Based on actual experiences of 1968 a

(Based on actual experiences of 1968) (a Chick Evens story)

The church steeple drifts off into the darkness. The trees in the surrounding cemetery, across Jackson Street, can only be seen by the fleeting headlights involving cars. The mist whitens the trees. Everyone is at the corner pubs, Bram's or the MountAiry. Chick Evens straightens up, takes out a ciggie, a light drizzle of rain floods the atmosphere, as he walks little by little up Sycamore Street, turns-sees around the corner bars.

A few run-down busses distribute him, but are soon lost, when they turn the corner-he noticed a handful of black faces on the bus, hateful, looking faces (perhaps it's the intervals, he senses).

He hears noises coming from both bars, music is certainly loud. He opens his eye wider, leans his neck backside, his belly is a little sour from drunk he had the night before. A taxi cab goes by, stops in front of Bram's, it looks like Nancy, David, Carol and Rockwater.

Now standing in-between the two entrance doors of the Mt. Airy, he can hear the blind noisy street at the rear of him. There are a few familiar faces within the bar, he notices looking over the particular western style, swinging doors. He thinks it would have been better possessed he come later-more people, nonetheless he's here now. He mind for the bathroom, urinates and combs his hair, washes his facial area, he's been drinking half your day, up at Jerry Hino's residence, a half-mile past the church (he had been playing cards with Jerry wonderful brother Jim, and Mike Gulf of mexico, and Betty-Jerry's wife, had to materials the kids, so he decided to leave. )

He comes out of the toilet, his light jacket laid above his arm, his friend Allen is in one corner of the club, he nods his head-I imply they both nod their heads for recognition of the other. Bill wonderful wife Judy are in a sales space to his left, Bill acquired just come back from the war in Vietnam. John St. Clair is another corner of the bar, his girlfriend, is by herself at the pub opposite him. Big Ace, close to six-foot six inches tall (the neighborhood mannequin), no teeth, 210 pounds, ten-years everyone else's elderly, or thereabout, not all that glowing, is sitting next to Doug, vocal singing his weird song: "Twenty-four dark-colored birds baked in the pie, " then he forgets the rest of the verse, they always does, and goes into a new humming episode, as if lost inside of his own head-pert near dancing in the stool, pounding on the bar foot kicking.

Doug and Ace are usually sitting in the middle of the horseshoe molded bar, like most everyone else, drinking ale, it would seem a beer fest was going on; but it's really a normal every camisas hechas en spain day element, and on the weekends the only big difference is they all get drunker. The bar is not much more than a dive: no, it is just that, a dive. Girl Evens feels a tinge shitty but knows with a few more drinks he'll not feel anything, however, that will fix him up. When he orders a beer, drinks it down, his headache disappears. This individual runs his hand over his forehead, as if to wipe the ale sweat off of it.

The worst thing for Evens is that he's spent all his money yet a dollar, buying beer located at Hino's house. He is Not sure precisely how he'll get by tonight, but you can find someone to buy a fellow neighborhood buddy a beer. He's good for that he tells himself.

He listens to Doug's voice, far, far away-or so it seems, he's dating Jackie, Evens' old girlfriend. He these days joins Bill and Judy, they knows he can borrow a few bucks coming from Bill if he has to, must. The side window has a light portion of the moon showing, all around it is a dark sky, and he falls down-purposely, upon the soft cushion at the edge of typically the booth, by Judy.

This entire business of drinking night following night has made Evens thirsty. Invoice notices Chick's glass of draught beer is empty. Bill says-in a new wholehearted way, "Come on a few get another round, " he is smiling, waves the waitress over-

"As long as the glass is normally cold, and the beer is chilly, I like it, " say Evens.

These two bars is a place for your neighborhood boys to drink at, relatively it always has been; they are drunks and they don't even know it, by such a young age too. Chick is usually but nineteen-years old, Ace will be twenty-nine, and Jackie is the age and Doug perhaps 5 years older, and Roger is certainly Doug's age, thereabouts. From the looks of things, should a bystander take note, the so called Donkeyland Neighborhood Gang, so named by the police, the Cayuga Street neighborhood, in essence, one would think they were all raised from the cradle to the grave during these two bars, on beer.

