1
Bells were chiming in the distance. The coloured bulbs that adorned most of the streets reflected on the 2 wet parallel iron trails that were sometimes acting like hands holding a bunch of people that were travelling from one side of the city to the other, filling the heavy tin boxes that so eagerly we call trams. Precisely every five minutes, on the cobble stoned street where I was spending most of my hours lately, you could hear the deafening sounds of the tram’s wheels squeaking like a victim when it sees its prey and knows that it has to run for its life.
Rain was pouring gently, touching the uncovered areas and sometimes leaving a damp lake for the Lilliputians, in corners where those who did the cobble stones didn’t know what level was at that time.
Christmas was close. 5 days left and the time of celebrations and the wonderful atmosphere this specific festive season emits was being felt everywhere. Kids were on a rampant raw to discuss the possibilities of what they could get from their parents and relatives.
And I? I was studying at the time and needed a lot of money. Moreover I was tired from all the studying and work that I have been doing lately. I needed a break to regain my energies. I thought of my family. My family consisted of 5 brothers and 2 sisters, together with my mum. My dead died when I was four years old.
I was at the time on Christmas holidays from University and most of the time I was spending it in between studying at the dormitory and working at the Mezzanine café & restaurant in the central part of Brno in the now independent Czech Republic.
Brno is the traditional capital city of the Moravian Region and the second largest city in Czech Republic after its capital, the magnificent Prague.
This coffee parlour was a very popular dwelling for those young workers that wanted to have a break from the rest of their world. Along with people yelling out of their lungs ‘Waiter, Waitress’, tens of people were speaking at the same time, sometimes were silenced by the ruptured puncture of a glass as it touches the floor and scatters itself on as much tiles as possible, if possible in thousands of pieces. That was the fault of an unbalanced waiter and the nightmare of the cleaner, to the detriment of both.
The inmates, that’s how we used to call our clients had the tendency, that when such a thing happened, they burst out laughing and needless to say make us embrace and endorse, the red colour, so full of life, tickling our face, resemblance of a waiter’s enemy. Shyness.
Sometimes the bell that the chef chimed also broke the silence. It obviously meant that his work was finished and ours started from there. It meant the order was ready.
The restaurant served as a refuge. It was protecting us from a fearful afternoon that doomed on this part of Czech Republic. No one could withstand the now pouring rain. No fire could have held up to it. Moreover there was nothing in the street or elsewhere that could make us remember that hours earlier, those centuries lava coloured cobble stones turned into a white snow covered one piece carpet that was roaming around this old part of the city merging everything into one.
2
For me, the restaurant was also reminding me of Christmas in a special way. I loved Christmas. I was the one that mantled all the decorations in the restaurant. I could see that the inmates, from time to time, were staring in awe at my masterpiece. You could hear in the distance the sound of Mud’s ‘It could be lonely this Christmas’ as it swerved around with the sounds of hundreds of voices as they rise and fall, stood up or crawled in between these walls that showed a total different world on their insides.
There were two reasons why I was here. I needed money as I have said before and because a friend of my friend, Igor, who owned the place, needed more people for this busiest time of the year.
In between orders, my work mates and I were like in parliament, discussing various topics from make up to dresses to studies and dreams. We were never bored and that was why actually, I did return every year for the past three years to help out in here when needed.
In times like this then, even though I had my friends I was still homesick. I was studying to become a children’s nurse. I was 3700 km from home. I used to attend the lessons in the morning during the week days and then worked as a waitress during the evening and weekends. Sometimes I used to go for long walks, when I wasn’t working, in the forests near Kamehy and Komin. The scenery and the peace that you find within yourself on such trails was as incredible as it might sound when someone reads this and is able to imagine, understand and comprehend what I am recalling.
But what was about to happen to me was a total different story, for which I wasn’t mentally prepared. Something I wasn’t planned for but yet when it happened it showed me new ways.
I knew how to be prepared, from then onwards for the spontaneous circumstances in life.
But all I knew was that at the time that I am recounting, I was tired and terribly homesick.
3
I wanted so much to be able to go back home. But to pay the dormitory and keep up with the expenses that a student goes through – car, fuel, drug store items and a million other things. Plus that I was a woman, so I needed to care for my body. Minimum once a month :) Yes, Yes I know what you’re saying… of course much more than that. But I had to be beautiful and content with the image I saw reflected in the mirror.
I felt like I had so much to do, so much to tell but mostly I wanted to get away from my hectic life of three years and see my family and friends. And finally have sometime for me. Dedicated fully to me. To finally rest. With all these thoughts I knew that I would then regain my composure and have enough energy to finish the two remaining studying years.
