Part 3
As the announcement told us, we were one stop from the station.
Magda was texting and I knew she was at the station
The little train pulled into the town where my friend lived
near and would be waiting for the two people she had been chatting to online
but had not ever met. I had butterflies in my stomach. I was really excited to
meet with the girl. Hub marched off with LC with me following behind like a shadow
on a sunny path.
Down two steps and I heard the little friendly voice. She
was there, such a sweet person, I felt like I did when I first met with my
dearest friend Olga so many years ago. You know, she took my arm and off we
went to find a taxi to go to the restaurant. We never stopped talking all the way.
It was as though we had been friends forever. She was my little baby Sister. It
was like wearing a comfortable pair of slippers, not saying Magda is like a
pair of slippers, haha.
She is a cute little doll.
Oh my God Bloggets, she was amazing, I mean she has not ever
been with blind people before, but she just knew to be normal. You know what I
mean? We were normal, she was normal, she is an absolute natural. Some people
just freeze when it comes to guiding blind people when we just need an arm to
link or voice to follow. I loved the feeling I had with her and if we lived
closer, we would be great shopping buddies, haha. If she ever comes here, I
will introduce her to my friend Di, and the three of us will have a great time.
In and out of the taxi and that is when the fun started.
It was raining; we entered the porch of the restaurant. I
was told on the phone, if we came early, we would be able to sit and have a
coffee or drink of something. Well, the doors were locked. There we were the
three of us plus LC, stuck in this tiny porch and I said, well, this is cosy. Hahaha
The funny thing was, the staff were looking at us, we were
looking at the staff and we still stood there, no one came to let us in. we did
laugh.
Well, I decided to phone them. It was so funny we could hear
the phone ringing.
A lady answered and came to let us in. Well, did she think
we were just sheltering from the rain?
The restaurant was really big and we were taking to a booth
Oh
My
God
Em. How can I put this?
Let’s just say, when
they were building/designing the booths, they didn’t make them for large Mafia
men as when I got in, you needed to get a tin opener to get me out. Magda and Hub
thought this was really funny as they had plenty of room between their slender
frames and the table. Haha. Shall I tell you, there was no reason to put a napkin
on my knee, as nothing was getting between my mouth and my knee. I told Magda that
if I went blue, to tell Hub, so he could do his first aid on me.
Bless her; she gave me my birthday present. Wow.
I received the most beautiful bracelet which I will treasure
forever as she made it herself. She makes jewels.
Its blue shells. I love it so much.
She knows I love Elephants, and bought me a beautiful scarf
with them on in blue. The gifts kept coming; they were from her and her sister
Marta. I got some lovely Polish chocolates and a box with lovely cosmetics in.
Now, then, after receiving something she made, something she knows I love,
something to say where she originates from and a girly gift which smells so
lovely, she handed me a birthday card. Can you believe this?
She found a company who made tactile and Braille cards.
What 21 year old would even bother to do such a kind thing?
My friend Gabriel was so caring making me tactile pictures
and now Magda’s kindness? I am so overwhelmed by such wonderful souls.
Oh the meal was delicious. Magda’s Mum picked it and what a
lovely place it was. The food was stunning.
We talked and talked. It was so very natural.
Two wonderful days with my new friends.
Hub listened to stories about Magda over lunch and he came
away touched to the heart and soul.
He says he has never met such an amazing person and to be so
young too?
We came to the station after the meal and said sad goodbyes
but I know I will be seeing Magda for sure again. She invited us next time; we
will meet with Magda’s family and eat Polish dumplings. How great will that be?
Just like the old days when I used to visit the Russian Dacha’s. We would eat homemade
jams, nuts and drink tea.
I love the family thing. I am so comfortable with that
lifestyle. I am not really into loud brash parties, I just love cosy feelings
and close families which we struggle to have in the west.
I would love to have waved bye bye to Magda, but the glass
window next to our seat on the train, was just a polished partition, with no light
or picture.
Just like the picture/mirror in the hotel room. What was it? A mirror or a picture. It’s glass, its sand
and water.
But in my mind, I saw a little girl, with a sad soul, an older
than her years memory mind and heart, with a painful past, a tough existence
and a prosperous future, though with commitments beyond her youthful years.
I know one thing; I will be there for her for all of my
life, as she has found her way in my heart for sure. A true friend, who never asks
for anything material. Who never expects anything from anyone? Who is so
positive, clever and committed? She has a hard life, she really does. She cares
for her three siblings with disabilities. Her step Father also has a disability
and her poor Mum some days cannot get out of bed. Magda, cooks, cleans irons,
helps her brother with his homework, and takes him to a group which she helps
to run for autistic children, takes her brother’s to swimming lessons as well
as has a part time job and attends college.
She translates for her Mum, fills all forms in for the
family for schools ect and does a whole host of other things which I won’t go
into but what an amazing person. So selfless. So real, an yet so from another
world. A world far from here. A place where kindness is their first language.
Hub and I sat on the train, num. Sad to have only a short
time with our friends, but numb with disbelief.
The train journey was like the ghost of Christmas past. Our
lives passed by us. The weeks we have had of late where things have gone rather
bad for us, where answers we were not getting and stress was building up. Just
went past as though to say, you know what?
Look at your lives. Brush yourselves down and hold your head
up high. You have visited another land from the world you are used to. Your life
is alive and your past visited you and your future is open. It was a journey we
were meant to have made.
And you know what? As we made that journey of three and a
half hours, we received a call from my friend Di, who said she was waiting for
us at the train station to bring us home.
My God. What kindness. I really feel honoured, blessed and
so very humble.
As soon as I got home, I contacted my other poor friend whose
fiancé had died that day.
Crushed
Excited
Dark
Happy
Worried
Overwhelmed
Compassionate
Honoured
Complete
For Debbie, Elisha, Magda and Marta. To my Husband who gave
me the best gift for my birthday, the complete journey. X
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