"They must be expensive," he said.
"Don't think about it," I replied.
Why are you giving them to me?
That was the question that took me back.
To Kaloyan.
To his wet socks.
To the white envelope.
To Mary, who couldn't explain why she was doing what she was doing.
I squatted in front of Daniel.
Someone helped my family when we needed it.
And then you gave him his money back?
I smiled.
- No. I've decided to help someone else.
He nodded.
Then open the box.
I went home in the evening.
The kitchen was quiet.
There was no white envelope on the table.
But next to the sugar box stood a picture of Dimitar and Maria from an old excursion in Rila. Dimitar laughed, Maria looked away, and I was in the middle with a thick jacket and hair, ruffled by the wind.
The three of us were young.
We didn't know what life was going to take.
We didn't know what we were going to hide.
We didn't know how many years could pass until a truth dared to come to light.
I looked at the picture and finally said out loud,
Forgive me for not knowing sooner.
Then I added:
And thank you for not leaving us alone.
I don't know if Maria would have forgiven me.
I don't know if Dimitar would want to know everything.
But I knew one thing.
Some debts are not paid back with money.
They come back with what you choose to do when you finally learn the truth.
