The tales of Hoffmann

A short story about human relationship.

The tales of Hoffmann

'Have you ever heard about the opera 'The tales of Hoffmann?'

'No I've never heard about it,' Gad Tsabari answered his friend's puzzling question. 'Me and operas don't make me laugh, and who sees or listens to operas these days?'

'Okay I got your message I thought that you've heard this peculiar tittle, but you're right operas aren't popular at all these days.'

'So what did you want to say and who's this Hoffmann? Is it someone's nickname, or are you just pulling my leg?'

'No Gadi it's an old story that I'm stuck with and it doesn't leave me in peace…'

'You'd better end up eating your steak it's getting cold man,' his friend remarked and poured him some more wine from the almost empty bottle.

Yaeer Aharoni watched his friend's face with some displeasure but did not comment, and turned to his plate contents.

Gad his loyal friend drained his glass of wine, and looked the entire restaurant hall around, glancing at their neighbors and at the pretty waitresses that roamed between the tables waiting patiently till his friend would end up his steak.

'So what's that story about, I hope it was worth waiting to hear it, or maybe I should have let you forget the whole thing.'

'It's a very short story…'

The waitress that served them reached their table, 'is there anything more that you may wish to have?' She asked smiling at them.

'No thanks not for me,' Yaeer who asked his friend to dine with him replied. 'What about you Gadi?'

'I'll have coffee, a double espresso please.'

'I'll have the same please,' Yaeer turned to her with a polite smile, sending her to fetch it.

'Well won't you explain yourself? The coffee will be fetched soon, and we've to return to the office.'

'So it turned you on, didn't it?' Yaeer noted with a short laugh. 'Alright here it is in short and just the main facts; it's an opera by Mozart, don't panic I'll refer to what suits the problem that bothers me.' Yaeer added with a smile, watching with wonder his friend's tensed features. 'It's about a frustrated artist that visits the studio of his friend the inventor. His friend has invented a mechanic doll in human stature that dances and sings, and is called Olympia. Our artist Hoffmann is his name is a man with hopes falls in love with the doll, he's sure that she's the inventor's daughter.' He coughed slightly and made a short pause turning his attention to the waitress approaching their table, with a platter and two steamy cups of coffee.

Both of them watched the waitress lovely features, her delicate and skilled hands, as she unloaded with sprightliness the platter then smiled to them and left.

'Have you bought a blow up doll?' Gad asked with a mocking smile, as if he grasped his friend's idea, and did not need an additional explanation.

'Oh c'mon don’t you know me?' Yaeer answered him with a cheerful laugh that swept both of them. 'I've joined a social site some six month already, and there's a certain woman there that I'm very fond of.' He said with an embarrassed smile. 'it's similar in a way to the this opera's plot. I don't know how she really looks like, if she's tall or small; or if that image of hers is some several years old…'

'So date her, what's your problem?'

'The thing is she left that site and I don't know where I can find her. I've looked her over the entire net, she simply vanished.'

'Oh how deplorable you're one might think, go out to one of the pubs or discos, and catch a living doll that would teach you all her advantages at your first night with her, and relax for God sake from that mysterious case. What's the name of the mysterious damsel, Enigma, Olympia. So help me you've crushed me man, I wouldn't have believed it, the tales of, how did you call him?'

'His name is Hoffmann the man of hope.'

'And what do you think on the hope that approaches our table with the bill, and all the hopes that are roaming between the tables, or sitting not far off…'

'What's so funny?' The pretty waitress asked and put the bill on the table.

@ Haim Kadman 2010 �" all rights reserved.