Photo by Naufal Haritsyah on Unsplash

By Clint Jolly

Two elderly gents never break conversation as they chat across their sleeping buddy. Visitors of all sorts come and go.

"You turn onto Street 136 and neon lights bathe the path in glowing red as if you were walking down the Las Vegas strip in the 60’s. I half expected a Cambodian Elvis to stumble out of a bar."

"They whisper to each other and point haphazardly, I imagine they are trying to convince their buddies that what they are about to do is accepted with the others. They puff their chests and stand proud, an ingrained instinct usually reserved when sex from a potential target isn’t promised by a $50 bill."

"I find it odd that the bar is all men, older than me, a few with canes tilted against their chairs. Small flickers grab my attention as joints are sparked up, their smoke punctuated by white light from screens as people scroll and tap their phones. "

"An expat asks if he can grab the seat next to mine with a friendly smile. His American accent is a welcome note, the LA Rams plastered across his tee shirt gave a lot away. He apologizes for having to get some work done as he opens a laptop. I snicker, thinking of the traveling friends I’ve had that manage to “work” from a bar."

" Had I stepped into a new world the likes of that in Stephen King’s “You Know They Got a Hell of a Band”? I focus back to the guy napping at the table outside. He’s taken off his hat and his head is standing upright, eyes still closed as he shuffles and repositions in his seat. "

"As I step into the neon lit street my mind reels with all the possibilities. I turn back to see Robert Duvall give me a wink barely noticeable in the shadow of his calvary hat. When in Rome…"

John Bingham wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:57 pm

For the first time I notice a printed mural running the length of the room opposite the bar.
The vinyl mocks the appearance of a bar, attempting to make the narrow space feel wider, dotted with familiar faces. Robert De Niro, Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, Mike Tyson, Mao, Nixon and many others are staged as if they would be enjoying a cocktail with the rest of us. It seems I’m in good company.

I made that mural about 12 years ago, there's no Jerry Lewis on it! I didn't make the ones in Red Fox 2.

Really? You're a bit of an unknown quantity aren't you, JB?