The Brown Paper Package
The man looks at the brown paper package stowed back behind the table a few feet behind me. He then stares me deadeye and says (in a German accent) “So you prefer white flesh?”
“Umm, no, actually, I had not thought about it, it was more a spur of the moment thing, you know?”
Still deadeye to my eye the man says (still in a German accent) “hmmm”
I nod my chin to the right, keeping my eyes on his and say “Actually, I was just saying to Ged about how I should have gone to you...”
(German accent) “Hmmm” he continues staring me dead in the eyes.
I nod toward the girl to his left, without moving my eyes and say “What’s your daughter’s name?”
(The German accent) “Hmmm” even his eyes say hmmm, but deadeye.
“Uh, that didn’t help did it?”
In the corner of my eye I see the man’s daughter start to wrap things in brown paper. He continues to stare me straight; she has finished wrapping, I have not noticed him blink. He has the paper in his hands, he says (German accent) “Take these tell them they are from me, they can be first”
He hands me a large brown paper bag, heavy.
With one arm I hold the package to my chest “Okay, umm, okay”
Without moving his eyes from mine (German accent) “Not those ones” he points behind the table.
“Uh, yeah, thanks” still having not blinked he hands me another brown paper package; I struggle with both, I keep my eyes on his, I think: where did that come from?
(German accent) “And take these too.”
He turns away. I say “Umm, how much?”
(German accent) “Nothing, nothing”
