...Stockholm,december 2061...

A dream...

Standig beside his flor to ceiling window the old man was looking at the wonderful panorama view from his 22nd flor appartment in dowtown area...it was amaizing....his favorite city in the world covered with white blanket of thick swedish snow.

There's nothing more cozy than watching cold,winter sight from a warm place all tucked in,having a coffee or a nice cup of tea..

The old man doesn't have coffe or tea..he's too occupied with having these fleshbacks from fifty-plus years ago...

He was sad..

And it wasn't realy perfect time to be sad since the whole appartment smelled great food his lovely wife was cooking as they were expecting any moment to hear a door bell and a magic noise their grandchildren usualy make...

Their children and grandchildren were coming over from tokyo and london so they can all spend christmas together...

As minutes were passing by,the old man was sinking deeper and deeper in his memories...

All the sudden the loveliest little voice interrupted his toughts...he turns around...and there she is...the most beautiful girl in the world,his youngest granddoughter emiko..

Hey my precious,when did you arrived..grandpa didn't hear you...emiko replied...we just came from the airport...mom,dad and akira are downstairs in the garage giving back the car we loaned and i sneaked out to see you....

The old man hugged little girl so hard...but emiko wasn't so young that she couldn't realize something was wrong..so she asked..grandpa,why are you sad...

oh i'm not sad sweety,i'm happy to see you...

You have a tear on your cheek,grandpa....

So the old man was totaly cornered...he slowly sat down on the flor and start talking...

You see emiko...i remembered one night,many,many years ago..it was nothing weird for that time but somehow..it made me sad even today after so many years...

It was a night just like this one,only without a lot snow,but it was christmas time and whole stockholm was covered in beautiful lights...

Your grandma was home and i was at my work...we were anticipating a big night in that restaurant your great grandpa owned..we had some stuff missing for a dinner service so i rushed in the grocery store to buy everything we need...

In the grocery store was packed with people...everybody were buying food and other stuff for christmas and the store was covered with nice lights,the christmas music was on,everybody were happy,happy,happy...except one man...

He was sitting just outside the store on the bare concrete,beside crash can...he had some jacket on him a hat...had no gloves so his hands were deep stucked in his pockets...sitting on some thin rug..,totaly freezed...

Why wasn't he home grandpa...why was he sitting outside in the winter,emiko was uppset?

Because,my dear...he had no home...we used to call them..homeless people...they lived on the streets,hungry and poor...

But weren't there shelther-colonies...like today???

No baby...at that time there was so few things done for them...we were all pretending that we carred,but nobody actualy did...

Usualy these people were sitting near metro entrance or some other place with big crowd bagging people to give them some food or money...but this man...this man was silent...he said nothing,he asked nothing...he was just looking in one spot,not moving...as he was saying....you can take everything away from me...but you won't hear me begging..even in that old jacket and torned hat...he looked proud..and we... we looked like disgrace!

The saddest part is that if all the people shopping at that grocery store gave that man just one fruit from their bag,just one bottle of milk,or one piece of a bread..that man wouldn't be hungry...but nobody did...nobody including your grandpa....

Why grandpa...why didn't you give him something...emiko sadly asked...

Because my love...at that time we were taught to care only about ourselfs and nobody else...

For all of us it was christmas time..for that man..it was another day he needed to survive...the old man shed a tear...

Emiko got close to grandpa's face,wiped his tear and said...well grandpa...at least now you don't have to worry about that...since all the people have to have a place to live and food to eat...

The old man hugged the little girl..and said...thank you emiko...you actualy made me feel a bit better...

...and that silence stopped with a loud voice from the hall...it was grandma anna shouting...

Andrija...our children have arrived:)))