Zamkowa księga

1.the castle

Its said Łomża has one of the best beer in the central europe. But that’s just a partial truth; one of the most interesting minds I have ever met, saw the first light on the outskirts of town. Professor Nadolna, because that was her name, stays half of her time in Łomża and half in Olsztyn, working in it’s castle. That evening, she went for me at the train station, after my travel from Argentina and offered me to stay at castle. She found me at once. It’s easy to recognize an argentinean in Poland. Even when it was spring, there was some snow in the area. I saw it from the plane when I was landing, like a delicate decoration of those stylish building.
-We don’t use this place to host visitors, but as you are from National Library of Argentina, we thought it would be a good exception. I hope this old place will be comfortable enough for someone from the new world.-said professor Nadolna. She was about one meter, seventy, with not too long blond hair and sky blue eyes. Not as I had supposed before, she had a smile on her face most of time.
-It’s more than an honor for me to stay here, I knew this place from the pictures. I deeply thank you , madame. I never thought I could stay in a castle. For me, this is from fairy tales.- I said, with a bit of politeness and a lot of honesty. We spent that evening walking around the lake and talking about my reasons to travel to Poland and specially, to Olsztyn.
After so many years, I saw with my own eyes some of those half erased images I used to see when I was little. The brown big old castle, the statue of Nicolas Copernicus holding the earth, a quite stream of water (just lately I got to know it was a lake). All these images were in my memory since we had lived in the old house in Patagonia.
When I was less than five years old, I used to take my bath in a room with a big polish metal wall in front of me. I liked playing there, watching that metal mirror.
Can’t remember the excact date but once, after a moment of watching that metal, I began to see some things. If i stayed watching without blinking, the surface of metal came to life, showing colors and figures. Those colored images I saw in there were so natural. I was sure everybody saw the same things when they took their bath. Sometimes I saw people walking on a crowdy street, some others there was a view of the ocean. A dark forest with many wolves or dogs running at my side. A stone city sculpted at the side of a mountain. And sometimes I saw a beautiful castle, with a few trees around. At some moments with green foliage and at some others completely whited by flowers. I saw that castle from many points of view, I even drawed it several times at school. But it was a statue the strongest picture in my mind.
I have been spending most of my time reading at my house library by then. One day, during those endless afternoons I found in a book, the picture of a statue: Nicolas Copernicus, sitting at the park, holding the earth. Just like in those visions of my bath time. I was reading about that, so I found out it was real, not only my imagination. It was built many years in some city on the north of Poland called Olsztyn. That explanation meant little to me then, all I cared was that, what I saw during years was real, those places weren’t just a game in my mind but a perfectly solid and specific one somewhere on earth.
Then I started to read about that man. Everybody knows how important he was in the history, he gave us one of the keys to understand who we are, and where we are. He said some unique things, one of them was the rule of my life: “no matter if all the people in the world disagree with your thoughts, it’s possible that all of them are wrong, and only you are right”. At his case, it was so damn right!
It was in that year, when Copernicus became my personal hero, that I had those mental games in the bath tube in that particular way. I stayed there, floating on my own private ocean, watching the usual images, but more and more, they were getting related to him. I saw Nicolas walking in and out from the castle. I saw him sleeping on a wooden bed. I saw him drawing under the light of some candles, big lines on a wall. His eyes looked the kind of weird that night. And a couple of times, I saw him reading a book. Think it was in secret, cose he seem to be afraid, reading and copying what he was reading, or watching. What I saw on that book wasn’t in my natural spanish, neither was it in polish, as they use most of latin alphabet. It was written in some other strange characters. Of course, all of that was under my attention some years later, when I started to write it down.
About these matters we talked that afternoon with professor Nadolna, as we were walking by one of the lakes. It seemed curious to me at the beginning that she showed no surprise while listening about these visions of my childhood. It took me some time to realise that she also had some strange past and it was her humbleness that didn’t allow her to talk openly. The things we also discussed that day were some important parts of the history of that city. Some of them were funny, some happy and some sad.
That night, Professor Nadolna let me in a giant room somewhere in the castle. I expected to have light of candles, like I had seen in so many movies, but modern times didn’t allow that. Even though, this lamp I got wasn’t enough to light the invisible ceiling.
I took my loyal diary and began to write that day experience. Some affinities were unavoidable. When Shi Huan Ti was on power, he decreted that all previous events would be vanished. History of China started with him with that law. It was on his desire to make that an unwanted past desapaired with this law. In other continent, around years 1350 BC, Amenothep changed his world, in a way we could call democratic or socialist today. He called back the armies which were invading other places, he took off many privilegdes to high classes and offered education to a great part of population. It was a real revolution but obviously brought a large amount of enemies to its creator. After his, not clear death, his name was deleted from almost everywhere. His successor and nephew, Tutankamon, seemed to be very agree with that politic, and that’s how he lived only 18 years, cose old enemies also killed him, before he continued that liberal road.
Hates tried to delete those years. Nevertheless, we knew about his uncle and his era. Some times, we feel such a deep fear, hate or dislike about something or some people, that it’s chosen to forget them. We prefer to not think about that, hoping, in this way, we can make it dissapear from existence. That’s what was the intention of Shi Huan Ti and Horemheb, the new Pharaon. First of them wanted to be the first emperor, so he declared the past behind him had never happened, while the second one ordered to destroy all links to Amenothep, so that the future generations could think he had never lived.
In a similar way, I would rather not to tell all what I learned about those sad years when germans were in these beautiful cities, spreading death and hates.
I chose to let that piece of time in my oblivion. I want to think that they never existed. That the world didn’t lose 60 millions of people just because one country’s idionsyncracy.
Today, when I think about that night at the castle, the first word that comes to me is cold. When I was at bed, I wrote down on my diary these thoughts and let my self go until the next day, willing to dream about them.

