The bottle union

Alcohol exposed everyone for when at the bar. Curiously, it is the meeting place where those who are not intertwined in the outside world do so here inside. Here, the tags stay at the door and are picked up when the day ends.

But with all the good, the bad comes along for the ride. This is also where you see the true nature of everyone who makes a living here. As a bartender, I just look at how they really are, and how they lie to themselves and to the world of who they really are.

Let's inspect George, the married man, exemplary father. But none of that exists when George enters the bar, there the shine of his correct form disappears, he becomes a sad, depressed man, his life is worth little to him and all for one reason: He is not happy with his family. George married under pressure from his parents.

They practically forced him to do it, but that didn't motivate George. Not to mention his work. Being in an office was not his idea of happiness, but painting and doing it with his high school sweetheart, Ramiro. His parents did not tolerate that union, and after treatment for his "illness" the church "reformed" him, to form the conventional family. George comes here because it is his place of escape. I have seen him leave accompanied by different men, and none of them are Ramiro, especially since Ramiro left town years ago.

Truly nice people here

Mary also drowns her sorrows in alcohol. The most beloved schoolteacher in the neighborhood, she really hates kids. How do I know? Easy, I just say what I see. When she has too much alcohol in her system, the real Mary blossoms, a stubborn woman with no patience at all, and an immeasurable hatred for children.

I haven't seen them, but she describes them so accurately, you can almost hate them too. The one who doesn't bathe, the noisy child, the crybaby, the potential delinquent, the one who thinks he is superior, and the hopeless case; even the girl doesn't miss a thing. Vodka is like her truth serum.

Never in your life could you imagine that this is the teacher who is educating your children when you are not with them. But there she is, insinuating herself to everything that moves. But I repeat, I'm just the one who serves the drinks and knows all these stories.

Here comes our friendly mayor. The good thing about small towns is that these unions are easy to observe. The man who cares about his people is the most unpleasant being in the world over drinks. Overbearing, aggressive, and mocking, not to go into details. Last time he spitted on someone passing by just because he asked for a selfie. Not to mention what security did to him afterward. That man was beaten up and threatened not to say anything. I knew this because I went to take out the garbage.

The man who loves society and his family. On two occasions, his wife, the first lady, went to pick him up at the bar, and only returned home with a black eye and a humiliation that everyone would forget the next day. Everyone knows, but no one says it. That woman is mistreated daily. Not only her, but all the others who accompany him here on weekends. It seems a good tip from the mayor is worth your dignity. Not mine, because he never tips me, but he threatens to close the place down if I open my mouth.

But it's not all bad in this curious place. How about Katherine? The shyest girl in the world until her lips taste the alcohol, then she becomes the life of the party. Katherine is the only mildly positive case I know of regarding alcohol. She's a full-blown workaholic, and that makes her the most isolated person in the world. She's a researcher, so her life is in her work. Nothing else exists unless she comes here every Saturday night.

She is a pleasant conversationalist and a prominent listener. This is the first time I've ever advocated alcohol so much because it really makes a difference to this girl. By the way, she doesn't seem to care much about her bachelorhood; she enjoys it to the fullest, although I've already seen her having a good time with a dentist who came to town a few months ago, maybe they'll get to something more soon. But what can I tell you? I just watch and serve the drinks.

Here I see the reality, without their masks, because to get in here, they need to take them off and show who they really are. Nothing more to add. Here I wait for you in "The Bottle Union"

_________________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

SM32 all rights reserved.

Lead and first image by Chris F on Pexels