Halt’s Maul

“Halt’s Maul” is “shut your trap” in German. I was riding the bus in Berlin, when the very encounter from the initial page occurred: I was talking with an American friend of mine in English, and a German passenger cursed at us. It escalated into a fight, with him yelling, “Halt’s Maul!” at me. I was so puzzled by the entire encounter, then eventually amused, wondering what his story even was. Then I imagined his story for him: a day in the life of this man, meandering drunkenly through Berlin, having altercations with various characters throughout the city.