A Different World

“Well what kind of phone do you want?” Jonathan asked me as we were in the phone store.

“Hm?” I asked him.

“Do you want a phone that you can just call people, take pictures, GPS, or text?” he asked me.

“What your phone?” I said looking at the phone I was holding onto for the past twenty minutes trying to figure out.

“Blackberry. You know you can get an iPhone.” He said.

“iPhone?”

“Like an iPod?” He said confused.

“What iPod?” I said looking at him.

“Oh god Elisabeth. I’m taking you electronic shopping today.”

“I no money. College kid broke.” I said.

“That is why you have me.” he said laughing. I just smiled and looked at his phone.

“I like phone like yours.” I said holding up his phone.

“Right good thinking, touch screen phones might mean voodoo magic to you.” Jon said.

“Voodoo what that?” I asked him.

“Nothing just an expression.” Jon said.

“Oh.” I said with an Oh face. We got me a new phone with a number that was simple to remember. Then we went walking down the busy shopping street in Chicago, walked into a store with a big Apple on it. It was a computer store.

“So Elisabeth how old is your laptop?” Jon asked me.

“2001 that new.” I said. Jon took my hand and we looked at computer, and Jonathan just pointed out what he wanted and they started to get it for him. It was like he was their favourite customer. I stood there the whole time, and I was having fun with playing on my new phone.

Three hours later we were back at Jonathan’s condo and I was playing with all these new toys Jonathan bought me. I felt like I was a kid again. He was also explaining everything to me. I watched and listened attentively as he explained my new computer to me.

Then we took a break and we just relaxed. “You’re wearing pants.” he said.

“I hate pant. I wear dress next time.” I said.

“Can I ask you something Elisabeth without you getting offended?” He said looking at me while we just sat on the couch.

“Sure.”

“What did they teach you to be in Poland? You are so like old fashion and in your own little world. Your friends are married, and to be honest I don’t think your friends are as pretty as you.” He wanted to know the truth about me. That how someone like me could just hop on a plane and go to Chicago of all places for school.

“In Poland I learn be girl not student. In village girl stay home take care family. We school until we are required to. However, I schooled at home. I learn more cooked and cleanings than English. My friends not open minds like me. I wonders what is beyond Poland times. Besides mother not like boys home.”

“So you’ve never been out on a date before? You’ve never has a boyfriend?”

“Nie! Mother hate boy. Think no well for me.” I said looking at him. “Slywia, Monika, Roz all go do things bad Sundays. I go church.”

“Do you still go to church?” He asked me.

“Not really. I try one a month though.” I said smiling. “I got question Jon.”

“Go ahead.” he said.

“What it like to have companion?” I asked him.

I don’t care how sheltered my life is or how my family lived like it was the 1800s sometimes, I never knew what it was like to go on a date with someone or even what a kiss felt like. No one was really liked me back in Poland I wasn’t new wave enough for them. My traditional upbringing was unappealing. It was kind of upsetting. I always wanted to be like everyone else, but it just didn’t work that way... America or Poland.

Then there was Jonathan.

He was some guy that took care of me, made sure I was okay all the time, and made me feel better no matter what. It was the first guy to ever talk to me. I didn’t know what this feeling was that was foreign to me.

I was here for two days already and I knew my world would shatter if I didn’t have him there to help me. I had Katey, but Jonathan was very patient with me and I don’t know.

It was like he had the answer to all my questions. I loved it.

“It is okay. It is just a lot of work.” Jonathan said looking at me. “It is kind of like trying to learn a new language. You have to be able to understand things even if they make no sense to you.”

“Oh so like English! Make no sense.”

He just laughed and smiled at me. “Yeah like that”

That night was really fun and I passed out with my head on Jonathan’s shoulder on the couch. The next morning I woke up snuggled to Jon in his room like the night before.We woke up around the same time.

“You gotta wake up you are going shopping with Elin and then I’ll met you for lunch okay?” He said getting up.

“Okay that work.” I said. We got up and he drove to Elin’s and she was all excited to see me.

“Elisabeth!” she said running and hugging me. “We gonna make you fabulous today!”

“Just tell me how much it is later and I’ll get.” Jon said to Elin. I just looked at Jon lost.

“No no my treat! We are gonna make her gorgeous. Say good bye to the old Elisabeth Jon. Next time you see her she’ll be a whole new person!” Elin said all excited.

I really was like everyone’s little project...

The next few hours Elin cut my long hair that was to my waist to just a little past my shoulder blades, did my makeup, and let me barrow a dress of hers. I didn’t get to see myself in the mirror at all when she was doing everything, but when I walked out to see what I looked like I saw another girl there.

“Oh my gosh Elisabeth you are gorgeous!” Elin said smiling. “Look look in the mirror! Elin said pushing me towards the mirror. I looked into the mirror and I just looked at myself.

