Leon is his hope, his joy, his life. Fritz K. (all names have been changed) would give anything for the eleven-year-old. But he doesn’t have much, admits the single father from the Dachau district: “I would like to offer him more.” But the financial situation of the two is difficult. There is not enough money back and forth. Fritz K. has been sick for many years. At first it was just an abscess, he says. Then he was in the hospital, had an operation, but something went wrong: after two months in the clinic, he was released – with open legs, severe pain and the advice that he should contact a nursing service.
Not much has changed in this state of affairs to this day. He can only endure the pain with strong medication. Work is out of the question. Only when he puts his legs up long enough will the holes close a little. If he gets up to cook or to briefly clean the apartment, they tear open again. It is a doom-loop. And yet his great wish is to finally be able to work again. The employment agency would prefer to retire him as soon as possible, because from their point of view he cannot be placed. The 38-year-old is vehemently opposed, because on the one hand that would mean giving up all hope, on the other hand, father and son would then have even less money available. And Fritz K. has to turn every penny three times if he can’t give Leon the necessary things. The advent calendar for good works of the Süddeutsche Zeitung therefore wants to support him.
The two have already gone through a lot together: Shortly after the birth of Leon, the mother of father and son separated in order to start a family with a new partner. A little later she died. A hard blow for Fritz K. Soon afterwards, the resignation of the apartment fluttered into the house. Personal use, it was said. The father couldn’t find a new place to stay so quickly and so he and Leon had to move to a shelter for the homeless.
The boy was four years old when they were finally able to move into their own apartment. “I’m glad we survived the time,” says Fritz K. to this day. He doesn’t like to remember that time. Eat, cook, sleep, play and go to the potty – all in one room. So he was all the happier about his own four walls for himself and his son. He tries very hard to offer the eleven-year-old a cozy home in which he can feel comfortable – even if no piece of furniture matches the other. “Apart from the couch, I didn’t buy anything – everything somehow got that way,” he says. Photos of happy days hang on the walls. Everything is neat and tidy.
“It annoys me that I have no money,” says Fritz K. Sometimes Leon wishes that the two of them would do something together, but his father then has to tell him – even if it tears his heart – that unfortunately no Money is there. “I don’t know when we were last in the cinema,” he says. Fortunately, this is not so noticeable in Corona times. “That is the great benefit of the pandemic.” And Leon is a satisfied boy who is always beaming and has come to terms with the situation. Well, sometimes he would like a toy car or something else small. “Then I try to save two months to make it possible,” says Fritz K. – even if that often means that he himself has to do without the urgently needed sweater or pants. “Usually the money is almost gone by the middle of the month. Then there is only enough to eat.” They can only buy clothes step by step, says the father. But when Leon has his toy car, “I’ll feel better too,” he says, beaming at the thought that his son is happy.
For some time now, however, he has been particularly troubled by the fact that the eleven-year-old has long since grown too big for his cot. It is only 1.40 meters long. Leon has to make himself really small to be able to sleep there. Fritz K. cannot afford a new one. The SZ advent calendar therefore wants to give them financial support and give Leon a new bed. But the cupboard, chest of drawers and desk have also become much too small for the slowly growing boy. They are part of the equipment for small children. In addition, they are pretty broken: a jammed piece of paper ensures that the cabinet door does not open. The chest of drawers can no longer be closed because the mechanism is defective. And there is hardly any space on the desk for books and notebooks – but that would be important for a schoolboy. The SZ advent calendar therefore wants to give Leon a new facility. In addition, father and son should be able to spend a nice day together – outside of their home. A day on which saving is not the focus, but fun and joy.