The Drunk

The drunk A thick plastic curtain of the type used in warehouses he could not see through to other than shadowy figures moving around he knew he saw a past that no longer belonged to him. He sat on the edge of his unmade bed, drinking warm beer when a sharp knock on the door of his flat it was the landlord looking at him with contempt, said he must pay the rent tomorrow or else! Despair sizzled through his body needed a strong drink one mixed vodka and cold coffee, while asking himself how it had come to this losing his job because he had been “outspoken”, told his boss to off Drinking the rest of the beer, he decided to take the bus to the farm he once lived as a child; he had been happy there and to trace his life from there He got off the bus in a small town near the farm. needing a drink, but it must have been early the cafe had no ale he had a coffee which he mixed with vodka; when that was seen they had told him to leave He bought a tin of cola and sat in a park drinking thinking of this unfriendly town full of Jesus people with no sense of humor He took a taxi to the farm, now a gated community the river was gone, the wooden bridge across it too, where he used to sit under and see tiny fishes nibble at his toes- gone, ing gone. A man came and told him it was private property and looked as burly guard on duty Down the main road where they were widening the road, a workers’ shed he got in a found cold coffee and mixed it with vodka, he must have lost the sense of time all of a sudden it was morning the workers were coming. He got a bus home and walked to his flat the landlord said his mother had paid the rent and taken my belongings she wanted to see him At her flat sat many people, even the boss who had fired him; thought this assault is called intervention; telling him his problem was booze, he was a good guy when sober They left in time for him to go to the nearest café for a few more beers before closing time. The next day, he had, a shower and dressed in clean clothes He went to a meeting where people appeared feverishly happy and laughing out loud.