2.the book


The next day me and prof. Nadolna took a long walk, during which I intended to explain her the real aim of my visit.
-Thanks to those half dreams I had and the works I read after – I started - I got to know about a special book, including science and art secrets. I had been sure from the beginning that it wasn’t just a creation of my crazy visions but it was later that I heard about the story describing a very similar book. Unfortunately having the story in my hands I got to know that the man who wrote it had misfortune of dying few years ago, so I didn’t have a chance to go and ask him about his discoveries. Though, I was able to find his widow. I wrote to her asking about the story, giving some information, a few information I had. Some weeks later, she replied me with a fax. She was a very busy lady, trying to put up a fundation those days. In her electronic letter, she told me and showed me a copy of the papers her late housband had used. It was, certainly about the book I was looking for, the book which obviously had comments in polish, written some centuries ago. There were no doubts anymore. It was for real. Thanks to Polish Comunity in my home town, I was told it was about astronomy and natural sciences. The study of sun rays, lines coming from sun at different moments of years.
Then, I began to search about all of this: an old and unique book, Kopernik, a castle in Poland. What I found was this place and that’s how I wrote here, you know the rest. You answered my letter.-
-It was very unusual to recieve a letter from Argentina National Library, asking about an old book, not written in the latin alphabet but including polish comments.-told me professor.-Unusual and interesting, of course. Besides, we were curious about how you knew about this place. A kid with visions was among the last possibilities we could have, believe me. But well, life is strange. Things like that happen. Or they could happen at least.-
We walked that morning, at the streets of Olsztyn. Talking about the book, our studies about literature and of course, about Mikolaj Kopernik, how she called Copernicus at their native language.
-There are still, some parts of his life-she told me-that are unclear. When he was making those drawings at the wall of castle, he used a method, moving mirrors so the reflection on the sun beams, projected at the wall, could tell him about the movement of the earth. Unfortunately even after many studies, we still haven’t managed to reproduce those lines, what of course doesn’t undermine their credibility as obviously it is us who had the problem. Now, after I have heard about your incredible visions I dare to say that Copernicus could have taken these ideas from the secret book. Only then these missed areas could be understandable.-
- I am afraid I have just blur images of that book – I replied- What is more, the fax copies I received from Mrs. Kodama are not so clear either and I still have a very faint idea what they mean. This lady saw that book for the last time almost thirty years ago, when her husband left it in the National Library.-
-Do you know what happened to the book after that?-
-To tell the truth the last clue I found was the information about this castle.-
-I can say that I know every centimeter of this castle, and you can be sure, I have never seen such a book. It would be amazing to be able to read something so unique.-

We had a dinner at downtown, then we came back to castle for sleeping.
The day after I was checking castle’s library. I found, besides the usual basic books from libraries, some amazing copies from medieval ages, like the Ethic letters by Teofilatos from Simocata. Miniatures that librarian allowed me to watch and enjoy. The hypothesibus motuum coelestium a se constitutis commentariolus and more writings made by Koperik are the treasures kept in there. Besides the studies of sunbeams at wall, there are some other studies he made at Olsztyn.
Next days, I was shown many important libraries in Mazuria area. Professor Nadolna was with me most of time. Her guide was fundamental to check these
unique places. A trade between their libraries and ours was a great idea they gave me. A full list of possible trading books was given to me and the agreement of creating an argentine list of rare books for them.

