The Warsaw Gypsy, Me and the Golden Ring

"The memory is still very clear ... It was very late at night when the plane touched down at Warsaw Chopin Airport. It was so cold and at midnight, I can't see the surroundings because of thick white fog. I hurriedly took the bus from the airport to the Palace of Science and Culture, bought two orders of kanapka (Polish sandwich), one for take out and the other one to be eaten as soon as it was served.

Tired and jet lagged, my bones seems to be surrendering from fatigue and from the harsh Polish winter. I tried hard to make it to this hostel about 30 minutes of walk from where I am standing during that moment. But it was really hard. A little bit frightened by the strange Warsaw city night scene, I fought back the feeling that I might end up in an accident, getting mauled or what or worst, held up. But, behind my back I knew that I am an international student and these people around me will simply smile at me when they realized that I am here in Poland to study, not to pick up trouble. Yes, they like international students. They like the exotic face of an Asian.

It was my first plane travel outside of Poland and naturally I have so much to learn. Again, I didn't realized that the time and schedule was not as convenient as one would wanted it to be. It was a bargain flight so I'm having these not-so-good experiences. That incident in a Brussels subway, the acting-drama when almost cornered by two muggers and again this one, the harsh winter and lost in the middle of Polish capital city looking for a hostel I only booked some hours ago. Finally, I found the hotel after almost an hour looking for the street. Luckily, several good Polish night people and partygoers showed me the way to the hotel. It was hidden in the maze of streets in the outskirts. Dziekuje! Let’s dance and drink the night away.

From then on, I realized how important it was to prepare for anything that might come along the way and “preparation” instantly became my creed.

A hot shower at 1:00AM capped the day ... I went directly to my bed alone in a room for six persons, immediately found a peaceful sleep out of fatigue, jet lag and a memory of what will soon become part of what we call ... past...

The following morning ended up a mysterious one ...

A Church in Warsaw

"There was a time I prayed hard inside this church in Warsaw and after some minutes of walk towards the main train station, I found a golden ring. I don't know if it's a wedding or an engagement ring, but it fits so well in my finger.

It was so mysterious that it came with a beautiful story. In my opinion, it was not me who first saw the ring, But how I ended up owning the golden ring is what makes the story doubly special.

It was a gypsy who first saw and pick it up. Gypsy is the Polish term for a street child who roamed around the streets of the capital city begging for food or money and whatever you can give him/her. They lived in the outskirts, In broken and dilapidated dwellings just like paupers here in the country. Gypsies do not have permanent shelters."

The Golden Ring

The golden ring that went to me after I prayed hard inside this church in Warsaw. I remember it was some days before Valentine's Day and I just came back from Brussels, Belgium, stayed overnight in a hostel in Warsaw and went back to Lublin the following morning, when I found the ring with the help of a gypsy.

The same day (afternoon) I arrived in Lublin, I gave the golden ring to Martyna and told her to keep it forever. No matter what will happen in the future.

After a successful workshop in Belgium, I stayed overnight in Warsaw. The following morning I passed by a seemingly lonely church and went inside. I prayed so hard and thankful for the safe Brussels trip. Walking leisurely, a gypsy cut my path and immediately pick up something near my feet. At about the same time, I notice a golden ring. But she picked it up ahead of me so I said "that's yours", smiling at the gypsy and told her that she's lucky. In the Philippines, she can go to a pawnshop and have it exchanged into cash. She will have food for one week, I guess, with that. But she looked up in the sky praying as if talking to God murmuring something. Then she grabbed my hand slipping the golden ring into my ring finger. Smiling nicely, she told me that it was for me. I said "no, that's yours since you found it first." ... But she disagreed and insisted on putting it in my finger on one condition. The condition is that I will give her all the money in my pocket ...

I smiled because I do not have so much money in my pocket. 

A while ago I paid the hostel and what was left inside my pocket were loose coins. So I gave her the coins (about 4 zloty = 70 pesos). She disagreed so I insisted her to keep the golden ring, sell it or go to a pawnshop. But she said that the ring is meant for me. "Okay", I told her "let me go to the bank and withdraw some money for you." She disagreed and decided to accept the coins. Unconsciously, I searched for some money in my backpack and found several more loose coins. She was smiling when I told her that I have some more coins found inside my bag. She took them all and happily went away. I was looking mesmerized at the golden ring for about 30 seconds. And when I looked back again to smile at the gypsy, she was gone. .....

- end of story -