The christmas dwarf

 

"Oh my!" Mrs. Pulver from the Sunneschyn retirement home sighs. Once again, Christmas is approaching fast.

The years are passing faster and faster, the inmates are getting older and older - including her - and it's getting harder and harder to put together a cozy Christmas party for all those people. She looks out the window into the snow, where white flakes fall silently from the sky.

Fortunately, most of the people she looks after, they can go home to their children or other relatives. For the majority of those who stay behind at Sunneschyn, someone from the family comes to visit at least during the day to show them that they have not yet been completely forgotten. Some relatives have also stayed longer and then participated in the Care home Christmas together with their elderly father or mother.

But for more than a dozen men and women, Christmas is a sad time. Most of them are so old that they no longer have any relatives or friends. As for the others, one or the other would still have relatives somewhere, but unfortunately no one who comes to visit them. They have simply been wiped out of life and memory, as if they had already passed away or never existed. A truly sad story!

"Oh!" Mother Pulver - as she is affectionately called by the nursing home Residents - lets out another deep sigh. "If only one could at least make this difficult time easier for the poor souls somehow!", it crosses her mind again, as it has so often before.

But of course she cannot demand of her employees that they take more care of the old people or even stay for these strangers on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. So, apart from those who have to be on duty on these days anyway, no one will be present this year - with the exception of herself.

Mother Pulver's thoughts revolve around the same problem as always. The cash is tight and the money has already been used up during the year for rare occasions such as excursions, concerts or even a visit to the cinema or zoo.

She has to console herself with the fact that more is actually done for the elderly or undertaken with them than is prescribed. But she is still not satisfied with the situation. In the end, such a special celebration requires more than just a colorfully decorated tree, cookies and a few Christmas carols. 

 

*

This year, Mother Pulver has been exceptionally busy and now, of all times, two weeks before the first Advent, she has to take up an urgent case, it really quite annoyed her.

It concerns an old, wizened man with a weather-beaten, wrinkled face, barely one meter fifty tall, but despite - or perhaps because of - his diminutive stature, he is a real poison dwarf.

The police picked up the homeless man in the small town and then delivered him to the hospital for a brief health check.

He is as skinny as a greyhound and looks almost starved. His clothes are covered with dirt and there is hardly a spot left where a colored piece of cloth has not been riveted on with Bostitch staples.

Actually, Mother Pulver assumes that the man should be grateful to the police and to her for her trouble, but instead he makes a fuss. Before the officers have even left again, and even more so when she leads him into the Care home, he grumbles like a barnyard rat.

"But, Mr. Kaspar, you don't be like that", she tries to calm him down. "Surely it's cold outside now, and you'll have a warm place here..."

"Oh, silly stuff!", he indignantly says. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here! This is idiotic nonsense, that the two land hunters dragged me here! And against my will at that! I protest! I can still take care of myself quite well!", he cringes zetermordio.

"Nobody is talking about that, Mr. Kaspar. But for now, come on in. I'm sure you could do with some warm soup, don't you think?"

But all friendliness is of no use to Mrs. Pulver in pla-cating the enraged poison dwarf.

"I'm not hungry! In the end, there's still something in it that's not good for me, and then you'll let me die of it!"

This reproach now puts even the kind-hearted Mother Pulver on edge. "Of course not! Such silly talk, Mr. Kaspar!", she returns, disgruntled. "And now, fiddle-dee-dee, send yourself in there and come before I forget myself and use harsher methods!"

He is not prepared for the head of the home suddenly raising her voice. She didn't really mean her threat seriously, but the little man takes her the wrong way. He glares at her angrily. With a pinched expression, he straightens up to full height before complaining further: "I knew it wouldn't come out well! But those stupid asses from the police didn't want to understand, and apparently neither did you! There's no way I'm not staying here!"

"But at least for the weekend", Mother Pulver begins kindly again and continues quickly, before he can open his mouth and complain again: "If you want to leave again afterwards, then so be it for my sake. But at least you should warm up a bit here and eat something decent, don't you think, Mr. Kaspar?"

After a lot of coaxing, the grouchy defiant head finally agrees and lets her lead him inside.

 

While the apprentice's daughter Fanny gets new clothes for him, Mother Pulver accompanies him to a small room in the west wing of the Care home. It is the only one that is still free.

