The Beggar's diary 10.07.2007.- There are now two places where Filch can drink a free cup of coffee. This poses a dilemma, as he cannot be at two different spots at one and the same time, and he only drinks one cup of coffee a day. The demand to be at two places drinking coffee is more than he can supply. He thinks about the relationship of supply and demand, and he sees an opportunity: "What if I ask to be paid to have a a free coffee at one location?" But in the end, Filch prefers to remain loyal and he sticks to his first choice, FYAL, without charging for the coffee.
Now, he would be happy not be noticed. He doesn't like that he has to go to the Spiekerhof between 12.00 and 14.00 every day. Why do people want to see him? He's a bit frustrated… Isn't he a free man/sculpture? He reaches a compromise he can live with, and places a sign on himself that says: "DO NOT TOUCH/BITTE NICHT BERührEN."
When a woman puts her bike next to his spot he says, "Ich bin der Bettler, Filch", and she replies, "Danke". That's why he hates the Spiekerhof. He feels people don't listen to him, as if they have an answer ready for him before he even asks a question. But Filch draws some attention—not because of him, but because of the sign. People look up at the building, and then at him: some smile, some look puzzled. A woman comes closer to him: "Will she touch me", he wonders, "and ignore the sign?" But no. She just asks him to move aside so she can see the jacket on sale displayed on the window behind him.
TIME for a new story, he thinks. As nothing is coming to mind immediately, he decides for the following scheme: "What if I ask all the people I meet to suggest a word, a word to start, and then the next person supplies the second word, until I have a sentence?" A man, named Hermann, speaks to him and says they have met before. Filch seems to have forgotten, but he tells him the principle of his new story: "You tell me the first word of the story, and then I tell this word to someone else, who suggests another one, and those two to a third person, until we have a whole story!" Filch is enthusiastic, and the man asks for some time to think. Eventually, he says: TIME. Filch is amazed. TIME is not an easy word, he thinks. Why not start with THE, or THEY, or IT? But he takes the word and promises himself to continue the next day.
He strolls around his spot until he notices a Dutch woman.
(S)he: Where is it?
(F)ilch: Here, it's me. I am The Beggar.
S: You don't look like a beggar (sizing him up from head to toe)
F: What should a beggar look like? How should I be dressed?
S: Well, no, it's not the clothes. You are too bright.
F: ???
S: Your eyes! Real beggars are not so sharp.
F: Well, then I am Filch, the bright beggar.
And he tells a story and a secret for 4 euro.
The "secret" is simple: One of the artists of SPM07 is willing to give money to any type of beggar except one: beggars with children.
He starts selling information about other artists, like how Tue Greenfort came up with the idea for his sculpture. But the information is not given away for free—he insists on getting money for it. Sorry for you, reader.
Then he thinks of an old idea of his: selling his picture. He draws himself on a cardboard box 6 times (he is no 06!), because he knows supply and demand is very important. He tries to sell it with other things, stuff priced at a much lower price, just to let the passer-by see how important it is. But it does not work. Nobody is buying. People are not even really looking. It feels like the answer he got earlier: "Danke".
He decides to try one more time, at the Velo Lounge (music and drinks at a sculpture). He gets food and a beer for one story from a picnicking couple, and a woman wants to buy one of the cardboard drawings. He is so happy he was almost about to give it away for free, but then she offered him 10 euro and another beer for it. One happy beggar walked past the Aasee last night...
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