Chapter 7 Students and Professors

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English philology department consisted of faculties of literature, culture, history, and linguistics: theoretical or practical. The majority of subjects were taught in English, the majority of books and critical texts were also in English and the majority of written assignments had to be written in English. That description was for Lena Zaya an adequate picture of her studies, which she provided to Robert.

Of course, she could mention that there was a division between American and British, that there were more theoretical subjects or those more practical, that students had various interests and were most likely open-minded fellows with a passion for literature, movies, culture, and politics. She would probably have mentioned it during her first year of studies but now she was over the enthusiasm, as half of her brain was dealing with writing her MA thesis, and the other half - with preparing classes for kids.

One day when she was waiting for one of her obligatory lectures (sociology), sipping coffee from a vending machine, looking at students, who were slowly gathering in the lecture hall, talking with each other, gossiping, sharing experiences and passionately exchanging kisses (which made Lena depressed), she saw one very suspicious scene.

Nearby the entrance to the lecture hall stood her professor Jakub Krakowski with her own (quite fresh) flatmate - Robert Rej. And since Robert Rej had little in common with the university education, far from it - he couldn’t even speak English, his presence at the scene was for Lena surprising. He and professor were engaged in a quick conversation, then professor Krakowski handed Robert some keys and a pile of notebooks, Robert gave him a firm handshake and later on disappeared, allowing students to enter the hall.

Five minutes later professor Krakowski started the lecture, Lena buried herself in her notebook and continued scribbling notes, adding flowers, geometric features and silly pictures on the margin, as she was bored. She took sociology purely by accident but she needed some extra points from her general subjects. Her first choice was the class about Warsaw, but there weren’t any free places and Barbara moaned that she had already attended the lecture and commented that you could learn more about the city from reading ‘Doll’ by Bolesław Prus (for those unaware: a Polish classic of realism). Disappointed, Lena enrolled on another lecture, this time successfully. And it wasn’t the worst choice, as Jakub Krakowski seemed to be a lively grandpa who didn’t want to make student’s life miserable, thus Lena appreciated him for the lack of pressure and exaggerated ambition. For her sociology was as boring as botany, zoology, history and all the serious areas of knowledge, but let’s be honest, she was interested mainly in popular culture and it was difficult to find it in between the subjects squeezed in the curriculum.

When she got back to the flat, Robert Rej was still somewhere outside. She cooked some dinner, entered her beautifully furnished room, which she enjoyed and adored to the point of blasphemy, and prepared for the next hectic day. Then, she made herself a cup of coffee. She also made a point in her agenda to wait for Robert to appease her newly born curiosity.

‘So why did you talk to him?’

‘To whom?’, Robert Rej didn’t even have time to take off his coat.

‘To the professor. I saw you. I happen to attend his lecture.’

‘You mean Krakowski? We have a mutual business. Top secret, I’m afraid.’

‘But he is my professor. I live with you. Doesn’t that make me a part of the business?’

‘Do I ask you about your kids’ progress? I think we should separate work from home. Lena, I haven’t even started the case. Besides, I think that you interfering in murder cases is way too dangerous for someone with your profession...’

‘Murder cases?! What kind of murder happened at MY University? This doesn’t concern only you.’

‘Yes, but it concerns all students. You’re one of the students. You might share the information with your friends. We don’t need to raise the panic. We just need to solve some unsolved case and stabilize the current one.’

‘I won’t tell anyone,’ Lena was on the point of making the facial expression of Shreck’s cat - pleading and pathetic. ‘I promise.’

‘I’m not going to tell anyone either. And that includes you.’

‘Fine.’

‘Fine. That said, I think we should go to sleep.’

Since Lena’s curiosity wasn’t appeased, she went to bed irritated. The next day she intended to ignore Robert to show him that she was still offended by his lack of trust, but during the day he visited one more professor at her lecture, and then took part in another class and she just couldn’t forget that something was going on. For other students, he was just another guy, possibly a slightly older student who decided to come back to school. For her, his appearance was utterly bizarre since she knew that there was some serious case which he has been working on, but she was shut from any information.

They were ignoring each other for a week, but at the beginning of the following week, Robert actually sat by her side during the class.

‘I will fill you in on the case. But there are two conditions.’

‘Yes? I hope you won’t raise the rent.’

‘No. I haven’t thought about it. I need someone to help me with the case. You are a student, you have access to places I don’t. You know people around here. You might be of use.’

