X is for Xavier

Xavier rolled his cigarette and gave a sign to the waitress that he was in dire need of another coffee. He opened his battered canvas bag and produced an almost as battered looking stack of newspapers. 

Even though he had promised his mother that he would stop smoking, he couldn’t resit the nagging voice asking for some more nicotine. After 3 matches wouldn’t light,Xavier reluctantly rummaged through his pockets in search for his capitalist zippo, a gift from an ex, his only ex. The truth be told, she did not know that he considered her a former girlfriend, especially since they never went out. Quickly he stuffed his lighter back into his pocket, he didn’t like being seen using things that did not fit his image.

When his 5th coffee of the morning arrived, Xavier finally decided that he should start being productive and should read some old news. First up was Liberation, followed by L’humanité. Xavier gazed at the people passing by the café, for him they were all capitalists, not caring about the popular class, his class! (from, which, as the son of a banquier, he could only pretend to be).

After reading the newspapers, Xavier scribbled some notes in his notebook. What was he going to say at the party’s meeting on Saturday? It had to be meaningful.

Xavier, now waiting for his 6th coffee of the morning continued reading something by Sartre, his idol, his hero.

“Xavier!” his mother’s voice ripped him from his reveries.

“Yes mom?”

“You forgot your phone at home again!” she waived his smartphone under his nose, “and it’s time for lunch! If you want to continue living under my roof, then you’d better be on time for lunch.”

Glaring at her son she added “is that too much to ask of a 32 year old?”

“Mom come on! I am working on the party’s manifesto, and I cannot be seen with something like this!” he pushed the telephone as far as possible away from him.

What he didn’t add, was that being seen in public with his mother was probably not that good for his reputation either, she was as far away from proletarian as anyone could possibly be.

During the month of April, I am participating in the A to Z Challenge, my theme is authenticity and eclecticism, which in my book go hand in hand.

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© Solveig Werner 2016. All rights reserved.