She didn’t pretend not to hear everything.
When
someone crossed the border, she documented.
When someone followed the rules, she was not looking for a reason to provoke him.
When a conflict arose, he did not choose the “strong”, but the right.
That didn’t make her a favorite.
It wasn’t necessary.
One morning a young prisoner named Martin came to her.
He was twenty-three, thin, with cropped hair and constantly strained eyes. He was serving a sentence for theft.
“Mrs. Doneva?” He asked quietly.
“Yes?”
“Can you—” Can you help me with a letter?
She looked at him.
“You can write.”
“I can.” But I don’t know what to say.
Ralitsa led him to the office desk in the common room. She handed him a piece of paper and a pen.
“Who f?”
“On my sister.”
“What do you want to tell her?”
Martin lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.
Ralitsa did not write for him.
It was not
her job to invent someone else’s excuse.
But it helped him with the first sentence.
“I know I have no right to expect you to answer me.”
After that, the words began to come on their own.
She watched him write slowly.
Erases.
It starts again.
He didn’t promise him that his sister would forgive him.
She didn’t tell him that everything would be fine.
She just told him:
“The real excuse is not to make the other person feel better. It is to take responsibility without demanding anything in return.
Martin kimna.
This incident did not immediately reach the other prisoners.
But nothing in prison remains a secret for long.
Gradually, people began to talk about it in different ways.
Not like the “little one”.
And as for the guard who does not succumb to ridicule, but also does not humiliate people when she can crush them with her
Ivo doesn’t give up
Ivo Tashev, however, did not accept this change.
The more Ralitsa remained calm, the more irritated he became.
For him, it was not just a matter of authority.
