CIGAR SMELL IN WARSAW

                                                    
It is 6 am  on December 31,  but 11 pm December 30 in Memphis. 
About now I am wishing I was there...
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As we drove to the American Embassy last night, I could not believe that we had only been in Warsaw for fewer than12 hours; yet so much had happened. Yesterday we saw the Palace of Culture and Science, Ania's new school, and Old Town with the Market Place...where Ania disappeared. Then we got a call from American Embassy saying she was there and for us to come and identify her.


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A guard ushered us into an office;  we were met with the smell of 


a smoking cigar. Two men and a lady were seated at a table. I 


recognized the lady from a photo Larry had shown us in Memphis.  She was the aunt we had been wondering about. 


 The man stood and introduced himself as a deputy ambassador. 


The other, who was smoking the cigar, was LARRY!!! The same 


old former classmate who had asked Ben and me to come to 


Poland for a little assignment.  What? WHAT!!!! So this is where the cigar smell came from. 


I couldn't help myself. "Larry, what in the world are you doing here?"
                                    
Like that day in our kitchen there were no pleasantries. 


"Well, the deputy here and I are old friends from when we were both  assigned to Warsaw during the eighties  as  CIA agents. Lots of spy stuff going on then. My son wanted me to come and be on standby for you on your first assignment. 


"When Ania was arrested and brought here, I was as surprised as anyone. Sorry I didn't tell you that Ania has a problem. She is afraid of her former music teacher. She insists he told her many times  she would be the only girl he would ever love.I think it is a melodramatic musing of a teenage girl. Mr. Z__ is in his forties, divorced, and has a good reputation as a teacher and as a person.
                                


 "Her  parents, however, took her seriously and changed to a 


new teacher. You remember Peggy ___at Humes. We remained 


good friends until her death.  Well, her daughter was Ania's 


mother. She married a nice guy of Polish descent. I remained 


friends with all of Peggy's family."


(As he puffed and talked, I pictured Larry as a teenager. He hasn't grown up much. )


 Larry continued. "After Ania's parents were killed in that automobile wreck last year, Ania was invited to live with the family of a friend. Ania says that Mr. Z____would drop in frequently to visit the family. He offered to give Ania free lessons. Seems harmless enough."        


 After a few puffs on his cigar, Larry continued.


"Ania came to me. She knew I had been in the CIA and thought I could help. Well, as I told her, Mr. Z___had not broken any laws; and there was nothing he could be arrested for. She said she had to get away from Memphis. So I called my friend here and asked if we could pull some strings and get her a scholarship into the music university here in Warsaw. It was a plus that her aunt lives here. So I sent a video of her playing the piano and a transcript of her grades, and now she is here. I thought...."


"You thought, you THOUGHT?! " I was totally exasperated with Larry for not telling us all this before we left Memphis. Now there is  a distraught young lady we care about. 
                                            






Ben, as usual, was nicer than I was. He said, "Larry, it is true 


that Mr. Z___hadn't broken any laws.  And we can't know for


 sure the man she saw in Market Square was Mr. Z___But Ania 


is clearly afraid. We can't just dismiss that."


The deputy finally spoke up and said they called Mr. Z__'s home phone in Memphis;  the message said he couldn't talk for a few days because he has the flu. Believable, he thought. That was that!!


The aunt who clearly speaks no English,  handed us a letter she had received. It was written in English and said Ania would not be coming after all. Her neighbor translated it for her. 


I thought, "So that is why she didn't meet the plane or check the hotel. Nania didn't send that letter. Who did'?"


Ania entered the office. Her face was tear stained.  Her body trembled as she ran to Ben and me and hugged us tightly.


The deputy said that she could stay in the embassy for protection or go home with her aunt.


Ania  said that now she only trusted Ben and me. She wanted to stay with us at the hotel. 


So we three did go back to the hotel. Whew!!


We were so tired and slept soundly until this next morning, December 31. The day we are supposed to carry out our assignment.
Will tell you more soon. If you are enjoying this story, look for
DOWN, DOWN UNDER THE GROUND IN POLAND 
to cotinue.



ben and annie of memphis
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