15 Sunny Winter Minutes

“Shake it. You get what is written in Heaven for it"

It was sarcastic, and as it was pronounced in the native language, the two sentences rhymed. The two greasy laborers who said it loudly, laughed at the wiggling mannered young man who upon hearing it, turned his head back, looked at them, smiled and went on his way. I thought it was funny although it meant to be derogatory. So, it was sarcastic, rhymed, funny and derogatory.

I was waiting on the sidewalk in that sunny winter morning.

I went inside the auto accessories shop and asked the technician how long they needed more to finish the installation of the car seat cover. He said around 15 minutes.

The commercial street was crowded with cars and shoppers. The two laborers were still standing across the street and watching the passersby.

A car parked a few meters away and a thin bald man got out and entered a nearby store. I immediately recognized my old neighbor. Our families lived close to each other for ages, but we almost never spoke except when we were in the preparatory school and I wanted to join the scout team in which he was a member. It was weird that we knew each other that long without being even on speaking terms. I always found he had an unwelcoming attitude that discouraged me from striking up a conversation with him. He might have had the same view on me.

My sister used to find him so handsome that she named her first son after him. His look dramatically changed along the years though. She recently let me know, in her usual updating news of family, friends and acquaintances that she read his obituary in the newspaper.

Back to those sunny moments in the busy street, my neighbor, whom I did not know then would pass away prematurely, went out of the shop and got into his car. Our eyes met and we pretended as usual we did not know each other.

"Shake it. You get what is written in Heaven for it" echoed in my mind addressed by the two car grease smeared guys to their smiling seemingly unoffended target. It was then when someone came out of the shop and said "The car is ready".