Hotel Porter. Part 5. Crime
Once in a while Mr. Truman buys a newspaper. He claims that he doesn't have much time for good reading not to mention such junk as newspapers. But we all live in society, don't we? It is dangerous to be out of touch and not to know what is going on. What if flood inundated the city? What if aliens have arrived to the Earth…or Robbie Williams has got married…or streets have suddenly become full of muggers, thieves and other criminals? How can you know that all if you don't read newspapers? The most important and vital information is published every day and spread over the city. And you don't buy it?!
Mr. Truman was eating his lunch and reading a newspaper when a manager approached him.
- What are you reading, Robert? A newspaper? Anything interesting? What is going on in the city?
- Oh, nothing special, Mr. White, nothing extraordinary. A child was kidnapped in the suburbs, one young lady was robbed near the Kensington Gardens, and a very famous shoplifter was caught and punished. He has shoplifted in one hundred sixty eight supermarkets! Can you imagine, Mr. White? It's unbelievable!
- It's unbelievably sad, Mr. Truman. If there weren't so many immigrants in the city, we would have much more peace on the streets. But they are everywhere! People from Nigeria, India, Philippines, Russia and China. From countries that you can hardly find on a map. They wash our cars and scratch them every second time! They babysit our children and only God knows what these Cuban women can put in their young flexible minds! They sell newspapers that you, Mr. Truman, read. And they all are very dangerous because they have nothing to lose.
- Mr. White, I guess you are exaggerating a bit. They are not that bad. At least not all of them. Don't you want to say all emigrants are either thieves or burglars?
- I do want to say they all are quite suspicious.
Later that day Mr. Truman was walking by the restaurant when suddenly he heard a strange noise. He entered the restaurant and noticed Mr. White and a young guy surrounded by people. Obviously the guy was Spanish and his English was very poor. He was trying to explain something, but nobody could understand him. People could hardly even hear him, because Mr. White was yelling bloody murder.
- You are a little pilferer. You came to our country for a better life. We give you shelter and after that we become your victims. Look, Mr. Truman, - he said to Robert when noticed him, - we just had a conversation with you about it. And few hours later I catch this guy stealing a purse. I told you! I told you I don't trust them.
- But what's the matter? What do you accuse him of? You don't even understand him, do you?
- There is nothing to understand. He is guilty! I was in the restaurant and saw what was happening here. He rushed in, grabbed a purse and tried to run away. Luckily I managed to catch him.
It took some time to call the police that came with a translator. The translator explained that a young guy had come to the restaurant to meet his friend. When the Spanish guy was walking through the lobby, one woman asked him to bring her purse from the restaurant. She felt very bad and was about to faint. There were her drugs in the purse, so she needed it quite urgently. That's why the guy was in a hurry. He just wanted to help an old English lady. It was a big mistake, so Mr. White had to apologize for that misunderstanding.
- No es nada, - said the Spanish guy and walked away to find his friend.
