It is a virtue that some people take for granted, but which, given what is happening in the world we are watching, is not really a virtue. We often hear about injustices, unfair acts and horrors of this kind and that kind of thing, which sometimes makes us lose hope for a better future.
But where the cameras are not looking for stories, we can still find light in all this darkness. And a piece of that light is honesty, which is rare, but all the more precious for that. That is why we can be all the happier when we witness acts such as the one I am writing about in this story. Then we can say, »Tooo! There are still honest people among us!«
And that's what I said to myself the other day when I was in Spar and I was paying for my stuff at the checkout. Behind me stood a fellow resident, Darko Čelik. He was holding a single item, and I had my products spread all over the conveyor belt. He could have overtaken me, but he decided to wait patiently in line.
As I was finishing my shopping and putting the last items in my bag, Darko walked up to the shop assistant and said, »My wife and I accidentally took this out of the shop yesterday when we were putting the essentials in the bag.« And he handed the shop assistant a hand sanitizer like the one placed at the end of the till, just at the place where the items are put before they are put in the bag. It is perfectly understandable that something like this could happen in a hurry, but it is a mistake that few people would correct, especially if they do not live near a shop. And Darko is not at home anywhere nearby.
The shop assistant was quite confused by Darko's action. She didn't understand what was going on. But Darko honestly insisted on returning the disinfectant to the place where he and his wife had mistakenly taken it the previous day. In the end, the shop assistant just accepted it with a slight smile and thanked him for his kind gesture.
I slowly walked out of the shop with a heavy bag full of products, and a quiet and sincere laughter broke out inside me. »There are still honest people!« I said to myself. And I wish there were more of them. Thank you, Darko, for being an example to so many.
Mojca Jeram, 13. 2. 2026
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