Lieben observes a person dressed as a clown buying sandwiches at a famous restaurant franchise as she walks by the streets.
He looked like a tall adult who strangely wore medieval jester clothing, which was red with black patterns, and his hat, also red, resembled the tentacles of an octopus.
As she walked past the store the man was at, the feeling of disbelief escalated.
She thought to herself -
"If this guy was aiming to be discreet, he missed completely. Well, I can't think about this right now, I'm hungry... it's better to talk to that attendant.
Maybe I could offer some service in exchange for a few sandwiches?"
She walks towards the restaurant, minding that she should try getting some donation.
"Hi, good afternoon! Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but can I ask you a favor?
Wait...
what?" -She says loudly as she enters the restaurant to order her snack. Getting closer, Lieben noticed that there was a discussion happening between the cash lady and the clown.
"Are you going to give me that free sandwich combo promotion or not!? I've met all the requirements, and look, I'm STARVING, it's been a long day and if I don't eat nothing NOW I'm going to fall hard right here."
"Sir, I could give you the prize IF you were wearing the right outfit. Our sign reads: Come dressed up as the clown mascot of our restaurant, and you didn't come!!"
"Nothing like that! Here it says: come dressed as a CLOWN and get a free combo, read this here again!! The poster does not specify WHICH clown, it only says to come as a clown!! You're trying to fool me, are you? Frankly, this is typical of large companies that want to outsmart the uninformed citizen. They think that the consumer should swallow everything they try to shove down their throats like cattle in the pasture, but it was unlucky for them to have found someone who knows how to interpret what they read! Now GIVE ME MY SANDWICHES."
"Sir, it turns out that in the small print that is behind the poster we specify that it should be the company's mascot. Take a look for yourself, it's written."
"Well, don't even come with a litany on me because I'm an old dog, you know!? Um, let me see here, though I'm sure that I didn't read anything like that.
Uhhh... There are some very small letters here... but I can't read...
Hey girl, since you're here, help me with that."
Risoli suddenly calls Leiben closer.
"M-Me!? "
"Yes, pal. Is there anyone else around? Unless you see ghosts, but I don't think that's the case. Come soon and help me read this here!"
"Okay... Here it says: To win the prize, the costume needs to follow the dress pattern of the official mascot of our franch-"
"Didn't I tell you it was any clown?"
The man suddenly cuts her off.
"Hurry up and pass me the combo. Look, you don't want to be fired for mistreating a friend of your boss, right?"
"W-Wait, what!? Do you know the boss!?"
"Yes, ma'am. And in a little while we have our second daily three-hour meeting to discuss the restaurant's new policies. Our review scores are plummeting because customers don't like to be served by tired-looking employees, so we are thinking of instructing employees to always have a smile on their face and be kind to improve customer service, generating greater satisfaction and consequently better reviews, so what do you think about starting right now?
You will earn extra stars on the employee wall for this one, and you don't need to thank me, I am a very generous partner."
"Y-Y-Yes sir, I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, it was my mistake! I promise not to repeat it! Leaving already a combo of 3 sandwiches, fries and soda!"
The attendant retrieves in disbelief as she was not aware of who that man was.
"Damn, so this was that friend that the boss talks about all the time... I almost got caught this time because I didn't know the guy's face. I need to pay more attention..."
"The attendant falls on his old-old trick: making the fuck up until ge gets what he wants.
Risoli is a master when it comes to argumentating, and he's proud only one person could prove him wrong on his entire life."
"Finally, my snack. Thank you very much for understanding! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sit down a little bit."
Risoli retreats towards the nearest table and sits by the window, watching the cars go by. Leiben thought that this man must be someone very important in the company and that this would be a great opportunity to get a job, so she walked towards that weird figure and sat down on the opposite side of the table.
"So... You didn't ask me thank you for translating that poster. Can you show some form of gratefulness?"
"He does not notice her presence. It seems that looking at the cars passing by takes him out of reality."
"Hiiii!? I'm talking to you!!"
"Hi, hi, hi, what's wrong??? Who are you?"
Risoli had forgotten the last two minutes.
"Seriously! You just asked me to read that poster to you! How have you forgotten!?"
"Aaah, yes... It's just that my life is very busy, you know? I have a lot of problems to deal with, and... Anyway. What do you want?"
"I want you to thank me for helping you out!!"
"Oh, is that it? Well, thank you very much! It was a pleasure to meet you, now can you excuse me? It's a little uncomfortable to sit with a stranger at the table."
"No, no, no. I don't want a thank you! I want one of your sandwiches!"
"You what!? No way, go buy your own food, girl!You're already very old, it's time to learn how to buy your own food!"
"I KNOW how to buy my own food!! The problem is that... I don't have the money for that."
"Hey, but what about your parents? Why don't you ask them? I'm sure they'll give you something to eat if they know you're starving."
"My parents... I don't know where they are, it's been a while... I don't remember when they disappeared, just waking up and not seeing them around anymore, and I also don't have a job... My life kind of depends on this sandwich."
"And your friends?"
"I don't have any, as far as I know..."
"Look, know that I HATE sharing my lunch with other people. If you're trying to convince me to give it to you, it's not working! I won't feel sorry for you just because you're practically alone and having to make your way to survive!! My heart is made of stone, girl! Nothing goes through it! But take this sandwich. I won't be able to eat 3 of these alone, plus that would break the totally healthy diet I've been maintaining! A strong physique requires discipline!
By the way, what is your name?"
"My name is Lieben!"
"Nice to meet you, Lieben! Mine is Risoli Paggliacio!"
"What an unusual name."
"It was an inheritance from my Italian great-great-great-grandfather. You know how it is, right. He was an immigrant and ended up marrying a woman from here, so they kept the tradition of foreign names. The whole family descended from grandpa has names like that!"
"How amazing!! I've never met anyone from the outside!"
"I kind of live in the midst of these people from abroad as well, more specifically in the business world. I've talked to spirits from all countries and ethnicities, and it's really something formidable. I would say that interacting with new cultures expands your worldview."
"Spirits? But weren't you a businessman?"
"I AM a businessman. Just not from restaurants, that was just a lie to make up for having come here as a clown. She wouldn't give me my prize otherwise...
My branch is in the spirit world, little girl! I am the greatest medium this world has ever seen, I just need to get into the spotlight!"