Monday
Majbrit: Jens usually has oats with milk and Oboy cocoa powder for breakfast, but since it’s the first day of vacation, Kåre, his father, has bought toast bread. I haven’t started my vacation yet; it’s just the two of them at home. After summer, Jens will start 6th grade. He has been looking forward to the holiday but doesn’t have any big plans. After breakfast, Jens goes to play video games. He mostly plays Counter-Strike.
In the afternoon, Jens makes small chickens out of beads. He started doing this when the war in Ukraine began and there was a fundraising drive in Denmark.
He hung the chickens on a bush, and people paid 10 kroner for them in a jam jar.
We had seen some Ukrainian children on TV who were in need of everything, so Jens used the money from the chickens to buy school backpacks, which several organizations helped send to Ukraine. It ended up being a chicken because it was Easter back then. You need 33 yellow beads, six blue ones, two black ones, and one red one to make a Ukraine-chicken. It used to take Jens over five minutes to make one. Now he can do it in two. We have all learned how to make them.
In the evening, Jens helps make dinner. We grill.
Tuesday
We toast some slices of toast bread from Monday and sit outside. Kåre’s phone rings. He doesn’t want to answer it; it’s probably a salesperson. Right after, he gets a text message. It’s the Ukrainian ambassador; he better call back. He always stands up and walks away when he has to speak English. The ambassador asks if we can come to Aarhus on Thursday.
It’s not really surprising that he calls. He has helped us with translations and other practical matters. We’re probably going to meet for ice cream or something like that.
We go to Faarup Sommerland, which Jens loves. We live nearby and can manage up to 15 visits a year. We don’t talk much about Ukraine or the ambassador, who has promised to call back later with more details. It’s extremely hot, so we also visit the water park.
Back home, we eat koldskål (a traditional Danish summetime dessert), and Jens plays video games a bit before going to bed. The ambassador doesn’t call back.
Wednesday
Jens comes to sleep with us during the night. He does that sometimes. I have to get up early for work and leave before the others wake up.
Kåre (father): I go down to pick up a new toast bread; breakfast is almost ready when Jens gets up. After eating, Jens and I go to the barber. He needs a bit of a trim.
He gets his usual haircut – short on the sides, a bit longer on top. Majbrit and I go out to buy some clothes, and Jens goes over to some friends. He doesn’t tell them what he’s doing on Thursday. 11-year-old boys don’t think about that much.
Jens is home playing video games when the ambassador calls. I go into a quiet room to agree on the time and place with the ambassador. At the end, he says that the person awarding the prizes in Ukraine will be doing it here too.
It’s Zelensky.
I say »wow« a lot of times. I’m strictly told to keep quiet. Hardly anyone knows Zelensky will be in Denmark. It’s tough to keep it in, but I don’t tell anyone. Not even Majbrit or Jens.
Thursday
Majbrit: We toast the toast bread from yesterday for breakfast.
Jens is under some supervision. You don’t meet the ambassador in cowboy shorts. Jens and I agree that a shirt would be nicest.
He and Kåre go to the car wash to clean the car. I think it might be a bit much, but okay.
Kåre is acting a bit different. He’s pressed for time and is like »we’re just not going to be late today«.
We never run late, but we’re leaving very early.
We stop at McDonald’s on Randersvej in Aarhus and share some nuggets. Aarhus is completely closed off. As we leave, a man in a pristine white shirt steps out of a diplomatic car with blue license plates. He says we should come with him.
It’s wild to be picked up in such a car to meet the ambassador.
Jens says »ha ha«. It’s a sound he always makes when he’s a bit nervous. A little cautious and without laughing. He doesn’t say much in the car.
There are police officers everywhere at the hotel. They check our bags. Even my little box of headache pills. There are even officers keeping an eye on us when we go to the bathroom. We talked to Jens beforehand about the heavy police presence, but assured him it was just for protection and not because of any danger.
At one point, we see Zelensky out of the corner of our eye at the end of the hallway. Jens and I give each other a high five and say »there goes the coolest man in the world«. Jens is really happy.
