“It’s just a trinket.”
He knew he’d made a mistake by saying that when Adam went ghastly pale within seconds. “A trinket? It’s been here this whole time. What if this… this thing was what caused my possession?” Adam asked in a voice that rose in pitch with each syllable. He stepped toward the door, as if the figurine were a bomb on the verge of exploding.
Emil rubbed his face. “I only found it when we decided to move, because I needed to choose which of my grandpa’s things I wanted to keep. I was looking through a lot of stuff and forgot about it.”
Adam pressed his lips together, still tense. “Can you get rid of it?”
“Hm. What if it’s important? Maybe someone knows what it is?”
“Are you saying you’re unwilling to get rid of it?”
Emil got up and raised his hands. “No! No, okay, I can see you’re freaking out.”
Adam cupped his own face, then nervously wiped his palms on his pants. “Because this creature might be feeding on me even when I don’t see it. And… I don’t know, you technically could have gotten it because you noticed my interest in you.”
The cogs in Emil’s head moved, jamming over the concept Adam was trying to communicate. “Are you suggesting I’m a devil worshiper? That I bewitched you so I could fuck you? Seriously?”
Adam looked away. “How do I know what’s possible and what’s not anymore? I was literally locked inside my own body and walked all the way here. To you. Can you really blame me for asking questions?”
Emil clenched his teeth, walked up to the stove, opened the metal door, and threw the figurine into the fire. The hair sizzled first, but the wood quickly took to the flames as well. Emil stared back at Adam, still shocked by this lack of trust.
“Happy now?”
Adam covered his face and nodded, his movements stiff as if he was still worried, but he said, “I think so.”
Emil’s anger evaporated once he saw the hunched shoulders. He shouldn’t have taken this so personally. Adam was still suffering from what happened to him that night, and what he needed was understanding, not harsh words. He folded Adam into a hug and kissed the side of his head. “Are you still worried it might happen again?”
Adam leaned into the embrace, as if he’d never really believed his own accusations, and put his arms around Emil too, hugging him almost too tightly. “Yes. You don’t? I had a painful secret that no one could know, and he just used it against me.”
Emil stroked Adam’s back, enjoying the closeness to the person who’d become his whole world. “Would it be so bad to have sex with me?”
Adam’s body shook, but he didn’t let go. “That’s not the point! This is my body. It’s mine. How can you ask that?”
Emil only hugged him tighter. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“And what if he forces me to target someone else next time, have sex with other men?”
Emil leaned back to glance into Adam’s eyes. “You said he fulfilled your inner needs. Do you have needs for ‘other men’?”
Adam refused to look back at him, flushed to the hairline. “He doesn’t need to tell the truth. He’s the devil. He’s evil, and the needs I’ve been fighting my entire life somehow let him in.”
“Next month, you will leave Dybukowo, and this whole mess, behind you.” Emil kissed Adam on the lips. It would have hurt like a motherfucker if he didn’t say those words knowing that he wasn’t one of the things Adam couldn’t wait to leave behind.
They didn’t do much after that, with Adam still in pieces after his meltdown, and despite the sense of betrayal caused by his suspicions, Emil was there for him as they lay in bed simply hugging and exchanging sweet kisses.
The boxes of alcohol infusions were stored in this most private of spaces, and as he studied them, stroking Adam’s back to provide comfort, worry clutched at his throat. They’d invested so much time and money into this project, yet had not sold a single bottle so far. Reason warned him that history liked to repeat itself, and that he shouldn’t have invested all his money into a project that might not work out.
Good things never happened to Emil Słowik, and whenever they seemed to, fate used those brief moments of happiness to beat him down even harder by taking away hope. The risky venture might plunge him into debt while Adam would be free to go, relieved that he didn’t have to endure the torment of his stay in Dybukowo any longer. But Adam was a good person at heart, and Emil trusted him.
Adam was to celebrate mass that day, so they left Emil’s home behind and made their way toward the church. Adam was still quieter than usual, and Emil worried that his lover might become wary of spending time in his house after finding that damn doll.