“Oh.” I said looking in the mirror touching my hair. It didn’t look at me.

I was roughly 1.65 metres in the air, but I stood a 7 centimetres in taller in the heels I was wearing. I never wore heels this high before. My wavy brown hair was straight and perfect. I never seen my hair this perfect in my life. My blue eyes were surrounded by makeup that was flawless. My somewhat decent figure was in a dress that was a bit more tighter and revealed a lot of leg. I looked back at Elin and the stranger and Elin was smiling.

“See how pretty you are now. Jon will love it.” Elin said smiling.

“Jon?” The girl asked.

“Toews.” Elin said.

“Is this his girlfriend?” The girl said in a different tone of voice. I just laughed.

“Nie I not his girllfriend. Just friend.” I said smiling.

“Jon is sees her everyday he is in town, though.” Elin said. The girls face changed, and I was confused. I didn’t get what she was trying to fish out of me. “Like what are you gonna do when they go on their road trip next week?”

“I got Katey and you?” I said confused. “In less you go?””

“No we stay here and watch them on TV.” Elin said smiling. “Elisabeth meet Ivana. I thought maybe you’d want more friends. She is Russian meaning she is close to Poland.” Elin said. My blood boiled. I hated Russians. I was raised to hate them.

I was born to hate them, and it just wasn’t my family either. The Polish weren’t very fond of the Russians. Even now in modern Poland and Russia there is still very uneasy relations with them. Things that stuck out for Poles that the Russians did to use were when they massacred twenty something thousand Poles in 1940 in a forest. They didn’t come clean with that event until 1990. They covered it up. Not to mention their invasion of Poland during WWII some really old Poles still remember. The generation before mine remembers communist Poland. It was giant economic depressions and social unrest, all of which was brought on by Soviet Russia. Most people understand why Poles hate Russians and would probably spit in their food given the chance.

However, I was in America right now. Poles and Russians needed to get along with each other. We forget the old country.

“Hi nice meet you.” I said shaking her hand.

“Awwww you are so adorable with your talking!” The fake blonde with terrible cheeks said to me. I hate when people say something about the way I talk.

We went shopping, and I’ll give Elin the credit of being able to pick very cute clothes. She made sure I had a lot of skirts and dresses, because she knew I hated pants. We also went on a shopping spree with makeup and she was explaining everything to me. She told me she write some notes for me. Ivana just looked at me the whole time. Then I heard my phone ringing.

I grabbed it quickly. “Hello?” I said.

“Hey you ready for lunch?” Jon said. I got all excited. I liked talking to him.

“Yeah I ready for lunch. Elin want ask if boyfriend come with too?” I said to Jonathan.

“Yeah he is coming with us. Tell Elin Navy Pier. She’ll know where to go.”

“Okay I tell Elin.”

“Did you have fun today?” Jonathan asked me.

“I have good time. I get only 3 pair jean though I hate pants.” I said.

“We’ll I’m sure no matter what you’ll pretty.” Jonathan said. I just smiled and let out a laugh.

“I got hairs cut and taller now. I wear big shoe.”

“We’ll I’ll just have to see you when you get here. I’ll let you go, and don’t forget to tell Elin Navy Pier.”

“Okay bye, Jonathan”

“Salut.” He said. That was French.

“Elin?” I said walking up to her.

“Yes?” Elin said.

“We go Navy Pier. Boyfriend coming.” I said to her. She nodded her head and we made out way to pier. While we were in the cab Elin fixed my hair and makeup, because it got messed up. When we got to there Elin lead the way to see Jonathan and her boyfriend there talking.

“Meet Elisabeth 2.0.” Elin said surprising the guys. Jonathan looked and saw me. He looked at me slowly. He didn’t say anything. Oh no he didn’t like it. I only seemed to care what Jonathan thought of me.

“Elisabeth you are beautiful.” Elin’s boyfriend said smiling.

“Thank you.” I said smiling back.

“Here sit down.” Jonathan said pulling the chair out next to him, but Ivana took it and smiled at Jonathan. There was only four chairs. “We’ll get you another chair, Elisabeth.” Jonathan said getting up to talk to someone. I just nodded my head. Two minutes later I got a chair and we ordered food and drink, but I couldn’t read the menu all the great. My English sucked. Ivana was talking Jonathan’s ear off, and Elin and her boyfriend were talking Swedish. I was stuck. I hated this.

“Jonathan.” I said to him. He ignored me. I just wanted to cry. I didn’t feel welcomed. “Jonathan, I feel no good. I go home.” I said to him again. He turned his head and nodded his head and just ignored me. Elin just looked at me and followed me when I went to go get a cab.

“Elisabeth, Ivana and Jonathan been talking for months now.” Elin said to me.

“I like Jonathan not. He just friend.” I said turning to my new friend.

