Halfway down the Danube

Scolded

There's always a beggar or two outside the bakery. Maybe there's something about walking out of a bakery that puts people in a generous mood? Or maybe it's just that we're likely to still have change jingling in our hands.

Anyhow, the beggars are almost always old women. Outside the NIC supermarket it always seems to be the same old women; there are maybe five of them, and they show up one or two at a time. Outside the bakery, though, it varies. I don't know why.

So I was going into the bakery with David in the stroller and Alan on my back, and the old beggar lady -- who I hadn't seen before -- went to open the door for us. Since my reflex is that I hold the door for old ladies, not vice versa, this resulted in a bit of a scramble. In the fracas, Alan's head got lightly bonked on the door frame. He didn't cry -- it was a very light bonk -- but he said, "Owah!"

And the old lady pointed at him and said something very sharp to me in Romanian.

"Um, okay, right," I replied, and escaped into the bakery.

A few minutes later, burdened with bread and two different sorts of tasty little fruit pastry, I stepped out. The old lady was still there, still holding the door. And I still found myself reaching for the door to hold it for her. It was worse this time, though, because I had one hand still holding the package of bread and whatnot, and the other hand trying to get a few lei for her out of my pocket, and we were going down the bakery steps.

So, what with one thing and another, I almost lost control of David's stroller -- it bounced down the last couple of steps, making him sit up and wave his arms around -- and I bonked Alan's head on the door frame a second time. (Lightly, people. Just lightly.) "Owah!" he said again.

And this time the old lady just let me have it. An absolute torrent of Romanian, accompanied by a shaking, stabbing, pointing finger. What kind of father was I? How stupid and clumsy could I be? Where was my wife, allowing me outside with these precious children? Didn't I see that this was a baby, a baby? Why was I being allowed out without a leash?

I gave her 10,000 lei. She took it with a scowl that clearly said, I'm taking your money because it's my job, but don't think this lets you off the hook -- and continued her tirade.

I left about as fast as a man carrying packages and pushing a stroller with a two year old on his back could leave.

Now I'll be worried that she'll recognize me if I go back. And it's the good bakery, too.

Posted by douglas at March 28, 2004 05:54 PM