Stop in front of the dead car, the car with the dead battery, then open the passenger door and pull the lever to raise the hood. Take a picture of the battery, just as a reference for the parts shop. Then close the car again and start walking. There are few people on the streets yet, the Christmas shopping has not started yet. It is freezing, at least minus four degrees centigrade. Continue walking down the market street and cross the river. The snow is mushy because of all the salt on it, but it still manages to be slippery in places.
Cross the overflow river and then walk through some dreary suburbs, houses packed close upon each other, all the different styles that the owners had imagined side by sided. Walk along the main road, the traffic is picking up. Germans are all going Christmas shopping.
The car shop has batteries and ice scrapers, but no jumper leads.
Take a furthere walk to a discount store that sells everything from canned fish to garden excavators and any amount of useless home electrical gadgets. And, of course, Christmas trees. Find the aisle devoted to car and bicycle products, and pick up a set of jumper leads in a handsome plastic case. Search for ice scrapers, but there are none to be found. They are sold out.
Return to the first place and buy a battery and an ice scraper. Take a bus back to the centre of town, the car battery is very heavy. It is worthwhile waiting fifteen minutes for the bus. Prepare the coins necessary to pay for the journey, two Euros and twenty cents.
The bus arrives, and the bus driver turns down the offer of payment. He says that all transport is free today.
Later, with the help of the new battery and the jump leads, start the car. Let the engine run and remove the ice from the windows. Allow the car to warm up sufficiently for all the doors to thaw. Repack the cables in their handsome carrier bag, and put the new battery into the passenger compartment of the car. It will be necessary to find a place to install it on Monday.
On Monday, after the dentist has done her work.
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