To Mrs. Luty’s displeasure, Emil was now a frequent guest at the parsonage since it was impossible to hide his friendship with Adam. Emil being in the closet was a blessing in disguise because they could hide in plain sight. No one in the village would come up with the preposterous idea of Emil and Adam actually fucking.
The pastor knew Emil was gay, since he’d listened to his confession when Emil had still tried to fit in and participate in Catholic rites, but he didn’t seem too worried, perhaps unaware of Adam’s transgression back in Warsaw. Or he just didn’t want to stir the pot. The man was happy as long as he had cake every day and a couple of drinks once a month, so why would he make his life difficult by questioning the nature of Emil’s friendship with a young priest?
By the time they reached the door of the parsonage, Adam seemed like his usual self, and Emil felt guilty over dismissing the issue of Adam’s mental state so often. What had happened brought them together but that fact didn’t make the possession any less horrific. Finding that devil figurine had been a reminder that for Adam, it was all painfully real and current.
“I need to change,” Adam said as they entered.
Emil knew this place so well that by now he could lead the way, but was struck by the lightning bolts in Mrs. Luty’s eyes when they passed through the kitchen.
“There’s no cake left,” she said with frost in her voice.
“What if I swept the yard during mass?” Emil asked, since he didn’t have much to do anyway and was eager to keep an eye on Adam.
Mrs. Luty gave a low hum and looked toward the cabinet where she kept all the sweets. “I suppose there is some chocolate babka left. It was meant to be tomorrow’s snack, but I could bake another one tonight.”
Adam discreetly patted Emil’s back and was about to go to the office where all the vestments were kept, when the housekeeper pinned him with her pale eyes. “Oh, and Father. You got a call from the curia in Cracow. They said they want five hundred units. I don’t know what this is about, but they asked me to tell you as soon as possible.”
Adam sucked in so much air he might have risen over the floor like a balloon. “Five hundred bottles. Did you hear that?” He asked, grabbing Emil’s hand and shaking it. His face glowed with joy, as if there couldn’t have been a better message waiting for him.
It took several seconds for Emil to understand what this was about. “Bottles? You mean—”
“Yes. Organic, homemade alcohol infusions in rustic packaging. Perfect presents for politicians, officials, and friends of the Church, just in time for Christmas.”
Emil blinked, taken aback by this development. The archbishop’s curia? He had no idea Adam had been pitching his products to church officials. “How much should I ask for them?”
Adam’s hand on his was as warm as ever. “I calculated it already. We’ll get 80% profit on each bottle. Five hundred bottles is a start, but a good one!”
Emil couldn’t believe that fortune smiled on him for once. Maybe Adam really was his good luck charm? He touched the little cross pendant Adam had given him on Kupala Night. “Five hundred… That will easily set me up for the first few months. I’d have time to look for a job. I was actually… looking at the stables. There are so many around Warsaw, and if I found work at one, I might get a discount o
n keeping Jinx.”
Mrs. Luty cocked her head, still with the plate of chocolate babka in hand. “What is this about?”
Adam spun around and let go of Emil with reluctance that made Emil’s smile grow even wider. “I helped Emil find a buyer for his alcohol infusions. You know how Father Marek likes those. And he might—”
“Move,” Emil said, taking the plate from her.
“Move? Good heavens. Where to?” She scanned him from head to toe as if she was seeing him for the first time.
Emil stood taller. “To Warsaw.”
“And what do you know about Warsaw? You haven’t been out of Dybukowo your whole life.”
“That’s not true. I’ve been away a few times.”
“For a couple of days at a time. You can’t move,” Mrs. Luty said, stepping closer, as if she’d forgotten how mean she’d been to him for the past dozen years.
Adam winked at Emil and walked off to change, which left Emil to deal with the nosy housekeeper, who stared at him as if she expected to hear it was all a joke.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Luty, you will still get to see me for a while. I need to sell the house before leaving for good, anyway.”
