TE21 Serbian Moments

Nikola Tutek

The Widower

three meters without falling or able to pick up a full shopping bag without crying out for help. One of the clumsiest people that the town remembers. Meno was always calling for help. To the outside world, he was a dedicated Christian and he went to church almost every day. The church was a bit out of the center and he always walked there. He did not own a car. Actually, Meno was always walking. He was constantly out there, on the streets. That kind of coincided with his work; he was employed by a local pimp known as Toots. Toots always found pride in the fact that he owned a herd of thirty perfectly healthy and happy heads . Meno was his shepherd , the one who organized and oversaw the daily routine of the women. He made sure they were at a certain place at a certain time, sometimes he’d make sure that the women were safe and well treated. He’d bring them lunch, condoms, drugs, perfume and other tools of the trade. Most importantly, Menoalways carried a notebook where he kept records of the daily earnings of the herd. Meno was just one of four shepherds employed by Toots, and the only one without a car, but he was the longest-lasting one. While all others either got arrested or shot, Meno kept on walking the streets with the notebook under his pit. He was good friends with the Police, with the salespeople at the local market, with teachers, with everyone. He stopped and talked to them. Usually, he complained and loved listening to other people’s problems. If there was retirement for pimps, Meno would surely be the best candidate.

Amanda, and she led a very secretive life. While Meno was mostly broke, or at least he always complained about having no money, the house where the couple lived was luxurious. Amanda spent most of her time in the house. She owned a car and she went shopping in the big city. Sometimes she would stay there for a week with her family. Allegedly she was a hairdresser and met Meno at a time when he still cared about his hair. It was autumn, early in the morning. Meno was working the whole night and had a fall out with Toots who was drunk and stoned in the morning and decided to pick on his essential shepherd. Meno stormed out of the office and found the streets much colder than he expected. He sawa friend of his fromhigh school driving down the street and asked him for a lift home. It was only when he got in the car that Meno realized that his friend was drunk. They crashed minutes after into the pole of a defunct streetlight near the Post Office, leaving Amanda instantly widowed. The drunken friend who drove the car got out of it without a scratch. He just stood there in shock after killing one of the most prominent dwellers the town ever had. Egan remembers that day, hewas oneof the first people tocome from the Post Office and arrive at the sight. He remembers it soon started pouring with rain and the wreck of the car and the body in it got drenched with water. Meno’s hair finally got washed. Egan neverwent to churchwhichmade his visit quite a surprise for Father Griffith. The priest was even more surprised when

Most of the people had no idea he had a wife. Her name was

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