SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Among them is Martin Zabava man known not only for his hard work but also for his good heart.

From a young age, he was brought up to work and to believe. Born on a farm, he quickly learned that there are no shortcuts in life and that everything you create, you have to create with your own hands. Hands that turned the hay, guided the plough and later, when he became a roofer, put roof tiles on the houses of the people who entrusted their homes to him. Although he was a meticulous and skilful craftsman, what really set him apart from others was his willingness to help.

When a storm blew over Novaky on a summer evening last year, the elderly huddled in their houses, children stared out of their windows, and the wind carried leaves, broke branches and whipped the earth. But the worst of it came from the sky - balls of ice, the size of walnuts, began to fall with unrelenting force. Hail smashed roofs, turned gardens into disasters and shattered glass on every side. People watched helplessly as nature took away what they had painstakingly built for years.

When the storm finally subsided, the village was silent for a few moments. And then - weeping. The old father of the neighbour's family, Martin's next-door neighbour, stood in front of his house, his shoulders slumped, his home roofless. The rain was seeping through the broken roof tiles, the wooden beams were rotten, and the furniture inside was wet and damaged.

Martin didn't wait. Even though he was getting on in years and his tool belt had been hanging on the wall for some time as a reminder of his years as a roofer, he now buckled it around his hips again. "Some things can't wait," he muttered, already walking towards his neighbour's house.

He drove up to the yard in his old but reliable van and took out a ladder, nails and a hammer from the boot. He didn't have to ask - he knew what had to be done. With heavy steps, he climbed the ladder, carefully but firmly. The rafters were damp and slippery, but Martin knew the roofs better than his own pocket ...

"Martin, you're a pensioner, you can't climb up anymore!" said the younger members of the victim's family. But he just smiled and said, "Hands never forget what they used to know."

He worked all day, and a few villagers with him, following his example. Slowly, the roof took its shape, warmth returned to the house and life returned to the neighbourhood.

When the work was finished and everyone was relieved, the neighbour shook Martin's hand with a trembling hand and said, "I don't know how to thank you..."

Martin looked up at the sky, where the first stars were beginning to shine through the clouds. "There's no need. Good returns with good," he said, bowing his head wearily.

The next day, at breakfast, Martin found a basket of fresh bread, homemade jam and a bottle of wine on the table. It was accompanied by a note with the words: "He who gives quickly, gives twice."

Smiling, he poured himself a glass of wine and thought: "They are right. It all comes back to you."

Zala Krupljan, 7. 3. 2025