The girl with the dog E-Book

Nagy Júlia

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 245

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Emilia Zajac is a girl who is considered a genius - she goes to high school and music university at the same time - and she is also nice. She befriends Lucas, also on the periphery of the school community, with whom they develop a kind of teenage love. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes, causing Emilia's mother to move in with the youngsters - whether this is just an excuse is revealed much later. The girl passes her exams and then does something very unexpected: she travels to Boston and enrols at the military academy to go to the Middle East to look for her father, who has disappeared on a mission. The filigree girl takes her exams amidst harsh atrocities and almost immediately finds herself on the front lines in Afghanistan. Friendships, intrigue, love, war... Pain and severe trauma are the price Emilia pays to escape the hell she's in. Will the "little bird" survive the bullets she is about to fire at her commander? Will she ever come home? Find out in this twisty, exciting, fast-paced romantic adventure novel.

Leseprobe

Any inconsistencies in the text are due to the fact that it was translated using computer-aided technology for a company-wide study.

© 2025 novum publishing gmbh

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Chapter I

Today's world is full of artists. Artists of all kinds. From many different professions. Of course, to achieve anything in the arts, you have to be special. Not only can a talented person be a successful artist, but so can someone who has no talent for what they have become successful at. In the following I will write about just such a person.

Few people from Poland make it to Hollywood glamour. At least, there is little of that to read about these days. Still, my story is about a young genius of Polish origin who deserves a few pages of attention. Her name was Emilia Zajac and she was born in Krakow, not far from the old town, in the city hospital. Her parents and her one-eyed brother, who was four years older than her, were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new arrival.

I was tiny, premature, and screaming as I could in the back of my throat. At least, that's what my mother and father told me about the circumstances of my birth. I spent a lot of time in an incubator, and from what my father told me, I knew I was an incredibly stubborn creature. I complained, screaming my head off, until I got what I wanted. But that was only when I was a child, now I can give things up. My story is really - at least in my opinion - that of an ordinary girl who came into the public eye by performing unusual tasks. Don't get me wrong, it took a lot of work and I was rewarded by being one of the busiest composers in Hollywood. But it didn't just fall into my lap and I had to give things up.

But I haven't talked about how I got the nickname "dog girl" yet, so I'll get to it. You already know that I was born to the delight of my parents and my brother. The former belonged to the Polish intelligentsia, both were teachers. One of them, as an opera singer, gave private singing lessons to students at the Academy of Music in Krakow, and since my father was the man, he got the lion's share: he was a training officer at the military cadet training centre. I can guess what you must be thinking: they must have brought me and my brother up under military discipline. Well, as a matter of fact, my father made an agreement with my mother before we were born that my father would leave the military at work and never be strict unless necessary. So I had a childhood full of excitement and lots and lots of fun. I had many interests and hobbies that I might have been able to make a living from, but they faded away. The school and junior school years were the talent fair. I loved doing so many things that my mum and dad couldn't decide what to enrol me in. So I was on a schedule, with something to do every afternoon. So I wasn't bored even at the beginning of school. I was even enrolled in music school to play the violin, which I practised a lot, conscientiously and persistently. This of course paid off. I was called a violin genius because, although I practised, I learned to read music quickly, and so I quickly learned what my teacher gave me to learn from one lesson to the next. I loved music.

As I grew up, I grew to love all genres of music, although heavy rock music was never my thing. My talent for the violin didn't develop immediately: I was just interested in the music, so I absorbed it. My development was to the credit of my teacher, who finally suggested to my parents after a concert that they should enquire about the young talent class at the University of Music and Performing Arts and if I was accepted, she would prepare me. The only goal should be to make sure that my talent doesn't fizzle out. I had barely started high school when I was accepted. I was fourteen when I got into the junior class at the University of Music. During the week I had my high school curriculum, music lessons and practice, and on the weekends I had university studies. By then, I had given up other activities I used to do - like dance lessons or drawing. Only music and theatre and films became my leisure. Every month we went to the theatre with the family, so I also absorbed the love of it. With all the studying I didn't have much time to meet friends as I had no free time, but I did have friends. My first and closest friendship was with a boy a year older than me. He was a year ahead of me in high school, but to support my parents' expenses I sometimes helped them. Through my father's ingenuity I took a job, and as I had loved dogs since I was little, my father put up some advertisements in town for walking and looking after them at weekends after school. So it so happened that the mother of the very boy I had been avoiding at school called my mother.