These were the thoughts that were crossing my mind when Katrina, the other waitress working on the same shift as me came to me and asked me to replace her while she took a fag outside the yard in the middle of this u-shaped restaurant. Before she left she told me though, “There is that old frail man on table 7. He’s been there for the past hour but he did not order anything yet. Take care of him, just in case he needs something.
I looked towards where she pointed with the slight movement of her head and I saw this old frail man who seemed oblivious to all that what was happening around him. You couldn’t tell exactly where he was looking but he, most certainly was sad and lost in thoughts. Moreover he had a jeans that had lived its days I guess. He was wearing an ordinary flannel shirt which was a bit awkward for a man that age to wear at this time of year. But that grabbed my attention even further. He also had a hat that he was playing with in his hand. I went near him. He slowly lifted up his head as if there was an intuition that an intruder was going to get close to his world. Then I smiled and told him, “My name is Nessy. If you need anything just let me know. That’s all he wanted to hear I guess. That broke the ice.
I was already turning my head towards the next table when I felt his hand that gently took mine as he silently said “ Would you mind getting me some chips, please, together with a big bottle of water?”
I nodded.
The chips were the cheapest item on the menu. The first thought that came into my mind was that I had no chance to earn some well deserved tips from this one!! But I pushed that thought away!!
Most probably, he does not even have any money himself, I thought. So I made an extra effort to make him feel ok. “I’ll soon be with you” I said. After a bit I returned with his order and the bill as we had this tradition of presenting the bill instantly. The total he owed was of two Euros.
He looked up at me. He smiled a bit. He put his hands in his pocket and took out a small white envelope. He gave it to me. “Keep the change” he said. I looked at him then I lowered my eyes towards my hands, where he had just put the envelope. I slowly opened it and in it, folded neatly there were 10 bank notes valued at 10 Euros each.
“But this envelope has 100 Euros Sir” I said.
“I know” he said, “The change is all for you. You might need it”.
I looked at him and obviously wasn’t hiding the fact that I was shocked. I was afraid of what was to happen in the next moments. “I can’t understand but” I now said seriously. “What do you want from me?”
He smiled.
“Nothing” he looked outside to see if now it was the best chance for his torn clothes to resist the rain. Happily he noticed that the rain had slowed down. He then looked at me and said “Don’t look that confused”.
He stood up. He took my free hand. His hand was warm.
“Tonight call your mum” he said. “Happy Christmas”.
Once again I looked at my hand and the bank notes barely visible in the envelope. Then I looked at his still warm chips and the bottle of water that he had just ordered. I then looked up to remind him that he forgot his order and to thank him, but he wasn’t there. The restaurants door bell did not chime and he was nowhere to be seen. It was like he vanished in the nothingness that along with the people and the sounds that they were emitting and Elvis Presley’s ‘Winter Wonderland’ was all that filled the restaurant.
Don’t ask me how I spent my evening. I don’t know. I finished from work then I went to my apartment. I threw myself on the Ikea chair that I had just got as a gift from some of my closest friends. Again I thought of what had happened in the restaurant and looked at the envelope that I laid down on the cómoda in the hall.
4
I looked for the remote control and as soon as I found it I switched on the TV. It was at that time that I heard the phone ringing. It was my mum!!
“Your brothers bought you the ticket so you can visit us this Christmas”. Somehow she still sounded sad.
“What’s wrong mum?” I asked.
“They could only buy one way ticket Nessy” she said. “They wanted to help and you know how the current situation is” she worriedly said. “It’s bad for them as well because of the kids and their education. Peter and Robert are without a job as well. You have to buy the ticket back”.
I smiled. Of course she didn’t see my smile. But she could feel it somehow. And slowly I retold what happened at the restaurant.
Meanwhile I was looking at the TV and I happened to see that an airline was advertising their latest offer. One way flights from all their destinations for 98 Euros. 98 Euros were what remained from what that old frail man gave me. And it was exactly how much I needed for the ticket!!
And so I managed to see all my family. We managed to go all together for the Christmas Eve’s mass. And I came back with all the energy that I needed and more. A new me emerged after all this. I now had a strong determination to succeed in my studies. I eagerly went to work with a positive attitude. Everyone noticed the change.
Today I am a qualified nurse, helping children that are diagnosed with cancer. I am also into a lot of voluntary work. I will never forget that old frail man that helped me, when I so much needed help. And all this without expecting anything in return. He came without any aureole, without any wings but somehow I know that the old frail man I’ve seen, was an angel sent by Jesus.
THE END
And you? Do you wait for festive seasons to give gifts? To give life as a gift is the greatest gift that you can give. Surprise your loved ones by giving them a gift – a small one that comes from the heart – when they least expect it. And do it without expecting anything in return. Do not do favours, only to mention them when the time comes. Favours have to be forgotten, if they come from the heart.
