Man in Museum

Jasmine walked into the art museum, she was looking to quietly waste her Wednesday afternoon off. She took a few steps toward the kiosk to buy a ticket for the exhibit when something caught her eye: a man sitting on a bench by himself in her periphery. Jasmine turned to get a better look, he was a small man wearing round glasses, he had bushy white eyebrows with a matching moustache, wispy hair but mostly bald on top. The man was clutching a briefcase to his chest. He looked slightly anxious as if he was waiting for something or someone, and he looked a bit nervous too; on of his well polished shoes was tapping rhythmically on the ground.

The shoe went- Tap-pause-pause-tap-tap-pause-tap

The man looked if nothing else: interesting. Jasmine decided to go over and talk to him. She walked over and plopped down next to him, crossing one leg over the other.

"You weren't saving this bit of bench, were you?" she asks

The man seems a bit startled, both of his feet come off the ground in surprise. he opens his mouth once, closes it, takes in the situation and says, "No, no, you're just fine there..." and his foot goes back to its rhythm

tap-pause-pause-tap-tap-pause-tap-pause-pause

Not thrown off at all by the lack of greeting Jasmine smiles, unclasps her bag and takes out a book of crosswords and a pen. She spends a few moments scribbling in answers here and there and chewing on the end of her pen in thought.

"My name's Jasmine, would you happen to know a 6-letter word for travel bag?"

After an extra two pauses in the tapping the man closes his eyes for a moment and replies, "Duffle"

"Ahhh yes! Thank you!" writing the word into the blanks.

The tapping continues at its normal pace as Jasmine surveys her puzzle's clues, thinking of answers. This goes on for several minutes until the man decides it is his turn to break the silence, "I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Stanley. I'm waiting for someone..someone who needs this briefcase."

"Quite nice to make your acquiantance Stanley!"

Every once in awhile the art museum's PA system comes on with a short announcement like, "The Picasso exhibit will be open at 2 pm purchase your tickets from the kiosk."

Jasmine turns to Stanley asking, "Do you think you're friend is coming soon for the briefcase?"

Stanley's foot keeps tapping its rhythm as he ponders, "Hmmm... I'm not exactly sure actually."

Jasmine frowned, what an unreliable person to not even say when they were coming. She decides she'll sit with him until the briefcase's recipient arrives.

Minutes pass by, people come and go, a half hour goes by, then forty-five minutes. At half past two the tapping ceases. Stanley stands, straightens his pants and jacket out, then picks up the briefcase and turns to Jasmine, "I think you might be the one I was waiting for. Will you take it?"

Jasmine nods before she lets herself have a chance to protest. Stanley beams and hands her the briefcase with both hands. He says to her, "Thank you for spending some time with me, I think you'll know what to do with what's in the briefcase." Then he strides off into the Picasso exhibit leaving Jasmine completely baffled.