Beggars Belief

Lads in the bank confirmed it was three casualties on the weekend, two others with Linda. No details were known to them, not even that of Linda. The tall chap with the guitar and dog who was king hit a few weeks ago and often busked in Yarraville (not Footscray) immediately bowed his head at the mention and improvised a gesture on his chest. Rest her soul. Chap knew of the African pair, but not their identity. Ken Betts hadn't heard, instead he told of another Sudanese opposite there inside the hub a couple months before who had not been able to be revived. Predictably, the soft-hearted accountant Adib with plenty to mourn currently on the Horn, felt the hurt. Like all the regular Africans, Adib always spoke respectfully to Linda. (One immediately relayed such happenings precisely like others in like circs, seeking communion.) It was news to big Barak the Sudanese too. After he had been told initially, he came up twenty minutes later to reconfirm both Linda and the two Africans. Between times, and not for the first time on that Nicholson street, there came an example of that strangest of beggary one encountered thereabouts. Barak again was the case in point. In this instance the scale of the ask was noteworthy. Barak, or Brek, as some called the man, always carried a leather briefcase. There had been a year or two of studies at Deakin, which may have been responsible for his tortuous lockjaw verbalisation of formal English. Barak commonly spoke of Balkan history and remarked on differences among the various component peoples. Judging by his references, there was regular BBC listening at home. Mid last year he had been confined for a couple of months, during which time he had been missed by many. Once or twice a week at most Barak approached asking for coin, almost invariably a particular denomination. This morning for his purchase at the bottle shop adjacent Faisal’s cafe it had been ten cents needed. Only ten cents, Barak repeated as the coin was being fished out of the bag. Twenty and fifty had been requested earlier by various people, recently departed Linda among them, along with of course the usual dollar or two. It was a measured, honourable matter here amongst the various street guys, who always thought in terms of the immediate fix and nothing beyond.