "He'll go down a treat with me. Those guys from the construction site are always so horny... Now I'll just put on smile number three and everything will be fine."

"Hi, handsome," she said, grinning and waving her eyebrows flirtatiously.

"Uhm... hi. Hem, hem." "So shy. I wonder if he'll have the courage to buy me a Playboy." The thought gave Monika goosebumps.

"I'm Monika, and you are?" The girl bravely followed the conversation pattern given in the guidebook.

"Uhm... Why do you need to know that?" "Clearly, he hasn't read the guidebook," she thought pityingly. "

You know... Because I want you to buy me the latest issue of Playboy."

"Uh... Why do you need to? You're not a guy, are you?" the guy from the construction site said, a little surprised by Monika's whim.

"You know..." "It's the best way to keep the conversation going," the guidebook said.

- No, I don't know.

"I'm just a fan of Mandaryna. I have all her photos, interviews...

" "Ah... So that's what she's after. Okay, kid. I'll buy it for you, but only if you let me see the whole magazine.

" "Okay."

Monika, pleased with her success, stood in front of the store, tapping her feet cheerfully and humming her favorite song, "Here I go again." When she saw the stranger from the construction site with a Playboy in his hand, she jumped for joy.

"Come on, show me! Show me my beloved Mandaryna!" she exclaimed, and the man from the construction site looked at her with open surprise. He handed her the magazine and watched her reaction as he looked at the nearly naked Marta Wiśniewska. "Oh! She's so beautiful," she purred happily. "Mmm... She could turn anyone on. Would you like to fuck her?" she asked her companion, but he didn't have time to answer as Monika continued, "Oh! What a beautiful body she has!" And who would have thought she was pregnant! It's not even visible. Okay. Now take a look, you deserve it, for a job well done.

"Yes! Of course!" he replied, "you only know. Monika. It'll take me about half an hour to look through such a thick newspaper, but maybe we can sit on that bench over there. "

The girl, all gleeful, nodded happily and went to sit on a local bench.

"Well, Monika... I won't hide my name any longer. I'm Mariusz. I bought two beers at the store. Shall we drink to Mandaryna's health?

" "Sure! Always to Mandaryna's health." "Oh! But I can't drink alcohol. I'm not eighteen yet. And this man is a stranger. But if I drink to Mandaryna, to her courage, I think I'll be fine. Yes! I'll be fine. And Mandaryna's spirits will definitely be lifted."

Thinking this over, Monika took a long sip of her beer, considering. She didn't like the taste, but she drank. To the health and courage of Mandarin. With each sip, Monika felt more and more relaxed and began to look at the skimpy women on the pages of the newspaper, which filled her with disgust. They were so exposed! Then she looked at Mariusz, who was clearly getting a kick out of the photos.

"Mariusz... You'd better look at Mandarin, not at those whores. Mandarin is a thousand times more beautiful than them.

" "You know what, Monika? You have a very similar face to Mandarin's, I'm very curious if you have the same thing under your blouse. Can I check?

" "How dare you! I'm not a whore!

" "You only think so." After these words, the stranger pounced on Monika and started kissing her cleavage.

The girl was very frightened by her attacker, but he wasn't that persistent. When she stood up abruptly, snatched the newspaper from him, and fled, he didn't chase her. But Monika was shocked and felt as if he were chasing her, screaming that he would rape her. When she finally ran into her cage, she took a deep breath, opened a Playboy to the pages devoted to Mandarin, and caressed the figure there, saying tenderly, "Oh! My poor, dear Martusia. She was being ogled by such a disgusting pervert. Poor thing, my dear."

After this incident, one night, Marta had a wonderful dream. She was standing in a tangerine orchard, the scent of tangerines wafting around her. It felt wonderful. She plucked a fruit from the tree, and as she peeled it, she released a wisp of citrus aroma. As she stuffed each piece of the paradise fruit into her mouth, she felt as if a new strength had entered her body. Reveling in the aroma and taste, she spotted Marta Wiśniewska running on the horizon, but she wasn't alone—a crowd of dancers was following her. Monika froze motionless amidst the tangerine droplets. It felt as if the world had stopped. Now only Marta and her dance troupe were moving. The sounds of the music were as tangerine, strong, and wonderful as can be. The idol waved her arms, creating a tangerine wind that blew through Monika's hair. The girl stood and inhaled deeply the scent of this moment, absorbing this unique, heavenly atmosphere into her skin. But unfortunately, even such a beautiful dream couldn't last forever. Monika felt something tugging at her arm. "It's probably some demon!" she thought. She opened her eyes and saw her mother's face above her.

"Get up for school, honey.

" "Mom!" "I had such a beautiful dream, and you ended it..."

"Life is not a dream, my daughter."

Monika rolled her eyes after these words. She had a different opinion about this dream: it was her entire life! A dream like this was worth waiting for centuries for; it filled her with an almost divine force that propelled her to life. That day, she couldn't concentrate at all on her lessons because she kept thinking about tangerines, their power and scent. Something about it all bothered her. It was a dream that only comes once every hundred years—that's what she felt. What had happened to her that night must have carried some intricate message. Now she just had to find it.

From that night on, every night before bed, Monika ate at least one tangerine and placed the peels next to her pillow. She secretly hoped that this way she would somehow attract the dream. But after a week of such unsuccessful attempts, she despaired. She decided she needed to scientifically explain the meaning of her tangerine dream. So she reached for the dream book she luckily had. She looked at the index, but there were no tangerines. Resigned, she lay down on the sofa, closed her eyes, and began breathing slowly: inhale, exhale. She felt her body growing heavier by the minute. It felt like a stone, a prison for an untamed soul.

The next day, Monika began with a few squats, push-ups, and sit-ups. Then she merrily flew to the bathroom, ate breakfast, and left the house with a tangerine in her backpack. Walking to school, she felt as if she weren't touching the sidewalk, as if she were floating in tangerine air. And the strangest thing was: she wasn't thinking about the Mandarin at all—her mind had room for only one, truly tangerine idea. That day, Monika found the profound meaning of her existence. She lived to one day visit a tangerine orchard. To experience the scent and taste of the heavenly fruit. To feel that the mandarin king, the greatest ruler in the world, was watching over her...