The aunt lashed the young man with nettles on his thighs, back, and under his knees. Marek mumbled and squirmed his stomach the bench, but he didn't cry…

In the evening the young man lay on a bed in his outhouse under a thin sheet. Marek tried not to scratch the blisters. His buttocks, legs and back were on fire. The torture had been going on for several hours.

Marek fell into a restless sleep and did not hear Aunt Felicia enter the room. His aunt was standing by his bed with a small jar in her hands. Marek lay on his stomach completely naked because the touch of clothes to the burned areas was very painful.

Pani Felicia threw back the sheet.

 "Does it itch awfully, darling? How can you stand it?" she asked Marek with a smile.

"It itches and burns," the boy complained.

 "Well, I think you have been punished enough," said Pani Felicia.

The aunt opened the jar and put the cap on the table bedside. The woman sat down on the couch and began to apply lightly the ointment to Marek's burning buttocks. Then Pani Felicia scooped up some more fragrant ointment and treated the young man's lower back and thighs. The pain and burning began to subside.

 "Thank you, thank you so much," Marek said and burst into tears.

Katarzhina was thin funny and simpering girl with bright blue eyes. When she smiled two dimples appeared on her cheeks. That day pannochka was wearing a colorful short sundress and sandals. Her long slender legs were tanned, and there were scratches on her knees. Marek and Katarzhina were walking in the woods near the dacha village.

Pannochka stopped every time when she came across a wild strawberry bent down and picked it. Katarzhina's lips were smeared with strawberries. The young man was not picking strawberries but was looking at Katarzhina holding his breath. The sun shone through her hair. There was a merry ringing in Marek's head. Pannochka was saying something to him but the young man did not hear a word. Marek stared into her laughing blue eyes, and then couldn't resist bent down and quickly kissed Katarzhina on her strawberry-smeared lips. Pannochka did not push him away and the kiss lasted for a few moments, which seemed to Marek an eternity.

 "Well, well, that's enough," Katarzhina said softly and got to her feet.

 "Katarzhina, I'm crazy about you!"

Pannochka laughed and went on along the path. The sun shone through her sundress. Marek forced himself to his feet.

"Katarzhina! Katarzhina…"

"Marek," turning to the young man said Katarzhina, "behave yourself or I'll complain to your aunt! Don't try to kiss me. And don't let your hands go. Remember, we are just friends."

"Katarzhina…"

 "Marek, I have a groom," Katarzhina said and the sunny morning faded.

 "The groom?"

Marek stopped on the path. He couldn't believe it.

 "His name is Zdenek," Katarzhina said. "He's an officer. Zdenek is currently in the regiment on training but he should be back soon. We're getting married at the end of the summer… Marek, what's wrong with you?… Such a face…"

 "It's nothing. Just a toothache," the boy lied.

He started to kick the pine cones on the path.

 "Have you come to stay with Pani Felicia for all summer?" Katarzhina asked to break the long silence.

 "That's right," Marek frowned. "My aunt has offered me to live with her but I have decided to return to Torun in the autumn."

 "I heard that Pani Felicia has found a physics teacher for you. His name is Pan Kazimir. He teaches at our village high school…"

 "Damn it! My aunt told me not to be late for dinner. What time is it?"