The first time I went to pick up the puppy, I was so excited. My mother had agreed with the owner that until the animal knew me - of course, I was still a child - her son would accompany us. He was Lukasz Jablonsky. He was only seventeen years old, but even then he was considered a good-looking boy at school, yet he was reserved and serious. You didn't hear much about him, so he wasn't the type to be the centre of society. Needless to say, I was afraid of him. I thought of him as a loner and a bore, but it turned out that he was really neither, just more mature-minded than the boys his age. This, of course, did not go down well with his peers, so he became a loner and the target of ridicule. Back on that Saturday afternoon, he was waiting for me at the gate of his house with the dog. I strode towards them, my heart pounding. I could feel his scrutinizing gaze as I rounded the corner, but it was only when I got closer that I really looked. He had dark brown, short hair and dark eyes. He had an athletic build, and I knew he was on the school track team.

- Lukasz Jablonski, right? - I asked him when I got closer.

- You can be the new supervisor.

- Emilia Zajac, yes. - Here the boy held out his hand to me, which I reluctantly accepted. The dog had been peacefully and quietly ignoring us, but now he let us know he was present with a ferocious bark.

- Oh, I forgot, this is Bob the little bouncer. As you can see, he's very impatient, and since I'm your chaperone - although I have other things to do - I suggest we get going.

As the time was right for a walk, we set off. First he told me objectively all about Bob's habits and what he likes to do. He even told me about his schedule. I listened attentively, making sure I remembered. Then, when he ran out of words, we were silent. We headed for Blonia, which was located on the outskirts of Krakow. It was not far, as we lived in the suburbs. The huge park provided the perfect playground for Bob. Lukasz let him go almost immediately, taking the leash off him, but the doggy didn't move away or run away from us, but instead began to scrutinise us intently. First he sniffed my feet, then my shoes, then my trousers, before letting me pet him. We just stood silently at the edge of the park, watching Bob. Then when the doggie started walking, we started walking after him. We walked slowly, both of us watching the park, and finally Lukasz broke the silence:

- I often see you sitting alone in the courtyard or walking alone in the corridor, Emilia. I always wondered why that was.

I was surprised by what he said. True, with all the work and study I was lonely and had no friends, but I never complained. And the fact that he even noticed me in the corridor touched me deeply.

- I'm learning a lot, I told him simply.

- So do I, but I always have time for friends. I'm sure there's someone in your class who you get on with.

- I don't have friends because I don't make friends, I just don't have much time between high school and music school.

Now it was his turn to be surprised.

- Are you going to music college at such a young age? How can you, when you're only two years younger than me? - he stared at me, almost open-mouthed, and I knew I couldn't beat that with a simple explanation.

- First of all, how do you know I'm two years younger? Secondly, it's not polite to question a lady's age, and thirdly, I'm in the junior class, but when I graduate I want to be a violinist and composer.

When I finished my sentence, he jumped down to Bob, who then returned to us.

- You hear that, old boy? Your babysitter is a college student, but she doesn't even have a high school diploma. He must be a genius or something.

I laughed at that sentence, pure and joyful.

- Well said your master, Bob. I think he's right. I could be a wonder boy, just like him.

The dog started barking happily. Lukasz joined the pair and finally showed his happy, smiling side. When we could all finally stop laughing, we walked around the park. Now it was my conversation partner's turn. I knew he wasn't the friendliest of people, but he quickly opened up to me. He talked; he wasn't as stiff as when we started. Slowly, but surely, he began to trust me. It turned out that he didn't have such a bright circle of friends either, or even a real friend. I understood because he already knew I was in the same boat. He told me about himself - he started voluntarily, he didn't need to be asked. While I was lucky enough to have my brother Jan, he had sisters - two of them - and he didn't get on with them very well. He was also a good student at school, he loved science. He was interested in astronomy and history, of course, but he was interested in many other things. All that reading made him well informed about the world, which made him even lonelier, as he was considered a smart-ass by those around him. While he was talking, I had a chance to get a better look at Lukas' face. His hair hung down to his forehead, his brown eyes sparkling with intelligence. His nose was pointed, his face a little sunken and prominent. Up close, he was even prettier than at first glance, but I knew I wasn't here to daydream. I hoped the conversation would repeat itself the next time.

