Hear the Wind Sing

24

That night, the Rat didn’t drink a drop of beer. It wasn’t a good sign. Instead, he drank five Jim Beams on the rocks in a row.

We drank in a dark corner of J’s Bar, killing time with the pinball machine. We fed who knows how much change to the machine to purchase this slaughtered time; a perfect waste. However, the Rat was as earnest as ever, and because of that it was nearly a miracle that I managed to win two of the six games we played.

“Hey, what happened?”

“Nothing,” said the Rat.

We went back to the counter and drank beer and Jim Beam.

Saying almost nothing, we listened absentmindedly to records playing one by one on the jukebox. Everyday People, Woodstock, Spirit in the Sky, Hey There, Lonely Girl…

“I have a favor to ask you,” said the Rat.

“What is it?”

“There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“…a girl?”

Looking a little confused, the Rat finally nodded.

“Why me?”

“Who else is there?” he said quickly as he took the first sip of his sixth glass of whiskey.

“You have a suit and a necktie?”

“I do, but…”

“Tomorrow at two p.m.” the Rat said, “Hey, what the hell do you think girls eat to survive?”

“The soles of their shoes.”

“No way,” said the Rat.