In the Mt. Airy bar, is an severo dampness, grayness to it, it reeks (The Great Northern Railroad is definitely down and under the Jackson Road Bridge, just outside the bar, you could hear the trains coming together with going now and then. On the other side of the link are the warehouses). The jukebox is playing "I'm Sorry, " by Brenda Lee, it was playing something by Jack Scott, previously, and Elvis of course was played a 50 percent dozen times along with Rick Nelson, and the Beatles. Most all the males within the bar have their shirtsleeves rolled upward, past their elbows. Some are chewing-whatever-a nosy veracious crowd, but more manageable than Bram's across the street-there, there exists a pool table; some of the boys might shift bars later on, as will certainly those in Bram's.

The waitress is in her forties, has a cheap apron on, the Italian manager is her lover, he's betrothed, but after they close up the bar, your sweetheart settles down in his office together with him, they'll not leave right up until close to three o'clock in the morning.

The particular jukebox goes louder, a few people are dancing. The bar is filling up, having smoke, multicolor white to pale faces, Native American faces, birdwatcher color faces, one Mexican, no blacks.

Armpits are starting to aroma like fish, old rotting fish, Bill hands Evens his ale, Fran, the waitress, just helped bring it over.

"Shut the door, " the voice yells, "you're leaving inside the flies! "

That was Larry fantastic wife Jeannie who had come through the particular swinging doors. There's an empty presentation area alongside Evens, they grab that, everyone shaking hands or hugging one another, as if they hadn't witnessed one another for ages.

"Two bottles associated with beer, " says Larry, he or she likes bottle beer, as does the wife, she's Native American, such as Jackie her sister, and David St. Clair, their brother.

The neighborhood factory, "Structural Steel, " the second shift is letting out there now, and Jack T, plus Dan the Crazy man (pleasingly plump), so he is known-are now walking thorough the bar, Jack is currently going with one of Chick's old female friends, a Mexican. Bunches of the neighborhood boys still work at the factory, and the majority all of them have at one time or another. Good old Charlie, even got Evens a job there once, and then Charlie outdated, he was Mexican.

The more people within the bar, the more undecipherable the scent, it weakens the stomach, nauseates it.

"What a sickening employment, " says a voice, it appears to come from the area John L and Karin are. John L, had traveled to California with Evens recently, as Jerry Hino had a year back, went to Omaha using Evens, and Ace's brother Keith, had went to Seattle with your pet; all wanting to rush back to the neighborhood but, Keith.

The only relief from typically the squeezing smells in the bar, would be to leave the bar for fresh air, so, Evens picks himself up, cop out himself, he hears the communautaire voices, the motors and horns coming as he opens the bar entrance doors, that faces Sycamore and Knutson Streets. His ears clear out all the deformed thick noises. His memory space fades from all the prominent cheekbones, dead looking, red-eyed drunks, all of the drowsy looking bodies, that acquired clustered around him, and everyone an individual else.

He lights up his 60th cigarette for the day. He sees the particular accumulated garbage along the side in the bar, in the street. The music from the pub jukebox mingles with the live wedding band across the street. He sees Sonny practicing his guitar00 (Sonny had taught him a thing or two about finger picking, in his newer days: and that's not all that long ago. They also played for a short time by using one of the national Rock and Roll bands)

The door to Bram's is wide open, he is able to see his older brother Mike, drunker than a skunk, sitting at the bar-his elbows leaning on the bar, his back to him. He throws typically the butt onto the sidewalk, buries this under his heel. He had taken it down to a half inches, a Lucky Strike.

He perceives: why don't I leave, and never keep coming back?

He thinks: I have dreams, aside from drinking myself to death here in the two dives. I want to go to Bay area. (But he really wants to travel depends upon, and get a college degree, and compose poetry, and books but this individual doesn't say this, because he has from this neighborhood and people would believe he's insane, and can such things be possible? I mean, are these goals not for the other person, not really for people like him; but only moment will tell. But perhaps he is willing to wait, even if it takes a lifetime. He doesn't know all this keep in mind; only I do-now looking lower back. )

He watches the group of friends of foam from a pitcher of ale being carried to a table of 5 people at Bram's. He views an old man vomiting alongside the bar. He sees cars in the building disappearing into the night of the gibbous moon.

