Page 72 of The Storyteller of Krakow

I didn’t smile back. All this talk of me being someone’s grandmother, of someone saving others, as if all this was otherworldly, made me uncomfortable.

‘Do you know a boy called Piotr?’ I asked. ‘He lives in the building. He has this fuzz on his face. He says he’s thirteen.’

‘Ummm…’ Kasia chewed on a potato. ‘Brown hair? Wears scruffy jeans?’

‘I think so,’ I said.

‘Yes. Hang on. I think he’s with the Dąbrowskis upstairs. They foster him. I saw the mum the other day. Gosh, what is her name again? Anyway, it’ll come to me. They haven’t been here that long themselves, then they got the boy. They fostered years ago. Stopped and then said they just couldn’t say no to this lad – can’t think why they couldn’t. They’re in their sixties now.’

‘But they’re nice?’ I asked.

‘They seem to be. They’re the only ones in this whole building that have loads of flowers on their balcony in summer, and the only ones that try to tend to the scrap of a communal garden. They brought Hana some chocolates once. I don’t know what the occasion was.’

‘He seems a bit lost,’ I told her. ‘He helped me in the lift again today. Says he misses his grandmother.’

‘Ah, yes!’ Kasia clicked her fingers. ‘Yes, I remember now. They knew his grandmother from way back when and promised her they would take care of him. The boy.’

‘Piotr,’ I said. ‘What happened to his parents?’

Kasia looked to see if Hana was paying attention. ‘Not really sure. The mum, from upstairs, said they left him with the grandmother. She just said they’re gone now. I don’t know what that means – you know – just left and didn’t come back, or…’ She stopped and looked at Hana again.

‘He seems lonely,’ I said.

‘He can come to the zoo on Saturday,’ Hana said without looking up from the rainbow she was colouring in.

‘Erm, well,’ Kasia said.

‘He can. He shouldn’t be lonely, should he, Lena?’

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to say that I thought this was a great idea and upset Kasia.

‘Well,’ Kasia said. ‘It’s a lovely thought. We can ask him if he wants to come. But he might not want to. Don’t be upset, Hana, if he says no.’

‘I won’t be upset,’ she said. ‘Can I finish this in my room?’ She was already sliding off her chair. ‘I want to finish it for Dina tomorrow.’

Kasia said she could, and once dinner was over, I went straight to the couch, needing to feel something soft under my back – the pain was coming back again.

Kasia brought coffee and sat beside me.

‘Thank you again, Lena,’ she said, handing me the mug.

‘I didn’t do anything.’

‘I went to the police yesterday, and a lawyer. That’s why I’m still not back at work.’

I sipped at my coffee. ‘What did they say?’

‘I’m getting a restraining order, just in case he does try to come back. I should’ve done it before. Should have pushed for it, but I just didn’t feel strong enough. You made me stronger though.’ She placed a hand on my arm and gave it a little squeeze.

‘I didn’t do a thing,’ I said again.

‘Lena.’ Kasia placed her coffee on the table. ‘Are you all right? You seem – I don’t know – more than just a bit tired?’

‘I don’t like a fuss being made over me,’ I said.

‘Oh, I know that!’ Kasia laughed. ‘We all know that. But it’s okay if sometimes you need a bit of help – a bit of taking care of.’

‘I’ve taken care of myself most of my life,’ I said. ‘No point breaking that habit now, is there?’