Wieslaw Mysliwski - Stone Upon Stone

His grandfather appeared out of the barn all covered in chaff and straw. Michał? I was looking for eggs, cause those damn chickens, they lay them and you can’t find them afterwards. They lay them in the nettles, under the raspberry bushes, then later that dragon of a daughter-in-law of mine says I stole them and sold them to buy cigarettes. I don’t even smoke, hand to God I’ve not smoked these fifty years. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t sleep nights, so I quit. Plus, all this used to be mine. Mine, not hers, damn outsider. I could throw eggs at the fence, at the barn if I wanted. It was mine, as God’s my witness. He was an important guy, that brother of yours. I saw him, but way back when. He came here once in this big black limousine, I remember that. Big important fellow, but he still recognized me. Shook my hand. Asked how much I got out of the land reform. If things were fair now. Two and a half acres, Michał. Other people got eight, ten. It’s hot, he could have gone down to the river. Look, Kulawik’s coming up the road. Ask him. Hey, Sylwester, you’ve not seen Michał anywhere have you? Szymek’s brother?

Michał? Oh, your brother, Szymek. So you’re back. Praise the Lord. And you still have your legs, they didn’t take them off. Thank God. I saw him standing in the window one day, be a week or two ago. I was on my way to the co-op, he was standing there just watching the world go by, it looked like. I was going to ask him, how are things, Michał? But how could I ask through the glass. Besides, he was looking in sort of a funny way, maybe he wasn’t watching the world. Go try Wojcio Zadrożny. One time in the pub he said he’d seen him at Macała’s place, he was cutting the tops off beets. We were having a beer.

Zadrożny got all mad and started swearing and fuming, he hadn’t said anything of the kind, Kulawik had gotten it all mixed up. Maybe Mielczarek had told him. Besides, you cut beet tops in the fall, it’s summer now. He wouldn’t even have remembered from last fall till now. That time in the pub there were twenty guys or more, not just him. And beer, he could swear he hadn’t been drinking beer, he didn’t even like beer. He drank lemonade. He’d been talking about how they needed a new director of the district administration, because the one we had now had been doing it for too long, and he was the biggest crook. That’s what we were all talking about. But how could he be replaced? Everyone was thinking about how to do it, and saying their ideas. In the end one of them upped and stood us a bottle, they said that without vodka it was even less clear how to get the job done. Then another bottle. Then everyone stood us a bottle, so how could he remember if Michał had been cutting beet tops at Macała’s. Once we saw him here, we were on our way back from church, when was that? Zośka, you remember by any chance when that was? Back in May. May, that’s right, because we were surprised it was still May and he was barefoot already. Why don’t you have any shoes on, Michał? It’s only May, the ground’s still cold.

I went out onto the road, but I had no idea where to turn next. Maybe I should try Macała? But I see Dereń coming along. You’ve had more than your fair share of suffering for your sins, you poor guy! Was Michał at your place maybe? If not today then yesterday or the day before? If you want the truth, he wasn’t. And I’ll tell you another thing, he’s a stubborn bastard, even if he is your brother. One time in the winter I went to see him, the missus made me go over there and check he wasn’t sick in bed, there was a frost like you wouldn’t believe. And if I’m to be honest with you, that place of yours was like an animal’s den. The windows looked like someone had put lime on them, it was freezing cold in there. And he’s sitting on the bench blowing on his hands. Do you not want to come over to our place, Michał, I say, you could get warm, have a hot meal. Do you think he came? No. I tell you one thing, you’re gonna find it hard to mow or do the plowing with those legs of yours. People were saying they were going to amputate one of them. But I see you got both of them. You’ll need to get some hired help. You any idea what they’re asking for day work these days? And it’s hard to find anyone. They’d rather go work in the factories. Look, Mrs. Antosz is coming. Her head’s all messed up these days, but what does it hurt to ask, sometimes fools know better.

Have you seen my brother Michał? Why, have you lost him? You should keep a better eye on him. I’ve been gone two years. If it’s two years then you’ll not likely find him. Dear Lord, the folks that have died these last two years. Jadwisia Oko? Wasn’t a moment ago the two of us were little girls scattering flowers on Corpus Christi. I remember she had these pinker-than-pink ribbons in her hair. And there you have it, she’s gone. What’s up with your legs there? Nothing really. I just need to walk with sticks. You look like those guys on stilts. It is more comfortable that way? Yes, it is. God bless.

Szymek, you’re back! Stach Sobieraj came running out of his house when he saw me through the window standing by his gate. We were going to come visit you Sunday! Tereska was gonna kill a chicken, make you some soup! Here, come back up the house. So here you are. I was even going to bring a bottle. We didn’t think you’d be back till the fall. Sit down, tell me how things went there. Maybe another time, Stach, right now I have to go look for Michał. I can see he’s not at your place. He was here, he’s come by from time to time, quite often actually, he’d always eat something and sit awhile. One time he spent the whole day chopping wood. We didn’t tell him to, he did it of his own accord. He took the ax, it happened to be lying by the chopping block. Have you been to Borzych’s? He’s got your cow. I was there, the cow’s back in my shed already. Then try Zadrożny. I’ve been there. Maybe Kapustka. Been there too. Tell you who’s most likely to know, Żmuda the barber. He cuts folks’ hair, does shaves. I’ve been there as well. Oh well, I’ll just keep looking. Swing by maybe Sunday, we’ll have a drink to celebrate you coming back.

Franek Duda drove by in his wagon bringing sheaves from the fields. You haven’t seen my Michał anywhere have you, Franek? What, is he missing? Yeah. I’m telling you, pal, right now even neighbors don’t see each other. Everyone’s in the fields, they’re mowing, gathering, they leave before dawn and don’t get back till it’s dark again. He might be out in the fields with someone and you’ll never find him here. Giddyup! Hang on a minute. Whoa! I think I might have seen him. It would’ve been last week, I was going over to the pub for a beer, he was sitting under an ash tree at the Malec place rocking a stroller. Their girl Elka had a baby. Go try them.

I hobbled over to the Malecs’ place, Elka Malec was actually there, she was giving her baby the breast. You had a baby, Elka? Boy or girl? A boy. When did you get back, uncle? Mama cried when she heard you were going to lose your legs. She was beside herself. She kept saying, dear Lord, dear Lord, a man like that. Does he have a name? It’s Miruś, Mirosław. That’s what Zenek wanted to christen him. Because my dad was all, call him Walenty. But that’s no kind of name for a child. Miruś, Miruś, you’re a pretty little boy. I heard Michał was here, Franek Duda told me, I’m looking for him. Yes, he was, just yesterday. He’s been here a lot. He often looked after Miruś when I had an errand to run. He’d take him out in the stroller, rock him. One time they went all the way down to the river, I couldn’t find them. They say he can’t talk, uncle. But he talked to Miruś.

I went out onto the road. I thought, I’ll knock my sticks on Malec’s ash tree, maybe it’ll tell me. Goddammit! Evidently I was going to have to go from house to house. Only, in which direction? Toward the co-op? Or was it better to go toward the mill? No, the co-op. The mill. Co-op. Mill. It was like the road had a hundred directions. I called by Bąk’s. They’d not seen him. I went to Sójka’s. They hadn’t seen him. Sobczyński’s. There was no one in and the place was padlocked. I was shocked. They’d padlock the door when they were out working in the fields? No one ever used to lock their door. Unless these days you need to. At Madej’s I shouted, Walek! Walek! Because since they built their new house you have to go up some steps, and by this point I could barely walk on the level. I even thought I saw a curtain twitch in the window, either that or my eyes were starting to play up.