We talked a lot, almost the whole walk. Cheerful and informal. I began to feel that I was not alone in the world at last and that someone understood me, but I saw the same thing in Lukasz . And Bob accepted me simply and quickly. We headed straight from the park to their house. When Bob was already hanging his tongue and shouting his head off, he politely sat down in front of the house and waited for me to say goodbye.

- "Well, I've learned all I need to know about Bob, but I hope you'll come with us next time and I won't scare you," I said, a little uncertainly, and Lukas smiled at the clumsy wording.

- I don't think you could scare me if you tried very hard. If you like, I'll come with you until Bob fully trusts you, though he seems to be growing fond of you, Emilia.

- I'm starting to like this little jumper too.

- So you'll pick him up every week? What do I tell my mother?

- Feel free to say I'll do it.

- "I'll write down my phone number for you, so if anything changes, you can reach me," he said, pulling a notebook out of his sweater pocket, scribbling the number in pencil, then tearing the page out of the notebook and holding it out to me.

- Thank you very much. - I took the note from him, put it in my trouser pocket, then bent down to Bob and scratched the base of his ear. - You obey the owner until we meet again and take care of him, okay? You be there for him when he's in trouble, buddy, okay?

Bob looked at me with his intelligent eyes, then gave me a wink, which I took as a yes.

- Correct. Watch out, I'll hold you to that!

I stood up again and turned to Lucas, who was watching us.

- I'm going home, then, I have some more studying to do.

- Sure, go ahead, I'll see you anyway; if not elsewhere, at school.

- "Of course," I waved at them, then turned and headed in the direction of the street I was heading home. I knew that until I was out of Lukasz's sight around the corner, he would be watching me. At the same time, I knew we would meet again soon.

Chapter II

Every week, similar things happened to me every day. High school, violin lessons, college. On weekends I was only free in the afternoon, which was no problem. But suddenly I really had little free time. Not because I was practising more or because I had more to study, but because I had a friend who I preferred to spend every minute I had free with rather than doing anything else. At first, Lucas and I only said hello to each other during recess in the courtyard, and then we were together in the dining room. We ate lunch, talked and both of us were in a good mood in each other's company. We talked every single day, if not in person, then on the internet. I treasured his phone number, but only in case of an emergency. We discussed everything online, and agreed that the phone was a last resort if we couldn't meet or talk, or reach each other by other means. We gradually and gradually got to know each other. Of course, on weekends, when I went to see Bob, he always came with us. I finally knew what it meant to have a friend I could count on for everything, and I saw the same in him. We laughed so much; Lukasz brought out the reserve energy I had. In return, I tried to encourage him, which he was unsure about, and I didn't let him feel sad too much. Because he did. He tried not to show it, but Bob often gave me silent signs. Not during a walk together did he jump around barking and squealing for the boy to tell me his troubles. He remembered well what I had asked him to do when we first met, and the dog faithfully obliged. It is true that Lukasz did not always tell me what was bothering him, but he tried to be honest with me. Being a private and modest boy, he found it difficult to talk about his feelings or his desires. We could talk about many things without inhibition, but we always avoided our feelings. I thought I would not burden him with my problems because he had his own problems, but I felt that the conversations we had were medicine for him. He was really hurting a lot, which I knew; he was a target, yet he didn't talk about it. Only when he was having a really hard time with his burden.

We usually met in the yard first, the same place every day. We had our own bench, and we always sat by it, talking through the break. Except that one day the week before spring break, one of his classmates and some of his classmates had a nasty row with me, and it turned into a fight. We were discussing our weekend assignments when they stopped us.

- Look, Jablonski has got himself a girlfriend. 'He probably can't be a hundred if he's cooperating with this bunch of bankrupts,' one of them observed.

- Yeah, bummer, he's probably just messing with her head with his stupid antics right now.

- She couldn't be smarter if she listened.

They all laughed at that sentence.

- What's so funny, guys? Is there something you don't like? Don't you have a friend you can tell all your troubles to? Because if you do, you're just jealous, but you don't bite.

- Look, the little girl is talking! What, Jablonsky, he's got to protect you?

