Call me

Shortly after I'd finished college I had a job with an import-export business whose main office was located
near the cultural center. This area of the city was home to a small arts college, a large public library, several bookstores
a small upscale hotel and a couple museums. I often spent my lunch hour in the tea room of the art museum. The tea room
was actually an open air courtyard located in the center of the museum building. Besides providing a peaceful setting
where you could enjoy a light lunch, the place always seemed to be a good place for people watching. On any given day
one was apt to find it populated by academic types, budding artists and would be authors of both foreign and domestic
variety.

One afternoon while enjoying a salad, iced tea and newspaper I happened to notice a foreign looking gentlemen who seemed
to devoting a fair amount of his time staring in my direction. He would seem to stare at me for several minutes followed by
several minutes of writing or drawing. At first I was kind of flattered that a good looking middle age gentleman was obviously so
interested in me. But after several minutes I was beginning to become a bit unnerved by his insistent staring.
As it drew closer to the time that I would have to be returning to work I began to fold up my newspaper and commence
digging into my purse in search of my wallet. I withdrew several dollars from my wallet and placed it on the table as a tip for the server and
when I looked up the stranger was standing by the table next to me.
"OH! Hello." I said
"I didn't mean to startle you." he said with a definite accent in his voice.
"No, I'm alright" I said "I was just leaving."
"I am sorry to hear that" he said "Please accept this and consider it my apology" he said as he handed me a table napkin.
At first his gift struck me as strange until I realized what he had handed me was actually a napkin with a pen and ink sketch he
he drawn.