Mrs. Luty gasped, touching the middle of her chest in exasperation. “Sell your grandparents’ land? It’s yours to do with as you please, but that cannot be something you’re seriously considering, Emil. I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but Dybukowo is where you belong.”
How could she possibly claim she knew where he belonged? This pushiness was getting awkward, so he decided to nip the topic in the bud. “There are still many decisions I need to make.”
“But you are staying for the Forefathers’ Eve, right?”
“No reason not to. Why?” Emil asked, stuffing the cake into his mouth to get this ridiculous conversation over with while also eating the cake he was to earn by swinging the besom outside.
Mrs. Luty shook her head. “Wouldn’t be right to not visit your family’s graves. Who’d clean them otherwise? Who’d leave flowers and light candles? What would they think if you left their gravesites in the care of strangers?”
“You’re right. As always,” Emil said just to get her off his case, and put the plate down, chewing through the deliciously sweet sponge. “Thank you for the babka. I’ll get on with the sweeping.”
“I think it’s time to ring the bells,” Adam said, emerging from the office in a purple chasuble that featured a stylized cross overgrown with vines. The hand-stitched image was finished with gold thread, and was possibly worth more money than most items Emil owned.
It always gave Emil a bit of an illicit thrill to see Adam like this, all dressed up to perform his role as the village’s young, energetic priest. He’d never said he was a good boy, but Adam knew that and had been attracted to it from the start. Breaking boundaries was Emil’s catnip, and he’d finally get to prove his independence by leaving Dybukowo.
As Adam left for mass, Emil wrapped a scarf around his neck and went out into the yard to sweep the yellow leaves fallen from all the poplars. He could only hope Jinx didn’t hate the change. The horse still had as much vigor as a foal, was healthy and unnaturally resilient, but everything would be different all the way in Warsaw. He’d have to live with other horses, wouldn’t get to eat as much grass, and surely even the air would be different. Still, Emil hoped to find a solution that worked for all three of them.
The mass had already started by the time he was done sweeping the yard between the back of the church and the parsonage. He was about to move farther toward the front of the building when Mrs. Luty emerged with a wide smile on her wrinkled face.
“There’s a call for you, Emil!”
Emil frowned. “Why would someone call me here?”
“Ah, you know I’m not one to gossip, but I was just talking to Mrs. Golonko about your plight, and she wants to speak with you.”
Having nothing to lose and everything to gain if Mrs. Golonko wanted to buy some of Emil’s alcoholic infusions too, he followed an unusually animated Mrs. Luty into the parsonage.
“Do you want some tea? Coffee? The wind’s so cold tonight,” she said and handed him the headset before picking up the kettle.
Emil didn’t know how to treat her sudden enthusiasm for him and focused on the task at hand. “Hello?”
“Emil. I’m so glad I happened to call Mrs. Janina just now. How are you?” she asked, without her customary tone, which indicated how little she cared for the person she spoke to.
“Um, quite good actually. Can I help you with anything, Mrs. Golonko?”
“I think you could, Emil. My husband and Mr. Nowak had to fire one of their employees for dishonesty, so a full-time opportunity opened up at the fox fur farm. I suggested they offer it to you, because you’ve been an excellent addition to the team each time you worked for me,” she said as if she hadn’t treated him like dirt every single time he part-timed in one of her shops.
And now, for the first time—this one time—he had the leverage to politely decline her offer. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Golonko, but I’m extremely busy with my alcohol infusions business. I work on it pretty much around the clock right now, but thank you so much for thinking of me. I’d gladly offer you a discounted rate if you or your husband wanted to purchase some as Christmas gifts for your contractors. I offer a variety of flavors, all local and organic.”
The line went so dead that for a moment he thought she simply switched off her phone. Mrs. Luty stared at him as if there was a ghost looming over him, but he didn’t get to look over his shoulder when Mrs. Golonko finally spoke. “I—I’m prepared to offer you very competitive pay. We might be interested in buying some of your products, but you must know yourself that the infusions are only a temporary solution. If you wanted to make this a permanent job, you’d have to make it official and take a lot of financial risk. Wouldn’t it be better to have the stability of a good job in the place you call home?”
