The beggar

Published on Sunday, 19 May 2019

Though I called the shopkeeper a few times, he didn't heed me, for he busied himself in rearranging the products on the rack. Then a middle-aged female beggar showed up on my left and begged for money from me. At first, I ignored her, but she continued begging, whereupon I denied her request with a wave of my hand. Well, when the shopkeeper came to the desk, I said, "please, give me two goldleaf cigarettes," and he handed me the cigarettes and asked, "Anything else?" I looked over various goods in the shop and noticed the surf excel mini packets. Then I remembered that my clothes were dirty, and they needed washing. So, I told the shopkeeper, "please, give me one surf excel mini-packet, too." After putting the cigarettes and the surf excel mini-packet into my pocket, I calculated that the shopkeeper owed me 21 tk- 16 tk for two gold leaf cigarettes and 5 tk for one surf excel mini-packet. Opening my wallet, I counted the money and saw that I didn't have 21 tk in change. Thus, I took out a 22 tk- a twenty tk note and a two tk coin and passed them to the shop keeper. He pulled open the cash drawer, put the money, shut the drawer and without giving me the change, returned to his work. I asked for the change from the shopkeeper and saw the beggar again on my right, begging for money from the shop keeper now.

A while later, the shopkeeper placed a one tk coin on the desk in the middle of the beggar and me and returned to his work. The beggar and I exchanged glances and kept from taking the coin since we both didn't understand whom the shopkeeper gave the coin to. I felt the blood rush to my face, and perspiration broke out on my skin, for I failed to differentiate me from the beggar. I wished to leave the place right away, but failed to move. It seemed to me that I had petrified. At length, the shopkeeper appeared, pulled open the cash drawer, took a coin and placed it on the desk, pointing to the beggar. Glancing at the coin, I noticed that it was a two tk coin. Just as the beggar picked the two tk coin up from the desk, I breathed a sigh of relief and recovered my physical strength. Straight away, I flicked the one tk coin to the beggar, signaling her to take this coin too, and shoot off.