THE NEXT MORNING, Saturday, Lamont was up early. The blankets on the floor had not made for a very restful night’s sleep. And he couldn’t get the picture of Margo off his mind. He slid on his now dry silk socks and dress shoes, slipped out into the hall, and went down the stairs, moving slowly and quietly.
When he pushed open the door to the sidewalk, the smoky air filled his nostrils again, but he was almost used to it by now. The important thing was that his appetite was returning. He needed food. And coffee!
The street was mostly deserted, but there was a buzz around a small shop on the corner. Lamont saw people coming and going, some emerging with small bundles and paper bags. He walked to the end of the block and pushed open the dirty glass door. A small bell tinkled. A gaunt man in a ratty vest sat on a stool behind the counter.
The shelves were dusty and sparsely stocked. A few large bins sat on the floor in the middle of the shop. Lamont watched a woman reach in and pull out a carton of eggs and a small container of milk. She walked to the counter and put down a crumpled bill and a few coins. She looked up at the counterman. He hesitated for a second, then gathered the money in his hands.
“Close enough,” he said, waving the woman out the door with her purchases.
Lamont paced the narrow aisles. He saw simple bags of flour, sugar, and salt. Wooden baskets held a pitiful assortment of fruit, just some spotty apples and a few misshapen pears. A magical, timeless aroma wafted from a metal machine on a small stand in the corner with a sign reading FREE COFFEE WITH PURCHASE.
Lamont opened one of the coolers and pulled out eggs, milk, and butter.
He grabbed small bags of sugar, flour, and salt from a shelf, then a jar of strawberry jam. He poured himself a coffee from the carafe and took his first delicious sip. It was only when his arms and hands were totally full that he realized that he had no money to pay for anything. Not one cent.
The counterman had his back to the counter, unloading goods from a cardboard box. Then he caught something out of the corner of his eye. When he turned around, he saw fifty dollars’ worth of food items somehow floating out the door.
“I’ll pay you back double, I promise!”
A man’s voice. From nowhere.