Chapter 127 - 'Innocent' Rumors About Artists Hurt Real Peoples Hearts

"Still, does it seem strange to you? After all, for such purposes as care, even assistants are employed, not to mention nurses."

"Not if you have trouble trusting people. We love watching Śliwiński, but the only thing we know for sure about him is that he doesn't like contacts with people. He may not be strictly a recluse, but he is rarely in crowded places."

"So the incident at the last party ...?"

"A colleague was taking his drunk colleague out. If you could count how many times I found myself in a similar situation!"

"So you don't think there's an affair there?"

"I do not know. If you were to think of these criteria I think they would fit together, both are just crunchy. I can even imagine them together. Śliwiński is without a doubt divine, but Nowicki is only slightly behind him. As far as I know, they have also adjusted professionally. It is not unusual for two artists to be particularly fond of working together and then both achieve great results. And even if they had something romantic in common, would there really be something wrong with it?"

"It would be a huge loss for female fans."

"If he were married or seriously dating a woman, the result would be the same."

"You're actually right."

"Exactly. If you looked at the biographies of the greatest idols of world cinema or stage stars, it would turn out that a significant part of them had homosexual episodes. Some had a private life with women, others did not, but it never diminished their talent or diminished their artistic output. I don't think we should look into the bedrooms of adults. It's really none of our business. Regardless of whether Śliwiński is straight, homo or bisexual, for me the most important thing is that I really like to watch him in movies and I look forward to his next screen appearance."

"I also. Do you think something is up? It's been almost a year since the shooting of 'In Light of the Accusation' ended. There was this project by Maciek Werner, but it has recently faded away."

"It is true. There are rumors, however, that Śliwiński received a new foreign proposal. For now, however, he is reading the script."

"Do you know any specifics?"

"Not yet, but I'll try to get something for our next meeting."

"Then we are waiting ..."

***

The intercom rang a third time. Andrzej, stumbling, emerged from the office at about the same time that Dominik, tying his robe belt, appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Are you expecting visitors?" He asked the actor.

"At this time? Come on!"

The time was really too early for any visits, it was a dozen or so minutes past eight so some of them had not managed to start the day yet.

"I'll open it," Nowicki announced as he headed for the door. "I'm closer. And dressed."

He walked over to the intercom and pressed a button.

"Yes?"

"Dominik?" He heard a woman's voice on the other side.

"No, Andrzej. Andrzej Nowicki."

"Nowicki? Please open. It's me, Helena Śliwińska, Dominik's mother."

Andrzej was so surprised that he was speechless. He looked questioningly at the completely surprised actor, who made his face express that this visit was completely unexpected.

"Will you let me in? I want to see my son!"

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry. Please!"

He opened the electronic lock of the gate and the front door. Although completely surprised by the visit of his lover's mother, he greeted her with a warm, kind smile.

Mrs. Śliwińska stormed in and gave him a good morning slap.

Andrzej's face burned. He looked at the woman blankly, not understanding what had just happened. Meanwhile, it wasn't over. Mrs. Śliwińska burst in, pummeling his chest with her fists.

"What have you done to my son ?! You pederast! You sodomite!"

Nowicki was too surprised to defend himself, and even if he had recovered from this situation, he would not have been able to fight the older lady.

"How could you, you devilish ..."

"Mom, leave him alone! What are you doing?!"

Dominik found himself between them, covering Andrzej with himself.

"Sonny, tell me the truth, as in confession" Śliwińska clung to Dominik's bathrobe with tears in her eyes "is he…? Do you…? You together…?"

"If you ask if we are lovers, my answer is yes."

Śliwińska froze as if she had been hit by a bullet. Suddenly she rushed towards Andrzej again with fists and shouts.

Dominik did not allow it. Still hanging between them, he grasped his mother's wrists.

"Leave him!" He ordered. "He didn't do anything to me! It's me! I was the one who seduced him!"

He looked straight into her eyes, which were so similar to his.

"No, that can't be true," she sobbed. "Not you! Not my sweet son! It's him! It's all his fault!"

"If you want to blame someone, you better look at yourself. I was only seventeen when you decided that I could cope with the big world and you put me under Marek's protection. And you know what? He taught me everything."

"No no no…"

"Yes. I was seventeen when he taught me sex and you handed me over to him…!"

Another crack of the cheek, this time on Dominik's face.

His face twisted into a grimace - not pain but malicious satisfaction.

"He hit me harder," he hissed at his mother.

"That's enough" Andrzej decided that now he should step in among them. "In a moment you will say something that you will regret. Look at her, she's barely standing."

"I will not let her insult you!"

"Dominik, it's okay, really" Andrzej tried to calm the situation down. "Have you cooled down already? Mrs. Śliwińska, sit down, please."

"Don't talk to me! And you, Dominik ..."

"What, mom? Will you tell me about hellfire? You think I don't remember your sermons? You think I care? If it weren't for Andrzej, you wouldn't have had a son anymore. If it weren't for him, I would have taken my own life! So don't you dare speak badly about him in my own house, because if you make me choose, I'll always choose him!"

Nowicki was not sure if he heard it correctly. What is Dominik talking about? How is that? Was he thinking of killing himself? When? Was it when he was almost lifeless in his bed after Marczak wanted to make him a whore?

Śliwińska sat down heavily on the couch. Andrzej was sure she would shed more tears, but she only covered her mouth with her hand.

"What happened to my beautiful son?" She moaned miserably. "Dominik, in which world did I throw you?"

"Mom, it's okay. This is the past. Now I am happy because I have Andrzej. He is my happiness. My life."

The woman moved her lips as if to say something, but held back. She took a deep breath and asked:

"Could any of you bring me a glass of water?"

"I'll do it," Nowicki offered immediately. This morning has started out very interesting.

When he returned with the water, Mrs. Śliwińska gave him a distrustful look and immediately looked away. It did not surprised him. He knew she was very religious, and he was an accomplice in her son's sin. While she could forgive Dominik because he was blood from her blood, Andrzej did not have this concession with her. He politely placed water in front of her.

"I'll leave you alone," he said.

„No" protested Śliwińska. „Stay. I…"

"Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't want to yell at you. Just…"

"Is it true?" She asked calmly, not looking up. "That you wanted to kill yourself?"

"Yes," he replied very softly.

"Why?"

He didn't answer right away. He sat down on the couch near his mother and took the hand of Nowicki, who was standing next to him.

Andrzej looked at him. Dominik was calm now, but he needed his presence, his support in this difficult conversation. The photographer sat down in the chair and shook his hand.

"It's hard to explain. I guess life was too painful. Breathing was too hard..."

"But why?" she did not give up.

"I told you I was in a relationship with Mark. It was a complicated relationship but I loved him. I don't know how real this love was, but we broke up in August. It wasn't pleasant, he ... Then he hit me. Very. And then ... I think that's when it started, the black, painful thoughts that came to me when I was alone. And I was almost always alone. Only Andrzej, someone completely strange, made me feel better. He looked after me, kept me company, introduced me to wonderful people. But I missed Mark, so when he proposed a truce, I went back to him. I wanted to be with him, I wanted to do it badly, but he was still angry with me and did something nasty to me. It was actually stupid, but for me then the world collapsed. I've never felt this bad before. It was as if someone had ripped my heart out of me and put only pain in my place. I didn't think a man could feel this way. I wanted it to end, I wanted it to stop hurting so much.