Entanglement by Zygmunt Miloszewski Page A

therapist stopped the film. “I was wondering earlier what all this is leading to. What does it take to reach exoneration?”
    Instead of answering Rudzki started to cough violently and ran to the bathroom, from where sounds of hawking and spitting were audible for quite a time until he came back, red in the face.
    “I think I’ve got tonsillitis,” he croaked. “Would you like some tea?”
    Szacki said he’d love some. Neither of them broke the silence until they were sitting beside each other again with steaming mugs of tea. Rudzki squeezed the juice of an entire lemon into his mug, then stirred in a lot of honey.
    “Best thing for a sore throat,” he said, taking a sip. “The resolution involves uttering so-called resolving sentences that the therapist tells the patient and the people representing his family to say. In this case I think Henryk’s parents would have said: ‘My son, we’re going away, and you’re staying behind. We love you and we’re happy you’re here.’ Whereas Henryk would have said: ‘I’m letting you go. I’m staying here. Think well of me.’ Perhaps. It’s hard to tell - the resolving sentences usually appear in my head when the right moment comes along.”
    “And this wasn’t the right moment?”

    “No. I wanted to leave it to the end. Any more questions?”
    Szacki said no.
     
    Rudzki: Good. Now let’s replace Mr Telak’s family with chairs. (He moves Jarczyk and Kaim aside and puts two chairs in their place.) Now Mr Telak will arrange his current family. Mrs Jarczyk will be his wife, Mr Kaim his son and Miss Kwiatkowska his daughter.
    Telak: But my daughter…
    Rudzki: Please arrange them.
    Telak positions his family, then goes back to his place. Now it looks like this: on the right, slightly behind Telak stand the two chairs representing his parents. On the left, a few yards in front of him, stands Jarczyk (his wife), looking at Telak. Behind her Kwiatkowska and Kaim are standing next to each other. They’re looking towards the chairs. Telak isn’t looking at any of them.
    Rudzki: OK, so that’s how it looks. Mr Telak?
    Telak: I feel rotten. Guilty. I’ve got spots before my eyes. May I sit down?
    Rudzki: Of course. Please sit on the floor and take a deep breath.
    Telak sits down, puts his hands to his mouth and breathes deeply. He keeps his gaze fixed on a single point in space.
    Jarczyk: I like it when he feels bad.
    Rudzki: And the children?
    Kaim: I’m happy to have my sister standing next to me.
    Kwiatkowska: And I’d like to go and join my grandparents. I can see them best. I can’t see my father at all, my mother’s blocking my view of him.
    Kaim: I want to go and join my grandparents too. Along with my sister.
     
    The therapist stopped the tape again.
    “Do you understand what’s happening now?” he asked Szacki.

    “Telak is entirely alone. His wife isn’t standing beside him, or even letting the children see him. I feel sorry for him.”
    “Please take note of what the children are saying. They want to be together, and they want to go to the grandparents. What does that mean?”
    “They want to die.”
    “Exactly.”
    “Why is that?”
    “Out of love. Out of love for their father. He broke the system by leaving home without saying goodbye to his parents, and he never made up for it - he didn’t pay them due respect. The rule is that someone within the system has to take penance upon himself, and it’s usually the child, who comes into the system as a new element. Please understand that things that haven’t been resolved don’t disappear by themselves, but enter the system. Guilt and evil remain, they’re present and perceptible to everyone all the time. The child entering the system takes on the burden of restoring the balance, because he inherits guilt, fear and anger. Do you see?”
    “Like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars ?”
    “What?”
    “I’m sorry, it’s a silly joke. Yes, I think I understand.”
    “Then let’s see what