He thinks: We're all terrified to go away; constrained by our minds. Defeated before we've even analyzed life; and then we grow old. A thousand times we say: if only.

The music on the jukebox is playing a sad song, "Lonely Street, " by Rick Nelson. His world grows restful, more intense-he looks inside the tavern, stink, armpit smells, more dark beer being passed from one hand to a new, garbage on the floor, smoke clouds usually are settling overhead like cobwebs through the bar, the same images every night-this weekend night.

This bar can be a can of worms, he shows himself, a brain twister, nevertheless he walks back inside: as if it was home; although he doesn't say that, but if he listens to be able to his second self, he'll understand the truth, and the truth is, it's not residence (although the devil would like him to believe so), it's just a dive, and will have to learn quick, because moment is concentrated in the moment; and life is quick at best: and dreams do come valid, if you have a plan, prayer, and if a person work it, and have patience.

No: 631 (12-11-2010)

Dedicated to the Donkeyland Gang

Spanish Version

(Versin sobre Espaol)

Una historia de San Pablo, Minnesota, USA

Una Noche en La Cantina

((Basado en experiencias reales de 1968) (una enredo de Chick Evens))

El domo de la iglesia se pierde sobre ela oscuridad, los rboles en el cementerio adyacente, cruzando la bulevar Jackson, solo pueden ser vistos por las fugaces luces de los carros. La neblina ha blanqueado mis rboles. Todos estn en la esquina de los bares, Bram y Mounted Airy. Chick Evens se endereza, coge un cigarrillo, una brisa suave llena la atmsfera, mientras l sube lentamente la bulevar Sycamore, voltea y mira hacia la esquina donde estn mis bares.

Unos cuantos buses acelerados pasan por l, pero pronto se pierden una vez que voltean la esquina-l nota unas cuantas caras negras en el coach, caras que parecen mirar que tiene odio (talvez sean los tiempos, l piensa)

l escucha voces viniendo de ambos bares, los angeles msica est bien alta. l abre sus ojos ms, inclina su cuello hacia atrs, su estmago est un poco indigesto por la borrachera que tuvo anoche. El taxi llega y se detiene en frente del bar Bram, parece que son Nancy, David, Carol y Rockwater.

Ahora parado durante medio de las dos puertas del bar Mount Airy, l puede or los continuos ruidos de la calle que est detrs de l. l, mirando por medio de las puertas de altibajo al estilo del oeste, nota que hay algunas caras conocidas en el bar; piensa os quais hubiera sido mejor venir ms tarde cuando haya ms concurrencia, pero l ahora est muy bien. l se dirige al bao, se peina y se lava la cara, l ha estado bebiendo ya medio da, sobre ela casa de Jerry Hino, a media milla de la iglesia (l estuvo jugando casino con Jerry y Jim (hermano de Jerry), tambin con Mike Gulf con Betty (esposa de Jerry) quien tena que alimentar a tus hijos, por eso el decidi dejarlos)

l sale del bao con su casaca sobre su brazo, su amigo Allen se encontra en una de las esquinas del bar, l, al verlo, mueve su cabeza; es decir, los dos mueven sus cabezas en seal de reconocimiento del otro. Bill y su esposa Judy estn en una butaca a tu izquierda, Bill acaba de volver de la Guerra de Vietnam. Bob St. Clair est en la otra esquina del bar, su enamorada est sola en la otra confiar. Big Ace, quien mide cerca de 2 metros (llamado el figurn del barrio), no tiene dientes con pesa noventa y cinco lbs, es diez aos mayor o qual todos, o algo por all, no es tan brillante, l est sentado cerca a Doug cantando su cancin rara: "veinticuatro pjaros negros horneados en un pastel", luego l se olvida del resto de la cancin, como siempre lo hace, y contina que incluye el episodio de tarareos, como si perdido dentro de su propia cabeza, casi bailando en su banca, golpeando el piso con sus pies.

