He said: “Bring me two meatballs for my dog.” These were not regular meatballs, by the way, but the traditional Romanian mici, which include a special combination of meats and spices. The dog, a black mutt, was very fat and sat lazily under the table. “She doesn’t like the mici hot,” he explained, so he cut them up so they could cool down a little. The dog barely moved its head, but finally devoured the luxury treat. We were outside in the park, sitting at a terrace with my dad’s friend, eating mici and doing quite a bit of day-drinking. Afterwards I had to take a nap. It was a nice nap, with the window open, and the sounds of the streetcar just outside outside.
