Free The Hustler: The Story of a Nameless Love From Friedrichstrasse by John Henry Mackay

not just ask him about it. That would be intrusive. He also seemed so absent in his silence. At any rate, he seemed tired, with no desire to go for a walk.
    Cautiously, he asked after a long pause, during which they had reached Pariser Platz:
    “Perhaps you’re tired and would rather not walk farther? Should we rather sit in a cafe and enjoy something?”
    The boy only nodded as an answer.
    That at least made sense. First eat and then—
    *
    They left Unter den Linden as a matter of course and turned into the side streets on the north.
    Again the older man questioned him, always afraid that it could all suddenly come to an end and he would no longer have the boy beside him:
    “We could also go to a restaurant, if you would rather?”
    The boy finally opened his mouth:
    “It’s all the same to me—” But he sounded almost angry, at any rate not friendly.
    He was thinking to himself: Eat, just eat, and as soon as possible.
    They were now near the Spree and could see the sign of a simple, but obviously quite respectable beer house.
    “Perhaps here?”
    They entered, finding the pub almost empty, and found a table in one of the booths in the back room. Everything was neat and clean.
    They seated themselves opposite one another.
    The boy immediately reached for the menu that was lying before him.
    “What will you have? Please, select whatever you like,” said Graff.
    Again the answer sounded unfriendly: “Doesn’t matter.” Then: “A cutlet—”
    In the meantime the waitress had arrived at their table and asked what she should bring.
    “Two cutlets. And beer? Yes, beer. Light. Two glasses—”
    Alone again, Graff felt he must finally give an explanation.
    “You seem angry with me, that I just came up and spoke to you. But we have seen one another before. I wanted—” He got no further. He felt how stupid it was, what he was saying.
    The boy looked at him. He was much too hungry to follow his words, or even just to listen to them. He only said, “Why do you always say ‘Sie’ to me?”
    Graff again did not know what to say or answer. However, since the beer was now before him:
    “Well then, let’s say ‘Du’—” and he raised his glass.
    The boy paid no attention to his answer and only drank hastily. Then the food arrived and he set himself to it without a word.
    It was a relief for the other.
    He did not need to say anything more now, and could just constantly gaze into the face before him. But at the same time, he felt how impolite it would be just to watch him eat. How hungry he must be! How fast, almost greedily, he was eating! He occupied himself with his own plate, but only in appearance, for he was unable to swallow a bite, he was so nervous inside. He reached for a newspaper. But he only looked at it, without reading.
    Finally the boy finished and shoved his plate away, again reaching for his glass. He waited. At least he was now full. His judgment was: Not a real gentleman. But apparently quite decent. A bit crazy. But then, most of them were.
    They could now get on with it, but no move was made. The other also shoved away his untouched plate and the newspaper, and now looked for the first time directly into the face opposite him.
    In the dimness of the narrow room it appeared strange to him, as if he had never seen it. But it was of an enchanting beauty, so that he could now no longer take his gaze from him.
    Again he felt that now he had to speak, and again he did not know what he should say. He would have preferred to remain sitting here for hours, all the time looking into that face.
    The boy also kept silent. He, too, did not know what to say. And then—what did Atze say? “Always wait! You get the most that way.” A man like this, however, had never come along before. He sat there, stared at him, and didn’t make a sound.
    But he was looking at him in a friendly way and was certainly altogether a decent man, with his clean-shaven face and his regular, young features. Had he just now