Toni

The last day before the Christmas holidays may not be the ideal day to buy a new phone, but hey, my device has been ready at the Vodafone branch in Schalkwijk for weeks and it's just a matter of signing, putting a bow on it, and going.

My beloved has to come along because I have a business subscription and he is the big thick door of our company. A man who – as I will learn later – is named Toni, comes up to me. What we want to drink. We share a little cappuccino because we are leaving soon. Or so we thought.

Beloved signs his name and since we are with two cars anyway, I say it’s great fun with just the two of us, but he might as well go. Then Toni – we have introduced ourselves by now – and I will take care of the rest ‘in a jiffy’.

Could Toni put the protective glass plate on my device? And yes, he really thinks the pink protective case I choose is a nice color. He had already prepared the SIM card for my old device that is going to my children. Will he swap the cards for me? And oh dear, he accidentally took a sip from my cup. I wave that it’s no problem, but Toni is already at the machine for a new one.

Toni looks at my cord. That it’s dangerous if the cable is visible. But really dangerous. Meanwhile, he asks if I want to enter my iCloud password. I enter the wrong one. Three times. ‘Take it easy,’ says Toni, ‘you can make a mistake more than three times.’ When I succeed, I see Toni's fist pump. Yes. I did it! We continue, but my device is glitching. ‘Why don’t you go shopping for a bit,’ says Toni. ‘You probably have a lot to do on this day before the Christmas holidays. I give him my login codes and head towards Kruidvat.’

‘Daniëlle called,’ says Toni. That she is a nice woman. I show her photo. ‘Nice face,’ says Toni. An iPad needs to be linked to my device, I need to approve that. I guess I’ll go home to arrange that. Toni writes his number on a post-it. I write mine on the large Vodafone form. I also give him the numbers of Daniëlle and Stella; one manages the home front, the other the office. After half an hour at home, Toni calls. If everything is going well and if I haven’t lost his number. ‘No, Toni, but the iPad was so empty that it takes an eternity to wake it up.’ He understands that.

I return again. With iPad. In the meantime, it’s time for tea. Or I can choose from his bags. He brings those from home. Much better than the tea from the machine. I’m no longer sitting across from him at the little table, but next to him. We talk about Genoa. Toni is from Croatia, but prefers to vacation in Italy, just like me. We talk about the collapsed bridge. Toni drove over it the day before. ‘When it’s your time, it’s your time.’

I complain for a moment that I never have reception on the beach with Vodafone. He thanks me for staying a customer and promises me that 5G is on the way.

‘Does he always help everyone so wonderfully?’ I ask him. ‘Sometimes,’ is his answer. ‘I saw that you needed it.’ If you are his boss and reading this: cherish this man. He is a hero.