[ oh, there’s some absolutely raucous banging at her front door. okay, okay, raucous at first! but then it gradually starts to take on some structure, to match the beat of a song. and there’s even singing to go along with it! ]
Гей, гей, гей, соколи, оминайте гори, ліси, доли! Дзвінь, дзвінь, дзвінь, дзвіночку степовий жайвороночку! Ой, Ленуся!
[ danylo is standing out there with a big, shiny gift bag hanging on his arm—red with white paper peeking out over the top! slung over the side of the bag is a white linen hand towel with fine, red embroidery at the edges. if she looks inside the bag, she’ll find an assortment of goodies, all sorts of preserves, but most notably a nice selection of jams—strawberry, blueberry, and pear. there’s also the necessary slab of salo sitting right beneath a container of kutia—still warm! he’s included some of the brightest, shiniest apples he could find—does magda still need those? maybe not, because danylo has gone through the trouble of making the yabluchnyk this time, its powdered sugar bright from the other side of its protective container. there’s also a bright, golden bottle of lviv medukha, its long neck just barely visible without disturbing the bag’s contents. he’s wearing a bright grin! ]
Oy, you let me stand out here so long—my ears about froze off! And to think I got all of this together for you—I’d have to go and eat it all by myself if you’d left me any longer! [ a dramatic sniffle, but the corners of danylo’s mouth turn up in a definitive betrayal of his little scheme. he can’t hold out for very long, anyway! ] Heh, I’m just kidding! Thought I’d come by, ‘cause you can never have too much of my face around here, huh?
[Busy woman that she is, Magdalena is cutting up vegetables for soup and singing along to the radio when a sudden banging jars her out of her semi-meditative state.]
[She throws the knife onto the counter and wipes her hands on a dishtowel before marching towards the front door, ready to give whoever is there a piece of her mind. But as the beat becomes familiar, she simmers down just a bit in confusion. Of course, all becomes crystal clear when she opens the door.]
What do you think you’re doing? I don’t need you trying to break down my front door, you warchoł! That’s what you get for showing up without calling ahead! I don’t sit around waiting for your face to make an appearance, you know!
[But she welcomes him in with a hug and shepherds him into the nice, warm kitchen. She even has some leftover Christmas cake for her favorite cousin to snack on as she opens her present.]
[Magdalena likes the towel very much; she appreciates good embroidery, after all, and she could always use more towels in her home. She does, however, smirk in amusement as she pulls the other items out of the bag one at a time.]
I see that you’re stealing gift ideas from me. I take that as a compliment. How does that saying go? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So thank you, dear. I hope you had a wonderful holiday! Did my package make it to you?
