I look at him as if to say, ‘What’s okay?’ but my lips won’t move. I look down at the floor, unsure of what to do or say.
‘I’m sorry to tell you, but Marek died.’
‘Yes, that’s what your uncle said too and then he closed the door. I came here to meet him as I needed to give him a message.’
‘A message?’
‘Yeah, as I said, it’s a long story. It involves my aunt who died.’
‘Your aunt. Of course, the woman from Wales.’
The man clicks his fingers as if everything is falling into place. I am so confused.
‘Umm, yes. You know her?’
The love story of Aunt Grace and Marek has come as a complete shock to me, so I can’t believe that this stranger knows more than I do.
‘Yeah. Well, I never met her, but I remember my dad – this would be Marek’s other brother – telling me about her. He always told me that Marek died because of your aunt, in a way.’
I gulp, and instinctively, my hand flies up to my mouth. ‘What?’
The door from the next apartment opens, and two women wrapped in scarves and big coats chat in Czech as they squeeze past us.
The man points towards the door of number twenty-five.
‘Look, I think you’d better come in and meet my Uncle Albert.’
‘But your uncle closed the door in my face. I don’t think he wants to see me.’
‘He will when we explain who you are. He must have had quite the shock, just as I did, upon hearing Marek’s name after so many years.’
‘So, he has been dead for a while?’
‘Come on in and I’ll explain everything. It’s chilly out here in the corridor. Let’s get inside. I’m Tomas, by the way.’
‘Olivia.’
It is amazing how you can rehearse what you are going to say until you are blue in the face, but you can never know what will happen when you actually say what you need to. I certainly didn’t expect to be told that Aunt Grace was the reason Marek was dead. What revelations will I find out next?
Tomas opens the door with a key he has for his uncle’s flat and lets me in.
Inside, it is cosy but quite basic and I notice that Albert doesn’t have a light shade in the living room. In the corner are a couple of small presents wrapped ready for Christmas, but there is no tree. Perhaps he is waiting for Tomas to help him put it up.
Albert looks shocked when he notices me following Tomas into the living room. Tomas starts speaking in Czech to his uncle, and I listen to what sounds like arguing. I hope my presence hasn’t upset him. I don’t know where to look as they chat and quite possibly bicker. It is difficult to know what is going on when I don’t speak a word of the language they are conversing in.
Eventually, Tomas looks at me and offers me aBecherovka.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what that is?’
‘It’s Albert’s favourite drink. He’s had quite the shock today, and it’s known for its herbal qualities. I think he needs one.’
I consider the hotel breakfast that I just had and the busy afternoon of sightseeing that Dewi has proposed for later on, so I pass on the offer.
‘Oh, I’m fine. Thank you.’ I realise that I could do with some caffeine to get through all of this though. He must have some sort of sixth sense as he offers me a coffee, which I politely accept.
‘Please, sit down. I’ll bring it to you.’
Tomas gestures towards a seat opposite Albert before heading into the kitchen. I am unable to sit still as Uncle Albert eyes me suspiciously. I cross my legs, uncross my legs, and then try to look out of the window in the hope that the view of other buildings will distract me from the fact he is staring straight at me.