“You like him and if you do that is okay. Just understand Elisabeth, that he has been here for three years and he knows other girls too.” Elin said putting her arm on my shoulder.

“I try real hard to speak good English. It hard to keep up with people. I try.” I said.

“I know I understand. I wasn’t that great at English either. Don’t worry we are on the same page with that one. It gets better trust me.” She said trying to make me feel better. “Just go back to your school and sleep or something it makes everything better. Then we will go to the game tonight. I sit by Katey so you can talk to both of us.”

“Okay. Tack Elin.” I said hugging her.

“No problem.” She give me a squeeze. I got into my cab and went back to my dorm room.

When I got there Patrick was over and Katey and him were moving stuff around in our room. Patrick was the first one to see me and his mouth just dropped.

“Holy shit.” Katey said looking at me.

“I go sleep.” I said taking off the heels and sitting on my bed.

“Oh uh what happen...” Patrick said walking over to me.

“Who Ivana and why she by Jonathan?” I asked.

“THAT FUCKING WHORE WAS THERE?” Katey said really loud and Patrick just shook his head.

“She bad person?” I asked.

“She isn’t wholesome like you.” Patrick said patting the top of my head.

“Oh?” I said confused.

“She is a raging whore who tries to get into Jon’s pants all the fucking time. Her skanky Russian ass needs to get the fuck away from him.” Katey said raging.

“I not like her. She mean. I try get help from Jonathan and she make him ignores me! I tries to make Jonathan aware I need help, but I not good enough. Jonathan say not thing ‘bout way I look. I think he hate it...” I said looking at the ground.

“He was probably undressing you with his eyes... Any guy is gonna do that now looking at you. I mean Jesus Elin is good at what she does.” Patrick said. I slapped him. “OW! What was that for?”

“Jonathan not pig. He just friend.” I said.

“Please understand now that you are really really pretty now that things get more complicated. Just because he didn’t say anything doesn’t mean he doesn’t like it. I mean Elisabeth you went from no make up and old ass clothes to modern and well don’t kill me Katey, really pretty. It is enough to get use to how you are with your English and confusion, but now you are the hot confused foreigner. It is gonna haze his thinking no matter how much you think Jon isn’t a perv. Every guy is perv some are just closet ones... Like Toews.”

“What side you on Patrick?” I asked him.

“I’m on no one’s side. I’m just saying use your brain Elisabeth. You are smart enough.”

“I take nap now.” I said getting under the covers and going to sleep in my bed for the first time.

Before I knew it I was woken up and getting ready to go out of the door for the game tonight. I sat next to Katey in my new dress and heels. I sat in between Katey and Elin for the game. Next to Elin was Ivana and she was staring me down.

“I don’t get why you wear dresses all the time you could wear you shoudl wear a jersey to the games.” Katey said in her Sharp jersey.

“That mean wear pants. I hate pants.” I said to my roommate. She just shook her head.

That game the Hawks lost, and when we went downstairs for everyone I just sat back and let everyone talk and, I just stood by the wall and just looked at everyone.

“Elisabeth?” I heard someone say. I looked up and it was Kaner.

“Hi Kaner.” I said. “Sorry you lose today.”

“It is okay it happens.” he said giving me a half smile. “You got a haircut. You look very pretty, Elisabeth.” Patrick said.

“Thank you, Kaner.” I said.

“My name is Patrick Kane. Kaner is my nickname.” He said.

“I call you Kaner. Um... Patrick Katey boyfriend name Patrick. I don’t confuse name?” I said to him. He flashed such amazing smile.

“Sorry I left you at the bar that night too. I didn’t mean anything bad to happen to you.” he said sincerely.

“It okay. Shit happen?” I said looking over to Jonathan talking to Ivana.

“I’m surprised you aren’t talking to Jon. You are always talking to him.” Kaner said trying to make conversation with me.

“He talk to Ivana now. I least of worry. She better conversater than me. English better.”

“Well that isn’t true. You just need to learn some better English. We can understand you and what you are saying. We just don’t talk really fast and we go slow.”

“ and not yelling. I hate people yell. Yell make not eaiser to understand.”

“Exactly yelling doesn’t make anything better.” Patrick said and then my eyes were on Jonathan and Ivana. They were perfect for each other she was able to speak perfect English and I was still stuck in the broken part. She was shorter than me. She was prettier than me. Her Russian lips were fuller than my Polish thin ones. She was also skinner than me, and that is what every guy always wanted in America, some foreign girl with a small waist and big boobs.

It didn’t matter how pretty Elin made me today. I wasn’t good enough for him.

Then it happened. She kissed him. My heart dropped. My heart was broken. I wanted nothing more than cry. It wasn’t that I wanted Jonathan’s undivided attention, but I needed the person that has answers to all my questions.

“Kaner we go now?” I said looking at him.

“Go where?” he said looking at me confused.

“Anywhere not here.”