TE21 Serbian Moments

Nikola Tutek

The Widower

which ended with that irritating sucking sound.

“Not only that I still feared Toots, but now I had Tramatonsky onmy neck aswell. But theworstwas the fear that people in the city will hear about my secrets, and that Aggy will be exposed. She wouldn’t survive the shame, and I don’t blame her. I was a wreck, really.”

“Aren’t you shocked? No?”

“No.”

Gerda took her hand off her mouth and pushed it into her lap.

There were several flicks of a lighter in the dark.

“Doctor Tramatonsky, whowas one of my regulars, found a few of these photos I accidentally forgot on the smoking table. He was in one of the photos. And Griffith, the priest. And others. Tramatonsky stole the photos and then he did what he did the best, he blackmailed the photographed people. And me. He used to tell me that his little brown envelope was always ready.”

“So, one evening, passing by the Barn, I put it on fire,” Gerda said just as the lighter gave flame which lit the candle. Yellow light started playing on Egan’s and Gerda’s faces. They looked each other in the eye. Egan gave a contented smile.

“I’m sorry”, Gerda said in a non-apologetic tone.

“Brown envelope you said?” asked Egan revived by thesewords.

“Why?”

“Yes. Little brown envelope.”

“Because in the end I spoke more about myself than about Aggy.” “Doesn’t matter. I guess I also wanted to know more about myself than about Aggy.”

Egangaveasilent laugh. Thevelveteenhad turned totally black.

“It wasn’t at all funny to me. I put a curse on him.”

Gerda expected Egan’s reply but that did not happen. Even the music stopped. Egan and Gerda could now hardly see each other’s face in the dark of the room. Gerda reached under the table and pulled out a tall half-melted candle which she placed on the table.

“Did I help you?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Gerda nodded her head and wiggled her lips. She looked down

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