2

You should quit smoking," Hania had instructed him for the second time, one winter evening, as they sat, as usual, on the swings in front of their apartment building.

"After a hard day's work, it's good to light up sometimes..." he said, somewhere in the space bathed in artificial light. "

Working in a shop isn't hard at all. After all, you're just putting things on the shelves. "

Dawid inhaled deeply.

"You see, Hania, this shop job is the hardest job I've ever had. I have to be punctual, polite, obedient to the boss, and nice... Nice even when I don't feel like it.

" "Even to Mrs. Winiarska?" Hania asked in surprise, tilting her head.

A large white pompom fell over her ear, making her remind him now of the elf from the fairy tale about Orphan Marysia.

"Even to her.

" "But she's conceited and stinks." The girl's mouth twisted in a grimace of distaste.

Dawid exhaled smoke through his nostrils.

"Well. But everyone deserves respect, right?"

"I guess so..." Hania replied, looking over his shoulder with her glassy gaze. "David?

" "Yes?"

"Yesterday, the first snow fell... I was walking home from school with my mom, we caught a flake, and you know what?

" "Well?

" I made a wish.

Dawid threw the cigarette butt onto the frozen ground and smothered it with the heel of his shoe.

"What was that wish?"

"If I tell you, it won't come true..." She lowered her head, and the pompom fell over her eyes. "Okay, if that's what you want, I'll tell you. I asked for a friend because I really want one. I've never had anyone except Dawid, Cinderella, and my mom. And you?"

Dawid looked at her more closely.

"What about me?

" "Are you my friend?

" "Yes. I think I am. "

Hania smiled serenely.

"Dawid? Can I ask you something else?"

"Ask."

"What is happiness? Tell me, Dawid? I'm not a child, Dawid, don't tell me like my mom. Tell me the truth."

Dawid stared at the snow-covered tree, then smiled slightly.

He didn't even know when he'd learned to smile again, but he was certain that his regained ability brought him immense joy.

"Happiness, Hania, it's hard to describe..."

"But try, Dawid. You can do everything."

Dawid looked at her focused face, looked deep into her glassy eyes until his gaze reached her heart.

"A long time ago, I was walking through the village. As I passed a meadow, I stopped, enchanted, hearing music... I walked closer, closer still, and... I saw Gypsies sitting on the grass. They played instruments and sang, and their beautiful women twirled in the dance, tinkling their ornaments. Children clapped, snuggled up to their elders, or frolicked in the grass, imitating hopping hares. It was so beautiful, Hania... They had each other, the dance, the music, and the sun. Do you understand what happiness is now?"

Hania's face suddenly brightened.

"Yes," she nodded, "Thank you, David."

"You're welcome," he tugged at her pom-pom.

"Let's go, then, because Mom will be calling me soon.

" "Let's go."

He took the girl by the hand and led her along the frosty sidewalk, and she began humming her favorite tune.

It was a cold evening, but he didn't feel the cold.

He felt only warmth in his heart and the almost-forgotten closeness of...

A FRIEND.

*

White was space. Space was white...

He loved winter.

He tore his gaze from the window and threaded another bead onto the string. He didn't know what had possessed him to make those unfortunate chains. Perhaps he wanted to feel more festive? Perhaps he wanted to find something more creative than mechanically counting the minutes? Or perhaps there were other reasons?

He tied the last bead and tied a knot. The chain was long, colorful, and as tacky as his artificial Christmas tree. He wrapped it around the tree, careful not to knock off the wooden angels and the single red bauble that decorated it.

"It's not even that bad..." he said to the tree, trying to make his words sound as sincere as possible. "... That star really adds to your charm...

The Christmas star—made of glass, bought for 3 złoty from a drunk near the neighborhood.

" "Maybe you're right... It looks strange on you..." he muttered, pulling the star from the bald top of the tree. "It's much better this way."

He rose from the chair and headed for the hallway, where his nervous reflection was already waiting for him. Neatly trimmed hair, dark suit, red tie, eyes sparkling with impatience...

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the clock hanging in the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes left.

The David in the mirror was elegant, impatient, terrified, and...

"Holy shit!" He rushed back into the room and grabbed the presents lying on the table.

Of course, he had to string beads, play with the Christmas tree, stare blankly out the window, and forget about the most important thing: wrapping presents!

Tape? Tape. Scissors? Scissors.

"Paper, paper, paper..." he looked desperately around the room.

Silver wrapping paper with yellow Santas on it lay under the table. Why yellow? He didn't know. But he knew he was already late. He'd never been good at wrapping presents, much less in such a hurry.

He cursed under his breath when a piece of tape stuck to the wrong Santa head. He ripped it off hastily, but then a large hole appeared.

He cursed all Santas and grabbed the scissors again. He cut out a larger rectangle and wrapped it around the present again.

"Jeez..."

He threw the cut piece aside and started over.

