TE23 Double Feature

Marzahn, Mon Amour

Katja Oskamp

I’d cut away the worst and applied some callus softener, to make the crusts around his nail folds more supple. When I took a probe from the kidney bowl and started on them, Herr Hübner started a new bout of whimpering. I paused, let the probe drop and looked at the three of them. First at the flat-faced girl, who was chewing gum, then at the plump one, who was taking a peek at her watch, then at Herr Hübner. I fixed my gaze on him, peering questioningly into his puffy face, into his weepy eyes. I realized he couldn’t be as old as he looked. A short silence ensued. ‘My darlings,’ Herr Hübner cried out in the silence, ‘what would I do without you? Without you I’d never have made it here!’ He turned right and left, grasped the hands of his two companions and pressed them to his chest. ‘I don’t know how to thank you! I just hope you like the cake I made especially for you!’ The ladies withdrew their hands and patted Herr Hübner again: ‘Yes, sure,’ ‘So kind of you,’ 270

‘We’ll love it.’

I carried on with my work. I picked out no end of dead skin from his nail folds with the probe. I made more improvements with a finer one, then followed on with some clippers. I swept up the heap of nail clippings lying on the ground under Herr Hübner’s feet. The three of them were chatting about the cake, but not without following what I was doing out of the corners of their eyes. By then I had the impression that even Herr Hübner was disgusted by what I was doing. ‘Bye,’ said the plump woman, out of the blue. ‘Bye,’echoed the flat-faced one and, as if on cue, the women turned on their heels and left the room.

‘See you tomorrow, my darlings!’ Herr Hübner chirruped after them. ‘Enjoy the cake!’

The salon door closed.

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