The entire lobby seemed to freeze as Margarethe stood up to her full height behind the high desk. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she looked down at the dirty boy who had dared to disrupt her pristine floor. She had spent fifteen years climbing the corporate ladder at this financial institution, and she refused to let a scruffy neighborhood kid make a mess of her morning routine.
Without warning, Margarethe reached across the high wooden desk and swung her open hand through the air. A sharp, stinging slap echoed through the tall marble room as her palm hit Leo directly across his left cheek. The force of the strike made the young boy stumble sideways, his hand flying up to cover his burning, bright red skin. A collective gasp rose from the crowd of customers standing in line behind him.
Margarethe: Get out of here! Guards, remove him from this building right now!
Before Leo could even recover his balance, Margarethe grabbed the heavy tan duffel bag by its worn strap. With an aggressive, furious shove, she hurled the heavy bag off the high counter. It flew through the air and crashed hard onto the polished marble floor, sliding several feet before coming to a complete stop near the main entrance.
Leo: Please stop! You do not understand what is in there!
Margarethe: I do not care about your street trash or your excuses!
A uniformed security guard named Marcus came rushing forward from his post near the front entrance, his heavy black boots thumping loudly against the tile floor. He moved quickly to intercept the boy, holding his big hands out to keep the child from approaching the manager desk again. Marcus had a stern look on his face, but deep down, he felt sickened by the violent slap he had just witnessed.
Marcus: Come on, buddy. You heard the manager. You need to come outside with me.
Leo: No, sir! I am not leaving until she looks at what is inside!
Leo did not cry, nor did he scream in anger. Instead, he wiped his red cheek with the back of his sleeve and calmly walked over to where the duffel bag lay on the floor. He knelt down, his fingers working quickly as he grabbed the heavy metal zipper pulls. The loud sound of the teeth unzipping cut clean through the tense silence of the vast banking hall.
Margarethe folded her arms tightly across her chest, watching with utter disdain from behind her high counter. She expected to see old newspapers, dirty clothes, or stolen junk pour out onto her pristine floor. She opened her mouth to order the guard to throw the child onto the street, but the words died instantly in her throat as the bag fell completely open under the bright lights.