Friday, May 25, 2007

Let's talk about sex...


The day before the 1st November 1992, Amelia visited one of her new friends called Bożena, a young teacher of Maths in the primary school, in her place. This pretty blonde lived with her handsome husband (George) in a wonderful detached house. They were a nice couple - wise, open-minded and witty. It was funny to talk with them about politics, day-to-day problems and other less important issues. Exchanging the views enabled Amelia to become more assertive and easy-going. Their conversation referred also to sex, the issue - which in Catholic Poland is still a kind of taboo...
"You know, I don't see, why Catholicism requires strict celibacy before marriage. Priests should realise that it's against human nature, shouldn't they?, Amelia wondered.
"Of course, they should, but my dear, don't forget that our JP2 is pretty conservative and no reforms are possible, thanks to our beloved Pope we have to live according to medieval principles",said George in an angry voice.(He was a Catholic, but he couldn't accept some rules, which he found silly).
"O.K., but I will never understand, why one of the greatest Poles can accept the fact that some priests abuse sexually small kids. He knows about it, but doesn't do anything to change it, added Bożena,"What's more, a majority of Polish priests have their girl-friends or sleep with call-girls. And they make us live in the state of celibacy. It's funny, isn't it???
"I wouldn't say funny, rather repulsive..., but let's not talk about the church, it's a waste of time." said Amelia. "Let's talk abot sex, my friends".
So the rest of the evening they were drinking good wine and talking about sexual positions,oral sex, contraceptives and even about sexual yoga (called "tantric yoga"). If some of their older colleagues from work had listened to them, they could have been shocked...When Amelia came home at midnight, she took a shower and went to bed. As soon as she fell asleep, the young woman entered the world of bold fantasies called "The world of Erotica"...

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Leaving Cracow - starting a new stage in life


It was another wonderful fall, Amelia started working on her thesis entitled, "Quest for love and self-knowledge in the selected novels by Edna O'Brien, Sylvia Plath and Muriel Spark". Meanwhile she got a job in elementary school and her first apartment near Nowy Sącz (the place where she was born, as maybe some of the most faithful readers remember. ). It was a wonderful experience moving to another place, starting a new stage in life. She felt relief thanks to being so far from Bogdan and the past. She even felt excited entering the school - on the first of September (it is the beginning of the school year in Poland). After work she spent her time redecorating her bedroom, living room, a nice kitchen and a small bathroom on her own (with some help of her parents and sister). It's worth adding that Dagmara - Amelia's sister - was at that time her true friend. It didn't matter that Dagi was 19 years younger - they loved and understood each other very well. Maybe for Amelia Dagi was not just a sister, but in a way the fulfillment of her motherhood...who knows.
New friends from work (a bit older than Amelia) and a perspective of meeting a new boyfriend helped her forget about all the sorrows. She felt like an Angel with a broken wing, but the other wing let her fly very high - with a sincere smile on her beautiful face and a joy in her heart...
"It is better and better, I can live fully and remember only the best moments of my life." Amelia thought.
She also came to the conclusion that she should feel grateful even for her suffering..
"Thanks to my pain (and all these guys whom I loved) I am who I am - a mature and strong human being, not just a small, helpless leaf flying in the air..."
Amelia breathed deeply and looked around in the classroom, the group of pupils were staring at her with astonishment and admiration... They liked her as a nice, demanding teacher, and as a young woman who was able to attract the attention of some boys and make them learn English quite well...