Lukasz had been sitting next to me, not saying anything, but now he was fed up. Suddenly he stood up and, without any pretense, rushed at the boy in front of him, who was bigger and more muscular than he was. He knocked him off his feet and punched him a couple of times, maybe even kicked him, but the boy was not fazed. He quickly turned the situation around and it was only then that I thought to intervene. I tried to push his classmate off him, but I didn't stand a chance. The other two, who had been watching, intervened and held me down so that I couldn't get any closer to Lukasz.

- Stop it!", I shouted. - That's enough! Don't hurt him!

There was little shouting: the big boy kept hitting Lucas until two of our teachers came and intervened. One pulled the big boy down, the other helped Lukas up off the ground and started questioning him . The other two boys immediately let him go. I wanted to go over to him to see what was wrong, but the male teacher who had pulled the big piece off my friend stopped me:

- What happened, Miss? You were here, you saw it.

- The boys began to slander him, which Lukas could not listen to.

- So the boys started it, but the fight is not their fault.

- No.

- Excuse me, miss, but I would ask you to come with me as a witness.

My mouth was dry, I just had to swallow. Lukasz left and I joined him, accompanied by the two teachers. So we made our way to the teachers' room in silence. As I was walking, I glanced at Lukasz and immediately noticed that he had a purple patch under his left eye. His mouth must have been bleeding too, because I noticed a blood stain on the sleeve of his sweater. Soon we reached the office upstairs. Our teachers ushered us through the door and summoned all three of us to the principal's office.

The director listened to everyone in turn. I was the last one. I told everything I had seen. I tried to tell it as it was. The director punished them. Lukasz, being a model student, got his first admonition, which made the headmaster sad. After school I never saw him again, but I knew where his hiding place was. I went home, but as I hadn't gone to violin lessons that day, I put my bag down at home and told my parents I was going to see Bob. True, I told them little about my friendship with Lucas, but they knew we talked, so I went to see them. I had to pick my feet quickly before the sky opened up and it started to rain. I knocked on the door of the house and Mrs. Jablonsky opened it immediately:

- Good afternoon, Aunt Maria. I'm here to see Bob.

- Of course, Emilia, come in.

When I entered the hall, I took off my coat and shoes and stepped out of the hall. Bob immediately ran out to me, but I only gave him a cursory greeting because I had to look around the room. He was simply so handsome and modern that he held my gaze. Everything was beautiful and colourful. You could tell they were living well. It was as if I had entered a palace. There were pictures on the walls, the living room was spacious and modernly furnished. Across the living room was a staircase leading upstairs. I crouched down next to the puppy and said quietly:

- Don't feel like going for a walk?

Bob looked at me with intelligent eyes, then glanced shyly towards the stairs.

- Are you waiting for a hatch? I don't think he's coming with us now. - I reached for the leash hanging on the rack and Bob ran to the door, signalling that we were leaving. - Maybe another time. I'm taking Bob for a walk, Aunt Maria! - I shouted into the kitchen, then grabbed my coat and shoes and, ignoring the ugly clouds in the sky, left the flat with the dog at my heels.

We headed for the park. We'd never walked alone before, so I felt a bit lonely, but Bob could smell it right away. We soon reached the trees as I listened to the low murmur of the sky and I could feel a heavy storm coming. The wind was also picking up. Still I walked on, pulling my coat close around me. I thought of Lucas. I suspected he was hiding in his room, so he wouldn't have to see anyone. He was ashamed of the waving and the way he looked. I knew because I knew him so well. He was shy even with me, and he was trying to hide his weaknesses from me. Ironically, I didn't care if he felt weak. I was completely preoccupied with the flow of my thoughts, not paying attention, and not caring about the impending danger that could come in the woods during a possible storm. I only became aware of it when the rain started to fall, accompanied by a loud thunderclap. The trees in the park began to sway, as if someone was pulling on the branches, and Bob was startled and ran to me. I picked the dog up and started running with him towards the nearest building, which was outside the park. But before I could get out of the park, I tripped on a root, fell, and the wind blew off a stout branch of a withered tree, which fell on me. I think I only fainted for a few minutes, but I was so firmly pinned to the ground by the log that I couldn't move. Bob was barking frantically beside me, but poor Bob couldn't help it. My chest ached from the pressure and I suspected that at least one of my ribs might be broken. I could only concentrate on breathing and Bob's barking:

- Bob... call for help! - I begged him between two rapid breaths. The puppy ran away, because he must have felt something with his nose, so I was alone, but not for long. Bob returned after maybe ten minutes, and not alone. By then I was soaked and muddy, but I could only lift my head.