‘What are the conditions, then? But Robert, I don’t really have time. I work. I have to write my MA thesis...’

‘I thought you didn’t really like your work. And I have heard you swear while writing this thing... But if you insist...’

‘No. Fine. I could use a shift of attention. What are the conditions?’

‘I need an hour of English a week. I need to focus on something. Basic classes. Conversations. I don’t understand what half of the students are talking about. And one more thing.’

Lena looked at him with anticipation.

‘Yes?’

‘I need the phone number of this guy.’

Robert Rej pointed at a tall, blond student sitting at the far end of the lecture hall.

‘Is he a suspect?’

‘No, I need it for private reasons.’

Lena Zaya laughed. Robert smiled. And all of a sudden all was clear.

Robert was going to give Lena all the information because he really needed someone to help him on the matter. As Krakowski told him, no one even cared that Woźniak was missing. He wasn’t particularly liked at the faculty of history and some voices were heard that he should have retired long ago. He was just occupying the place waiting for some young history Ph.D. student or an accomplished Ph.D. who could take over and start teaching. Robert Rej looked at professors’ earnings and suddenly understood why so many wanted to work abroad. The same happened to him when he was a young policeman and with money in mind, he went to Berlin to work there for a couple of years. But what distinguished Woźniak from other professors was the fact that he was exceptionally good at what he was doing. He might not have been liked, but looking at the list of his publications and books, he most certainly knew quite a lot on the subject. He was also particularly demanding and poor students tried to escape his lectures at all cost, with a few ambitious ones left to fill the empty seats. So Woźniak was pushed from one department to another, as he still was of some use, postponing his retirement indefinitely, when suddenly he disappeared, leaving the rest of his students disoriented, disappointed or extremely happy (as they had made a bad enrolling choice).

For a week Robert Rej was collecting information about Woźniak, he was talking to his students and trying to get through to professors who knew him, but from their informal testimonies, he could reckon that Woźniak was simply a dick. If there was a collective force standing behind his disappearance, it might reach dozens of people who held some sort of grudge for him. This didn’t make the case any easier.

During this week, however, Robert Rej was constantly passing one corridor between the elevator and Jakub Krakowski’s office. And on each and every day, in an old armchair, which from years of usage sunk to the floor with its passengers, was sitting a young man, possibly a student, scribbling something on a few printed pieces of paper, which he put on his knees.

When Robert passed him for the first time, they exchanged only glances. The second time they ignored each other, purposefully, as Robert was waiting for Krakowski and the young man seemed to be waiting for the old man as well.

The third time something happened, as the man smiled at the sight of Robert. Robert felt a very strong inclination to smile back and, when he did that, he noticed a little spark in the eye of the man. Simultaneously, a little spike of warmth pleasantly cut his heart in half.

‘Anton?’, the professor invited the boy to the room which was occupied only by Robert and him.

‘Yes, professor?’

‘I won’t have time for you today. I have some matters to arrange. Come to me with the chapter next week.’

‘Yes. I’m still not sure about the symbolism, though...’

‘Next week! Next week!’

The man called Anton disappeared and Krakowski handed Robert Woźniak’s updated work and publication history.

‘Who is that boy?’, Robert couldn’t keep himself from asking the question.

‘A very bright student. He is writing Ph.D. on war poetry. He’s from Russia. I have to share him with professor Stefańska, I’m afraid, as he still deals with poetry and, sadly, not pure history. But it’s such a pleasure working with him...’

‘I can imagine,’ he thought to himself.

Robert Rej felt awkward that Krakowski was seeing this young man on an almost everyday basis. This awkwardness might be perceived as jealousy but Robert Rej simply ignored the feeling.

Lena was quick with the conditions. The same day a phone number was handed to Robert and the very same evening Lena, laughing hysterically at his level of English, lent him some basic English books and threatened to make weekly tests of his progress, if he didn’t make use of them.

Robert looked at the books with discouragement, as he really didn’t like English, be it the lack of opportunity to learn it, or the lack of motivation. He read books in Polish. At work he dealt mostly with Polish, Russian and Ukrainian criminals. In Berlin he used German, but it was specific German, either full of swearing and offensive expressions (contacts with drug dealers) or purely administrative (red tape). In Germany, he felt he was treated as a professional. With Lena he felt like a kid, having problems with making basic sentences. But it was healthy for him to start something new, especially something which he didn’t think he was particularly good at.

He had also another point of distraction. The phone number was safely sealed in his wallet, waiting for the right moment to use it.