SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

For their peace and, last but not least, for their survival.

Somehow, in their darkest moments the stars have aligned and I found an apartment that I felt would be my shelter. My first salary allowed me to jump into a new life that was anything but easy.

Due to objective circumstances and bad experiences in the past, I made a conscious decision to save myself, without the help of the institutions that were supposed to help me in such a situation, but that's a story for another time...

The apartment that became my new home was almost unfurnished. Enough to survive, but still not enough for a decent life. The help of friends with small loans helped me a lot to gradually start furnishing my flat. It was necessary to buy a washing machine, a cooker (in my case, due to space constraints, an electric hob and a mini oven), kitchen utensils, a bathroom... 

Great Morning The apartment had an old, creaky and worn-out bed, which was very uncomfortable. 

A combination of circumstances meant that I had to buy a new wardrobe for the hallway. Doubting my ability to assemble the wardrobe, I tried my luck with a joiner with good recommendations.

After the gentleman had assembled the wardrobe, he asked me before he left if there was anything else he could do to help me, and if there was anything else I needed. And I blurted out that I needed a new bed because my current one was going to fall apart, but I hinted that it would be too much of a financial burden for me at the moment.

Igor Gajšek, the cabinetmaker, immediately seized the opportunity, took the measurements and told me that he was going to make something. Then one day he called me to see when I was home, to come and make my bed.

And sure enough, one July afternoon he drove up to the yard with a caravan on which was my new bed. He kindly put the bed together while I secretly swisswhen I was thinking about how it would hit me financially. At that time, I had extra housing costs and I wanted to pay my bills on time. Even beds in furniture stores are prohibitively expensive, let alone a bed made to measure by a carpenter ...

I was almost green with worry, waiting for the moment when the bed would be assembled and ready to use. I should mention that the old bed almost fell to pieces of its own accord the first time I touched it in a more tangible way, and I still wonder how it lasted me the few months it took to sleep on it.

When Igor had finished assembling it, the new bed shone in all its beauty. And then came the surprise when he told me he was giving me the bed. By the way the wood in his workshop was in need of help due to a cancelled order, and when he realised that making a bed could improve my sleep, he didn't hesitate to come to the rescue.

Unused to such kindness, I could not, of course, accept the gift easily, but somehow he could not be persuaded to pay for it. I am still grateful to him for this gesture and have been sleeping comfortably on a bed made with love and made out of kindness and goodness for several years.

Amadeja Mlakar, 27 May 2025