I can hear the deep panic in him. He’s blinded by his emotions.
“Jaroslav, please, just listen to me for a second. This is really important,” I plead.
“More important than finding out you’re alive? Nothing is more important than that. I need to come and get you. Send me your location. Why aren’t you letting me know where you are?” he snaps, getting angry.
My heart sinks. I didn’t factor in his panic and how overwhelmed he would be to hear me. He’s angry, relieved, and confused, and he isn’t listening to anything I say.
This isn’t going to work over the phone. I’m going to have to talk to him face-to-face if I want to resolve anything.
“J, I’m going now, but I promise you I’m going to call you soon so that we can meet up,” I tell him.
“No, don’t you dare hang up without telling me where you are,” he snarls.
“I’m sorry, J. I’ll call soon. I promise.”
He’s still yelling when I end the call. My heart floods with guilt, but I have no choice. I shouldn’t have called him yet. It was a mistake.
I should have spoken to Marlen first and told him what my sister told me.
Staring at my phone, I know I can’t wait.
I’ve already waited long enough. I’ve been missing long enough. This has to end now.
Dialing Marlen, I have renewed confidence. Hope that wasn’t there before.
“Marlen, it’s me,” I smile when he answers.
“Hi, Me. How are you doing on his beautiful morning?” he chuckles.
My grin grows wider, but then fades from my lips as anxiety bubbles inside me.
“Marlen, I need to talk to you about something really important. I know you’re busy, so I’ll come out to you. Can you meet me at the coffee shop near your office?”
“What is this about, Stef?” His voice is tighter now.
“It’s important. Please?”
There is a long pause and a heavy sigh.
“Alright. Half an hour?” he asks gruffly.
“Perfect. I’ll see you there.”
I don’t bother asking one of the guards for a ride. Instead, I just take the car myself and head into town. I’m meeting with Marlen, so he’ll be there with me, and I won’t need a guard.
I park close to the coffee shop and breathe a sigh of relief when I see it looks quiet inside. All the way here, I was worried that maybe I should have chosen a more private location, but it’s late morning, and the lunch rush hasn’t started yet.
Standing on the opposite side of the road, next to the car, waiting for a chance to cross, I spot Marlen walking toward the coffee shop and call his name, waving.
“Stef,” he smiles, waving back and crossing to come to me.
I laugh, shaking my head. “I was crossing to come to you,” I say.
“Well, I crossed to escort you across,” he smiles. His eyes are warm but touched with concern. But he’s holding back from asking me about why I’m here, politely waiting till we sit down.
He slips his hand through mine and pulls me to the edge of the street to wait for a gap.
“Over there!” I hear a man shout angrily
