HORSE CHESTNUT Collector

He wakes up early in the morning, and he has the unshakable, somewhat mischievous, but completely almost legalistic thought that today is the time for him to shine a little, perhaps even in front of himself, of his business acumen, which he has practiced on the spur of the moment.

Besides, it was already more than nine years ago last February that after receiving his history teaching degree, through a series of blunders in job interviews and auditions, he had not yet found a practically permanent and retirement-friendly job, but since he knew very well that now was the time for something to live, and not just to "hang" on the neck of his blessed parents, as he had almost always heard whispering rumors from some people's mouths, so he could do nothing but try to make use of his volunteer tradesman's age on a give-and-take basis.

Early in the morning, around three o'clock, when even the sky is quite pitch black, and at most a group of young bohemians playing dorbez in the Pest night disturbs the dreams of the peacefully slumbering people with their illuminated state, Zakár Félix decided to go out to Temple Square and the fallen wild chestnut, which in principle he was already standing in a public area, he is holding and picking it up nicely, just in case they don't notice.

He was overdressed, because in autumn the weather had already turned colder - especially if you choose the morning hours for a bit of chestnuts, and it so happened that Félix was already in the city early on the morning bus, and as someone who is only fulfilling his duty to protect , and preserves the environment, he began to pick and collect the beautiful, vivid, then dark brown spiky balls of the fallen wild chestnuts with the slowness of a teddy bear; of course, strictly wearing protective gloves, otherwise the procedure would have been excruciatingly painful, and he picked up even those that had been lying on the ground for a day or two with great enthusiasm.

When, after a good two hours, at five o'clock in the morning, he got around the entire square, he caught himself and did not stop until the other, this time much smaller square, opposite which a Posta store stood alone. A strange, almost out-of-this-world nightmarish, ghostly physicality suddenly appeared in its sealed glass, and then suddenly disappeared, and yet, when someone broke and looked into his vulnerable green eyes, he immediately liked this chubby, red-juiced, slightly limping person because of his hen's eyes, who had never had a real girlfriend. , at most they were only supportive acquaintances.

When the first shift change took place: so it was the turn of the night workers to hand over their deserved place to the rested and refreshed daytime workers in the wholesale market, the ball was already in full swing. Félix's mother, who also had special connections, and who herself inherited a good knack for swagger in the family, asked a nice shopkeeper friend for the honorable, but not at all common, even strange task of helping her one-eyed son, who is already in his thirties, to sell as many wild chestnuts as possible. because you need a lot of money.

"Well, my dear Gyulam!" The thing is, this poor child of mine has not had a secure livelihood for almost ten years, and that's why we thought that even though his horse chestnut has always had a small origin, he should try to make more efficient and professional barter deals, if I may ask him! Forty percent of the revenue is yours!

For a long time, the greengrocer, who had advanced to become a shopkeeper, listened in bewilderment to the explanations of the self-confident housewife, who still looked like a young woman and was in the fullness of her strength, and as if apologizing for having dared to speak at all, she uttered her sentences:

"But my dear lady!" With all due respect! Please, I'm just a simple retailer, compared to the majority, and my friends won't be satisfied if I put a bale of wild chestnuts on the market among them! Madame could really understand that much! (because he always pampered his special guests)

"So, if I understood your precious words correctly, Gyulam, you will now withdraw all remaining intentions of helping me, is that right?" Can you tolerate the fact that this poor son of mine, who is unemployed and hasn't been able to find a job for a long time, is left without an opportunity to earn money?! My dear Gyula, I wouldn't have expected this from you! - in his deep sonorous, yet youthful voice, there was resentment accompanied by resignation.

"Dear Lady!" I didn't want to offend you in any way, I just wanted the real world, if you could understand the very, very complicated chain of connections. - and then he suddenly had a rescue idea because he continued with a changed voice - but if this makes you and your dear son happy, I can promise you that I will find a buyer and supply you with these crazy wild chestnuts! If it happened like that! - he forced a smile on his pale-cheeked, always-shaven face.

As if this was all the woman wanted to hear, she immediately became sheepish and apparently became more lenient; in the corner of his blossoming mouth, an enchanting, disarming, almost domineering smile, an eternal and perhaps irreversible version of his consent and agreement. That's what I wanted to hear, dear Gyula! - he took it, after all, he got the business under control and went to work, because he was a model of punctuality in the world, and he wouldn't have wanted to change that for the sake of anyone's son!

"Well, look at the man!" Now I'm in a big mess! So what the hell am I supposed to do with so many useless and useless horse chestnuts? The dog doesn't need it either! - he complained, but this time out loud. -Even though it's possible that Bárci, the scumbag, buys two bales of it, that's more than nothing! -squinting, he stared in front of him at the thought that presented itself, and spitting in the hope of a sure benefit, he rubbed his bruised hand a couple of times.

