Curt

Curt shook the shop owner’s hand saying “Thank you. You won’t be disappointed.”

The owner asked, “Where are you headed now?”

“To the train station” said Curt, “I think I can catch the 9:35 if I hurry

“Here”, the owner pointing to a door in the back said, “Take the back door to the alley. It’ll get you to the station faster.”

“Thanks again.” Curt said, heading towards the door with a big smile.

The door opened up to a dimly lit alley with old brick walls on either side, barely wide enough to fit a car. At the one end was an old dumpster, and opposite the door a small table with a couple of benches in the middle of a sea of cigarette butts on the cracked cement. Perhaps it was best that the only light came from a small hanging lamp just over the door. Not exactly the view you would want your customers to see.

Curt started on his way out of the alley when he noticed a man in a hoodie at the other end of the alley change direction and purposefully head towards him. This was a not good sign, he thought, getting concerned.

The man got within a couple of steps of Curt, and pulled out a knife. “Give me all your fucking money!” he yelled. Pointing the knife directly at Curt, the man added “Your wallet! Give me your fucking wallet!”. Followed by another threatening move with the knife.

Curt slowly held up his hands, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. He reached around to his left rear pocket, pulling out his wallet he carefully gave it to the hooded man. The man grabbed it with his free hand, immediately opening it up looking for cash. Visibly disappointed, he said, “This is it? This all you fucking have? 15 fucking dollars?” Clearly pissed, he continued, “You’re a waste of time!” He put the money that was in the wallet into his own pocket and turned to make his way out of the alley.

Then Curt says, as if an afterthought, “Wait, I have another, …”, reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out some more cash, and sizing it up says, “… 23 dollars. Here.” He handed the money over.

The man quickly snatched it away from Curt, then started back towards the end of the alley. Two steps in, he stopped. Motionless for a few seconds, then slowly turned around. The man sends a penetrating look at Curt, a confused look. Mad as ever he, yells; “Why the fuck did you do that?”

Just as confused, Curt said as calmly as possible, “Because you told me to.”

“No, you asshole!”, holding up the second wad of Curt’s cash. “Why did you give me this?” he yelled, still mad, shaking the wad of money so Curt knew what he was talking about. “I didn’t know it you had it. I didn’t know where it was.” He put his hand with the money down to his side, and putting the tip of the knife at Curt’s chest, said; “You could have just said nothing, let me walk away. You’d still have 23 dollars.”

Curt, thought for a moment and said, “I thought you needed it more than I did.”

This was not what the man expected to hear. It enraged him. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You don’t know anything about me! You have no right to even guess what I need!”