Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf by Alfred Döblin Read Free Book Online Page A

“Just want to drink a cup of coffee. Surely you got a little pot of coffee for me?” “You don’t need me for that. You probably got another girl already, from the way you look.” “Just a cup of coffee.” “You do make a body miserable.”
    And as she stood by the coat-rack in the hall, and he looked beseechingly at her from the kitchen door, she picked up the nice new apron, shook her head and wept: “You make me miserable, you sure do.” “But what’s the matter?” “Karl didn’t believe me about that black eye. How could I have bumped into the press like that? I had to show him how. But a person really can get a black eye on that press, if the door’s open. Let him try it. Say, I don’t know why he don’t believe me.” “I don’t understand it either, Minna.” “Because I’ve got some marks here too, on my neck. I hadn’t noticed them at all. What can I say, when he shows ‘em to me, and I look in the mirror and don’t know where they came from?” “Humph, can’t a person scratch himself, suppose something is itching you. Don’t let Karl razz you like that. I certainly would knock that into his head.” “And you keep on coming up here. And the Lumkes probably saw you.” “Well, they don’t have to get all ruffled up about that.” “But if you’d only go away, Franz, and don’t come back again. You make me miserable.” “Did he ask about the aprons, too?” “I’ve been wanting to get some aprons for a long time.” “All right, then, I’ll go, Minna.”
    He grabbed her around the neck, she let him do it. After a while, when he didn’t let go, without pressing her to him, she noticed that he was stroking her, and looked up, astonished: “But you must go now, Franz.” He drew her gently towards the room, she resisted, but followed step by step. “Franz, is it going to start all over again?” “Why, no, I just want to sit by you, in the room.”
    They sat quietly talking next to each other on the sofa for a while. Then he left of his own accord. She accompanied him to the door. “Don’t come again, Franz.” She wept and laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s certainly queer, Minna, what you can do to a fellow. Why shouldn’t I come back again? Well, then, I won’t come again.” She clung to his hand: “No, Franz, don’t come back.” Then he opened the door, she still held his hand tight and pressed it hard. She still held his hand while he stood outside. Then she dropped it and gently, quickly, shut the door. From the street he sent her up two big slices of veal cutlet.
    And now Franz swears to all the World and to himself to stay Respectable in Berlin with Money or Without
    He was already quite well on his feet in Berlin-he had turned his old furniture into cash, he had a few pennies from Tegel, his landlady and his friend Meck gave him a small loan-then he got another terrible blow. But it turned out later on to be only a slap. One morning, which otherwise wasn’t so bad, he found on his table an official yellow paper with printing and typewriting on it.
    Police commissioner, division 5, reference number, you are requested in case of possible claims in the above affair to mention the above reference number. According to documents in my possession, you have been convicted of assault and battery with fatal consequences, as a result of which you are to be regarded as dangerous to public safety and morality. Accordingly I have decided on the authority granted me in paragraph 2 of the Law of Dec. 31, 1842, and paragraph 3 of the Prisoner Restriction Act of Nov. I, 1867, as well as the Laws of June 12, 1889 and June 13, 1900, to expel! you through the constabulary from Berlin, Charlottenburg, Neukblln, Berlin-Schbneberg, Wilmersdorf, Lichtenberg, Stralau, as well as from the districts of Berlin-Friedenau, Schmargendorf, TempelhoL Britz, Treptow, Reinickendorf, Weissensee, Pankow, and Berlin-Tegel and therefore instruct you to leave the districts specified above