Charlotte Square (Charlottenplatz)

He took the filter and held it in his mouth. Then he unwrapped the pack of tobacco, took a buch of dried tobacco and started rolling it a paper. A small stuck of tobacco fell on the floor.

'Scheiße' he screamed and started rolling furthur. Beside him was the half drunk bottle of the regional beer and some plastic covers. He had a badge on his half torn coat which asked government to give jobs to the Youth.

'Was machst du hier (What are you doing here) ?' he asked me.

'Ich möchte nach schlossplatz gehen. Ich warte für die U-Bahn (I like to go to palace square. I am waiting for metro)' I replied.

With a puff of smoke with which had the mixed smell of beer and rotten food, he said - 'scheiße..Ich frage, was machst du hier im Deutschland? (I asked what you do in Germany) '

'Ich arbeite hier (I work here)' I replied.

The U-Bahn had come and I have to bid adieu. From the window of train, I can still see the gentleman puffing out circles of cigarette smoke in the air.

I was there in the same station on the evening of new years day . It was a cold January evening. Charlottenplatz (Charlotte square) has a honeycomb like train station. Sometimes, you get confused between escalators and elevators on which platform you should go.

I met the same guy in the same place. I quite understood that in the charlottenplatz U-Bahn station he is quite popular. This time he was having a regional zeitung (newspaper) and reading aloud the new year message from the German Chancellor.

This time also he had the same regional beer beside him and same set of plastic covers.

In between his address to the public, he noticed me and came near me.

'Habst du eine Cigaratte? (Do you have a cigarette)' He asked me.

'Entschuldigung! Ich rauche nichts (Excuse me, I dont smoke)' I replied.

He left with a murmur that I cannot withstand German winter without smoking. He went to a person nearby and asked for a cigarette.

Yesterday , when I took a train in Charlottenplatz, he was inside the train. He was overdrunk.

Today evening I had to go to the library again, So went to Charlottenplatz. Took a hot cup of coffee and walked back to Charlottenplatz train station.

He was not there.

As I stood waiting for my U-Bahn, A teenager came and asked me 'Habst du eine Cigaratte?'

I said 'Entschuldigung! Ich rauche nichts'