We had been walking and continuing our conversation, until she stopped at the entrance of a big gate. The front was made of brick, had more than twenty meters and an elegant style.
-This is the “Upper Gate”-she explained me.-It’s usual that people make a wish when they are walking beneath it. It’s an old custom. We all made our own wishes here, some of them were garanted, some others must wait more, I think.-she told me, with a smile and walked a few steps back.
Of course I had just one possible wish. I traveled half of world searching for this book, trying to find the secret link between it and Mikolaj, to finally believe that those old images weren’t just the product of a childish imagination but the real world talking to me in its mysterious way. And if nature has these secrets corridors, where the impossible can happen, then I want to walk through them.
I watched some people coming and going under the Upper Gate, some of them looked at me. I certainly didn’t look like a typical polish person, with half of the indian blood, my skin and hair was far darker than theirs. I felt those eyes since I had arrived to this country but most of them were followed by smiles, what reassured me that they were not caused by segregation or racism but the simple curiosity. I was enormously glad to discover those clean eyes, which, as I know from my experience, are not easy to find.
But to come to the wish...of course it was about the book, but not only.
By the time we came back to the Castle the sun had already came down and somehow the scenery that surrounded us reminded me of my visions. They came to me brighter than never before at my adult life.
We stopped in the main corridor, lookig at drawings in the wall. It was, like in the facsimil I had, about movements of earth, positions at different moments of year and dates. At the left, a normal sized statue of him, was staring at us.
-Actualy, there are a few things I can clearly remember about Kopernik. – I managed to say to professor Nadolna- One of them is when I talked with him. I’ve been thinking a lot about that day and thinking about how it was possible to talk with someone who was already dead, centuries ago. And I just can figure that, when I was on my lapsus, I found him in his dreams. I want to think that for once, when he was dreaming, we met. Me, on my bath tube and him, sleeping at his wooden bed. It was a white desert, the black night over us, with millions of stars. He didn’t look like in the paintings, his hair was short and white, with a fine nose and the eyes of a kid. Even though it was a night, whole dry ground around us was covered by the light. Something very common at dreams. But if I still have this memory is because, after he told me something, in a language I couldn’t define or remember, with a shinny and smiley face, he pointed the black sky, and then, only then... I saw above us, floating at space, the earth.
After these last days in here, I gave other value to that event. I wonder if maybe, somehow, we were really linked, not in the one way, but maybe he also saw some things through me. I want to believe that maybe that night, in his dreams, he saw the real earth, using my memories. And then, the book and his genious, made the rest.

That night, before I went to my room I called professor Nadolna and show a couple of papers.
-This is one of your letters, that you were so kind of writting to me. This, is a sheet from entrance book at National Library in Buenos Aires. They keep the signatures of every person that enters to the building.- Then I compared both signatures.-I didn’t think you would use your real name when you were in Buenos Aires, but I see you never wanted to camuflage anything.-Her eyes were wide open when she saw both identical writtings.-Mrs. S. Nadolna, april 10th, 1983. Well, now I’m sure about the most important thing for me. You were in our National Library. And I’m convinced that you took that book. I’m not complaining. In fact, I think this is the right place for it. We were lucky to have it in Argentina for so long but it belongs to the castle and should stay here. I hope that one day, - I told her with a smile.- we will see a copy of it at book stores.
-Ok, what can I say? Many things could have happend. I just tell you I respect your interest and if someday I see your beloved book, I’ll send you a copy. But of course, after we studied it deeply, as it deserves. Our duties with the work we chose for living are sacred for some people like you and me. I’m sure you understand. –she told me.- This is all so strange for me. I have to think a lot about it. I better go to sleep now. Good nights, professor Navarro.

