Jill, all afternoon, took a long walk with no goal. She kept thinking about the situation. She was so sure she was going to get that place that she fantasized about her future for a long time. She blamed herself for not understanding the situation and for trusting Mel—her old boss.
At the corner of an alley, a street performer sat there, when she crossed his gaze he asked her: “For one dollar I can warm your heart, for two I can read your hand, for three I can tell you the future, for five I can make you listen to a song. Which option do you choose?”
Jill stopped laughing, shaking her head with wonder for a long time. She described this meeting on the radio. It was revealing something similar to a premonition. She lowered to look closely.
“Have you not yet changed your sarcastic humor?” she asked smiling.
The boy was surprised by such a determined answer. He smiled. “So have I already made you a joke of the unpredictable answers?”
“Yes,” said the girl. “at least I think. “I’m not entirely sure.” she bent over to take a closer look. He was a strange character. A distinguished boy, fallen into disgrace perhaps for a sudden and inevitable misfortune. His look was derisively as if he wanted nothing more than to stand there and mock passers-by.
The boy looked at her with a suspicious eye, stood up, came near her and, in a tone of defiance, said, “It’s useless to continue harassing me hoping that deprivation will lead me to a different decision. I’ll never change it.”
Jill shook her head, couldn’t understand. “What the hell are you saying?”
The boy, realizing her surprise, watched her closely.
“Can you do me a favor?” he asked approaching. “Can you ask the first passenger the exact time?”
Jill laughs looking at the clock. “It’s four in the afternoon, why should I ask anyone else?”
The boy laughs. “I don’t trust your watch. I would need confirmation.”
Jill shook her head, stopped the first passer who, smiling, confirmed time.
The boy nodded with a deep sigh. “Nice to meet you.” he said. “My name is Alfred. I was afraid you were someone else.”
Jill did not understand but smiled. “Now can I ask you a question too?” asked Jill.
Alfred extended his arms with a smile. “If you put little money there,” said pointing the open guitar case. “I can also tell you about my life.”
Jill smiled and took ten cents out of her pocket. “The type of information requested is not worth more.”
Alfred extended his arms by agreeing.
“I know street musicians. They’ll do anything to make ends meet. But you don’t look like one of them.”
Alfred smiled. “So would you like to ask why a gentleman with the face of someone who just got out of college is standing here on the corner of a street begging for some coins to keep going?”
Jill nodded smiling. Alfred smiled in turn. “May I have a supplementary question?”
Jill denied his request. She took one dollar and put it in the case of his guitar. “Now I have paid you more than I should, and you must answer.”
“One dollar and ten cents for information of this kind are not enough.”
Jill laughs. “I can’t pay you the missing years of study. I think you settle for it.”
Alfred nodded. “Do you believe in fate?” asked Alfred, lowering his head a little.
“Of course, I have a permanent conflict with my destiny. But I don’t think I’m the right person to ask that question. I believe there is also a free will to choose whether or not to accept it.”
“Good girl,” answered Alfred. “You’ve discovered why I’m here instead of somewhere else leading a normal life. I left fate to be here. I appreciate this life more than the one assigned to me.”
Jill shook her head. “I don’t believe stay here is a change to any fate, maybe it’s an escape. Maybe you don’t have the courage to a real changing?”
Alfred frown his eyelashes, he was about to respond in tone, but he froze and smiled. He asked Jill to sit next to him on the ladder. Jill accepted.
“Tell me what you see.” asked Alfred.
“I see the road, so many skyscrapers, the cars, the taxis in a way not much different than when I was standing there.”
“And then?” asked Alfred.
“I see people walking on the sidewalk.”
“Behold,” insisted Alfred. “focus on the people. Notice their expression when you look at us. Tell me what they think of us.”
Jill focused on people’s coming and going. Most of them looked without bothering to turn around. They rotated the pupils of the eyes almost out.
“It’s not difficult to guess their opinion.” said Jill looking to Alfred.
“There,” Alfred said. “their common thought is don’t want to have anything to do with us and I’m happy to accept it. So I change my destiny, choosing not to have any relationship with them. I accept only take out small, fast contracts: a bit of irony in exchange for a dime to my survival.”
Jill looked at him uncertain. Behind that irony was hidden a deep anger. She was frightened. “But why do you hate people so much?”
“I don’t hate them,” said Alfred. “I just don’t want to have any relationship with them.”
“The deliberate lack of any relationship,” Jill insisted. “I think it’s indicating a deep anger toward the people.”
The boy noticed Jill’s disbelief and smiled. “You’re right, I hate people, but the reason is a little complicated to explain. Even if you add more dollars, I can’t tell you.”
Jill nodded. Just sit with him a little longer. “In fact, from here you can see people from a different point of view. But unfortunately I cannot play the guitar and, with my lack of irony, I would starve.”
Alfred smiled with his hand to raise her. “Come back to me whenever you want, your dollars are always well received.”
“Of course I’ll be back. But I don’t want to make you feel too involved in human relationships.”
Alfred smiled and greeted her. “I can assure you, with regard to irony, I am sure you would not starve. Otherwise, you’d be doing big business.”