We had a wonderful neighbor in our house.

He re-read the history of past years here, stumbled upon his own "Nouveau of Santa Claus", and realized that it was time to share another story about the heroes of our time. I had to meet this New Year not in the middle of the desert, but under a tree in Moscow, and I managed to meet the hero personally.

I now know with certainty that Santa’s residence is not in the Great Ustyug, not even in Rovaniemi. She is in Moscow, in Mitino. And let 364 days a year is a hole, with the reputation of which you can bet only that Biryulevo, once a year and here comes a fairy tale.

The story refers to the name Arsene. On Santa Claus, of course, he does not pull because of his age, rather on the elephant (although in dimensions more like a mountain troll, but this in this case does not apply). Mostly, as far as I know, he works as an ordinary taxi driver. Noisy parties in the apartment do not accommodate, with neighbors greeting, in the courtyard is not a hooligan. In short, just a normal quiet neighbor.

So, once a year (and according to my family, he is doing it for at least the third year in a row) Arsene sticks his red hat and goes through all the neighbors in the entrance. And everyone gives at least something, even small, but a gift: somebody a sweet set, somebody a bunch of mandarins, somebody a toy. Some neighbors he already knows quite well, so he tries to pick up gifts taking into account personal preferences. Some of the neighbors, in addition to giving a gift in return to Arsen, are also bound together with him to congratulate the remaining tenants. In short, the holiday begins somewhere in the area of noon and ends closer to the battle of the curants.

I met him the next day after the New Year’s Day in the yard while heating up the car. We talked, asked where the idea of congratulating the neighbors came from. And this is what he told me.

He himself was born and raised in Krasnodar, in the private sector, and from childhood he was accustomed to the fact that the New Year was celebrated across the street. A few years ago I moved to Moscow for salaries, rented an apartment in our house. And somehow I was surprised to discover that you can live here for many years - and not know the whole street, but even your own neighbors on the staircase cage. And already his first New Year in a white stone he was preparing to meet and completely alone, and almost without money in his pocket. A few hours before the New Year at the very door encountered the neighbors - two "God's puppets", to their comment on his not really festive appearance honestly replied that the New Year will welcome one in front of the TV with a sandwich with a sausage.

Half an hour before midnight, the guests came to visit him. Yes, with a very slight snow. In fact, there was only a waffle cake, olive and mandarines, the retirees simply did not have enough money for more. But according to Arsen, it was his happiest New Year (when he mentioned the Mandarians, he even cried out). Since then, for the first time, he has been trying to help the "frogs" (although there is only one frog left, grandfather died a year ago). And secondly, the whole autumn is postponed a little bit, so that in December to walk around and congratulate all the neighbors. As he said, “I first thought you, the Moscovites, were angry and self-contained people. Now I see that you are good. It’s important that you see it in yourself.” I don’t know, Arsen, if you have the strength and patience to change this world, but you’ve already changed one entrance to the Moscow apartment. God give you health and thank you for everything. See you next New Year.