As she opens the door, she says to her new guest, "This is now your home for the next three days. Here you have a clean, soft bed, a shower and even a bathtub. And if you want, you can also watch TV. There’s a TV room in the hallway, where you wouldn't be so alone..."

"I don't need anyone!", the old man barks back grimly.

"Then don't, it’s up to yourself.” Mrs. Pulver shrugs her shoulders in resignation. She's opening the bedding for him when there's a knock outside. "Come in", she says.

Almost shyly, Fanny opens the door and enters. "I've brought you a fresh shirt and pants, Mr. Kaspar", she says amiably, laying the clothes on the bed for him.

"I don't need anything!", he wheezes fiercely at her.

Fanny objects: "But of course. You can't stay here in these broken and dirty clothes..."

Balthasar Kaspar gives her a stubborn look with his eyebrows drawn together. "I told you I didn't want to!"

"Now be quiet, Mr. Kaspar!", suddenly thunders Mother Pulver angrily. "One more word and I'll throw you out myself!", she scolds. Annoyed, she turns on her heel and pulls Fanny out with her by the arm.

The two women exchange a meaningful look.

"I'll be waiting for you in the dining room for dinner in fifteen minutes!", Mother Pulver explains in a gruff tone, just barely over her shoulder, before she pulls the room door shut behind her.

 

Outside in the corridor, Fanny gives free rein to her feelings, shaking her head: "Is that an ungrateful poison dwarf!"

Mother Pulver nods in agreement. She's calmed down already and is a bit embarrassed to have freaked out like that. She gently puts her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Let it be, Fanny. We don't know what he went through to get like this”, she defends the cantankerous curmudgeon before turning to leave.

"Yes, maybe", Fanny thinks silently to herself and follows her. "But he could be a little friendlier anyway, couldn't he?"

 

*

When Balthasar Kaspar still hasn't appeared at the front entrance after half an hour, Mother Pulver starts to get restless. She sends two geriatric nurses to see what's going on with the new guest.

Sämi Reber knocks, but gets no answer. After the fourth time, his colleague Andi Luginbühl shrugs his shoulders in resignation and starts to retreat. Then Sämi gets fed up and opens the door himself.

Inside the room, the little man sits in an upholstered chair without moving.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kaspar, but... are you not feeling well?", Sämi inquires worriedly, because the latter keeps his gaze fixed on the table and doesn't even turn his head towards them.

"Sackerment!", the poison dwarf literally explodes, "what are you doing here, you insolent gang? Out! Leave me alone! I want my peace! Get out, or I'll scream!"

"Calm down, Mr. Kaspar. We meant you no harm. Mrs. Pulver has called you to dinner. You just didn't respond to our knocking", Luginbühl apologizes.

"I'm not hungry!", the old man hisses back gruffly.

"And you should change your clothes, too", says Reber, unimpressed. "Come on, I'll help you."

Of course, this is absolutely not an issue for the three cheese high.

"Mrs. Pulver has requested that you appear at the table washed and dressed differently, Mr. Kaspar. So don't make a fuss, otherwise we'll have to help you", threatens Sämi Reber, who doesn't let the poison dwarf tell him    anything.

When the two geriatric nurses approach him with clear intent, Balthasar Kaspar starts screaming zetermordio: "Go away, disappear! Don't touch me! Leave me alone, paws off! I don't want to! - By golly, I told you I don't want to...!"

He doesn't even get out of the bickering and ranting, because in short order they just grab him, take him into the bathroom, undress him and put him in the shower.

 

The old man’s bickering leads to all three of them standing there dripping wet like drowned rats, the old man now clean but furious. Under duress, the two also put on his new clothes.

Afterwards, Sämi Reber pats him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Was that so bad, Mr. Kaspar? Come on, let's make peace and go eat", he tries the friendly way again.

But he does not forgive them so easily for what they have just done to him. With his fist raised, he angrily attacks them again to drive them out: "I already told you, I'm not hungry! Leave me in peace now, you barbarians! Get out of here! You're a bunch of scoundrels! I'll complain to your boss!", he spits venom and bile again.

Luginbühl grins meaningfully at his colleague.

