Ieuan The Welshman

Ieuan the Welshman stood at the bus stop, looking at the daily paper, occasionally he checked his watch. He flicked open the paper and tried again but the words just blurred out and he found himself looking at the watch.
He was tired, it was hot and humid, the end of a draining evening shift. Some 10 minutes earlier he'd turned the corner and seen his usual bus away up the street in a pawl of dust. It had left early. The driver had been ahead of schedule so he'd sailed by the stop without waiting.
'Bastard'. Ieuan muttered and shielded his eyes to watch a Southern Caracara circle on the blistering thermals high above. To pass time he ambled up the sidewalk into the shade of an awning from one of the shops, and perused the goods on display.
The pawn broker always had a strange collection. Today laid in rows were: a number of hunting knives, a guitar, opera glasses in a leather case, a stack of cooper pots and pans, a pair of battered shoes (size 10), a stuffed lizard, some watches, a wooden box, he looked more closely at the label, it read 'European Music Box'. 
Ieuan checked the street, no sign of the bus, he pushed at the door and went inside where the heat hung in an oppressive cloud without a fan to move it around. The shop was dark, the only light came from the window, which striped on the floor between shadows thrown from a heavy iron grill, to stop pilfering. Opposite an internal door was also locked away behind a cage and the counter area was barred with a close knit of wire, as though to stop glass being thrown through.
There was a rectangular opening in the counter cage which allowed Ieuan to ring a bell. A black shutter flew up and revealed a man in a white sweat puddled vest sat on a stall before a high bench. He had the physique of a flyweight boxer, narrow tight muscles stretched over bones and sinew.  He hid something beneath a oily rag and jerked his head up implying 'what?'.
"In the window, the European Music box." The man pretended not to understand. Ieuan was used to it, his accent amused people, they liked to make him speak. He repeated himself. The man jerked his head again.
"You want to buy it?"
"I want to have a look at it." The man scowled.
"You want to buy it or not?" Ieuan turned to leave, "Wait. Wait." The man instructed, he collected a huge ball of keys with a long chain from a hook and disappeared out of the work shop. The internal door to the shop opened and the flyweight reappeared unlocking the cage between himself and Ieuan.
The acrid unwashed odour of the man swarmed into the room, overwhelmed by it Ieuan rubbed his nose. The window bar was unlocked and the man thrust the box into Ieuan's hands.
"Mahogany." He tapped the lid, leaving a sweat finger mark. Ieuan turned the key and was pleasantly surprised by the clarity and gentleness of the tune. The man snorted.
"You want it?" Ieuan pulled a face pretending to be unsure.
"15 Pesos?" He implied it was over priced.
"15." The man confirmed. "Mahogany, European, classical, 5 for each of those."
"I'll give you 5." Ieuan offered, the man reached to take the box back, quickly Ieuan suggested "7." The man wiped his brow with his forearm sending forth a new wave of vinegar stench.
"13. I have a business to run." Ieuan pushed the box into the man's vest with a shake of his head, but the flyweight didn't take it. Behind Ieuan the door opened and the flyweight's eyes flicked away to see the newcomer and quickly back to Ieuan.
"10." He said holding out his hand for the money. 
"Okay." Surprised by the quick lowering of the price, Ieuan flicked through a thin clip of notes and paid. Holding the door open was a broad man with a wide brimmed hat and suitcase on the floor beside him. He looked carefully at Ieuan there was a lump in his cheek where he'd stowed a cud of tobacco. He tapped the brim of his hat and unexpectedly smiled, revealing a mouthful of  teeth all twisted like a row of rotton tombstones. Ieuan nodded politely and exited, desperate for some fresh air.  
The next bus was coming down the hill as Ieuan emerged. He raised his hand and despite the heat sprinted up the road towards the stop. The driver had to bang on the brakes. The bus shuddered to stop.
"Thanks." Ieuan said as he climbed aboard.
"You come out of nowhere."
"I was buying a present for my boy."  

(For start of story see 'Madigan')