Three Means Coffee

32

"All the girls you talked to were your year?" Makary asked, knowing that he would think about it for a long time afterward.

"Yes," Błażej agreed, looking around curiously because he had not yet had the opportunity to go this way towards the market square. "There are not many of us per year and girls predominate."

"They seemed very interested in what you were showing them," the hazel-eyed one observed, watching his interlocutor's face change from an initial smile to horror. Makary suddenly felt bad that he brought up the subject, but he couldn't help but ask a question. "What was that?"

"We were talking about Christmas presents," Błażej spoke the words very slowly to think of a lie that would not arouse the older man's suspicions. "I was showing them a site I recently found with handmade gifts and I was thinking about ordering something from there myself."

"I understand, send it to me later, maybe I'll find something interesting there for someone from the family." Makary smiled kindly, although he had the impression that he should feel remorse.

Since it was such a trifle, he wondered why Błażej reacted so nervously to the mention of it. They walked for a while in awkward silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Błażej reproached himself for lying, even during his studies he refused to tell anyone about it. When he thought about it, the disgusted looks of others flashed before his eyes, even among his own family, let alone when his peers found out about it.

By chance, however, that day he had a key ring with him that he made for Monika and secretly hoped to look around at the market for something matching its color, which he could add to her gift. He literally put it on the desk for a few seconds to get a water bottle from the bottom of the bag, when Sandra noticed it and immediately became interested in it. Without noticing, she took the keychain in her hand and began to examine it. Błażej was horrified to see how she admired his work.

"Where did you get it?" Sandra asked. "It's beautiful and cute. I'd love to get one myself."

The first year tried to trick her by saying that he couldn't remember where he bought it and asking her to give it back to him because he was going to give it to someone as a gift. Sandra, however, was stubborn and easily recognized when someone was lying. So she ran out of the room to catch up with three of her closest friends, calling out that she had something interesting to show them. The girls marveled at the little kitty depiction and started talking about how much they wished they had something similarly cute.

"The owner is Błażej," Sandra announced offended. "But he keeps it a secret where he got it from."

"Błażej, don't be like that," Jagoda said with sadness in her voice, when Błażej finally caught up with them. "Why should only you possess such treasures?"

"Because I did it myself," he finally replied, frustrated with Sandra's behavior.

"Couldn't you say it right away?" The thief laughed and gave his friend his property.

"You have talent," agreed Jagoda. "It would be a shame if you hid it like that."

Błażej was surprised that there was no mockery in their voices, but instead, they smiled warmly at him. And he saw in it complete support he had rarely experienced before. In the meantime, they left the building so that the trams wouldn't run away.

"Do you want to see other things," Błażej finally fired a question without thinking.

"Not that I finally talked you into it," said Sandra. "But it's nice that I don't have to bother and you suggest it yourself."

The young women leaned over their colleague's phone with delight, watching his earlier works. Each of them chose something they would most like to have and asked him to think about doing something similar for them. Błażej smiled and would gladly listen to more praise, but he apologized to his friends, saying that he had an appointment with someone and that they should write him what they would like to get, promising that he would try to get their wishes before Christmas.