| On that day for some reason unknown even to | | | | I then remarked that though Poland had had great |
| me I got a hankering to go to the Polish | | | | composers such as Chopin as well as great |
| restaurant on 77th street and 8th avenue, the | | | | virtuoso piano players the likes of Arthur |
| one my mother had once recommended to me | | | | Rubenstein and Ignacio Paderewski, they did not |
| as being both good and fast. | | | | have any of their own operas. When she heard |
| Finding the place was not hard as l had passed it | | | | this, she could not help but laugh. Her laughter was |
| by many times on my way to "The Met" and | | | | such that it was heard all throughout the |
| when I did, I saw that it was a well lit modern | | | | restaurant, causing a head or two to look up in |
| styled diner where I took a stool at the bar as is | | | | order to see what all the commotion was about. |
| my habit of doing when eating in this sort of | | | | She even caught the attention of the owner, who |
| establishment by myself. | | | | came over to her and said something in Polish in a |
| Once seated, I picked up a copy of the menu | | | | tone that implied that she was given her an order |
| which was lying on the counter in front of me and | | | | not to make such a raucous, to which she replied |
| started glancing through the choices when | | | | something in Polish (which l also did not |
| suddenly from my sitting position, l looked up to | | | | understand) to the owner, who was a plump |
| see a tall waitress with long black hair standing | | | | middle aged woman with a round sun burnt face, |
| directly above me, staring more at my black | | | | clear blue eyes, a large nose and small lips. When |
| tuxedo then at me. | | | | this lady finished hearing what Gosia had said she |
| Her stare gave me an uneasy feeling as I shyly | | | | turned to me and said in a mock tone of voice |
| looked at this young lady who greeted me by | | | | "what you study music and you not know our |
| saying "good evening sir, may I take your order?". | | | | great Polish operas like "Halka" and "Haunted |
| I noticed she had a worried expression on her | | | | Manner" by Moniuszko". At that moment I really |
| face as if it were her first day on the job so I | | | | did not know what to say so I simply said in an |
| replied "good evening" as I tried to make her | | | | almost apologetic tone of voice that I did not |
| relax by reading the name on her nameplate | | | | know that there was such a thing as Polish opera |
| which was Małgorzata but judging | | | | however I would be very much interested in |
| from the way she giggled as I tried to pronounce | | | | hearing it. This lady then introduced herself to me |
| it, I must have made a real mess of it. She | | | | as both Pani Beata and the owner of the place. |
| looked at me with a smirk on her face and said | | | | After her introduction she said something to Gosia |
| "please call me Gosia". It was at that moment | | | | who turned to me and said "excuse me" and |
| that I noticed what a lovely face she had, hers | | | | went to the kitchen. While she was gone Pani |
| was an old fashioned kind of beauty, reminiscent | | | | Beata said in quite tone of voice almost as though |
| of the "The Age of Innocence". | | | | she did not want Gosia to hear "next week will be |
| I then said in a light tone of voice, trying to speak | | | | Polish opera "Halka" in Carnegie Hall, why you no |
| slowly and clearly, as I looked her in the eye "I | | | | take Gosia, I think she like you and you like she, |
| take it that given your name and accent that you | | | | maybe you teach she good English and she teach |
| are a foreigner. where are you from?" Her face lit | | | | you Polish language" ,Just before I had a chance |
| up as she said 'this is Polish restaurant, where you | | | | to say anything Gosia came back carrying a big |
| think I am from? To which I replied "I don't know, | | | | tray with my order. |
| let me take a guess Poland". she then half | | | | Gosia placed my soup and Bigos on the counter |
| laughingly replied "Yes, now may I take your | | | | which was accompanied by a large serving of |
| order". I then put the menu down on the counter, | | | | mashed potatoes and a cucumber salad and a can |
| while still holding it in my hands and uttered" why | | | | of beer which she poured into a large beer mug. |
| don't you recommend something from Poland the | | | | Pani Beata suddenly turned to Gosia and said |
| land of WaÅ‚Ä (TM) sa, the | | | | "why you no go with this gentleman to opera to |
| Pope, Copernicus, Kazimierz (The Great) and | | | | Halka". Gosia's face turned red upon hearing this, |
| Chopin and the Mazurka. She almost burst out | | | | maybe because she was being put in an |
| laughing by the time I got through my list, | | | | uncomfortable position of having to accept or |
| perhaps because she expected me to share that | | | | reject an invitation by someone who had not |
| common knowledge or lack of it which was held | | | | even made one. She said something to Pani Beata |
| by most Americans concerning the rest of the | | | | in Polish, to which Pani Beata replied in English as if |
| world, but she did manage to keep her | | | | she were trying to tell Gosia that there was no |
| composure just long enough to recommend bigos | | | | need to speak Polish because there was no |
| ,causing me to ask with a beam on my face | | | | reason why l should not understand what they |
| "what is it?". " Cooked cabbage" was her | | | | were saying "I saw this opera before, he did not |
| response and upon looking at her face and seeing | | | | see it, he say he want to see it. Maybe you go |
| how strongly she was recommending this dish I | | | | together and he teach you English (and then |
| just could not tell her that I really did not like | | | | suddenly looking at me) and you learn Polish |
| cabbage all that much but I thought to myself, | | | | language". Without realizing it at that moment we |
| might as well take it, after all how bad can it be. | | | | had been set up on a date to go to the opera, |
| "Sure why not" was what I said which I don't | | | | which we both in a shy way agreed to go on, as |
| think she really understood so I rephrased it into | | | | if the decision had been made for us by this well |
| "I will take the bingos" she laughed and put her | | | | meaning but intrusive lady called Pani (this word |
| hand in front of her mouth probably to cover her | | | | meaning Mrs. in Polish) Beata, who most people |
