Under My Boss’ Table

Just in case of a vacation, I had a good amount of money set aside. And I, after thinking a bit after a working day, decided that I would go to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It was good that at least my visa was valid for one year!

My second cousin Alina lived in Vilnius. I rarely visited her. As childs, she and I were inseparable. I was alone in my family, so I considered her a very close sister. Over time, she moved with her father in Lithuania, and we began to communicate little. Although we kept in touch on social media.

I realized that I missed the combination of the spirit of good old Europe and the spirit of the Soviet Union…

Within a couple of days I was already in Lithuania. That was exactly what I needed, after all that was happening in my life and how my relationship with my loved one changed, being in another country was the only right decision. It was a shame I couldn’t stay there longer.

“That person!” Alina shouted happily, meeting me at the airport.

She hugged me tightly and I felt so much better. Finally I was embraced by a person who treated me very clearly. I mean, she really did treat me kindly, despite the distance. There was such a category of people… I could rarely communicate with her, but at the same time I understood that I could always count on her.

“Then stop.” Alina pulled away from me. “I did not immediately understand what has changed in you. You have become completely different now! But it looks good on you! Femme Fatale!”

“What are your plans for today?” I smiled.

“Let’s start with sweets right away. I suggest having dinner at the Vilnius TV Tower. Tourists are constantly there.” She made a funny face, which made me laugh. “I already want to try to look at all this with your eyes.”

Upon arriving in the country, I decided to turn off my smartphone completely and not even photograph anything. I refused to connect from my computer. I decided that I would specifically take a break from all the crap left behind…

Alina and I chatted for a long time about everything, little by little, until it was evening in her beautiful apartment. She lived in an area adjacent to the old town.

At night we put on makeup, got dressed up and went out.

Before that, I had only been to the Vilnius TV Tower once, and that was when I was a teenager, so my memories had faded a bit. But they came to life when I looked down from a great height at the cozy city, covered in the rays of the evening sun. Tourists from different countries passed by, taking pictures or just admiring the unfolding image. In my soul finally, it seemed, came a kind of peace.

“I propose to order a ‘Didžkukuliai’.” Said Alina when we sat down at a free table.

“DJ… what? How?”

“Well, Elvira! Zeppelini!” My sister chuckled.

The waiter came over, Alina started to place an order in Lithuanian, and I looked back at the horizon. Houses, roads, cars, little people. Everything seemed so insignificant that it was not worth worrying about. There was little in the world worth indulging in discouragement…

“Tell me.” Alina said professionally when the waiter left.

“About?” I did not understand.

“I’m not blind, sister, and I see that something is wrong. And you came here not only to me, but also to relax, take a break from what you’re running from.”

I shuddered. These words hit the mark.

“Do I have to wait a long time?” Asked Alina.

I thought about it. On the one hand, I did not want to tell her the details of the delicate situation in which I found myself. On the other hand, why not? This was my closest person, who also lived in another country, and she had slightly different views on relationships and love than mine. Maybe Alina could say something that would open my eyes?

I walked over to her and, making sure no one cared about us, began my dry story. I decided that I would not throw in colorful details and would present only the essence. She heard about Edward, about Sofia, about Anna, about Saint Petersburg…

When the Zeppelins and wine were brought to us, Alina was already thoughtfully digesting what she had heard.

“Hey, woman.” She suddenly muttered.

“Thanks for listening to me. It has not been so easy for me for a long time.” I thanked her with all my heart.

“Of course. You had to talk. Honey, well, of course you’re in trouble.” My sister shook her head. “Everything would be fine, but some details are confusing.”

“Yes, really?” I joked.

“Let’s eat first.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Silently we got to work on the Zeppelins. The tasty dish of potatoes with meat filling disappeared in our stomach quite quickly. The composition of the dish was very simple, but I suspected that cooking a “Didžkukuliai” was not as easy as it seemed at first glance.

“So.” Alina took a sip of wine. “My principles in life are such that everything you like and gives you pleasure has a place to be. Therefore, I do not condemn mistresses, for example. I don’t condemn bishops, gays, lesbians. You yourself understand where I live!” She chuckled. “In general, I don’t blame anyone. Everyone has the right to love, passion, sexual adventures. In a love triangle I don’t see anything bad either, but only,” here my sister raised her index finger, “only if all parties agree equally on this. I know a love triangle… I know of one composed by the husband, wife and lover. And everyone agrees, everyone loves each other.”

“Well.” The words drawled. “How could a wife allow her husband?”

Alina laughed:

“Believe it or not, it was her initiative. She and her husband frequently attended all kinds of closed parties to turn on the heat, and in one of them she met a girl who hooked her up. Then it turned out that her husband liked her too. And then the wife offered to drop the prohibitions and go beyond stereotypes. Do not belong to anyone. In your situation, this is what confuses me: your boss… hmm… You and his wife are fighting for some reason. You both pull the blanket in your direction so that this boss belongs to only one of you. But the catch is that your boss is a MAN, not a thing, and therefore he can’t belong… well… maybe to himself.”

I said nothing. In fact, I thought too much about how to make Edward my OWN.

“Yes, by status he seems to be like this woman’s man, who is his wife.” Alina waved her hand. “But this is the legal aspect for the most part. And so, in principle, he is free to do whatever he wants. But only if it suits his wife. Which, as I understand it, is wrong. This is the first. Second, he does much of what he has said against his will. So?” She looked at me slyly. My silence was her response. “There are many things that do not suit you, especially that incident on the ship. Here I am in shock. Honey, well, it was gang rape, and let this boss tell you what he wants, that you didn’t care and blah, blah, blah… But you were drunk and you didn’t control your actions. There is no respect for your boss. Absolutely.”