Stranger

..

The train ride seemed long for Joanna. She didn't like driving such distances; the bus station made her nauseous, and she was afraid of airplanes, so she stuck with trains. She bought a book for the journey, hoping to read it all. She had almost seven hours, and the book wasn't thick. She knew the scenery outside her window by heart; she'd been driving this route for four years now, at least twice a month since starting university. She studied far from home, and most of the money she earned tutoring English and French was spent on travel. She could travel once a month, but she was always close to her family and missed them. Besides, her parents had a hard life too. Her mother had a small pension, much of it going to medicine, and her father ran a small grocery store. Unfortunately, after they opened a supermarket a few blocks away, business had plummeted, and her father barely had enough to cover the bills.

She helped them as much as she could, including financially. She had younger siblings, a brother, and a youngest sister who adored her. They would have been a happy family if it weren't for financial problems. Therefore, at least for now, Joanna had to give up on starting her own school. The project remained a dream, but Joanna didn't believe it would ever become a reality.

The rhythmic clatter of the train lulled Joanna to sleep, and her reading was interrupted several times by short, unintentional dozes. There was no one in the compartment; she was traveling alone, and she was afraid she might oversleep her way to her station, even though she was still almost halfway there.

She actually liked having the compartment to herself; it made her feel free and uninhibited. Unfortunately, when they were halfway there and the train stopped at the station, a man entered her compartment.

Joanna glared at him, but he paid her no attention. He had no luggage, just a newspaper under his arm. He sat down opposite Joanna, by the window, and unfolded an economics magazine.

She watched him surreptitiously for a moment, but he wasn't about to start the banal conversation that fellow passengers usually engage in on the train. She was pleased. From time to time, she only glanced at the stranger. She wasn't thrilled by his presence, as it disturbed their peace, but she liked him as a man. Tall, slim, with brown hair and warm brown eyes. "

He has beautiful hands," she thought, looking at the long, very slender fingers as he held the newspaper—perhaps a little too bony, but beautiful.

She studied her neighbor for a brief moment, then finally returned to her book.

The rest of the journey went smoothly for a while. Until a certain point.

The neighbor suddenly stood up, so clumsily that he knocked the book out of Joanna's hands.

"Sir!" she said, rising.

"I beg your pardon," he said hurriedly, and left the compartment.

Still nervous, Joanna bent down to pick up the book, just as a large stone crashed through the window into the compartment with a terrible crash. The window was shattered, and the stone landed right next to Joanna. Her heart sank. She was terrified. She had traveled this route so many times, and nothing like this had ever happened. Today was the first time.

She exited the compartment on weak legs. There was chaos in the corridor. Nervous passengers had left their seats and didn't dare return.

"Excuse me, but what happened?" she asked a passing conductor.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing..."

"Some gang of hooligans threw stones at the train, several people are injured, and a lot of windows are broken," he said.

"I know in my compartment too.

" "Then please be patient, we'll move you to another compartment soon. Just get your things ready," he said, and ran off.

Joanna closed the door behind her and looked at the spot where she had been sitting and at the stone lying on the ground. She glanced from the stone to the window and back at her seat. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her. God, she thought, if I hadn't bent down to pick up the book, that stone would have blown my head off!

She felt faint. She sat up. The stranger had, unknowingly, saved her health, perhaps even her life! She tried to recall his face, but under the influence of her recent experience, it had faded from her memory; all she remembered were his hands and eyes.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the conductor entering.

"Are you ready?" he asked, and Joanna nodded. They took her small luggage and went to the next carriage. Joanna peered into the compartments where passengers were packed, but she couldn't see the stranger's face anywhere. There was no bus stop, so she hoped the stranger was still on the train.

The rest of the journey passed more quickly. Passengers, moved by the unpleasant incident, commented on it and grieved. The train was bustling with people making new acquaintances, making Joanna forget about the stranger.

Time flew by. Spring was arriving in the cities with great strides. She was greeted by blooming crocuses, budding trees, and the first green grass.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Joanna to concentrate on her studies, as the weather drove students out of the gloomy walls of the dormitory for walks and quiet pubs. Unfortunately, her studies and lectures suffered.

Almost every day after classes, Joanna rushed to the cafeteria and then to her scheduled lessons, which saved her from burdening her parents with her expenses. Fortunately, most high school, middle school, and elementary school students struggled significantly with English and French.

