I thought of that. Maybe he does it only to be engaged into the conversation and “greeted”. The question then arises, if he would have been acknowledged and “greeted” would have still thrown the pen?
If it is Eliyahu HaNavi then the message is what?
The easy answer is straight out of Pirkei Avos…
Greet everyone with a smiling face and a warm hello.
So the question will arise again… What is the significance of the pen (if any)?