charming

The story today, the account from the life of the man with the two sticks in the park. He has many things to speak about, it seems. Stories from his life, a tiny spark of conversation, a small question releases a flood. The question of whether it is not possible for his children to help him with his house-

 - a flood of an answer is the result.

In a quiet questioning voice he explains that his daughter and he are estranged for some years now. The reason, he says, is unclear. Then he proceeds to explain, and the disaster becomes more visible.

There was an occasion when his son-in-law, whom he describes as a coward and a weakling, turned up in a distraught state and complaining about his wife. This was strange, for as the father he would surely be the wrong person to complain to. But the two-stick man calmed the situation and the son in law went his way. This took place over five years ago.

The next day the daughter turned up, she started a quarrel with the wife of the man. This turned so abusive that the daughter had to be asked to leave the house. To the two-stick man's great regret he told his daughter the following day when she turned up to apologise. The reason now was that his wife insisted that the daughter was terrorising her.After that the daughter only turned up much later, at the wife's funeral, and was seen to be in apparently high spirits.
This upset the man even more. He apparently interpreted this as a lack of piety.

The relationship to his son was damaged after his son engaged a lawyer who threatened to sue for inheritance payments. The old man was saddened by the fact that his son had been incapable of asking him before taking legal advice.

And thus, the old man is alone, but for his youngest son and his daughter-in-law. 

In conversation he is clear and concise, he recognises his situation.

Recount this account back to him at the end of the walk, up on the parking lot. He smiles, agrees, and says that that is roughly what happened.He says that he looks forward to the a meeting tomorrow.

The day is pleasantly cool, it is easy to walk the remaining nine kilometres. The charming waitress at the cafe brings coffee, no sugar, no milk, but with four amaretti. She is so charming, really.