It was dark by the time the parents finished their lessons and they hurried to the centre as agreed. Misha was impressed by the shop, which offered a wide variety of products from India, and they would visit it together, perhaps picking up some trousers. Although the shop was not that far from the hostel, they figured they would drive there sooner anyway, as it was only open for less than an hour.
As they drove into the parking garage under the City Shopping Centre, they met a tiny figure hurrying along the narrow road to the first level of the car park. As they parked, the tiny figure caught up with them. She was an elderly lady with short, light brown hair, looking through glasses with bright blue eyes. She looked confused and distressed. She said to them, "Can you please help me? I'm looking for my car, but I can't find it. It should be here, but it's not, maybe it's on the other side ..." And she looked far away to the other end of the parking space, about two hundred metres long.
The family looks at her and along the garage, and Vesna says that the other end really looks like this one, and it's easy to get lost in such spaces. The lady described the car, told why she had come to Maribor, and as they chatted, each of them racked their brains about how they could help the lady and then catch the shop anyway; her car can be found quickly, but it can take half an hour or more, as the garage has several levels.
Tomaž is the first to suggest a solution: 'You know what, you two go to the shop, and me and the missus will drive around the garage and find the car. Where do I go then, where is the shop?" The lady was visibly relieved, and Vesna and Miša said goodbye and waved her across Leona Štukelj Square. On the way, they talked about how nice Tomaž was and were impressed by his ingenuity, because this way he and the lady would surely shorten the search time. It would have been impossible to tell the lady that, unfortunately, they were in a hurry and could not help her. They would have missed the shop, because she would still be there at the next opportunity. They arrived at the shop quite distraught and with a satisfied smile on their faces.
Soon, Tomaž appeared among the shelves. To expectant looks from his girls, he replied. We drove a few laps and it was on the same level as where we parked, but at the other end. Then I parked right there, and the lady walked over to the pay machine, which was very close. I locked the car and looked towards her as I was leaving. She was looking at the machine and around it, so I stepped closer to see if I could help her pay. I put my card in the slot, the lady collected the change, I explained where to go out and to put the card in at the ramp so that the ramp would go up. She couldn't stop thanking me and even wanted to pay me for my help, which I found unacceptable; clearly we are going to help each other, aren't we? But that was really a small thing for me. I wished her a good evening and a safe journey home."
Vesna Jurjec Žvikart, 8. 2. 2025
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