"You mean to the boss", Reber nods calmly. "She was the one who sent us here. But go ahead and do that. Mother Pulver is waiting for you in the dining room anyway. Then you can empty your goiter with her right away. But now come on now, I'm starving. You too, Sämi?"

The two geriatric nurses simply leave the poison dwarf standing there and walk out.

Balthasar Kaspar scowls at them from the doorway. But then curiosity gets the better of him. And he actually feels hungry, too. "I can at least take a look", he finally thinks to himself.

In order not to get lost in the strange house, he marches hurriedly after the two - at a huge distance, mind you.

 

*

It smells really good even from a distance. Balthasar's mouth waters after all. His stomach growls and reminds him that he hasn't had anything good to eat for a long time.

In the entrance to the large dining room, where there are nearly a dozen tables of different lengths, he pauses, almost a little startled. He doesn't feel quite at ease with so many people in this strange environment.

"Come right in, Mr. Kaspar", Mother Pulver greets him, coming hurrying toward him through the tables as if she had only been waiting for him. She smiles contentedly at him. "We'll find a place for you. Come on." Without a word about, what happened earlier, she walks ahead of him across the room and points to a small table standing somewhat apart in the back.

"Is it all right for you here? What would you like to eat? There are pate with peas and carrots. But you can also have the sauce with pasta or rice", she says.

Kaspar sits down and scratches his chin under his unkempt beard. After much deliberation, he finally announ-ces his choice of menu.

 

*

After the meal, Fanny accompanies him back to his room. Again and again she turns her head to look at him and peers furtively down at his beard. One would have thought he was still stocking up there to continue eating later; bits of vegetables and blobs of sauce still hanging between the tightly tangled hair.

"Why whare you gawking at me like that?", drools Kaspar, upset, when he notices her gaze.

Fanny unlocks, opens and holds the door open for him. As he struts past her, she shakes her head decisively and follows him into his parlor. "That won't do, Mr. Kaspar!", she says. "Leftovers belong in the refrigerator, and your beard isn't a doggy bag either. You've still got half your dinner hanging in there. Come on, sit down, let me see if I can get the peas and carrots back out."

Kaspar squints down at his beard under his big nose and has to admit that it really doesn't look very appealing. "What's that to you?", he snarls anyway, before adding more peacefully: "Well, all right then, do that!"

Fanny is almost surprised, because he doesn't rebel any further, instead sitting down on a chair and willingly lets her fiddle around in his undergrowth.

But that is easier said than done.

"I can't do it like this, Mr. Kaspar!", she whines soon after. "I can't get this stuff out like this! Shall we wash it, or may I cut off a piece of the beard?", she asks.

Balthasar rolls his eyes. "Water? Yikes!" After his last experience, water is now even more of anathema to him. "Then get the scissors, if you must. But not all of it, understand? Watch out!"

Fanny nods. "I'll do my best", she promises.

But the beard is so tightly intertwined that she can barely push the tip of the scissors in to begin cutting. She pushes and pulls and almost despairs.

 

When she pricks her fingers for the third time, she loses her nerve. Without further ado, she starts at the side and cuts off the ugly beard right at the base.

When Fanny holds the dirty lump of felt in her hand, in which life already seems to be stirring, she is seized by a violent shudder of horror. She just manages to suppress a scream and drops the piece of beard like a hot potato.

But when the mishap becomes visible, Kaspar naturally looses his temper again: "You stupid goose, what have you done? Surely that wouldn't have been necessary! My beautiful beard!"

With wildly flailing arms, he nags around in exasperation, so that Fanny has to hastily pull her head back. But she quickly composes herself and smiles at him: "Oh, come on, Mr. Kaspar. Please calm down. Now you even look quite attractive with that nice, short beard. I'm sure some of our women will like you that way."

"Nonsense! Stupid chatter! My beautiful beard!", he laments red with anger.

But she is not deterred. "Nonsense, Mr. Kaspar. It was worse than the undergrowth at Sleeping Beauty’s. And out came a rather attractive man after all."

Balthasar stares at Fanny speechlessly. Her angelic tongue and friendly persistence almost manage to take him by surprise.

 

*

The first night he spends in a soft bed in a long time almost makes him unable to fall asleep. He, who has spent the last few years sleeping outside on the hard ground or on a park bench, is simply no longer used to it.

