woke Marcin to the first rays of the June sun rising over Wilczkowice. This day seemed different from any other. Filled with the scent of Maciejek and the damp scent of the nearby forest. The blissful silence was accompanied by all manner of insects and birds. Somewhere in the distance, one of the local burkas barked. Wilczkowice slowly opened its eyes from sleep...
Silence also reigned in Marcin's house. As always, the boy stared at the painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary hanging above the door. Every morning, he was the first in the family to wake up. Today, however, he didn't get up immediately. He was waiting for his father to leave for the dairy. He didn't want to meet him, fearing he'd be beaten for yesterday's first-year high school graduation certificate.
Suddenly, he heard the door creak, and a moment later, both his parents' voices. His father was clearly nervous. He was growling under his breath and moving loudly in the kitchen, which meant he was about to explode. Marcin heard footsteps approaching his room.
He froze. He held his breath, and his hands trembled. Hot sweat dripped from his forehead. Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind. He was afraid. Curling into a ball, he covered himself with the blanket and folded his hands in prayer, constantly looking toward the holy image and the door, which seemed about to burst open with a bang. He began to pray quietly, his voice trembling as he syllabified the first words of the "Hail Mary." The footsteps were getting closer. The creaking floorboards signaled his father's approach. The creaking stopped. The man stood behind the door. Although he didn't enter the room, the boy felt his angry, cold breath and iron grip on him. He curled up even tighter and closed his eyes. He longed to be somewhere far away, in a land of rainbow unicorns and elves. He lived in this bookish world. Day and night, he could read incredible stories. Yet here he was. Alone, defenseless in a cool room, awaiting his father's painful sentence. He so desperately wanted to utter a spell so he could disappear like Mephal in his favorite book.
His father was already trying the doorknob when a feminine hand, the boy's mother's, stopped him.
"Don't wake him now," she said calmly and resonantly, knowing her nerves were only making her husband even angrier. "You'll talk to him this afternoon; you'll have calmed down by then. Believe me, it's not easy for him either."
These words stopped his father. They both returned to the kitchen in silence. Marcin still lay still and shivered. But he felt relief and slowly calmed down. From the window, he saw his father leaving for the dairy. He dressed and went into the kitchen, finding his mother sitting sadly in a chair.
"Hi, Mom," he said uncertainly.
"Good morning, honey," his mother whispered, both sadly and with a hint of joy at the sight of her beloved son. "You heard everything, right?
" "Yes, Mom...
" "Father will be back in a few hours; he went to the dairy and wanted to run a few errands in town. Go to the store and do some shopping. And get two jars of honey from the Kalisiaks; I already paid for them yesterday," she said as if nothing had happened. Perhaps she didn't want to bring it up again, or perhaps she thought it would reassure her son. "Here's a shopping card, and remember that lunch is at 1 p.m.."
The boy took the card and left. The path to the store stretched three kilometers, passing farms and meadows. He hadn't gone far when he stopped and turned onto a narrow path leading to a forest clearing with a small river cove and an incredibly large rock, on which he loved to lie and stare at the sky. Watch the white clouds and imagine what they reminded him of. Here he drowned all his sorrows and joys.
He lay down on a cool morning stone and looked up at the sky. It was clear. Not a single fluffy cloud was visible. Its blueness gave the boy peace and composure. Marcin closed his eyes. He listened to the birds singing above him and the rustle of enormous pine branches. The sound of lapping water, gently crashing against the protruding stones, slowly calmed him. He felt safe. He knew nothing would happen to him here. He wanted to stay here forever. To listen to and watch nature every day, to not feel fear from his father... he wanted to transform into a carefree bird, soaring through the sky and observing everything from above. To be free, like him, and sing the morning melody to welcome the day, far from people. To admire nature, to play with spruce branches and hide behind the tiny leaves of a birch tree, which quietly sings a song in the wind. To be her friend and be enchanted by her pure and resonant voice. Playing tag with the wind and dancing with the setting sun. Or being a squirrel, jumping from branch to branch. Rolling his clever little eyes and boasting about his beautiful tail. Eating nuts and amusing himself by tossing tiny pine cones into the air...
Or living in King Gerard's court and going hunting with Mephalo, learning magic and swordsmanship...
Dreams consumed him completely. His facial features became more delicate, relaxed. He lay on the stone at ease, without the slightest nervousness. He absorbed the clean air, breathing deeply and deeply. He was calm and peaceful. A blissful smile was clearly visible on his lips, creating tiny dimples on his cheeks. His skin regained color. His dark complexion and delicate blush harmonized with his raven-black, disheveled hair, which fell carelessly over his forehead.
Suddenly, he heard voices. He jumped to his feet. His eyes beheld something extraordinary. The clearing transformed into a bright green expanse with hundreds of colorful flowers, shimmering with pure gold. The river quickened its flow, murmuring in the boy's ears, and the pine trees transformed into deciduous trees. Lush greenery practically flowed from the leaves. The treetops shimmered with silver and precious stones. He had never seen animals like these before. Painted as if with watercolors, they gleamed with all the colors of the rainbow. His surprise was immense. He didn't know what was happening. He stood next to a rock and marveled at the incredible sight.