The first semester had recently ended, and parents, worried about their children's grades, were rushing to find a professional. Joanna's cell phone rang.

The first to go was Kasia Nowak, a middle school student more interested in socializing than studying. The results were disappointing, and Kasia had tutoring appointments in several subjects. Besides, she lived closest to the dormitory, and classes ended quite late. Despite spring, it still got dark early, and Joanna didn't feel like wandering the dark streets. Now, however, it was inevitable, so she preferred to at least get there before dark.

The journey took her only a short time, and after fifteen minutes, she pulled up at the address. The house was impressive. A recently built Mediterranean-style villa, a well-kept garden that, despite the winter, had lost none of its charm, and two black Newts roamed the yard.

Joanna felt a twinge of envy. They certainly didn't earn their living through honest labor, she thought, and rang the bell. A man's voice came from the intercom .

"What's going on?

" "I had an English lesson with Kasia Nowak," she said.

"Oh... ma'am, I'll be right out to pick you up." She heard the click of a phone being hung up over the speaker.

She waited a moment until a tall man in his late forties appeared in the doorway. He reached the gate, opened it, and gestured for Joanna to enter. She entered with trepidation; the dogs might have been gentle, but they didn't know her.

"Don't be afraid, ma'am, if you go to the gate, they won't do anything, unless someone climbs over the fence... please continue." She led the way, up the marble stairs. She didn't feel at home in this house, where money clearly reigned supreme.

Inside, the atmosphere of the nouveau riche prevailed. It was evident at every turn.

"Nice to meet you, Krzysztof Nowak, Kasia's father." He extended his hand. Joanna returned the gesture and introduced herself. Mr. Nowak, however, still held hers.

"You're young for a teacher," he said, drawing closer.

"I'm still a student, studying English," she said, stepping away from her new employer. She couldn't help but free her hand from his strong, masculine grip.

She hated situations like this; she knew they could squeeze money out of the Nowaks, otherwise she wouldn't have come here again.

"I think I should start my lesson at six," she tried to dismiss the intruder, but it wasn't easy.

"But that's not a problem! Kasia hasn't returned from her friend's yet, so we have a moment to get to know each other better!" He led Joanna deeper into the house.

After a moment, they entered the living room. The white decor made Joanna afraid to stand on the carpet; she might get it dirty. She must have brought a lot of mud from outside.

However, the host took her around the waist and sat her down on the fluffy sofa.

"May I offer you a drink?" he asked with a lecherous smile. He didn't wait for an answer and poured a glass of whiskey. Joanna hated whiskey.

Mr. Nowak sat down next to her on the couch, far too close

. "Please drink, just to warm you up." He leaned closer.

Joanna didn't want to offend him, but she was eager to leave this house. She still hoped that

her student would return any moment and be free from this troublesome and unpleasant company.

She couldn't say the man wasn't attractive, but he was married, much older than her, had a child, and had vulgar habits to boot.

They sat in silence, and Nowak eyed her from head to toe. Thank God she wasn't out of her winter clothes yet; at least not much could be seen, she thought.

For peace of mind, she sipped the whiskey; it was disgusting, but pleasantly warming. She hadn't finished the last drink when she heard the front door open loudly.

"Daddy, I'm here! The teacher's here!" the young girl's voice echoed throughout the house.

He didn't exactly inspire sympathy, but Joanna was happy anyway; at least she'd be rid of the intruder. She took a deep breath and stood up. Mr. Nowak followed her and went out to meet his daughter.

"Honey, come over here, Mrs. Joanna's here," he said, and at that very moment Kasia ran into the living room.

Joanna was stunned; compared to this girl, she looked and felt like a gray mouse. Before her stood a precocious girl with bold makeup, dressed in the latest fashion trends.

That was all I needed, she thought, she spends more time at parties and dates than studying.

"Pamela's here already?" Kasienka asked her father.

"I've asked her so many times not to call my wife Pamela, but Mom. Now that Mom's dead, Pamela's taking her place," he said, grinning at Joanna with

a row of beautiful teeth.

"Exactly!" Kasia muttered, losing interest in her father. She cast a critical glance at Joanna.

"So, teacher, shall we go to my room?" she asked. Joanna nodded, and they went upstairs

.

This room shouldn't belong to a teenager; it looked like a suite in a five-star hotel. Joanna was feeling increasingly uneasy in this house, and the lesson itself was a disaster. The girl proved as resistant to knowledge as granite. Her knowledge of English was limited to perfumes and song titles, and her enthusiasm for learning was zero.

