Chapter Eight
I stand outside the door of number twenty-five in shock. This definitely wasn’t part of the plan. The problem is that I can’t shake off the feeling that something isn’t right. My imagination goes into overdrive, and I start to think that he may have been Marek and he has lied to get me to leave.
I have no idea what Marek looked like, but this man had very piercing dark eyes, and I imagine he was a handsome man once upon a time. What if he recognised Aunt Grace in me? Perhaps, unlike Aunt Grace, he wants to leave the past where it is, and that is why he never wrote back. This is such a silly idea. If he had wanted to then he would have got in touch with her. I really shouldn’t have come here.
If Dewi were here, he would probably insist I knock on the door again and ask to find out more. But I am not that tenacious or nosy. I will just have to go home with the knowledge that I tried my best, but sadly, Marek has died. I am sure Dewi will understand. I have fulfilled my part of the bargain.
I turn on my heels when I spot a man walking my way. He looks as though he is about to walk straight through me.
‘ Ahoj ,’ says the man looking directly at me and nodding his fine specimen of a head. My heart does a flutter. I never expected to find such a hunk lurking around the stairs of an old building.
‘Oh. I’m sorry, I don’t speak Czech. Only English.’ I try to move past him, but we have one of those awkward moments where we both move simultaneously in the same direction. I shuffle to the left, then he does. Then I move to the right, and so does he. Finally, we move in opposite directions. Just as I walk away, he turns back and smiles.
‘This might seem strange, but do I know you?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Oh, then you remind me of someone,’ says the man.
‘Oh, do I? Well, it can’t be who you think. I’m Welsh, so you wouldn’t know me…’
The man excitedly interrupts me. ‘You even sound exactly like her. I studied in Cardiff. Maybe you’re related.’
‘Ha. Not all Welsh people are related. Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever had family go to uni, but it’s a small world.’
‘It is indeed. Do you live here in Prague now?’
‘Oh, gosh, no. I’m just looking for someone who lives here.’
‘Who were you looking for? I know almost everyone in this block.’
‘It’s a long story. I was looking for someone who I thought lived over there.’ I point to the door of number twenty-five.
‘My uncle’s place?’
I get a sudden tingle down the back of my neck. ‘Your uncle lives there?’
‘Yeah.’
Do I tell him why I am here or walk away before I say the wrong thing? What if Marek doesn’t want to be found? What if this man doesn’t know about Aunt Grace, and I make it awkward for everyone? Marek could have had an affair with Aunt Grace in the Nineties and never told her he was married. Stranger things have happened in life.
Oh, I wish Dewi was here now. He would know what I should do next.
‘So, you were looking for my uncle?’
‘No, not really. Well, I don’t think he’s the person I’m looking for. Ooh, I don’t know.’
‘Forgive me, but who exactly is it you’re looking for?’
I bite at the edge of my nail nervously. I wish he would stop asking me questions.
‘Do they live in the building? Perhaps I can help you find them?’
‘I honestly don’t know.’
‘Okay. Why don’t you try me?’ He looks at me with his hazel eyes, and that is when I notice the resemblance to the man who opened the door. So, I blurt it out.
‘I was looking for a man named Marek.’
Suddenly the man gives me an almost identical expression to the one his uncle gave me a few minutes ago. Then he shakes his head in exactly the same way.
‘Marek?’ he repeats.
‘Yes, Marek.’
‘Okay.’
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 a Becherovka .
‘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.
You can hear a pin drop by the time Tomas finally returns with our drinks.
‘So, I have asked my uncle to tell you a little about Marek.’
I look at Tomas. The lines on his face indicate that he must be in his forties perhaps. I wonder when he was at uni. I used to go to Cardiff on nights out when I was younger. We could have even crossed paths. Although I am sure had I ever seen a man like this, I would have looked twice with that olive skin and those bright, sparkly eyes.
Albert still hasn’t spoken and simply observes me. It is hard to know what he must be thinking. He takes a big glug of his Becherovka.
He clears his throat and then starts speaking. ‘I’m sorry, dear; it’s a shock to open the door and hear Marek’s name. I shouldn’t have been so rude.’ His voice is slow, and I notice he chooses his words carefully, as though he has to think before saying each word.