The next morning, he feels as if he's been knocked out; it seems as if every bone in his body is aching. Half lame, he slips awkwardly into his new clothes and then appears limping at the breakfast table.

"Good morning, Mr. Kaspar. You're looking well today! That short beard looks great on you", he is greeted by Mother Pulver with an appreciative nod. She hurries to meet him through the breakfast room and leads him inside.

Her friendliness and satisfaction elicit a smile from the little man. Whether he likes it or not, it does him good deep down in his soul.

When the other care home residents nod at him in a friendly manner and some even wave, he suddenly feels as if a weight has fallen from his shoulders. A door inside him is pushed open and it suddenly becomes bright. An unusual warmth floods him as he feels the humanity of these people. There is no one here who rejects him or seems to have anything against him. As he becomes aware of this, he gradually begins to thaw.

In the meantime, he has already discovered that the amenities in this house are not as terribly bad as he initially demonized them to be. Although, he misses his free life outside on the street and the fresh air. On the other hand, he already gets something decent to eat and it is warm, so he doesn't have to walk around in his coat all the time. And the fact that the other residents - especially the women - look at him with a smile unexpectedly begins to please him.

 

From this moment on, Balthasar Kaspar is a somewhat happier person.

However, he still remains a troublemaker. He always finds something wrong with everything, and he can't obey at all. After such a long time, his quick-tempered nature cannot simply be changed; life on the streets and the intolerance of his fellow human beings have made him too hard.

But secretly he suddenly feels at home in the Care home Sunneschyn. And after the weekend is over, he would not have wanted to leave again.

 

*

Unexpectedly soon, Balthasar Kaspar is somehow part of the community after only a few days. Fanny has even gotten him to help in the kitchen or shoveling snow in the garden.

 

The work is good for him. The feeling of being needed and no longer being useless is indescribably beneficial. Balthasar is becoming more and more accessible and friendly, but the little runt would never admit that, of course. So everything remains not right, nonsensical and useless.

 

No one suspects that he has made his peace with the world, because after all the bad years so much good is now suddenly happening to him. But he doesn't reveal to a soul what it looks like inside him, the scars he has suffered are too deep and the fear of being hurt again is too great.

Secretly, however, he is pleased when the women discuss the beautiful arrangements on the tables or the men about the polished shoes. They usually leave them outside in the corridor in the evening - especially if they are very dirty - and then only clean them the next day. Now it suddenly happens from time to time that they find freshly polished shoes in front of the door in the morning.

No one knows who is doing them good things during the night. Everybody feels honored when they're asked if it could have been him or her and mistaken for that good ghost. Then he or she just smiles mysteriously and says nothing about it.

Balthasar then just grins silently to himself. He doesn't mind that others get credit for his work. On the contrary, it gives him great pleasure to keep those around him guessing. After all, giving pleasure to others is incredibly liberating and gives his life a new meaning.

Although Kaspar remains a loner, he keeps his eyes and ears open.

 

*

After the first Advent, he suddenly disappears without      a trace and doesn't come home at night either. This initially frightens Fanny and Mother Pulver, until after the second time they are relieved to discover that he always returns. However, he does not answer questions about his whereabouts.

Even more disturbing, however, is that he suddenly locks himself in his room. And the closer the second Advent weekend comes, the longer he sits all alone in his little room. Everyone thinks it's probably because of Christmas and lets him be.

The evening of December 6 takes its usual quiet course, also without Balthasar Kaspar.

 

However, after the old people have retired to sleep, the place suddenly comes to life.

Mrs. Blatter comes running out of her room with a letter in her fingers and knocks on Mr. Liechti's door around the corner. There is a bottle of wine with two glasses on the table.

Everyone else finds tangerines, small gingerbread cookies, peanuts and a chocolate Santa Claus in their room as a little surprise gift. For each and everyone St Nicolaus has brought something, and in the case of the old people in love even fulfilled a heart’s desire.

In the hallways and aisles, Mother Pulver's charges stand together chattering excitedly, puzzling back and forth about who this noble donor might be. But although there are guesses, the truth about it does not come to light. It is generally assumed that it is apparently the same elf who has done them good things in the past. So finally, in plenum, the unknown benefactor is thanked and life resumes its - at least almost - normal course.

