The woman in the gray coat.

Remembering the time of trafficking in the post-war period.
Once again, it was a day when I wasted time because my schooling had been delayed by a year, because it obviously did not work out with the numbers in the school-readiness exam.
It is in the early post-war years. I was often busy setting up the many colorful characters on the Halma board in a star-shaped arrangement, including that day. The further meaning of this game was not yet familiar to me. So I once again occupied the entire kitchen table in the kitchen. A game console or Gameboy were not invented at the time.
We still lived in the small village on the Harz and it was always quite quiet in the area. It was not enough that you heard immediately when the small front door was opened in the large yard gate. That’s how it was on this day. I jumped up immediately, left everything and lay and ran to the window. A woman in a gray coat, carrying a rather large bag, approached the front door. I heard clearly that this woman was coming purposefully up the stairs, knocking on our door. My mother went to the door and the woman in the gray coat entered. She assessed our eat-in kitchen with a single scrutinizing look. She introduced herself and they made themselves known. She did not open her concerns with cumbersome words. I could see that she had something to sell. My mother announced with a nodding head movement that there was interest. At the same time, a chair was set up on which the woman could put down her heavy bag. The appearance of this woman had something to it, which I could not really classify, it was certainly not commonplace. Every now and then we talked very quietly. My playful occupation was hastily removed from the table in a few simple steps. Now the woman began to spread her goods out of her pocket on the table. What came to light, I saw these things for the first time. Everything was strange to look at, one hardly dared to reach for it with his hand. The appearance of this woman had something to it, which I could not really classify, it was certainly not commonplace. Every now and then we talked very quietly. My playful occupation was hastily removed from the table in a few simple steps. Now the woman began to spread her goods out of her pocket on the table. What came to light, I saw these things for the first time. Everything was strange to look at, one hardly dared to reach for it with his hand. The appearance of this woman had something to it, which I could not really classify, it was certainly not commonplace. Every now and then we talked very quietly. My playful occupation was hastily removed from the table in a few simple steps. Now the woman began to spread her goods out of her pocket on the table. What came to light, I saw these things for the first time. Everything was strange to look at, one hardly dared to reach for it with his hand. What came to light, I saw these things for the first time. Everything was strange to look at, one hardly dared to reach for it with his hand. What came to light, I saw these things for the first time. Everything was strange to look at, one hardly dared to reach for it with his hand.
Then my mother asked, do you also have thread and thread? The woman’s hand dipped diligently in her pocket and carried what she had desired to light. For my older sister, a dress was to be sewn for her confirmation, but these necessary things were just not available. Everything already laid out on the table just looked wonderful. It shone and glittered and everywhere a colorful picture was printed. I can also offer coffee, cocoa and chocolate, the woman said, holding her head slightly to one side, her eyes fixed on me. No, no, my mother replied, we can not afford that. Although the necessary money would have been available, for this type of trade one would have to lie down four times and more. The then exchange rate for the German Mark West was one in four, and the black market had to provide even a merit for the operator. These people drove to West Berlin at that time, bought there as inexpensively as possible, and then dropped them off in the area. The scent of smoked fish also came out of the big bag, but such a delicacy was cautiously covered after a short price. My mother finally ordered a few small packages, which were reviewed from all sides. Then, with a small pencil, the prices were added on the edge of a newspaper and my mother thoughtfully grabbed in her apron pocket for the purse. Obviously, she was very happy about what she had bought. bought there as inexpensively as possible to sell these things then in the zone. The scent of smoked fish also came out of the big bag, but such a delicacy was cautiously covered after a short price. My mother finally ordered a few small packages, which were reviewed from all sides. Then, with a small pencil, the prices were added on the edge of a newspaper and my mother thoughtfully grabbed in her apron pocket for the purse. Obviously, she was very happy about what she had bought. bought there as inexpensively as possible to sell these things then in the zone. The scent of smoked fish also came out of the big bag, but such a delicacy was cautiously covered after a short price. My mother finally ordered a few small packages, which were reviewed from all sides. Then, with a small pencil, the prices were added on the edge of a newspaper and my mother thoughtfully grabbed in her apron pocket for the purse. Obviously, she was very happy about what she had bought. which were reviewed by all sides. Then, with a small pencil, the prices were added on the edge of a newspaper and my mother thoughtfully grabbed in her apron pocket for the purse. Obviously, she was very happy about what she had bought. which were reviewed by all sides. Then, with a small pencil, the prices were added on the edge of a newspaper and my mother thoughtfully grabbed in her apron pocket for the purse. Obviously, she was very happy about what she had bought.
She pushed sewing threads, twine, safety pins, thumbtacks, press studs and rubber band to the side of the table. Meanwhile, the woman in the gray coat had carefully returned her bag. She was about to leave when she asked me, should I bring a Mickey Mouse next time? Of course, I nodded eagerly, though I did not know what a Mickey Mouse was. I thought of a toy.
They said goodbye. After that she walked across the yard and out the door. She never came back. Her travels were against the law and presumably the authorities had put a stop to it.
It was not until many years later that I first met a Mickey Mouse, the colorfully illustrated notebooks with the funny speech bubbles.