I once dropped into a quiet cafe in Powiśle. At the next table sat two girls and a boy, devouring something sweet. Sometimes chairs are placed so close together that people at neighboring tables end up closer to each other than to those they are actually sitting with. This was exactly the situation I found myself in, and I couldn't help but overhear every word of their conversation. They were discussing their friend Barbara, who had taught them how to make a wish so that it would definitely come true.

You have to stand on the left bank of the Vistula, between the Poniatowski Bridge and the Średnicowy Bridge, directly opposite the National Stadium, in such a way that you are facing the spire with the red light. The wish must be formulated in no more than nine words. You have to wait until a tram is crossing the Poniatowski Bridge while a train is going across the Średnicowy Bridge in the opposite direction.

The most suitable moment to say the wish is when the tram is approximately in the middle of the bridge and the train is still entirely on its bridge. If another tram or train appears during this time, it doesn't matter. After the wish is spoken, you must definitely thank someone out loud. An important note: both the train and the tram must be lit from the inside, meaning you cannot make a wish during daylight hours.

I wouldn't have remembered this the first time, but the next evening I was walking along the Vistula and saw those same kids. They were at the exact spot described above, and as I can now say, they were on a video call with Barbara, waiting for a tram and a train so that Barbara could make a wish herself. As it turned out, she had left with her parents, but the matter was important and the wish had to come true urgently! I learned all this because I couldn't resist and approached them. They turned out to be quite friendly, and we had a great chat. They had also tried using this method; two of them had a positive "success rate," and one girl was at 50/50, but she was sure everything would have worked out if she had thanked someone else at the end.

I tried it a couple of times myself. Some things came true, and quite unexpectedly, while others didn't—though maybe that's for the best.

Just for fun, I decided to share this omen with my friends. It got to the point where one of my acquaintances started traveling to Warsaw once a month, even though she used to visit less than once a year. Moreover, she notifies everyone who wants to know about her trip and then calls them to show the tram and the train so they can make a wish according to all the rules!

Now I have decided to share this with strangers. Remember that all of this is just a play of childhood imagination, but no one is forbidden from believing in miracles and holding onto hope.