Maja gave him a wan smile and nodded.
Jozef smiled at Maja. “I haven’t seen you for a long time.
How are you doing?”
“Not too well.” She sighed. “I don’t know what’s the matter
with me. Ever since the circus left…”
Jozef waited, but she didn’t say anything else.
One of the gardeners walked past them on the path and doffed
his wide-brimmed shady hat.
Jozef wished him a good day, and Maja smiled at him.
Finally Maja spoke. “Panje Wawrzyniak, you used to be a man
of the cloth. Can I depend on you to keep a confidence?”
“I consider myself your friend. I would never let on to
anyone that you confided in me.”
Maja sighed. “Something happened to me when the circus was
in town. Do you remember the man who greeted us during the break in the
performance?”
Oh, yes. Jozef remembered him. The man with the wedding
ring. Nina’s husband. “Yes. I do.”
“I saw him, and something happened to my heart. After he
left I couldn’t concentrate on the show anymore. Later, when the boys had that
ride on the elephant, I saw him again. He came up to me and we talked. It was
an instant connection.” She smiled a wan smile. “Nobody knows what I’m telling
you now. Please don’t say anything to anybody.”
Jozef didn’t know what to think. He pushed back his concerns
and decided to just listen. “I won’t. I promise.”
“After that, we met every day, a ways outside of town. Wizlaw
and I just talked, but I was so happy to be with him. I never felt anything like
that before. On the last day we met on that small path that goes up to the
large tree on the hill behind the circus. I was sitting on a bench and he sat
next to me.” Maja folded her hands in her lap and smiled. She looked a lot
happier than just a few minutes earlier. “He confessed his love for me. He said he
would try to find work somewhere else, because he was sure my father would not
accept a circus man for me. Jozef, he made me promise not to tell anyone of our
engagement.” She took a hitching sob. “Then he left. I haven’t heard from him
since.”
Jozef’s mouth fell open. What could he say? On the one hand,
he could understand Maja’s sudden love for this man Wizlaw, but on the other he
was outraged to hear of Wizlaw’s betrayal of both, Nina and Maja. This wasn’t
right. Maja needed and deserved to hear the truth. If he, Jozef, told her, she
would eventually forget about Wizlaw and go on to live a, if not happy, at
least contended and peaceful life. If he didn’t tell she’d die of unhappiness
and melancholy. Because she was like Jozef. Once her heart was given to
someone, she would never love any other.
He looked at the fisted hands in his lap and spoke. “Maya, I
have to tell you something about this man, this manager of the circus, and you
won’t be happy to hear it.”
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