“...The janitor approached the window and said as friendly as possible: “Hello, Mishka!” To which the old man replied, as in all previous years: “Hello, Gulya Izhberdievna!” Happy holiday! Gulya smiled again, said nothing more and left, swaying from foot to foot. As she walked in her festive Lurex jacket, orders and medals jingled and shimmered, eclipsing with their radiance the shine of the fake Turkish thread. This was the greatest, greatest mercy - the old man understood this perfectly well - for the janitor did not smile at anyone else and did not greet anyone ..."