Where the Devil Says Goodnight (Folk Lore #1) - K.A. Merikan Page 0,102

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 made 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.

He was done sweeping by the time the mass attendees emerged from the church, and waited for Adam at the back door, only to startle him as he left for the parsonage. His playfulness made Adam smile, even though he did scold Emil. Soon after, once they both rejected Mrs. Luty’s offer to stay for supper, the two of them went for a walk, with some food packed for later.

It was one of those rare days when Emil’s entire body buzzed with excitement. He had a lot to tell Adam, and since the wind had died down, they chose a longer route through the forest instead of their usual shortcut.

The damp air smelled of the colorful leaves piling under their feet. Many of the trees growing on either side of the path were nearly bare, but with the forest stretching on both sides, the path still felt private as the sun descended, turning the sky dusky.

“And then Nowak offered me Radek’s old car. It’s like someone put a spell on all of them. You won’t see me complaining. Maybe it’s the magic of the fern flower at work?”

Adam grinned and, after a quick look around, pushed his fingers between Emil’s. “Or maybe it’s because you got rid of the figurine?”

Emil stilled, hit by this possibility. “How wild would it be if, after a lifetime of bad luck, things finally turned around