| teeth as she said "it is called bigos not bingos" to | | | | seemed to take a liking to. |
| which I replied "O.K., I will take the bigos and a | | | | I told Gosia that I would get the tickets through |
| soup, can you suggest one?". She then said in bad | | | | my credit card so we exchanged phone numbers, |
| English, as she was jotting down my order in her | | | | agreeing to call each other the following day. |
| pad, "I very like red barsh, I hope you it will like | | | | After that the place started filling up and I got to |
| you too". I managed to understand her despite | | | | eating my meal. Gosia no longer had time to chat |
| her erroneous use of English grammar. I half | | | | with me because all her tables were now occupied |
| laughingly (more at her English then at her) replied | | | | with fresh new customers. I did not enjoy the |
| "yes I will take it". She then said in a slightly more | | | | food as much as I did watching Gosia's long legs |
| serious tone of voice as though she were trying | | | | as she ran to the kitchen and back. She moved |
| to remind herself that she was at work "maybe | | | | so sensually that it was difficult to remember that |
| something to drink, maybe you try our Polish | | | | I had a meal in front of me which I had to finish |
| beer" "sure give me one" I replied. Now in an | | | | in 20 minutes in order to have enough time to |
| even more serious tone as if she were concluding | | | | make it to the opera on time. Gosia must have |
| a business deal (with the face to match the | | | | known I was staring at not only her legs but at |
| added gravity her voice had gained) she said "you | | | | the band that held up her stockings (I later found |
| order one bigos plate and red barsh soup and one | | | | out that they are called pończochy |
| E.B. Polish beer" to which I replied "yes, that is | | | | in Polish) visible due to the slit on her mini skirt, |
| correct", she then with a sigh of relief almost like | | | | because she flashed a smile at me every chance |
| someone who had just passed an important | | | | she got. |
| examination, turned to go to the kitchen giving | | | | When it came time to pay the tab, Gosia said |
| me a chance to catch a glimpse of the back of | | | | that I would not be charged for the desert (which |
| her well tanned legs which I could tell were | | | | had been a slice of what they called Polish apple |
| stocking covered. | | | | pie which tasted no different then American apple |
| I then started thinking as I saw her disappear into | | | | pie). She said she wanted to do this because I |
| the kitchen, that I used to be very good at | | | | was going to invite her to see "Halka". |
| playing Chopin's Mazurkas but it had been a long | | | | I don't remember weather or not l thanked her |
| time since I had actually played one, after all I | | | | for the apple pie but l do recall leaving her a tip |
| was studying and working toward becoming an | | | | which exceeded the standard 16 % which is left |
| opera tenor, and the piano was no longer an | | | | by most restaurant goers in America, she |
| instrument that I was required to practice. | | | | thanked me as l quickly said goodbye to her and |
| 5 minutes must have gone by, when Gosia came | | | | Pani Beata (whom strangely enough everybody |
| back and asked me "where from you know so | | | | called Pani even her customers and employees, |
| much about Poland? Is your family Polish?. "No, | | | | some of whom were not even Polish). |
| not at all my family is German American, my | | | | I left the diner after having said my goodbyes |
| name is Bill Albert, though my last name is not | | | | and all I could think of was the sight of Gosia and |
| really German" was my reply and attempt to be | | | | how her incredible womanly body had captured |
| as friendly toward her as she was trying to be | | | | my interest in the way no other woman had, this |
| toward me. | | | | is not to say that I had not been in love before |
| She then enthusiastically asked "before you say | | | | (not that l was in love now) or that I had not |
| the name Chopin, you know Chopin's music? Have | | | | been with other women before. This time |
| you heard it?", which led to my telling her of the | | | | however it was different or at least it seemed to |
| intimacy of my relationship with not only classical | | | | be. In a way every relationship I had had before |
| music but opera. She seemed to be impressed by | | | | had been different and special in its own way but |
| both my part-time job as singer in the chorus of | | | | this was the first time l had felt so much raw |
| the Metropolitan Opera and by my being a | | | | sexual desire to any one woman, perhaps this |
| student in his last year of studies at the New | | | | was due to the way she looked which was not |
| York School of Music. | | | | pretty or even beautiful but naturally sexy in |
| Her following comment "now, I see why you | | | | every way from the way she walked to the |
| wear suit, you go to opera to sing" caused certain | | | | clothes she wore, to her corpulent body or |
| laughter in me as I probably would have thought | | | | perhaps it was the way she acted, so playful |
| the same thing had I been her, however I did | | | | almost childlike in the way she had smiled at me |
| inform her that as much as I would have wanted | | | | when she looked at me when she was rushing in |
| to be performing that evening, I was only going | | | | and out of the kitchen and the way she had |
| to be very devotedly watching | | | | grinned at me when she caught me starring at |
| "Gotterdammerung" live for the 5th time. | | | | her legs. |
| She then startled me by telling me with a voice | | | | Another factor which added to these strong |
| that reflected the tremendous pride she must | | | | sexual impulses was that our conversation had |
| have been feeling, that she had been studying the | | | | been a bit limited, giving her poor English and my |
| piano since she was 6 and that she had been a | | | | complete ignorance of the Polish language. I even |
| student at the "The Warsaw School of Music" | | | | got to thinking that apart from sexual magnetism |
| named after Chopin and that she was looking to | | | | (assuming she felt the same about me) the only |
| do her postgraduate studies in New York. I asked | | | | thing we had in common was our ambition to get |
| her if she had any particular school in mind, to | | | | to the top of the heap in classical music. |
| which she replied "Julliard School of Music". | | | | |