Thrown Out Onto The Street
A café manager shoved both hands into a barefoot man’s shoulders, forcing him backwards through the glass exit doors.
The man stumbled onto the pavement, clutching his faded shirt as the café door snapped shut behind him.
Inside, customers sat around wooden tables, eating sandwiches and laughing behind the storefront window.
The displaced man stood on the sidewalk for several minutes, staring through the glass at the warm pastries displayed on the counter.
A Delivery On The Sidewalk
Behind the cash register, an employee named Zara adjusted her green apron and watched the street outside.
She gathered a brown paper sack filled to the top with fresh baguettes and stepped out into the cold air.
Zara knelt down on the brick walkway next to where the man sat barefoot against the wall.
She extended both arms and placed the bag of warm bread directly into his hands.
The man pulled the parcel against his chest and tilted his head upward, smiling as she stood up.
The Hand-Off
Moments later, the man stood up from the curb, clutching the paper food bag in one arm.
He reached down with his free hand, lifted his worn canvas rucksack, and held the straps out toward Zara.
Zara took the bag by its upper handle, her shoulders dipping slightly under the sudden weight.
The man turned his back and walked down the crowded city street without turning around.
Zara watched him blend into the pedestrian traffic before turning back toward the café entrance.
Unzipping The Heavy Canvas
Back inside by the wooden serving counter, Zara placed the heavy backpack down in front of her.
She undid the front buckle and unzipped the main flap of the canvas bag.
Her thumbs pulled the fabric wide, peering straight down into the open interior compartment.
Thick, banded stacks of crisp one-hundred-dollar bills filled the backpack completely to the top edge.
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