Excerpts from
Love at first Hiccup
By Dennis Jürgensen
Do you know what you're to say? I
whispered.
He nodded.
I slipped
behind some shelves so that I had a fine view over the shop. It had two counters.
The shopkeeper was at one of them, serving an elderly woman, and Esben went
over to the other. Luckily, there was no. one else there.
'Well, my
young friend, said the shopkeeper, when he had finished serving the
woman. 'What can I do for you?''
I'd
like to look at some combombs, said. Esben, as cool as cool.
My toes
curled and 1 glanced at the woman. She was staring at Esben with her mouth
open. Of course, the idiot had said combombs instead of condoms.
Er
... what exactly are combombs? the shopkeeper said earnestly.
'Well,
they're those sort of banger balloons, you know, when you're together with a
woman.
The penny
dropped and the shopkeeper's face turned rather red. He glanced over at the
woman, who was just standing there.
''Ah...
hm mm....you mean condoms, don't you?
Yes,
that's right, said Esben, grinning. The ones with colours and ribs
on them. Ribs! gasped the woman and there was a bang as her
jaw hit her chest.
Don't
you think you're rather young for things like that? said the shopkeeper
dubiously
I
don't really know, mumbled Esben. Anyhow, it's getting hairy.`
It was hard
to make out just who was the most appalled, the shopkeeper or the woman. I
don't think either of them knew Esben, thank goodness.
'What
kind do you want? said the grocer hoarsely.
Mmmm, said Esben, as if he was considering the matter. I think I'll
have some orange ones with green stripes and big knobs on.
I could see
the woman's legs giving way under her. The shopkeeper noticed and caught hold
of het.,
You're
not feeling ill, are you, madam?
No
... no, I must just sit down for a moment
Translated by Joan Tate
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