Swans Are Fat Too by Michelle Granas

Author:Michelle Granas
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Eastern European, World Literature, Literary, Literature & Fiction, Women's Fiction
ISBN: 9780988859289
Publisher: Michelle Granas
Published: 2014-04-11T14:47:17.471323+00:00

9

While Hania was still paying the taxi driver, Kalina had already rushed over to the entry, pushed a button, and been let into the building. The door didn't close fully behind her and Hania was able to catch it before it locked. She stood for a moment in the entryway, hearing Kalina's footsteps running up the stairs. She followed more slowly. One landing, two. Surely if Kalina had found Maks waiting in front of the door, she would have called something down to her? The third landing, the fourth. Hania was panting now. There was the Lanskis' door. No Maks. Above was only Konstanty's apartment. Maks wasn't here. So where was he? Boże. Boże. And where was Kalina? Hania looked about. Had she gone to a neighbor? To Aneta's family?

Kalina was coming storming down from above. "He's not here and Bartek's gone too!" she shouted.

Bartek? Who's Bartek? And what do I do now? thought Hania, her heart sinking.

"He's our dog. She is, I mean." Kalina stopped several stairs above Hania, and tears began to roll down her face. "We were keeping her in the attic," she muttered between sniffles, "in the old laundry space. We've had her there for months."

Someone was on the stairs above them, slowly descending. Konstanty Radzimoyski. Hania's heart gave a painful slam in her chest. Not him. Anyone but him.

"Good evening, ladies. Are you looking for Maks?"

Oh, wonderful Konstanty.

"Is he with you?"

"Yes." A smile. "Why don't you come up?"

Maks with Konstanty. Horrors. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble," Hania ventured, hurrying up the stairs.

"Oh no. He was quite helpful. I'm setting up a website with medical information for people with no knowledge of medicine. It has to be in simple language. I tried each sentence on Maks and if he understood I figured I'd got it right."

Konstanty's apartment was identical in layout to the Lanskis'––but how different in atmosphere, thought Hania. Somehow it had an air of peace and order that was completely lacking below.

They passed through the hallway, into a large room. The first thing Hania noticed was the large carved desk. The next was Maks, almost lost amongst the tapestry cushions of a wide sofa, holding a small mongrel dog.

"Hello, Maks," said Hania, calmly. "We've been looking for you."

"Why did you let people know about Bartek, stupid?" said Kalina angrily.

"I'm not getting rid of her!" returned Maks belligerently.

"Mama will make you."

"I'll run away." He lifted his chin, adjusted his glasses. "I know how now." He tightened his grip around the dog's neck.

"Maks. Kalina. Please. We can discuss it later." Hania turned an inquiring eye on Konstanty.

He said, "When I came home this afternoon and saw that the intercom had been fixed, I was afraid the girl who was coming to care for the dog might not be able to get in. So I went upstairs to make sure it was all right––had food and water and all that. And I found Maks….I got the Lanskis' number in Żabia Wola from information, but no one answered, so I thought I'd better hang on to him.

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