Georgia ( part 5)
July 26, 2008
part 1
part 2
part 3
part 3.5
part 4
After a moment he rose from the table and made another call, he spoke in low tones in a language that is beyond foreign to me. Not one word of what he spoke was accessible.
He then came back to the table and cleared my mostly full cup and my plate of crumbs. He went behind the counter where he busied himself with the maintenance of the espresso machine.
After a minute I asked if his daughter was still coming.
He said – No.
I waited for further explanation but none was forthcoming. We were both saddened and relieved.
I stood up and took a wad of bills from my pocket, I asked how much, and he told me, and I paid. I did not know if I paid for a single cup of coffee, or ten, or fifty, as I would have no idea what the going price of a cup of coffee might be or for that matter what the bills were worth.
As I opened the glass door he called to me by my nationality.
American? – He said.
Yes. – I said.
Why did you lie?
About what?
You said that you were a businessman.
Oh, well, what I said was that I was here on business.
His expression conveyed that if there was a difference he did not see it.
I tried again.
Writing is my business.
He shook his head.
No friend, writing is to make from words, sentences and from sentences paragraphs, and even from paragraphs stories. Business is to make money.
Yeah – I said – you’re right, it’s not much of a business. I guess money isn’t that important to me.
At this he flipped up the counter, crossed the threshold between us and came all the way to the doorway in which I stood.
