It's So Easy | Buddy Holly

Koch

February 20th, 1959. 4:44 pm. The World Market, New York

I pull my coat tighter as Buddy and I walk onto the suddenly dark street. I look around, trying to take in the various smells, items and colors.

"Wow," I mumble. "There's a lot of stuff here."

Buddy nods. "Sure is," he pulls his hand out of his pocket and wraps an arm around my shoulders. "Use your French radar to find a French booth." He laughs.

I smile. "Sorry, let me trigger it." I close my eyes. "Baguette, frog, cake, wine, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, Pierre..."

Buddy laughs "Well, is it ready?"

"Yes, it's this way!" I point forwards. "Yes, I can feel my sense of surrender kicking in." I start to walk.

He unwraps his arm from around me and grabs my hand. "What was it? Allons-y?"

"Oui! Let's go!" I say, dragging him.

"D'you have German senses?" Buddy asks.

"Yes. Kraut, beer, Oktoberfest, pretzels, Nazi, Berlin."

"Huh, all I got is a sense of sight. Oh, wait..."

I laugh. "Okay, blind-y."

"I hate you."

"Mhm, okay, sure," I stop in my tracks. "France!" I nod towards the large French booth. I notice that it has books and only books. There has to be another food stand somewhere.

"Damn it, you do have a French sense." He says as we walk up.

"Bonjour Madamoiselle!" The worker says. She's wearing a baret and a stripped shirt. Stereotypical. "'ow can I 'elp you?" She has the worst French accent I've ever heard.

"Do you have a French phonebook for Nice and Paris?" I ask.

"Mmm, let me zee for 'ou!" She turns around and disapears deeper into the booth.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, good accent," I mumble.

"Bet you could do a better one, doll."

"Who would have thought that the actual French person could do a good French accent?" I say sarcastically.

The lady returns. "I 'ave gotten zem!" She hands us the books. "Why do you need zuch a book?"

"Phone number," I start to flip through the pages, trying to find Koch.

"How much?" Buddy asks.

"Uhmmm, one dollar fifty."

Buddy hands the woman two dollars. "Keep the change, thank you."

"Thank you for your buizinezz!" The woman chirps as she hands us a sack for the thick books.

Buddy and I walk away. "We got 'em!" Buddy smiles.

"Yes! Finally!" I grin. "We're going to find him!"

"D'you wanna stop at any other booths?" Buddy asks, taking the books and shoving them in the sac.

I shrug. "Whatever you want."

"I guess we should walk around, we somehow haven't been here since we've moved from Lubbock." He says.

I grab his hand. "It is pretty neat here."

We wander around the World Market for what seems like hours, looking at every single booth.

"Ready t'head home, doll?" Buddy asks.

I nod. "Yeah, can we get some food first?"

"Yeah, I'm about t'starve t'death."