Fascinating Food

An old, skinny and wrinkled guy smiled at me with only so many teeth left. He stretched out his right hand, and with the left hand he patted his belly indicating that he was hungry.

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I smiled politely and said “No, senor”.

For the next 2 hours he walked beside me, behind me or just in front of me looking back. All the time he was smiling at me as if he were playing hide and seek, as if it were a game.

During those 2 hours, I spent 45 minutes in an air-conditioned Internet-café, and all the time he was standing outside in the burning sun looking in through the darkened glass with a scouting hand over his eyes.

When I came out form the café he resumed “the game”.

At some point it was getting tiresome.

I went into a “Rapido” - Cuban fast food. He followed me in and was so amazed by the looks of all that food that he didn’t see me leaving without buying anything.

If there’s a next time - Well I just might buy him a burger :-)