The voices were getting closer. Suddenly, the boy saw a horseman on the horizon and a small man in a hat. They were walking towards him. He was frightened. He had never seen anything like it in his life. He wanted to escape, but the forest seemed too dense to find his way home. So he stayed where he was.
"Greetings, traveler," said the rider, dismounting from his brown horse. He was a tall man with a towering build. He wasn't fat, though. He looked very strong and courageous. He was dressed in medieval garb, the kind the king's best archers once wore. A dark, hooded cloak flowed from his broad shoulders, and over it was a bow and a long scabbard with arrows. A sword was strapped to his belt. A servant stood beside him, a small dwarf with a green top hat.
"Greetings," the boy stammered in a trembling voice.
"I am Mephal, a royal dignitary and archer in the court of King Gerard himself," he introduced himself and bowed low.
The boy was speechless with amazement. He had no idea what was going on. Mephal was a character in a book. This couldn't be real! But he was slowly beginning to believe it... The fear had already vanished. Mephal seemed friendly.
"I see, traveler, that you're without a horse. What happened?
" "Without a horse?" asked the surprised boy. "What traveler? Where am I?
" "You must be thirsty for water. Leprechaun," he turned to the servant. "Give the traveler a drink."
The boy had never drunk so much water. His throat, parched with fear, finally began to spurt saliva.
"I'm Marcin. Can you tell me what I'm doing here?" he asked.
"As far as I know, Marcin, you wanted to live at King Gerard's court.
" "Yes... but is this really happening?
" "Yes, traveler. Now you will stay here. We will take you to King Gerard. I see you are a scholar, so you will work on spells in the Tower of Magic. What do you say?
" "What scholar?" he laughed, then grew sad. "All C's on your report card...
" "Oh yes... I know, father is angry with you. Such an impulsive man, it must be said, but for now, Marcin, you will stay here." You will be fine in King Gerard's Kingdom.
"What? How so? Wait! How do you know about my father?!
" "I'm reading your mind.
" "That wasn't in the book," the boy muttered under his breath.
"So get on your horse. We'll take you to the castle."
The boy stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't want to leave his family, his loving mother, his younger sister, and... his father. He was what he was, but he also loved him immensely. He couldn't leave his home and his native Wilczkowice, but today he was afraid to return home...
" "Fear is human," the archer interrupted him. "Even the best knights fear battle. You can't run away from problems. You have to face them. If you handle this battle well, you'll win. Remember, diplomacy is very important.
" "What are you talking about?" the boy asked
. "To win, you have to defeat the enemy. In this case, the enemy isn't your father, but your report card.
" "Do you think I'll be able to improve my grades next year?
" "Being a knight or an archer isn't easy." It's strength of spirit and self-confidence that will allow you to achieve victory. Don't fear your father. Now go home and don't give up. Every knight prefers to die with honor than surrender to the enemy.
Marcin suddenly gained self-confidence, feeling himself growing and becoming more courageous. He was now stronger and more confident. His eyes shone with a mysterious light. Mephal offered him his hand, then called Leprechaun. He placed a four-leaf clover, dusted with glowing dust, in the boy's pocket.
"Take this, sir, for good luck. I am only a god of joy and hope; I can give you nothing more."
The boy felt a drop of rain on his nose. He opened his eyes and saw that he was still lying on a rock near a simple river and a pine forest.
"Ah... it was just a dream," he said to himself.
But, contradicting these words, he put his hand in his pocket. He felt something cold. He pulled it out and saw the four-leaf clover. However, it wasn't filled with magic. It was an ordinary green, four-leaf clover. However, a chill ran down the boy's spine. He stood motionless, his mouth open. Every rustle in the forest sent shivers down his spine. The rain was falling harder. He longed to get home as quickly as possible. On the way back, he replayed everything Mephal had told him. He felt proud that he had been the one to have the incredible dream... A dream? He wasn't entirely convinced he'd dreamed it all. But he was happy and joyful. He wasn't afraid to return home; he walked confidently, his hair happily covering first one eye, then the other.
"You're finally here," his mother said after his son's return. "Father is waiting for you in the room."
A chill ran through Marcin, but he remembered Mephalo's words about chivalrous behavior, honor, and diplomacy. He pulled the clover Leprechaun had given him for good luck from his pocket and put it back. He was confident. He wasn't afraid. He entered the room without hesitation.
"Hi, Dad, before you say anything, please hear me out. I promise that next year I'll have a much higher average. I'm sorry, I was stupid and acted like a puppy, skipping school and not studying. I realized my mistake and I want to fix it. "
His father remained silent, his face a bit strange.
"Dad, say something
." What can I say... I neglected you this year, and I'm not angry with you anymore. I see I have a truly intelligent son, and I hope you'll improve your grades. I guess you're as reliable as a knight, huh?" he asked with a kind smile.
"Sure, Dad! You can rely on me as much as a knight!" he shouted, throwing his arms around his father's neck. He hadn't done that in ages. Now he felt truly loved, and loved by his father. He was happier than ever.
"Like a knight, and that's what you're after," his mother laughed. "Knight, and where are the purchases?
" "Oh, mother, knights don't shop, they have servants for that, like Leprechauns..."
Brak komentarzy:
Prześlij komentarz