The man looks everywhere, as if he was hearing some supernatural voice. Then he notices that Jack is looking at him. “Are you talking to me?” “Yes, sir. Do you know him?” “Know who?” “The bearded man who forgot his suitcase.” “No, I don’t. Do you?” “Of course not! I wouldn’t ask you about him if I did.” “Yeah right. Have we ever met before?” “Don’t think so, sir. Sorry for bothering you.” They look at each other for a while, until Jack feels uncomfortable and tries to get back to the café. But then. An enormous fire starts, people scream on the streets and a black column of smoke and rubble replaces the café. The man in the white suit is gone, too. Jack tries to understand what has happened. “Where is everybody? Why am I here?” He is unable to process what has just occurred and dives to the ground with his body. He sits there until the firemen arrive. Somebody asks him if he’s ok. “I am, I am.” Nobody could escape the explosion. Nobody saw anything. He tries to tell the rest of the people about the bearded man, about that strange man and his strange white suit – the suitcase, the apple pie. But everything is red and black. Black like his coffee, like the mine, like his mind.
To be continued... 19