 

From then on, you can see Mrs. Blatter and Mr. Liechti holding hands as they walk through the old people's home or the park. And during the further rounds of discussions about the mysterious Santa Claus, even residents of the old people's home take part in the conver-sations, who up to now during these days have otherwise rather melancholically distanced themselves from the others and withdrawn. 

Only Balthasar Kaspar continues to lock himself in his room for hours on end. Practically always at the same time as on the eve of St Nicolaus day on December 6. One could almost have set the clock by him.

 

*

Christmas is approaching far too quickly, as it does every year, and as always, Mother Pulver is weighed down by worries about her lonely wives and husbands. To make matters worse, her health is failing due to a nasty misstep, so she has to hand over the reins and delegate many of her tasks. Fortunately, the new Erika and Fanny are a great help to her, sacrificing their Fridays to fill in for her. But she is not at all reassured because, with her crutches, she can hardly contribute anything to the success of Christmas Eve.

Her nerves are strained to the breaking point, although the festive preparations have so far gone smoothly even without her help. The menu cards have been discussed, the necessary ingredients purchased. The table decorations are also in line with her ideas. And on the wall in the center of the dining room where the Christmas festivities will take place is a huge, magnificently decorated fir tree.

Mother Pulver sighs when Balthasar Kaspar cannot be brought out of his room all day on this Christmas Eve either. Fanny, too, is very sorry that nothing she can do can coax the stubborn old man out of his loneliness.

 

On this December 24, Fanny and Mother Pulver, they both will also receive presents from Santa Claus. The home manager finds a box of chocolates on the desk in her office and Fanny is overjoyed when her sweetheart suddenly shows up at Sunneschyn to celebrate Christmas with her here. He had received a letter with an invitation, he explains the surprise and Fanny confesses: "I didn't write it. But it's true, I was very sad because I had to come to work today and I couldn't see you."

"Strange", thinks Mother Pulver. She could still have imagined Fanny as the Christmas angel, but according to this, her guess was therefore wrong again. It is a mystery to her who else it could be, but for the life of her she can't think of anyone else.

 

Holding hands with her boyfriend, Fanny keeps looking over to the door during dinner and the Christmas carol singing that follows, hoping that Balthasar Kaspar will suddenly appear, but the old man remains missing. 

So Christmas Eve takes place without the grumpy poison dwarf.

Contrary to her usual habit, Mother Pulver also retires early. She pretends to go to sleep, but has something completely different in mind. Instead, she walks around the Care home Sunneschyn with her crutches after dinner. She is curious to see if the strange miracle worker will show up again this Christmas Eve, and maybe this time she could find out who he is.

 

In the darkness of the TV room, she doesn't have to wait long before she hears softly groping footsteps in the hallway. They are still quite far away, but when Mother Pulver sticks her head forward to take a peek around the corner, she sees a small figure with a large sack in his hand marching from one room to another.

Doors flap open and shut again so that no one notices anything outside in the hallway. The being spends a moment in each room before exiting and going into the next.

This gives Mother Pulver enough time to sneak up to the last room, which is right near her. Cautiously, she opens the door a small crack wide and peeks inside.

It is almost dark in Mrs. Mörgelis room. It is only slightly illuminated by the glow of the fairy lights shining outside. A small figure stands in the narrow space. In one hand she’s holding a large sack and something elongated that looks like a bottle in the other.

Mother Pulvers breath catches, but by then it is already too late.

The being has noticed her - probably heard her - and turns its head to look at her.

She is stunned when she sees who is standing there in the room and has spent his little pension money on all the surprises.

Balthasar Kaspar puts his index finger to his mouth   and goes: "Shhh!", as he winks conspiratorially at her and then calmly puts his wine bottle on the table for Mrs. Mörgeli.

Mother Pulver nods in surprise, the words stuck in her throat. The realization of who all these nice presents come from almost takes her breath away, so unbelievable is it. According to this, the Christmas angel is not a Christmas angel at all, but a - Christmas dwarf!

Of all things, the small, grumpy male, to whom nothing can be done right - or at least that’s what he wants everyone to believe, as Mother Pulver must now admit - seems to have been captured by the Christmas spirit and to have found peace with his new task as a benevolent house spirit.