The Ukrainian delegation takes our hands and quickly walks us down the hallway. Jens almost runs ahead with a hand in his pocket. In front of a door, the ambassador says »here’s my surprise«.
There’s Zelensky.
Jens goes completely silent.
Honestly, I worry he might faint. I am very attentive. He says »ha ha« again. It’s surreal to be standing in front of such a personality.
The first thing Zelensky says is that we should come to Ukraine for vacation once the war is over. Jens is really enthusiastic about that.
A woman reads something official about why he’s receiving the award.
Zelensky gives him a diploma, a medal, and an iPad. Apparently, all the children who receive the award get an iPad. I completely forget to take pictures. Usually, I’m the one who remembers such things. Luckily, there are plenty of photographers.
The whole thing only takes five to eight minutes.
There are a lot of people congratulating us when we’re outside again. But then Zelensky passes by, and even though he’s heading out, he sees Jens waving and comes back. I signal with my phone, and Zelensky says »selfie?«.
Suddenly, we’re standing there with our arms around each other. It’s absolutely wild. In the picture, you can see Jens relaxing a bit more and looking really happy.
On the way home, Jens gets an ice cream with Smarties and chocolate sauce at McDonald’s. He unpacks the medal at the restaurant. He looks at it a bit but doesn’t say much.
It’s like everyone needs to understand what just happened.
In the car on the way home, TV2 News calls. They do a live segment with Jens. He always clams up a bit when he’s on TV, and we have to nudge him a bit under the table to get him to say something.
We visit our very proud friends on the way home. But not long after we get home to Biersted, Jens falls asleep. He does manage to discover that the iPad charger plug is Ukrainian and doesn’t work in Denmark.
Friday
Jens has cleared a shelf in a cabinet to make room for Ukrainian books, the medal, and the diploma. It used to hold cars he collected. He has hidden the key to the cabinet. Only we know where it is.
We’re heading to a summer house in Hirtshals. Before we leave, Grandma calls Jens. She is proud.
Otherwise, he just plays video games. It’s like he still doesn’t really grasp what happened or how extraordinary it is. He doesn’t take his new iPad with him. It needs a cover first.
Our friends at the summer house have helped a lot with the practical aspects of Jens’ chickens, so Jens is very excited to see them.
Saturday
We havebread rolls for breakfast. That’s what you do when you’re in a summer house, and Jens gets the deluxe version. There are both dark and light chocolate slices on the roll.
We go to the beach, but no one swims. If you put strings on the kids, you could use them as kites. The weather is wild.
At the summer house, Jens helps build a shelter for the garden. He’s always good at helping.
He also sometimes goes down to Inge, who lives on the street, with three buns. She is always happy about that. Most people in Biersted know who he is because he always helps put up flags.
Sunday
There are bread rolls again.
The others continue building the shelter and have a topping-out ceremony before we play some games.
Both Jens and I lose in Sequence and croquet. But we play just for fun.
»Ding, ding, ding«. The phone keeps making MobilePay sounds constantly. There have been a lot of orders. Something happens when your name is associated with Zelensky.
Fortunately, there are also a few people who write that they don’t need chickens. Everyone at the summer house helps make chickens in the evening.
Someone sends 5,000 kroner.
»That’s a lot of chickens to make«, Jens says to me.
I think we make 110, but we’re still a bit behind. We have to sell 16.5 chickens to afford sending one backpack filled with pencil cases and lunch boxes to Ukraine.
Jens expects to send 500 backpacks to Ukraine around Christmas. But then he would like to stop. He’s looking forward to taking a break. He doesn’t really know why. There’s also something about a fundraising committee.
Jens tells me that friends who come over to his house can see the medal, but he’s not taking it to school. It’s too precious.
Jens is a very shy and modest boy. I think we’re at a point now where the attention is enough.
But maybe all the publicity will someday give Jens the chance to sit at the front of his favorite roller coaster in Faarup Sommerland, the Hurricane. That’s the coolest spot to sit.
