Romek

I'd like to tell you about Romek.

Romek has black hair, blue eyes, and is two kilometers tall. There's something unusual about him—he doesn't like being around other people. He claims they scream terribly. That's why, whenever Romek hears raised voices, he runs away. But the poor guy doesn't really have anywhere to hide—he's always visible everywhere.

Once, some very bad people came to the city. They marched menacingly down the main street, shouting how much they disliked the street. When Romek heard them, he covered his ears, but it wasn't enough. So, in a rage, he ran to the other side of our planet. He stood over a large mountain, unplugged his ears... somewhere in the background, the screams from the city could still be heard. Oh, how angry Romek was then! He blushed, smoke began billowing from his ears, and he almost exploded, but instead... he stomped his foot. Very, very hard, as if you and I had been stomping for an entire autumn and half a winter, and all those stompings had merged into one. Really! That stomping was so powerful that all the bad people marching in the street fell off our planet! The mayor himself thanked Romek for his help, and Romek even smiled! But at that same moment, all the townspeople, big and small, started shouting, "Thank you! Thank you!"—and that was it after Romek's smile. He grimaced, ran away, and lay down along the river.

I'm probably Romek's only friend. I don't scream. For 133 days, I've been collecting straws, which I've connected into a large, thin tube. I can whisper something into that tube, and then the words will flow up through it to Romek. Sometimes he even says something back! ...Mostly nothing pleasant, somehow without a smile, but always something. I'm worried that one of the straws isn't glued on properly, and now all of Romek's smiles are falling through the crack. It would be a shame. Anyway, we chat from time to time. And although Romek hasn't said anything truly wise or funny yet, I often think he's the most wonderful, wisest, and generally perfect person.

From a distance, people seem much better.