Place

The first law firm was located on the corner of Krochmalny Street and John Paul II. On the very corner was a commemorative plaque informing that Isaak Bashevis Singer lived here. So every lunch break I walked a little bit past Singer. Singer was asked, “Mr. Singer, do you expect to see the Messiah.”

Singer: “I have the same hope as the people of Chełm. There is an employed man who will welcome the Messiah. It’s not a well-paid job, it’s a lifetime job.” From this board you had to go 200 steps to the second place. When I went there I noticed that: (a) the tables have countertops in white and red DIAGONAL stripes, (b) waiters have t-shirts in white and red VERTICAL stripes (c) waiters have on the back behind the stripe from the pants suspended scarves in white and red HORIZONTAL stripes (d) waiters and waitresses take orders from guests in this way, that they are sequealing at the table and resting their elbows wide against the table top, and that the beard is based on the hands located on the countertop (e) serving GUINNESS (f) there on tv is on the big screen and on small BOXING screens.

The place is called T.G.I. Fridays. But it changed a little bit. That’s how I imagined retirement for many years: not on a lifeship, but on T.G.I. Fridays: I watch boxing, I drink Guinness, I talk to a deranged Service.