Window Shopping

No need to rush to the airport, two business men opt to take a coffee in the lobby of their hotel, where all of the signs are in English and Arabic. The only traces of Istanbul are the names on the waiter’s lapels. They order cappuccinos. The men choose chairs by a plate glass window and chat over their carry-on luggage and loosened ties.

A man of equivalent age stops outside and sets down a large plastic sack. His business hours usually begin at dusk, but as a similarly savvy entrepreneur, he will not miss a chance to make a sale. Through the window, he starts the negotiations. He holds up a few of the imitation designer shirts: a polo, a button up. Beautiful beautiful, he says to the pristine glass.

The seated men try to look past him, pretend he isn’t there. However, it is hard to miss how their graying temples match his, how their shoulders and bellies are similarly rounded. The inside men look down into the dregs of their half-empty cups and check their expensive watches. The man outside the window digs through the bag. He stands upright from his wares displaying one last option and a sly grin, insisting that they all knew quality when they see it.

-Istanbul, Turkey.

Antiques in Istanbul