The next day, at dawn, he was already at the wholesale market, where one practically did not want to believe with the naked eye, the disturbed, anthill-like, incomprehensible intrusion, unpleasant hustle and bustle, because there was such an unpleasant, ear-splitting noise that it seemed almost impossible to avoid it!

"Good morning, Gyulam!" - greeted his old friend, one of the market stallions, whose foxy face, observing the world, dispassionately palmed the one standing in front of him. - How about you? Don't you just want to sell first-class horse chestnuts here?! - he already took the matter as a joke, and he immediately burst out laughing. �"

Just look, Gyulánk has started embracing a new industry! From now on, he will be able to live out his stunted and miserable life as a horse chestnut seller.

The old shopkeeper, now with sparks in his eyes, as if he were thinking of murder, stared straight into the cheeky and incapable face of the other Kofa with a wolf's eye, and asked only menacingly: - What did you say, old warrior?

"No way, you're a friend here, my dear Gyulam!" he moaned in a throaty voice.

- I thought so! Well then, my dear friend, let's get down to business! Just tell me, please, to whom can I sell this worthless horse chestnut? Be careful what you say, because I still have the pocket knife! - he made a movement as if he were clutching a sharp piece of manure in his palm and symbolically cutting the throbbing arteries of his throat.

"Oh dear, an old man!" - continued the other scumbag - your job, forgive me, but it's full of mad ax handles. Tell me just one person who buys from you this rancid and must be bug-gnawed chestnut? But am I asking honestly now?! -s voice was deeply sympathetic and one could feel the inner sympathy.

"I'm sorry, but I can't worry about that right now, because a very nice lady has promised me that I'll definitely raise some money for the chestnuts, even from underground!"

"Any amount will be fine, or are you asking for a hefty income, just tell me?" - he let out a faint, grimacing smile.

"Then are you willing to help or not?" - asked the other, not tolerant of contradiction.

"Of course he's a sweet old man." We agreed that you are my friend, or have you already forgotten?

The shopkeeper now laid out the abundance of his wild chestnuts on his stand, and sitting down on his little stool, which he had already prepared for himself well in advance, sank into the boredom of waiting with quiet contentment.

After barely fifteen minutes, the very first, slightly hesitant customer appeared on the horizon, who was no less impressed by the - admittedly - slightly rushed cleanliness of the old shopkeeper around him.

"I warmly welcome you!" What do you like to order, my dear lady! - and being a good merchant, whose entire professional experience was almost soaked into his blood, he was already on the lookout for the insidious wishes that the other person might come up with.

"Just tell Gyula, how are the chestnuts going now?" I'd buy it from you in bulk, but only if we can negotiate! - like a minor expert salesman, he began to examine the old man's bags, and almost at first glance he didn't even want to look at the spread out horse chestnuts, whose bright crimson-brown color almost attracted the eye.

"My dear lady!" This time I have a sensational offer, but only for you! If you buy two bales from me now, I will also advance the free home delivery promotion for you! - he voiced with a honey-glazed slur.

"And what other discounts would you offer?" - raised her chrome eyebrows.

"Oh!" Please order first, because you know the business situation well, and I also have to make a modest living! I like to order and perhaps taste a couple of cinnamon buns, it was made not long ago, and it turned out divine!

"I don't think I can refuse such kindness myself, dear Gyula!" They would like a couple of grains, if you may!

"Please ma'am!" As the customer wants! -and not caring about the sly glances of others and his petty curiosity, this time he began to generously measure the good kind of chestnut, the gentle one! After the operation of compromising flattery succeeded for him, whom he almost always considered very serious, the merchant lady also tried to agree to the bargain.

"You know what my dear Gyulam!" I'll buy that two bales of good quality from you sky chestnut, which he has, because this day also started well. - he immediately looked for his wallet and, with good business sense, calculated in his head what advantages he would get out of here.

"Here, dear lady!" - with that cunning and well-worn shopkeeper, he placed good double-glazed bales on the old man's wheelbarrow, which was pushed by a helper, so that he could bring them in as efficiently as possible.

"You are really committed, my dear Gyulam!"

"Oh!" Your majesty rather you honored me! said the sly shopkeeper, and then with a minor thoughtlessness he counted the money that the old matron had left behind.

"Now, what should I do with this profit? - he muttered to himself - because if I keep giving the lousy chestnut, the authorities will come after me in the end, right? Well, once I've made a promise!”

And he didn't even notice that after the old bar, there was already a small crowd at his stand, and everyone wanted to check out the current chestnuts.

"You see, Geza!" - answered the other. -When a business starts! -s he smiled with a special, almost fox-like grin under his non-existent moustache.