ONE MORE DRINK

AT FIRST YOU TAKE THE DRINK.

It was a cold night. Damn cold one at that. Sending shivers down the spine of every man and woman in Mountr’eaf, a little hill somewhere in the shoulders of the great Himalayas. The easterly wind had made an early entry this year. Much to every one’s dismay, everyone except Rick. 

Rick had the capacity to escape from adversities (read failure)– from friendships to marriage to parent hood, he was unscathed by most of them, he never wanted to though, but that’s the other side of the story. Rick had resorted to drinking, most people thought of him to be an alcoholic. But that wasn’t true, Rick was never addicted to alcohol, just drinking. 

Much like yesterday, which like the day before and so on and so forth, today passed Rick like a flash of yesteryear’s memory. He had sat beside the fireplace at the bar-stand drinking the day away. But there was something different about the day, Rick felt. He thought as if he was forgetting some thing. He tried remembering it twice. Then gave up. Much like the way he had given up on his faded memory.

THEN THE DRINK TAKES THE DRINK.

It was his wedding anniversary. Seventh. Rick belonged to an affluent family, before he lost everything to a punctured family car business. Now he belonged to the bar away from wife Jane and children Robert and Hillary. He had not seen much of his family lately. They have given up on him he assumed. They assumed the other way.

It was drink after drink. And then one more drink. Until Rick finally realized that it was perhaps time to leave. The bartender sure was relieved. He reached the pocket of his overcoat to reach the 137 $ bill. But as he slipped his palm into the coat pocket he felt the touch of something unusual. He took out and put it up on the bar stand. He wasn’t inquisitive and decided to pay the bill first.

It was wrapped in gift paper. Rick felt a flash of memory in his forgetful mind. He opened the gift, they were some papers bundled together. He began to read one by one. As he was reading he realized now in full consciousness, he remembered it was his wedding anniversary, which one he couldn’t still recollect. As he read, his eyes started to water. He smiled – “Darling you remember, Happy Wedding Anniversary to you too.”

THEN THE DRINK TAKES YOU.

“Is everything alright, Sir?” The bartender inquired. “Yes. Everything’s fine. Just get me a pen.” “And one more drink.” The bartender looked puzzled but inquired no further. Rick took the pen and signed Rick Owen on the paper, at spots marked crossed.

Rick and Jane legally separated a year later.