'What the hell is ever happening?' Cristiano Ronaldo was thinking, as he had been waiting for his turn at the postal office in Madrid. 'That's four hours. Four hours, no less. How dare they? They are definitely what people say I am'. He had gotten tired of waiting so long. And if what he wanted to send hadn't been an important letter, he would have gone back rather than spending more useless hours. He wasn't glad at all. And that's too little to say. Would he say aloud anything of what was in his mind? No way. Although he wanted to. But he was afraid to raise another scandal. Suddenly, a brunette entered the office and asked Cristiano: 'Sorry, have you done yet?' 'No, not yet'. 'May I sit here?' 'Sure'. 'Oh, thank you so much'. The girl put her bag on the floor and sat next to Cristiano. 'Wait a moment', she said. 'You remind me of someone'. 'Yes, I also think I have seen you somewhere'. They both got into their thoughts, trying to recall each other. Suddenly, they exclaimed, almost at the same time: 'That's it! Year 2012! Warsaw!' Then Cristiano asked, with some astonished expression: 'Natalia, is that you? I haven't seen you for ages!' 'How nice to meet again, isn't it?' 'Yes, it is! I haven't seen you for ages!' 'I'm so glad we have met again, Cristiano! If I have ever done something wrong, forgive me. I didn't mean it'. 'Never mind', Cristiano answered. 'You do your job, and I do mine'. 'That's true', Natalia laughed. 'May I ask you a particular question?' 'I'm afraid I'm married', she stated. 'Oh, I didn't mean that. I meant, how have you gotten here?' 'By plane', she answered laughing and then tossed her hair. 'But not for you'. It seemed to her that Cristiano got upset for her last phrase. 'Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend you'. 'Never mind. I'm not upset at all'. 'It's just a journey, I... sorry, I cannot tell you everything... I have been here for like a week... I've written something to my parents in Poland and I wanted to send it... So I came in here... And I saw you'. 'If I'm annoying you, I can leave'. 'No, no, stay, it's a pleasure seeing you again'. Suddenly, the belle heard something in her bag. It was her mobile phone ringing. 'Wait a moment', she said to Cristiano, then took her mobile and touched the green phone icon. 'No, no, we're not going to do it. I have told you a thousand times. No, no way. You can talk about it as many times as you like, but I have already told you. I'm a model, not a prostitute. And I don't mean to get down to this level. Yes, I wish you the best too. Bye'. After these words she pressed the red button. 'What was that?' 'Oh, nothing, just...' Natalia looked at the footballer in a particular way. 'So, how long have you been waiting here?' 'Four hours, no less'. Actually, he was not wearing a watch, so he tried to calculate time from his tiredness. 'Or maybe five, who knows'. 'And they haven't let you yet?' 'Not yet... and then they say that it's me who is a...' 'I understand', Natalia said, as she really understood what the word he meant was. 'But don't worry. They will ever have to let you'. 'I hope they will', Cristiano said. 'Oh, you have a daughter, right?' 'Yes, exactly'. 'Is she good?' 'Oh, yes, quite when she's not...' 'I understand what you mean'. 'And she is quite often'. 'Oh, don't worry about that, it's normal. She's just one year old'. 'Well, I understand, but...' 'But?' Cristiano asked, as if he were getting ready for something particular. 'I'm not used to that noise. I'm often away, but when I'm home, Mia always cries'. 'Well, she will grow. It's something we all do. Has she learnt to walk yet?' 'Not quite', the Polish belle sighed, 'but she's a little there'. 'Are you sure I'm not annoying you?' Cristiano asked again. 'Maybe I'm talking too much? Shall I leave?' 'No, stay, it's only a pleasure for me'. 'Well, if you want to. But what am I going to do with this letter now?' 'I don't know', she laughed, 'but in this case, I wonder too'. 'I don't really understand what happened unless the clerks remember me', Cristiano stated, with some kind of disappointment in his voice. 'Yeah, that's not really good. Maybe you wanted to do other things by now?' 'Of course. But it looks like I will have to spend the night here'. Mrs. Siwiec laughed to those words. Cristiano asked her: 'Do you find this funny? I don't'. 'No, but you said it in a funny way... Spend the night here...' 'Well, if I have to wait like that...' In the meantime, his cell phone rang. 'Wait a minute', he said, then answered the phone. 'Hello... no, please, don't... I have told you, that's all a lie... no, please, do you know what? Go to that place... Yes, that's it. Bye'. 'What was that?' Natalia asked. 'Oh, nothing, just some...' 'I promise I will never cause you any harm', she said. 'Thank you for that. You're a real friend'. She smiled. She didn't actually expect him to call her with that word. 'Well, I'm glad you consider me so much'. 'Thank you'. 'My parents must be worrying... I'm very sorry if they are'. Because her turn was never coming either. 'Yes, I'm sorry too... but don't mind, it's not your fault...' 'I know... But I didn't tell anyone about my arrival in Spain...' 'Anyone?' 'Just them... and my friends...' And after a few seconds, she added: 'And you'. 'Oh, I see', Cristiano said. 'Don't worry. You will send this letter'. 'I hope so', she smiled. 'Do you like Madrid?' Cristiano asked whom he called a friend. 'Yes, a lot. It's a beautiful place'. 'I used to play here'. Cristiano said that, who knows why. Maybe automatically. 'I know', Natalia answered. 'Very good', Cristiano laughed. It was dark outside, as though the word had split up in two parts, one of which stayed in its time, while the other went billions of years back. When Cristiano arrived, there were a lot of people, and the noise of them talking could be heard. But now most of them had left, Cristiano was one of the few who kept waiting. And Natalia arrived too. 'I don't like it', he said. 'Oh, neither do I, actually', Mrs. Siwiec agreed. 'That's a real mess'. 'Oh, no. That's not a mess. That's anarchy'. 'Anarchy, right', Natalia laughed again. 'I'm tired. I should have worn a watch today'. 'I have one!' 'Really?' Cristiano smiled. 'Yes, here it is!' She extended her arm to let him see her watch. 'Beautiful!' he praised it. 'Oh, thank you! I'm so glad...' and then she stopped: 'That's one more hour'. 'Oh, damn, it looks like I will really have to spend the night here...' But it turned out that his was an empty fear: his number came right in that moment. 'Oh, finally', he said. 'Natalia, wait here'. 'Okay', she said, with a promising expression. He went to the window and gave the envelope with the letter. The clerk read the address, had Cristiano sign his name and apologized for having him wait so long. 'Never mind. So, that's not because off all that...' 'No, no, something must have gone wrong with our system'.