"You couldn't have wrapped it there. Oh no! Nooooo... You preferred it at home, alone, on your own..." He hissed under his breath as yet another Santa Claus taped the wrong place.

The entire gift-wrapping operation took him thirty minutes. Thirty terrifying, tense minutes. When he finished, he was sweaty, exhausted, terrified by the results of his work, and...

Of course, late.

He cursed violently and, finally feeling for his keys in his jacket pocket, ran out of the apartment.

*

Helena was wearing a beautiful red dress, a Santa hat, and plush slippers with Easter chicks.

"My heel broke," she explained her Easter slippers without any real embarrassment. "I had a choice: flower-print rubber boots or these slippers. Judging by your expression, did I make the wrong choice?"

"No! Come on, I like them," he admitted cheerfully.

"Sure... What do we have here?" she asked, looking amusedly at the presents he was clutching. "Did you wrap them yourself?

" "No, it wasn't my fault," he hurried with a serious reply. "When I found them under my tree, they were already in this state. Santa messed up a bit. He was probably drunk.

" "Right... Excuse me, where are my manners?" she laughed heartily. "Come in quickly."

The wall in the hallway was adorned with a long string of twinkling lights. It might not have been the height of decorative sophistication, but the decoration looked quite nice. It suited the apartment, which smelled of forest, poppy seed cake, and cherry-flavored fake perfume.

"DAWID!" Hania called from somewhere in the living room, her voice full of excitement. "Come on, come on! You'll see the Christmas tree!"

"Go, go. I still have one more thing to finish in the kitchen."

Hania was sitting by the Christmas tree. She searched for baubles with her hands, her face lit up by a smile and the red of the lights. The little one was dressed in a navy blue dress, red tights, and a Santa hat.

"Hello, dwarf," he said, approaching her.

"Dawid, how many times do I have to tell you?" She lifted her chin and continued in the tone of a mother scolding an unruly child. "I'm not a dwarf, just a short giant."

"Oh, yes, sorry... I keep forgetting. Giants are better than gnomes.

" "Of course! Dwarfs are bearded, ugly, and fat, while giants reach for the sky and are strong. I'm strong, Dawid. Today I lifted a whole bag of nuts!"

"Well, yes, you really suit me better than giants," he laughed and tugged at her pom-pom. "And where did you get those hats? Did Santa give them to you?"

"Silly, what Santa? We bought them at the market yesterday," Hania replied, adjusting her hat. "Santa has more important things to do than hand out hats. He has to deliver presents to all the children and adults."

"Right," he admitted with a smile, and silently placed the packages on the floor next to the armchair.

"David?"

Hania's chubby face expressed deep contemplation.

"Yes?

" "Tell me, is the Christmas tree beautiful?" Mom had already described it to me, but I wanted to make sure she was telling the truth. What does it look like?"

"Hmm...

" Dawid looked at the tree again. Beautiful was an understatement. It was the prettiest Christmas tree he'd ever seen, and his homemade decorations could only stand in its deep shadow.

"It's a beautiful Christmas tree... From an enchanted forest.

" "From an enchanted forest?" Hania asked, astonished. "How so?

" "But you say yourself that dwarves and giants exist. They live in an enchanted forest, and there are Christmas trees there too. Just like yours."

"But Mom said she bought it at the bazaar." Hania's face was becoming increasingly astonished, and her unseeing eyes focused on the back of the armchair.

"Silly," he stroked her cheek, "Do you think I wouldn't recognize a Christmas tree from an enchanted forest? If I described my tree to you, you'd know right away it's from a store or a bazaar. But this Christmas tree... Hania, it must be from an enchanted forest. Just smell how it smells... Can you smell it? Like magic. Like magic from an enchanted forest of giants and dwarves."

"I can smell it!" Hania exclaimed joyfully. "David, she really is from an enchanted forest!"

"Yes, I'm telling you," he smiled at the sight of her beaming face. "And she's beautiful, Hania. She has colorful baubles, silver chains, and white angels that will speak human language at midnight..."

"Really? Mom said only animals would speak like that.

" "Yes," he agreed. "But angels too. You'll see for yourself if you just don't fall asleep. "

Hania clapped her hands. "

I won't fall asleep! I'll be alert! David?

" "Yes?"

"And does our magical Christmas tree have horsehair?"

Dawid burst into a loud laugh.

"Horsehair? They call it angel hair," he continued, unable to stop. "Horsehair... Well, I've never heard that before in my life. To hang horsehair on a Christmas tree!

" "Don't laugh at me," Hania scowled, "because I'll be mad at you for the rest of my life! And I'll never, ever tell you a secret again!"

Helena entered the room with a platter of salad.

"Okay, I won't," he said, trying to sound as serious as possible.

"Come on! Let's play Christmas carols, share the Christmas wafer, and stuff ourselves with food!" Helena said to them in a voice brimming with joy.

A large pompom fell over her eyes.

*