adolf and bruno

dusk was falling over the old city. adolf was walking home to his lonely room after a long day of beating rugs, and talking housewives into letting him beat their rugs. lost in thought, he did not see bruno approaching from the opposite direction. bruno was going home to his wife and three small children, after a long day of collating and checking the invoices of madame braun, purveyor of choice cakes and pastries . bruno was carrying a briefcase which contained several bottles of beer. not the cheapest brand, and his wife might complain of his extravagance, but too bad for her! adolf and bruno bumped into each other. for a second, bruno thought he might drop his briefcase and even break one or more of his bottles. watch where you are going, asshole! bruno shouted. fuck you, adolf retorted. fuck you, you middle-class piece of shit! i have as much right to the sidewalk as you do! hooligan! riff-raff! noticing the rugbeater adolf was carrying, bruno added, go home and beat your dick with that thing! and leave sober citizens alone! sober citizen! you stink like the outhouse behind a brewery! mind your manners, herr riff-raff, mind your manners! i shall be forced to summon a constable! adolf shook his face in bruno’s face. i will have my day, herr briefcase-carrier! and when i rule the world, when i rule the world i say, i will track you down to the ends of earth and then you will know who you are dealing with! ha, ha, ha! good day to you, herr rug-beater! the two men went their separate ways. years later, when adolf ruled the world, or at least a good chunk of it for a few years, he had forgotten all about bruno and made no attempt to track him to the end of the earth and exact vengeance on him. bruno did not recognize his former antagonist in the would-be savior of his country, and became one of adolf’s warmest and most loyal supporters. two of bruno’s children died attempting to defend and extend adolf’s brief empire, and for this bruno was always unrepentantly proud.