Three Means Coffee

93

Tymek didn't want to let go of his mother's hand, although he rarely allowed himself to do so anymore, wanting to feel more like an adult. That day, however, he was unable to become independent. He felt a certain incomprehensible anxiety that the nice man they met would take her away from him if he gave him the chance.

He didn't understand what this meeting was supposed to be about. Monika explained to him that he was her colleague from work and he asked her for help in choosing a gift for his daughter. It seemed illogical to him, because how could his mother know what this girl might like if she didn't know her? However, he didn't protest, he was glad that his mother took him with her and hoped that they would spend a nice afternoon together.

The boy regretted that he did not have any of his uncles with him, who would assess with an adult eye whether this Przemek was really nice. However, he brought his mother flowers, and he knew it was a very significant gesture. Moreover, he always let them pass at the entrances to individual stores and did not complain, as uncle Błażej often did, when he went on such a shopping spree with them. Tymek liked such trips with his mother, he was happy when she wanted to buy something new and felt important when she asked him for his opinion. That day, however, she had another person to express her opinion and he felt threatened. Although Przemek did not ignore him and was extremely polite towards both him and his mother; the boy said he wouldn't like him.

He was silent most of the time because he didn't know what to say. He knew that if he asked his mother to come home, she would be sad. He also didn't want to lie to her that he felt bad, after all, you shouldn't lie. He couldn't enjoy this day, even though his mother laughed a lot. He pretended to smile when she looked at him or asked him something. He thought he was doing a good job of deceiving her, but he underestimated her mother's instinct and love. They decided to have something to eat. Przemek, after making arrangements with Monika, went to order food, while she and her son were looking for a table in the food court in the shopping centre where they were. The woman sat down opposite her son and stroked his head tenderly.

"Tell me, do you want to go home?" she asked concerned.

"You haven't found the gift yet," the boy replied evasively. "You said we would buy more things along the way."

"Yes, but we can do it another time." The woman carefully watched her offspring's reaction. "You didn't like Przemek, did you?"

"Will you be mad if I say no," he hung his head, knowing that his mother would probably be upset about it.

"Of course not. You have every right to do so." She smiled and asked him to tell me when he would like to come home.

They waited for a while before Przemek returned with a tray full of food, Tymek noticed some of his favourite things there. He was sure that it was his mother who told the man what to order. He looked at the woman and noticed that she was watching him with a smile, and he saw a short-lived but intense gleam in her eyes. If he hadn't been looking at her then, he probably wouldn't have noticed it, and he realized that he had seen something similar in the eyes of the adults around him all too often lately.

"Mom, do you like him?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

Przemek just came to the table, so my mother didn't have time to answer him, she just put her finger to her lips and winked at him. Tymek sighed heavily, this was what he expected and he was afraid that if adults had so much love for each other, it would be enough for him too.