3.the diary


That morning I woke up very early. I had to call to Buenos Aires to give a complete report about this week. My orders were to come back as soon as possible. After talking with them I was at restaurant and spent the morning at the City Library.
I went to say goodbye to professor Nadolna. Sun was somewhere behind clouds. Everything around was agree with my mood. Trees were orange, castle was red and brown. Even Mikolaj statue was decorated with wonderful leaves. A yellow-red carpet of sleeping leaves was under my feet when I step inside the castle. She was in a room on the left, writting some sentences on a big white sheet.
-Dzień dobry, professor.- I said-
-Dzień dobry. Come in, please.
The paper had some inscriptions in polish that said:
Kopernik, mieszkaniec zamku olsztynskiego 1516 1521
-This is going to stay at the entrance of castle, so that visitors can have a basic information about him, this castle and the reason he was here.-she explained to me.- I’m still not sure if I should make some translations. We don’t have many visitors from other places. Mother russia would rather to keep us here and foreigners on the other side of courtin.
-Then you have a great reason to do those translations. It would be great if you express your desire of communication with the world.- I replied.
-Express? Desires? I see you dont have any experience on communist countries.
I looked on the other side of the long table, and I saw a few papers, with the same inscriptions, written in polish, english and german. She noticed that, but she pretended she didn’t. Her eyes were still on the big white paper. I just stayed quiet looking at her. She had some blond hair hanging over her face and with the sun light coming from the window behind her, it looked like the golden farms of pampas in summer. Im sure clock stopped ticking for a moment. Then I said:
-We don’t have communist goverments, but from time to time, we have some dictatorships. Think it’s almost the same. Anyway, I have talked with my employers, I must come back today. I came to say goodbye and to thank you I’m leaving at 13hs by the train to Warszawa. I think my job has come to an end. It’s pointless to continue this unreasonable visit. My library will not pay anymore for researches, based just on some old dreams and Mrs. Kodama papers.
-I understand. My Castle also feels very impatient with me when I travel chasing some old book.-she told me and went to the other room. After a couple of minutes she came back with her jacket and handbag.-if you are leaving at 13hs, we should go now. You are still unable to survive alone on the polish streets.- she added, smiling at me.- I know how it is like to walk alone in the foreign country without understanding a single word-
We went out, and passed by the statue. Then she asked me: -What else did you see about him? When you were little?- Just then I realized she really believed me, and now was hungry of some of those moments I was able to observe.
-He fancied these lakes very much. Sometimes he came here at the evening to walk alone and think. I saw him once, wearing heavy clothes, walking among thick snowflakes coming from the sky...he seemed to be so happy. I can remember his smile.-
-Did u know that some people say Kopernik was a woman?- Nadolna added.-but actually I don’t trust these stories too much.-
-Oh, no no. It was He, no doubt about that. Please don’t ask me why. But trust me, it was a man. – I couldn’t help laughing a bit.
-Navarro, when was the last time you saw these images? You always say it was when you were a kid.
-Well, it’s true. Can’t remember excactly the last time. But I could say it was when I was twelve years old or so. Maybe one or two times more later. But I can’t remember what were they about.-
After some walking, we reached the train station. I am not sure now if it was the place that was totally deserted or it was the magic and sadness of the moment that make other people totally disappeared from my memories. We were just standing watching the snowflakes falling on the ground to cover it with a thick white quilt when suddenly she took something out from her handbag.
-You forgot this on the castle. It’s your diary.-
-Oh, that’s great, thank you, I was sure I lost it somewhere.-I took my diary and put it inside my bag.
-It’s good to know it was all this time at castle. I wouldn’t forgive my self if I lose this.
We were standing for some seconds looking at each other. I will never forget the blue of her eyes. The train behind began to move. Then, I gave her a tight hug and said a few words into her ear. She didn’t say anything back. I just went inside train and found a sit. When I looked throught the window, she had already left. I was thinking she would be there, waving her hand for me, but reality and hopes have some diferences. Train started to lead towards big and sad Warszawa.
I got those moments so blur on my mind. Maybe because of the time they happened or perhaps because I was crying, now I can’t tell for sure.
I felt like writting that down that on my diary, so I opened it. Then I noticed it had some pages written in the middle. There were ten pages of hadwrittings and drawings. I was checking them when I saw what I had wanted to see all my life: the planetary system, but instead of the typical four planets we normally see at his drawings, there were eleven planets. This was written by Professor: “it was drawn by him. Maybe they symbolize something else besides our known planets, or maybe he knew something else we still dont know. Some astronomers theorize that our knowledge about solar system is stil uncomplete. Those calculations are still unclear. It’s possible that we still haven’t found one or two more planets after Pluto. If he was able to read this information from this labyrintic book, we’ll know it in the future. I transcripted and copied just some of the polish writing he left, because the rest is impossible to understand, at least so far. Professor Navarro, please, don’t lose your time searching anymore, this is the closest you will ever be to the book. Accept it as a gift.”
That night I took my plane from Chopin Airport to the now boring and predictible Buenos Aires. It doesn’t matter what I could do or find in the future, nothing would be better than those days at Mikolaj land.
Even now, that I have Corrientes street in front of me, which is always busy with people, I know that the book and my last hopes went with her. But I can’t think about any better place for them, than the old Olsztyn Castle.-





October 2008, Comodoro Rivadavia and Olsztyn