THE AMERICAN DREAM
Smoke fills the the dimly lit bar. The bar is mostly empty, it's a Wednesday night, it's always empty on Wednesdays. Two men sit at opposite ends of the bar, lit only by a couple of lights that hang over where they're sat. One man is old, perhaps in his 60s. The other is younger, late twenties, early thirties. The sound of the evening news on a television set, mounted on the wall, rattles through the air. The face of the newsreader, as seen through the plumes of cigarette smoke, is solemn, as he reads another story about the murder of an innocent family.
Stranger: This shit is depressing me, turn it over.
The bartender obliges, he walks over to the television set and flicks through the channels. He stops on a channel featuring wrestling. He moves back over to the bar.
Bartender: Better?
Stranger: It's not great, but yeah, it's better.
The stranger watches the wrestling for a moment, before turning to Tony White, who is the man sat at the other end of the bar. He looks at him for a second, and catches Tony's attention.
Stranger: Men in tights wrestling with each other, or all that miserable crap on the news. Lesser of two evils, eh?
Tony smiles at the stranger. He stubs his cigarette in the ash tray and takes another sip of his drink.
Tony: Two men in tights wrestling with each other is better than listening to the news.
The stranger laughs a little at Tony's remark.
Stranger: Amen to that.
The stranger then goes back to watching the wrestling on TV for a moment. The two wrestlers on the set are both lying flat out on the mat, as the referee counts towards 10.
Stranger: You do know this is fake, right?
Tony: Would never have guessed it.
The stranger gets off his stool and scoots down the bar to sit closer to Tony.
Stranger: I'm Bill.
Tony: Tony.
Bill: So, Tony, what brings you here on a Wednesday night?
Tony takes another swig of his liquor, puts his glass down on the table and turns his attention back to the wrestling on TV.
Tony: Girlfriend issues.
Bill: Ha! I know all about that. What'd you do? Been fooling round?
Tony: Something like that.
Bill: I remember one time, must have been the early seventies, my wife was away. She'd gone to visit her family or something. I had the house to myself for a week. I tell you, it was like a Texas rodeo in there. I had a different woman back there every night. Not all of them were free, though, if you catch my drift!
Bill bursts out laughing as he continues his story, he looks over to the bartender.
Bill: One more round for me, and my friend here.
Tony: I'm good, thanks.
Bill: Suit yourself. So anyway, on the seventh night, I've got this real crazy broad back home. When I say crazy, I mean crazy. She was a hellcat. I've got her back in the bedroom, and she's just screaming, clawing away at my back as we're doing it, and at that moment, my wife walks in. Oh, boy, I went to the doghouse for that one. It was worth it though. I think she actually saved me from that broad, because she had huge nails and wasn't going to stop clawing me anytime before we stopped, if you know what I mean!
Bill bursts out laughing once again, and nudges Tony as he finishes his story. Tony finishes up his drink, and stands.
Tony: It's been a pleasure, Bill.
Bill: You too, man!
Tony strides towards the door, and walks out.
Smoke fills the the dimly lit bar. The bar is mostly empty, it's a Wednesday night, it's always empty on Wednesdays. Two men sit at opposite ends of the bar, lit only by a couple of lights that hang over where they're sat. One man is old, perhaps in his 60s. The other is younger, late twenties, early thirties. The sound of the evening news on a television set, mounted on the wall, rattles through the air. The face of the newsreader, as seen through the plumes of cigarette smoke, is solemn, as he reads another story about the murder of an innocent family.
Stranger: This shit is depressing me, turn it over.
The bartender obliges, he walks over to the television set and flicks through the channels. He stops on a channel featuring wrestling. He moves back over to the bar.
Bartender: Better?
Stranger: It's not great, but yeah, it's better.
The stranger watches the wrestling for a moment, before turning to Tony White, who is the man sat at the other end of the bar. He looks at him for a second, and catches Tony's attention.
Stranger: Men in tights wrestling with each other, or all that miserable crap on the news. Lesser of two evils, eh?
Tony smiles at the stranger. He stubs his cigarette in the ash tray and takes another sip of his drink.
Tony: Two men in tights wrestling with each other is better than listening to the news.
The stranger laughs a little at Tony's remark.
Stranger: Amen to that.
The stranger then goes back to watching the wrestling on TV for a moment. The two wrestlers on the set are both lying flat out on the mat, as the referee counts towards 10.
Stranger: You do know this is fake, right?
Tony: Would never have guessed it.
The stranger gets off his stool and scoots down the bar to sit closer to Tony.
Stranger: I'm Bill.
Tony: Tony.
Bill: So, Tony, what brings you here on a Wednesday night?
Tony takes another swig of his liquor, puts his glass down on the table and turns his attention back to the wrestling on TV.
Tony: Girlfriend issues.
Bill: Ha! I know all about that. What'd you do? Been fooling round?
Tony: Something like that.
Bill: I remember one time, must have been the early seventies, my wife was away. She'd gone to visit her family or something. I had the house to myself for a week. I tell you, it was like a Texas rodeo in there. I had a different woman back there every night. Not all of them were free, though, if you catch my drift!
Bill bursts out laughing as he continues his story, he looks over to the bartender.
Bill: One more round for me, and my friend here.
Tony: I'm good, thanks.
Bill: Suit yourself. So anyway, on the seventh night, I've got this real crazy broad back home. When I say crazy, I mean crazy. She was a hellcat. I've got her back in the bedroom, and she's just screaming, clawing away at my back as we're doing it, and at that moment, my wife walks in. Oh, boy, I went to the doghouse for that one. It was worth it though. I think she actually saved me from that broad, because she had huge nails and wasn't going to stop clawing me anytime before we stopped, if you know what I mean!
Bill bursts out laughing once again, and nudges Tony as he finishes his story. Tony finishes up his drink, and stands.
Tony: It's been a pleasure, Bill.
Bill: You too, man!
Tony strides towards the door, and walks out.