- Emilia!" - I heard Lukas' desperate voice. He came to my side as soon as he saw me. Bob came on his heels, bouncing around us excitedly. I could see the fear on Lukasz's face, though he tried to hide it from me.

- Don't worry, I'm gonna get you out of here. Just breathe, okay?

I could see that he was soaking wet, too, with the marks of the morning's fight all over his face. He had purple circles under his eyes, his mouth was split open in at least three places, and his face was covered with scars and bruises. I knew immediately that he hadn't just stepped out onto the street.

- How... did you find me... so quickly?

- I heard your voice, then the door slam, and when I looked out the window I saw the clouds. I got scared and went after you.

Suddenly he was out of my sight and I felt him trying to get the log, but he wasn't strong enough to get it off me immediately. I did manage to jerk the branch down on one side, but it only managed to get enough force out of my legs, not just my chest.

- My side hurts, and now my leg hurts. Please hurry!

- I'm trying, Emilia. You'll see, I'm going to get you out of there, just hold on a little longer.

This time he tried the other side, and this time he pulled on the log so hard that he managed to get it off me. I couldn't move, and Lukasz was right there beside me as soon as I got free.

- There is nothing wrong now.

He took my arm and sat me up very slowly, but it hurt like hell.

- I'm going to call an ambulance, but first I'm taking you to a safe place, it's still not safe here.

- Sorry, but I can't stand on my feet.

He didn't say anything, just wrapped his already wet sweater around me, put one arm around my knee, picked me up off the ground and walked with me with quick steps towards the park exit. Bob ran close on his heels. I clung to his neck, rested my head on his shoulder and tried not to fall asleep from the pain.

- Stay awake, Emilia, don't fall asleep! - I heard her whisper, and I heard the hidden emotions in her. - Soon we'll be in a warm place and I'll call a doctor, until then tell me where it hurts.

- "I think I have a broken rib on my left side, and I'm having a hard time breathing," I told him quietly.

- OK, it'll pass, I promise, just bear with me a little longer.

- It doesn't hurt so much now.

I could hardly keep my eyes open, but I listened to what he had to say. He tried to keep me awake until he pushed the door of their house open. Bob immediately started barking at the top of his lungs as the people of the house poured out into the hall. Luke deftly kicked off his shoes, all the while balancing on his arm with me. Then he took me into the living room and laid me down on their couch.

- What happened, my son? - his father asked him, but instead of answering, he just stared back:

- Call a doctor! He has broken at least one rib and is having difficulty breathing. We need to get him to the hospital.

Maria quickly rushed to the phone, but Lukas didn't move from my side.

- "Get a blanket, my little girl, you'll catch cold," their father instructed one of the sisters. A little later, Lukas and his father together wrapped me in a warm blanket.

- Everything will be fine, my son, Emilia will be fine, but tell us what happened so that when the doctor comes we can tell him.

- A thick tree branch fell on it, so I got it out from under it. Why did you let him go alone?

I just listened to them with my eyes closed. The lying down position felt good, I didn't feel it so much, but it felt even better that Lukasz was sitting next to me, he wouldn't move. They talked to his father, who asked him about everything, including the fight the morning before. Then I couldn't stay awake any longer. I knew Lucas wouldn't let me, but everything went black.

Chapter III

I don't remember how I got to the hospital. I knew the ambulance was coming for me, but I was out of my mind. I had to go to sleep, despite Lukasz's insistence that I shouldn't. I was then in the grip of a beneficial sleep for a long time. I had no idea how frightened my mother had been when, in the waiting room outside my room, in the presence of her mother, Lukasz told her what had happened. Nor did she know that my mother had banned me from seeing Lukasz. She judged that the boy was not a good influence on me. What she didn't count on was that Lukasz wouldn't accept her decision. Mom wasn't there to control Dad, but when I woke up a few days later and saw only Dad by my bedside, I was a little disappointed. At first, I didn't hear Mom and Lukasz arguing from the hallway outside: