SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

I usually turned left, towards the city centre, where I walked past shops and cafés and met someone I knew and chatted with them. But that day I wasn't feeling my best, so as a heavily pregnant woman I didn't go too far, but instead turned the other way for a short walk.

The sun was shining, it was a warm December morning. I was walking on the pavement when two girls, aged about five, ran past me, down a slope. As there was a playground around the corner, I was not disturbed, as I was sure that the parents were somewhere nearby. 

Then I heard a gentle voice: "Madam, madam!" At first I didn't turn around, because I didn't think it was me they were calling. And again, "Excuse me, ma'am." I turned around and one of the girls had already grabbed my arm and was hugging me tightly. I was in shock, because the other one didn't say anything either. I asked them what was wrong, if they were OK, and they told me they were lost and started crying.

Unfortunately, since children are also being used to steal money from strangers, I checked to see if anyone was watching. Luckily, there was a pub across the road with lots of guests, and a bookshop nearby. 

I took them by the arms and led them there; to safety. Besides, it was cold and they were both wearing only thin sweaters. There I questioned them in detail. With tears in their eyes and in a sobbing voice, they told me that they had run away from the kindergarten. There are two kindergartens nearby, but they could tell me which one they went to. A friendly shop assistant also came up and offered to help me. We were both convinced that the teachers were very worried and desperate, wondering where the two missing girls were.

I calmed them down and hugged them. That was all they needed at that moment. Then, together with the shop assistant, we took the two little mischievous girls back to the kindergarten. When we got almost to the entrance, I felt a bit dizzy, so the kind lady offered to take them to the group herself.

When I was sure the girls were safe, I went home. At that moment, I thought how lucky it was that they had not run along a nearby very busy road or even wandered off, where they could have ended up in the woods. It is good that it all ended well. They were very scared and sorry for what they had done, but I am very glad that I was able to help them get back to safety and back into their mother's arms.

Nuša Želko, 5. 3. 2025