Poklosie Page #3

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- I understand all that, but why you?

We never had anything

to do with the Yids.

Beats me, I'm telling

you I don't know why.

It made me feel bad.

I kept thinking 'this is wrong. '

What if someone tore up

our parents' headstone

and put it by the church door

so folks wouldn't get their feet muddy?

Joziu, but these are total strangers.

They're not even our people.

Not to mention they've been

dead a 100 years. Your family's alive.

Why should they suffer

because of some Jewish foolery?

I know it's wrong,

but I had to do it.

Jews in Chicago.

I know what they're like...

What was that about the church?

I found out that they laid some

of the stones around the well.

- Jzek, don't even think about it.

- Why not?

The parish priest doesn't mind.

He said I could take them away.

That young priest's

not too happy about it,

but there's nothing he can do.

The parish priest is on my side.

- Just don't do it.

- It's wrong, don't you see?!

Lt'll end in tears, I'm telling you.

What about those lumberjacks, huh?

- Think they beat you up for no reason?

- Come on, that was about soccer...

They wanted to know who I root for.

So you went and said Machabee Tel Aviv.

They were drunk

and looking for a fight, is all.

Why should you, of all people,

care about their dead?

Well, you know,

there's no one left

to look after them.

Where's Kalina got his place?

Nobody here by that name.

You might try Wojtowka,

but we don't have much truck with 'em.

Wojtowka's in the other direction.

We won't make it...

Could do it on the way back, but...

Thanks...

Higher up, Wiciu,

there's more behind you...

- Bless you Father...

- Bless you, my son...

- You're Mr. Kalina, from America?

- That I am. I wanted to talk.

Well now. Back for good?

No. I've just come for

the summer to see my brother.

You're here and your

sister-in-law is in America...

Trading places, I guess...

I took my First Communion

with you, Father.

Must have been, what, 30 years ago?

- It was your first year with us.

- 33 years gone by.

How time flies.

I married your brother,

I gave your parents extreme unction

and presided over their funerals,

I baptized Jzek's children and

gave them their First Communion.

A whole lifetime.

You didn't come to

your parents' funerals.

No.

Higher up, Wiciu. Plenty of

them just above your head.

Thoughtlessness, Father.

Not even that:

I can't say I didn't think about it,

but I figured it might be...

inconvenient and expensive, and,

besides, they were already dead.

I told myself that if they'd

been on their death bed

I would have come for sure,

but this way it didn't matter.

That's what I thought... And now

I'm going to have to live with it.

You know what a person

needs to be forgiven?

A conscience... above all...

I wanted to talk about my brother.

People don't take kindly

to what he's doing.

But I think he's performing God's will.

I even thought of giving

a sermon about it one Sunday,

but then I concluded that the whole

thing might smooth over by itself...

It hasn't smoothed over.

We were in Gurwka yesterday

and these four guys beat him up.

Fortunately there were

people around to stop them.

- Is he hurt?

- Bloody nose,

but I'm afraid that next time

they'll pick a place without bystanders.

How do you know

there'll be a next time?

He told me he wants to take the

flagstones from around the bell tower.

That's right. I only asked him

to wait until the time was right.

There's never a right time

for that sort of thing, Father.

So what do you suggest?

And how things are going

at home? Is everything OK?

- Thank you, it's fine.

- Mister Kalina...

I don't believe we've met.

I'm Father Janusz Pawlak...

Franciszek Kalina...

- Jzef's brother, if I'm not mistaken.

- How can I help you?

You've been to see the Parish Priest...

Just in time, too. He's leaving

the parish any day now...

No, he's not unwell, just retiring.

One always says people deserve a rest,

but few deserve it more than he does.

I'm sure...

We have to make sure it

all takes place peacefully

without the media snooping around...

You know what I mean.

No, I don't.

Talk to my congregation

and you'll find out.

Because they're my flock now.

The ones from the sawmill as well...

God bless...

How do you get to Gurwka

when the bus doesn't run?

On a bike,

by tractor in the wintertime.

- What do you want to go there for?

- I need to get some things.

When's the harvest?

You tell me...

No, brother, that's one thing you

don't forget, not even in Chicago.

With the weather like this...

It's time.

I arranged for the harvester

to come down on Monday.

And I arranged it with

the Parish Priest

that we'd go to town

while he has someone remove

those stones of yours.

Reaping time, and you

want to go to town.

Not right away. It'd be better

if we waited a while.

I'm not going anywhere.

You've lost the rest of your marbles.

Anything to piss people off, huh?

I'm not doing anything wrong.

Why should I chicken out and

let people do things for me...

We'll talk later.

Ain't nothing to talk about.

I'm not going.

All right already...

By tractor, you say...

Off to work?

I am at work, just popped out

for a moment. Did you call Jola?

Not yet. Actually I'm waiting to

sort things out with my brother...

- Why are you looking at me like that?

- Can I ask a favor,

- you working at the clinic and all?

- Go on.

If you need a priest to administer

last rites, which one do you call?

The one from the church

here in Gurwka, why?

What if he's away?

In Rome for instance...

We get the parish priest

down from the village...

Why are you asking? You don't look

as though you were about to die.

With a brother

like mine you never know.

I told you everything was closed

on Sunday. Want some potatoes?

- One place was open...

- So where's your shopping?

Long story.

Who owns a blue '72

Ford Granada round here?

You know all cars look the same to me.

Why, anything wrong?

The chief should know.

Never mind...

What time's the harvester

coming tomorrow?

Four a. m.

Better get some sleep.

You get some sleep.

I'm seeing someone.

Who?

No eligible women here.

Well, what are we waiting for?

For the priest to leave.

Unlike you I don't intend to put on

a show for the whole village to see.

You prefer to sneak around like a thief?

At least I won't get my face busted.

The parish priest agreed.

You can wait here all night.

That young priest

ain't going anywhere...

Unless of course someone were

to call from the clinic in Gurwka

saying a patient needed

extreme unction...

He'll be furious when he finds out

he's gone all that way for nothing.

No money earned and the

gravestones gone to boot...

See if I care.

Open the gate.

O Jesus...

Shmuel Meir, son of Abraham

Nehemias Helmer. Learner...

What you could do is get to work.

We haven't got all night...

Why are they here?

Two more and we're done...

Bless you, my children.

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