32 The Love of an Overprotective Sister

Rafał talked calmly. The memories evoked no emotions in him. Maybe if he remembered the moment he fell from the roof, he would have felt fear or anger or frustration, but now it felt like he was telling a movie he had watched on TV.

“Director Różycki, however, wanted to change the setting of the camera” Brylski continued “and said that we were to be on stand by. So we waited ready. It was still early, but it was very hot. I really wanted to record this scene and hide in the shadows, but I waited and got a little impatient. Then someone knocked the lamp over and I got even more irritated, but I had to wait.”

"Do you think someone made some professional mistake?"

Rafał considered and slowly shook his head.

“Probably only me” he confessed ignoring the fire in Anita's eyes. "I'm not sure because everything is very vague in my memory, but it looks like I loosened the harness myself. Have you seen this video recording?”

“Not yet. But we do have them.”

“So you will see. Everyone says that I was practically unconscious by then, and I automatically wanted to cool off. I really don't remember that.

"All right," Beskidzki nodded. “So to be sure, once again, did you think someone made a mistake that could have cost you your life, or, I ask for formalities, intentionally endangering you?”

“On purpose ?!” Rafał was amazed. “Of course not! It is impossible!”

“And by accident?”

Brylski only shook his head.

“It was an accident. It was the most ordinary accident in the world.”

***

Anita threw herself at Rafał immediately after the police left.

“Why didn't you tell them that Różycki put you in the sun too early? It was putting your life in danger.”

“Not true!” Rafał denied emphatically. “You are suggesting that Różycki deliberately wanted to put me in danger, and he simply did not foresee that the heat could harm me so much.”

“That is why people talk about failure to fulfill official duties, neglect. If the mother leaves the child in the car parked in the sun, the child's neglect can lead to his death.”

"I'm not a child," Brylski said, this time quite seriously.

“Then stop acting like it!”

“I can't, because you don't let me!”

“Because you're naive as a five-year-old!”

“Naive? I? When was I like this?”

"Oh, come on," Anita growled, angry. “You can't even notice your naiveté.”

"Or are you so overprotective that you don't let me learn to live?" He replied accusingly, and he immediately regretted it. After all, he knew Anita had reasons to behave this way towards him. And Rafał, of course, owed her gratitude... "I'm sorry," he added immediately.

Anita Janiszek sat down heavily on the bed. She often argued with Rafał. Sometimes they were small arguments, sometimes they were big brawls. Their exchange today was rather moderate, but Anita felt bad about her. Rafał was more and more opposed to her protectiveness. If so, it meant that her protectiveness was a problem for him, and that problem bothered him more and more. Anita always had only good intentions for him, but she had to remember that ‘hell is paved with good intentions’.

Anita's parents allowed Rafał to grow up. They allowed him to leave the house and stand on his own feet. Only she could not let go.

But her parents didn't know everything about him. After all, there are matters that cannot be told to parents and Anita herself found out about them only because she pushed Rafał to the wall with her confessions and insistence. He didn't want to hurt her and give her false hopes, so he had to tell her the truth.

So Mr. and Mrs. Janiszek, although they probably knew more about the early childhood of the boy they were caring for, did not know much about the man he grew up into. Therefore, they could let him go and try to spread his wings. She couldn't do it. She knew Brylski was not ready for it yet.

But she had to admit that if she was too protective of him, he might rebel and push her away completely. This Anita would not bear.

"No, I'm sorry," she said softly. “I know that you are a good man with a gentle heart and I know that many bad people are just waiting for an opportunity to use the good and trust of people like you. For me, you have always been my little brother, that's why...”

“I know, Anita, I know” Rafał sat down next to her and tenderly stroked her head. “You have always been the greatest help to me and I could trust you in everything, but now I am an adult and I have to stand on my own feet, otherwise I will be a social illiterate for the rest of my life.”

The thought made him shiver. Brylski knew the pain of rejection and the loneliness that flowed from it, but he wanted these experiences to make him strong, not defective. Rafał wanted to cultivate courage and action, not passivity and fear.

“I know that there are and will be people who will hate me,” he announced “people who will want to use and hurt me, but anyone can meet such people on their way, and you too. Life probably consists precisely in the fact that we experience bad but also good. If I hide all my life from people for fear of being hurt, I will also hide from potentially good experiences. I really want someone more in my life.

His confession hurt Anita. She knew she was selfish at that moment because she didn't want to share Rafał with anyone, but...

Anita sighed and straightened her fair hair. She had a lot of friends at school, even good friends, Rafał had only one friend who betrayed him. Brylski was very popular during his studies, but he did not let anyone too close to him anymore, and people also did not want to be particularly close to him. So Rafał had a lot of friends and was never alone, but at heart he was terribly lonely.

Betrayed once by the person he trusted the most, Brylski was afraid that others would laugh at his otherness as well. Now, however, he was ready to take the risk and engage his heart in human relationships again. Perhaps he would be disappointed again, but he had the right to try.

“Is it... because of Radosz?” Anita asked trying to hide her jealousy. “He's kind of your boss, so you should be careful.”

“I know” Rafał assured her. “That's why I don't count on friendship. But I guess we can be friends, huh? Anita, he saved my life. In addition, I have the impression that he cares about my well-being.”

“Because he sniffs money in you. As an actor, he expects you to make him a fortune. You are a good investment for him.”

"Perhaps," Brylski agreed, although he was convinced that it was not. “But what's wrong with that? If he considers me a good that will bring him a fortune, the more he will care for me. A good racehorse feeds well and provides the best care.”

“Not in every stable...”

"If it gets bad, I will withdraw, I swear," he promised Anita solemnly. “Anyway, our relations will not be too serious or too long. We'll meet a few times to chat, then everyone will take care of their own lives. After all, the shots for this series will not last forever.”

"Yes, you are right," Anita agreed, suddenly very relieved. Rafał did not want Radosz's friendship for life, he did not even want a real friendship, only a few friendly social meetings. Janiszek should by no means feel as if her long-term friendship with Rafał was to be threatened. “Radosz is definitely a busy man and he will not stay here long.”

“You see?” Brylski smiled, but he didn't feel happy at all. He would like to have more time to meet Damian Radosz, who has won his sympathy and interest.