Things

Many years ago, during a serene summer afternoon, I was sitting on the grass, under a tree, beside an outdoor swimming pool at the Aquatic and Recreation Centre in the German city of Krefeld. Close to me, a young boy, of age of twelve or perhaps a little older, was eating his sandwich. When he finished his meal, he took a glass bottle out of his bag and opened the bottle’s metal cap with a small opener. He put down the bottle opener beside him on the grass. I glanced curiously at the thing. A rather small, round handle was attached to a rectangular part. I was curious about the handsome device and asked the boy if I could have a closer look at the handle. It was an oversized replica of one Pfennig, the smallest German currency coin of the time. After I have expressed my pleasure at seeing such a well-crafted tool, the boy lifted up his head, looked at me and said: “Do you like it? Here, I’ll give it to you gladly.” Following a few moments of hesitation on my part and much insistence on his part, I accepted the bottle opener and expressed my sincere gratitude for the generous gesture.