58 In Need

No matter. Jarek was not one of those people who would stick their nose into other people's business. Although this time he felt like making an exception.

Life on the movie set was getting more and more energetic. In a moment the shooting was about to start. Jarek Kurek looked through the gathered extras and actors trying to find Brylski with his eyes.

Brylski himself, already in the costume, was looking around carefully as if he was looking for somebody. It was strange, because the young actor usually did not show such a commotion. Perhaps he was expecting some guest on the set? But Kurek did not know anything about it and he was the one responsible for issuing passes to the film set.

Jarek decided to ask directly. Perhaps the actor did not know about this procedure or he simply forgot about it and was expecting someone he could not see because he had not registered this person as a guest?

“Good morning, Mr Brylski” the assistant director approached the actor. “Are you looking for someone?”

“Actually, yes. Have you not seen Mr. Radosz?”

“Our producer? No, not today", Kurek admitted, realizing that he actually had not seen anywhere the person who, due to his obvious presence, could not simply be overlooked. “Actually, Mr. Radosz is not an employee of the plan, so he comes whenever he wants. Maybe he has a meeting or just overslept? Should I call him?”

“No, no," laughed Brylski casually waving his hand. “I had a small question, but it is not important or urgent and it does not affect my work. I will ask him later.”

“Ok. If you change your mind, please let me know.”

“Okay, I will.”

Jarek left, but he looked at Brylski again. The young actor made an impression as if it was an ordinary day, but in his eyes there was something strange and anxious, something like... panic?

No, that's impossible, Jarek Kurek realized. Why would Brylski panic on a film set?

The answer came when Jarek saw Różycki approaching from the corner of his eye. Well, yesterday's shooting was marked as a clash between the director and the producer and everything revolved around Brylski and that unfortunate kissing scene. Yesterday, Radosz stood up to Różycki, and Różycki is clearly hostile to Brylski, so if Radosz is not on set today...

“Mr. Director, everything is ready," Kurek ran up to his boss. “We can start at any time.”

“So let's start” said the director and looked around the set. For a short moment he stopped his gaze on Brylski and it was such a gaze that the bravest people would feel frightened.

Jarek felt like sighing. There were sometimes conflicts on the film set. Sometimes they were even serious. But he had never had to deal with such explicit and overt hostility as Różycki had shown to Brylski.

Perhaps Różycki had in fact made some immoral proposal to Brylski and was rejected? Or maybe something else was involved? Jarek, scrambling around the set to make sure everything was as ok as possible, looked around for Jakub Wolak.

Wolak was, unlike Brylski, in a positively excited mood. Perhaps it was because he was the star on set today, or perhaps he had his own, more private reasons for being happy.

Jarek Kurek shook his head. If the tension on the set did not ease and some civilized agreement was not reached between Brylski and Różycki, a tragedy might happen.

***

Damian did not manage to see his mother before the operation. He arrived only when the woman was in the ICU. Just in time to hear from the doctors that the worst had been avoided. The prognosis is moderately favorable.

Breathing in the smell of the hospital, Radosz thanked God that this time too it ended only in fear.

His sister-in-law, Danusia, saw him in the corridor and approached him with a pale smile.

“Mom scared us again” she remarked embracing her brother-in-law. “But you look worse than she did. Trouble?”

“Not really” said Damian. “I'm worried about my mom. How are the kids?”

“I left them at grandma's. The hospital is no place for them.”

Damian nodded. The older one was five years old and the younger one was three. They were still too young to go to school and Danusia decided to bring them up instead of putting them in a kindergarten and a nursery and going back to work herself. Her husband earned well enough not to have to worry about the lack of money for living. The family did not live in luxury, did not drive a new car and never went on vacation, but the children never went hungry and received all the love that a mother provides.

Damian was a little envious of his nephews because his mother was always busy and tired and never had time to spend with her children.

Of course, the times in which Damian grew up were different, and so were the circumstances. Damian's brother was not a failure on the scale of their father.

“So what do you say we go see Mom?” suggested Danusia and her brother-in-law agreed with a nod of his head.

Damian's mom, though corpulent, lying under oxygen, surrounded by dozens of machines measuring her vital signs, looked very weak and fragile. The sight of that pale, effaced face squeezed his heart of son. To see someone as dear as his birth mother in such a terrible state....

“Mom will be fine” Danusia comfortingly patted him on the back. “She is a really strong woman.”

Yes, mom was strong, otherwise she would not have survived this accumulation of painful diseases, but every body has its limits and mom looked as if she had just reached hers.

Damian pushed the unpleasant thoughts away. Everyone will die one day, that's a fact, but as long as life lasts, you have to enjoy it, cherish it and take care of it. You have to smile at it and not constantly think about the worst. Otherwise the human heart will drown in pain.

“I'm sorry to put all the care on you...” Damian quietly turned to his sister-in-law. “Especially since you have small children.”

Danusia shook his head.

“Mom still manages to take care of herself and even helps as much as she can.”

“Yes, but...”

For some time it was Damian who took care of his sick mother and it was one of the most difficult periods. It was at the time that her condition deteriorated the most. Damian was young and inexperienced, just starting college, and at one point he felt so overwhelmed by the situation that he thought he would go crazy. That's when he started writing and drawing and he did it boldly wanting to give vent to his pain and frustration. Who would have expected that this writing, which for him was practically therapy to keep from going crazy, would bring him success?

The arrival of Danusia in the family was a blessing for Damian. His sister-in-law had a wonderful, caring personality and the patience of an angel. On top of that, she communicated very well with her mother-in-law, so she herself suggested that they take care of the sick woman now.

Damian stroked his mother's cold, pale hand and then together with Danusia they left the ICU. Leaving the cardiac care unit, Damian reached for his phone to check the time and saw that he had a missed call from Rafał.

‘Damn it!’ he cursed in his spirit while feeling his heart jumping nervously in his chest. Joy and fear, excitement and anxiety. What he'd done with Rafał that night, in the face of what was happening now with his mother and his commitment to Justina...

Radosz was shaken by a shudder. Although the night had been absolutely wonderful, he regretted that it had happened at all.