Concern for anyone but herself and Jessika was so out of character for Mrs. Golonko that for all Emil knew, he might have accidentally stepped into another dimension. Mrs. Luty smiled and put another generous piece of cake in front of him—the same cake she’d claimed she no longer had. Were they trying to fatten him up for slaughter or something?
“Thank you, that’s too kind. I will definitely give it thought.” Not.
“Definitely do, Emil. It’s a really good opportunity for you.”
This kind of back-and-forth small talk continued for a couple more minutes before Emil managed to politely end the conversation and put the phone down. “Could I take the cake home? I promised you to sweep the whole yard, and I’m not leaving without paying up,” he said and left before Mrs. Luty managed to once again demand that he rethinks his future plans.
Unbelievable.
Things went from weird to wild when no one other than Mr. Nowak drove into the yard and parked his car with a screech of tires.
“Where’s the fire?” Emil laughed, fully expecting for Nowak to pass him and head to see Mrs. Luty, but he came closer, walking to the languid rhythm of the sleep-inducing hymn sung inside the church.
“Ah, no fire. Why would you say that?” Nowak asked, wiping his forehead with a tissue.
Emil frowned, unsure to what he owed the dubious pleasure of so many nasty people suddenly showing interest in his plight.
Nowak stared at him. “So, anyway. It’s funny you’re here, because I was just going to talk to Father Marek about a good deed I’m intending to do. But I saw you, and I thought—hell, enough is enough—we need to bury the hatchet.”
Emil discreetly scanned the room for cameras in this crazy show of his life, but there was no one to witness this strange scene. “How so?”
Nowak clapped his hands, which were small in relation to his size, and with stubby fingers. Looking at him made Emil wonder if Radek was really his kid, but at the end of the day, it was none of his business.
“My son spoke to me recently, and it m
ade me think that maybe I’d been too harsh on you,” Nowak said. “Your parents and grandmother died young, and your grandfather did his best raising you.” But instead of concluding that Emil’s rotten nature was due to a lack of discipline or some other shit like that, the village head segued straight to a topic so far out of the norm it had Emil staring. “I want to gift you Radek’s old car, since I’m getting him a new one anyway.”
When Emil’s mind was too blank to come up with anything in response, Nowak continued.
“Must be hard for a guy your age without one in such an area. I talked to Mrs. Golonko, and I’m really glad you’re going to work for us at the farm. Getting there would have been ninety minutes on foot, but a breeze in the car. And you’ll be able to even visit Radek in Cracow once in a while. I know you two are good friends.”
Emil swallowed. After speaking about this with the Golonkos, Nowak must have assumed Emil would be over the moon to be offered a job at their farm. He wanted to tell him the truth, but, damn, he wanted that car. He would not look a gift horse in the mouth, and if Nowak found out Emil had turned down the job, he might change his mind. “Wow, Mr. Nowak, that is very kind of you.”
Nowak nodded, and rushed past Emil, toward the parsonage. “Pop by after the weekend, so we can deal with all the paperwork.”
Emil studied Nowak’s Range Rover and thought back to Radek’s little Peugeot. It wasn’t a glamorous vehicle, and it still had some scratches from the time Radek was learning to drive, but it was a functioning and well-maintained car. Once it was his, he and Adam could travel to Warsaw in comfort.
Nowak didn’t stay at the parsonage for long, and offered Emil a rare smile on his way out. After suffering constant misfortune for most of his life, Emil didn’t know how to accept so much luck in a single day, but he concluded that maybe motivational speakers were right? Maybe all you needed was to believe in yourself, and the universe would eventually shine at you?
That, or maybe the universe was testing his resolve to change his life. But he was committed. More than ever.
Where the Devil Says Goodnight Page 24
