Swans Are Fat Too by Michelle Granas Read Free Book Online Page B

different tradition. Jacek's patients adored him, spoke easily to him as to a friend, left him with smiles on their faces; Konstanty's patients treated him with deference and reserve and left him with grateful little bows. One accepted the limitations of one's character and did the best one could. So, all right, his best wasn't at the level of Jacek's, but he knew he was doing good and that was tremendously important to him.
    It had surprised him, a little, when he had come back to Poland, that there were so many other doctors––and nurses––in the country who had not taken the opportunity to go elsewhere, who were also willing to work for a pittance, for the disinterested reason of helping their fellow humans. Not, certainly, that he had wished to consider himself unique in any way, only it had struck him, coming from abroad, where his position was so clearly linked with economic advantage. Well, yes, there were a few doctors in the hospital, he knew, who took bribes, a few even whose avarice might be described as extortion, but that there were such numbers of the others gave him hope, whenever he was inclined to feel discouraged about his country's future.
     
    Hania, with the prospect of the job from Konstanty to sustain her, found the day almost bearable. She didn't say anything to the children about the previous night, she just hoped, hoped, hoped, that their parents would come back. She also found the house keys and put them in her pocket. She had brought a newspaper from the kiosk, and had marked several possible apartments for rent. Tonight, she would get the work from Konstanty, and tomorrow Wiktor and Ania would come back, and as soon as she could she would move out. It would be awkward, of course, but she would do it. She could afford to spend two months in a small, rented apartment, if she had work. She would enjoy a child-free summer and maybe sometimes she would talk to Konstanty about his writing. It would be lonely but anything was better than her pariah status here.
    The telephone rang in the middle of the afternoon. She dived for it, almost choking on a bit of sandwich.
    "Hania," it was Wiktor's voice.
    "Waaugh."
    "Hania, listen."
    She hated sentences that began that way; they always ended badly for her.
    "We can't get back for a while."
    She'd known it––she'd been sure that's what would happen––she'd steeled herself for what to say. She took a deep breath in order to blast Wiktor with "No! You get back here and take care of your children! You can't use me this way!"
    But he was saying, "Haniu, kochanie , you're a lifesaver, we're so grateful, how could we manage without you? I'm mentioning you to everyone I'm meeting here ––I think I've got a concert arranged––"
    "No! I don't want anything arranged for me!" and there she was, arguing about concerts and completely derailed and then unable to get a word in. But this is ridiculous, she thought, I have to tell him to come home. She took her deep breath again.
    "Wiktor, listen!"
    "Haniu, kochanie , I have to end now." And the line went dead in the middle of her shriek of "Nooo!"
    She listened to the silence for a moment and then slammed the receiver down, fuming. Kalina and Maks were watching.
    "Are they coming back?" asked Kalina in a rather sneering tone.
    "I don't know. I suspect you're stuck with me for a while."
    Kalina shrugged; then she reached under one of the sofa pillows, pulled out a small plastic object, stuck it in her mouth, and began to suck on it. Hania stared, unable to see at first what the object was. Then she realized. Kalina was sucking on a pacifier. Somehow this upset her more than anything that had happened before.
    "It's mine," whined Maks, "I want it."
    "It isn't yours," said Kalina, taking the pacifier out for a second. "I found it in the park." She put it back in her mouth and sucked as she watched the television.
    "I want one too." Maks' lip was trembling.
    Hania said, "Maks, if you really want one, I'll buy you