‘That’s okay. I understand. I’m sorry if I took you by surprise.’
‘Tomas has explained who you are. For a long time, the family and I blamed your aunt. If only Marek had never met her, then maybe he wouldn’t have died.’
‘But, I don’t understand. To be honest, it’s all come as a shock. I’d never heard of Marek before I received a letter from my aunt recently.’
I take a sip of the coffee that is on the table beside me and explain why I am here.
‘It was her dying wish that I come and meet with Marek to tell him that she had died. Apparently, until the day she died, she still loved him.’
Albert’s eyes well up, and I realise I have made him cry.
‘I am so sorry. Please, I never wanted to make you cry.’
‘No, it’s nothing you did. It’s something I tried to put behind me. You see, Marek loved your aunt too much. When he came back from meeting her in London, he was so happy. I’d never seen him like that before. He also loved your aunt until the day he died.’
Now my eyes well up. How sad that Aunt Grace had put her mother-in-law Elsie before her own needs.
‘You know, when he wasn’t working, he was out fly-fishing down the river. He would do anything to try and make extra money. He had a bit put away; he was always good with money. He’d always wanted to travel, you see. But he thought he could earn extra to get him back to London sooner by selling trout. He knew it was going to be expensive to move to another country. He also needed bank statements for his visa, and every hour, he would try to make money so he could get back to her. He wanted to leave and make a life with her in Britain. When Marek wanted something, nothing could stop him. All he cared about was the money he’d get for the fish he caught. He took risks. He was getting closer to the amount he needed to get back to your aunt when…’
Albert’s eyes fill up once again, and so do mine. Seeing an old man recall his late brother is making this so much more emotional than I could ever have imagined. Tomas gets up and returns with some tissues from the bathroom for us.
‘He didn’t come back. It was getting dark. His rod washed up ashore, but there was no sign of him. His body followed a few days later.’
‘I’m so sorry. Now I understand why you must be upset about my aunt, even though she didn’t have a hand in this. It’s so tragic.’
‘Over the years, I’ve come to understand that maybe this was his destiny.’
‘Can I ask what year he died?’
‘Yes, 1994.’
I think back to when I was in my early twenties. I remember going to Elsie’s funeral around then.
‘That’s so sad.’
I reach for the tissues that are on the table and, in doing so, accidentally brush my arm against my chest, setting off Rudolph’s nose. Why, oh, why did I wear the Christmas jumper again today?
Fortunately, it makes us all smile and Rudolph seems to ameliorate the atmosphere.
‘So, you want another coffee… Or?’
‘No, thank you. I guess I should be going. Thanks for clearing this up for me. I’ll let my solicitor know.’
‘Your solicitor?’ says Tomas.
‘Yes, Aunt Grace made a stipulation in her will that I had to come here, or I wouldn’t get my inheritance.’
‘Wow, so she really wanted you to come here, hey?’
‘Yup. Exactly.’
‘So, what will you do now? Will you fly back home?’
‘I’m staying for another couple of days. I have an itinerary of places to visit. You know, all the tourist spots, like the castle and the Town Hall.’
‘You should let Tomas take you around,’ says Albert.
‘Oh no, I’m fine. Honestly. My hotel is quite close to all the main places.’
I flash my hotel key card at Tomas as I can’t pronounce the name. ‘Yeah, it’s very central,’ I insist.
As nice as this family is, I don’t want to be a burden and make Tomas take me around the city because he feels sorry for me.
‘On that note, I’d best be off. I don’t want to keep you any longer than I have already. Again, I am so sorry to spring up out of the blue like this. Thank you for your hospitality.’
Tomas starts speaking in Czech to Albert, and I get up to leave. They sound like they’re arguing again.
I make my way towards the door and try to sneak away.
‘Sorry, I was just discussing something with my uncle. Well, it was lovely to meet you, Olivia. You know where we are if you change your mind about having a local tourist guide.’
‘Thank you. That’s most kind. But I’ll be fine.’
I wave goodbye to Albert and Tomas and close the door behind me.
There. Deed done. I look at my watch and see that it is only 12:30 p.m. Next on the itinerary is the Town Hall. Time to visit the Astronomical Clock so that I can start ticking off the sights before I go home. Only five more days to go.