She didn't have a (p)personal reason, as she had no relatives or duties there - she simply believed that older people need someone to listen to them and spend time with them.
Like every Saturday, she entered through the large front door of the home, which smelled of laundry and authenticity. The elderly were sitting in the common room - some chatting, others reading newspapers and magazines, others gazing thoughtfully out of the window. They knew it was coming - and they were looking forward to it.
"Ah, Nika, how nice to see you!" exclaimed Mrs Silva, who always had her crochet hook with her and taught Nika the basic knots. "I have a special surprise for you today."
"Surprise?" smiled Nika, sitting down next to her.
"Yes, but first help me finish this joke. It's for my granddaughter, and my fingers are getting a bit sore," Silva confessed.
Nika took the crochet hook without a second thought and continued working under Silva's watchful eye. Meanwhile, Silva told her a story from her youth - about working on the farm and taking care of the children.
From a distance, listening to the story that Silva was telling Nika, Mr Tone came and asked her, "Nika, could you read me a few pages from the book I have started reading? You know I can't see very well."
Of course she was ready. She sat down next to him and began to read to him loudly but gently. Tone blinked and listened, his face reflecting the peace her story brought him.
Every visit was special. One day, the elderly at the home gave her a surprise - they baked her a cake.
"Nika, you always give us your time and kindness," said Mrs Silva. "But today it's our turn to teach you something."
And so they whirled around to the sound of an accordion played by one of the clients, joy and laughter filled the room and for a moment everyone forgot about time.
Nika left home with a smile, having seen through the experience of the wise that the world can be beautiful even in the "autumn of life".
Zala Krupljan, 24. 2. 2025
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