For two hours, Joanna tried to instill even a modicum of language knowledge in her charge, but to no avail. After the lesson, both were tired, irritated, and filled with mutual dislike.

Joanna considered giving up the lessons, but the financial temptation was too strong.

After class ended, they went downstairs. Joanna was just putting on her gloves and about to leave the unpleasant household. Mr. Nowak blocked her way to the door.

"You're leaving us already?! What a shame! It's good that at least your wife has returned. Honey, let me!" Nowak was joined by a true sex bomb, the sight of whom left Joanna speechless, but she stopped wondering why Kasia didn't accept her stepmother. Mrs. Nowak was no older than twenty, and her beauty and figure were her main assets.

Joanna managed a smile, but she couldn't show any sympathy for this family. So the farewell was quick, and Joanna, escorted by Kasia, stepped out onto the street with relief. She felt sorry for these people, but she didn't feel like converting them. Her

mind was racing, and she was still full of indignation at Nowak; she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. As a result, she bumped into a man. This revived her somewhat.

"Oh!" I'm so sorry, sir, I was lost in thought." She looked at the intruder and... froze.

Déjà vu, or did she really know him from somewhere? She stared, speechless, into the warm brown eyes. The man smiled at her but didn't say a word. He passed her by and continued on his way. Joanna glanced back a few times; the stranger was standing in the window of a shoe store, paying her no attention. "Maybe I thought I knew him," she thought, slowly walking away, but she glanced back a few more times. But the stranger's behavior surprised her. He simply ran up to her and... pushed her. She struggled to keep her balance so as not to fall. When she finally stood upright, she intended to tell the man what she thought of him, but all the words stuck in her throat. Where she had been standing a moment ago, a large flowerpot shattered with a loud crash.

Joanna looked up. The flowerpot must have fallen from one of the balconies. Joanna's knees buckled, but she composed herself. It seemed someone had saved her life for the second time. She should have thanked him, not argued with him about his behavior.

She looked around, but the stranger was nowhere to be seen.

"When did he leave?" she wondered. The street was almost empty; he should have been in sight.

She stood over a broken flowerpot and couldn't summon the strength to return to the dorm. However, the thought occurred to her that the broken flowerpot was a sign. A sign that she shouldn't pass this way again, and therefore give up her tutoring for Kasia Nowak.

"Yes!" she decided aloud, and two women passing by, astonished, glanced back. Apparently she'd spoken too loudly.

She was bursting with energy, so she hurried to the dorm. She intended to find someone to take her place. She wouldn't set foot in the Nowaks' again. She ran. In the distance, she could already see the dorm's lit windows.

She flung open the door and, at the last moment, reached the elevator and pressed number five. The elevator stopped at the chosen floor, and Joanna stood in the hallway and looked around.

She didn't know who could be taking these lessons. She was slowly walking toward her room when Marcin, her classmate, passed her. "

Hi Aśka!" said the first one.

"Oh! Hi!" she rejoiced. Marcin had been a godsend. Like her, he supplemented his income with private lessons, but unlike her, he had a decidedly fun-loving nature. He loved parties, girls, and beer. Because of this, he was often absent from university. Fortunately, thanks to his exceptional intelligence, he didn't have to devote much time to studying. Besides, he was probably the most handsome guy in her year.

Joanna had never been so happy to see Marcin.

"Have you had any lessons lately?" she asked

. "You know... somewhere, not really, so why are you asking?"

"You see, I'm running out of time, looking for a replacement. We have such a well-off family, and my daughter doesn't care about school. If you put in the effort, you could squeeze a lot of money out of them. "

Marcin was clearly interested.

"And you want to give me a job like that?" he asked, surprised. She nodded

. "If they give it to you, you have to take it! Tell me what you want! If it works out, I owe

you," he said. Joanna gave him the information and her blessing, and even promised to call Kasia and warn her that a friend would be coming instead.

She was faithful and, what's more, she was lucky because Kasia's stepmother answered the phone. When she learned that her very handsome friend would be coming in Joanna's place, she seemed pleased.

She met Marcin some time later and asked him how the lessons were going.

"My dear, live, don't die! Sir, I've got you covered. Now both the little girl and her sweet stepmother are taking lessons," she heard in response. She smiled to herself and soon forgot about the whole thing. About the existence of the unlucky stranger, too.