Have you paid for the seat?

It was sometime is the winter's day... possibly sometime in January or December...

One day, I went into the Deli and got a cup of coffee to warm myself up.

On my way in, I saw a gentleman sitting on my regular bench with a bag next to him.

I thought to myself, then, still enough space for the skinnier version of me.

I also thought to myself that I seemed to have met him once before when he asked me for a light....

After I got out, I had the cane on the left and holding the coffee on the right... moving towards the end of the bench.

The gentleman saw me, picked up his stuffs, told me to sit down on the bench, and, asked me this question....

"Have you paid for the seat?"

I was not quite sure what to say and responded, "I paid for the coffee."

He smiled and walked away.... leaving me to this date in Taipei--- half-planet away from New York--- wondering... whether that was a good enough an answer to his question.

Unfortunately, I assumed, then, that the response was good enough and missed the opportunity to check my assumptions.... as in many other occasions--- even though I might have the propensity to doubt other's response and stand by, involuntarily, my assumptions lol.