TE21 Serbian Moments

Nikola Tutek

The Widower

After Domino’s death, Aggy once more became wanted goods in the town. EvenMeno gave it a go, more from the professional than the emotional point of view. However, Aggy succeeded in withdrawing from the social life and in escaping all the traps camouflaged on her way by the town’s army of males. And her beauty did not diminish even after she reached a certain age. She was Egan’s secret favorite. There was a problem though; Egan knew only two people who were somehow connected to Aggy, Kate (they shared a hairdresser) and Domino, both of them dead. And possibly Dr. Tramatonsky, dead as well. That did not leave Egan much choice. In the later stage of her life, just before Richard left, Kate started visiting Gerda, the local future-teller. She did that several times. Egan found this practice extremely silly. “Waste of money,” he insisted, “A fraud.” They never engaged in a longer conversation about the theme, but Egan’s discontent was abiding. Usually, after sex, Egan would turn onto his back trying to catch a breath, and he’d ask Kate:

“I don’t know. I’ll ask Gerda.”

And they would laugh silently. At that time Kate already had her diagnosis. In the town-gossips, Aggy was often connected with Gerda the future-teller. Supposedly they were childhood friends, but no one knew for sure the true nature of their connection. Egan found Gerda’s address in the drawer where Kate kept records of information that often come in handy like, for example, the chimney-sweeps phone number. Egan picked a Sunday. He thought a fortune-tellers worked on Sundays. He was wrong. After the ring, the door partially opened, just enough to show Gerda with a towel wrapped around her hair. A bit annoyed. “I apologize,” said Egan as if he was anesthetized or as if he accidentally overdosed on patience pills. His attitude really did have a strange effect on people. He was like chloroform.

“Did you go there again?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m closed. What are we gonna do now?”

“That’s bollocks.”

“Well, if no future can be told on Sunday, I will just go home. Drink a coffee and go sleep.”

“Probably it is.”

“Do you think Richard heard us?”

“You can drink a coffee here as well. But no future. No future at

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