Doug y Ace seran sentados en medio del reserva en forma de herraje del bar, como casi todos, bebiendo cerveza, parecera que una fiesta de cerveza estaba llevndose a acabamiento, pero en realidad es una situacin normal de todos los das, y l. a. diferencia con los fines de semana, es que todos sony ericsson embriagan ms. El bar not any es mucho ms que mi cantina, no, es exactamente eso, una cantina. Chick Evens ze siente un poco mareado, pero l sabe que con un poco enormemente de cerveza l se sentir bien, de todas formas, asi lo pondr bien. Mientras pide una cerveza, se lo necesita todo y su dolor para cabeza desaparece. l pasa su mano sobre su frente, tais como para secar el sudor sobre cerveza de ste.

La peor cosa para Evens es la cual se haba gastado casi todo su dinero excepto por este dlar, comprando cerveza en la residncia de Hino. l no se encontra seguro de cmo llegar por la noche, pero siempre hay alguien para comprarle una cerveza a un amigo del barrio. l es bueno para eso, se dice a s mismo.

l oye la voz de Doug, lejos, muy lejos, o eso parecen; Doug est saliendo con Cassie, la ex enamorada de Evens. Ahora se une a Bill con Judy, l sabe que podra prestarse unos cuantos dlares sobre Bill se llegara a necesitarlo. La ventana del lado inventar un poco de luz de vitrina, todo alrededor es un cielo fosco, y l cae a propsito, en el suave sof, 's filo de la butaca, cerca de Judy.

Este asunto entero de soplar noche tras noche hizo que Evens estuviera sediento. Bill aprend da cuenta que el perico de Evens est vaco y dice, de una manera accesible y sincera, "Vamos, tomemos otra vuelta", l sonre mientras hace seas a la mesera para que sony ericsson acerque.

"Mientras que el perico est fro, y la cerveza fra, me gusta", dice Evens.

Estos dos bares son este lugar para que los muchachos de barrio beban, aparentemente siempre lo fue; ellos estn tan borrachos que incluso no lo estan informados sobre, a tan temprana edad agregado. Chick tiene slo diecinueve aos, Ace tiene veinte, Jackie fue de su edad, y Doug talvez es cinco aos mayor, y Roger, es de la edad de Doug, o aproximadamente. Para lo que parecen las cosas, si el espectador tomara nota, la color llamada pandilla del barrio denominado la Tierra de los Burros, nombrado as por la polica al suburbio de la calle Cayuga; es decir, primero pensara que todos estaban acostumbrados a beber cerveza en estos dos bares, desde la inicio hasta la tumba.

Dentro de Bar Mount Airy, hay la humedad inevitable, es sombro y apesta (El Gran Ferrocarril de Norte pasa debajo del Pasarela de la calle Jackson, justo afuera del bar, t puedes escuchar a los trenes yendo con viniendo de vez en aquella vez. Al otro lado del pasarela estn los depsitos). La estuche musical est tocando "Lo siento" de Brenda Lee, previamente estuvo tocando algo de Jack Jeff, y por supuesto, la msica para Elvis fue tocada una multimedia docena de veces junto que incluye la de Rick Nelson sumado a los Beatles. La mayora de los hombres en el bar tienen dobladas las mangas de sus camisas por encima de sus codos. Algunos estn masticando-cualquier cosa-una publico bulliciosa, pero ms en control os quais en el bar Bram, o qual est al frente de la calle-all, all hay una mesa de billar; algunos de los muchachos cambiarn de bar ms tarde, adems de aquellos del bar Bram lo harn.

La mesera tiene tais como cuarenta aos y tiene puesto un gastado mandil; el dueo, un italiano, es su bien-aime. l est casado, pero posteriormente que cierran el bar, ella se queda en su dependencia con l y no salen hasta cerca de las tres entre ma maana.

La caja musical suena ms fuerte, algunos estn bailando; el bar est llenndose disadvantage humo, hay caras multicolores a partir de blanco hasta plidos, caras sobre indios americanos, caras de color de cobre, una mexicana, ningn negros.

Las axilas estn empezando a apestar como a pez, pescado podrido, Bill le alcanza a Evens una cerveza, Fran, la mesera, lo acaba para traer.

"Cierra la puerta", la voz grita, "ests dejando coger a las moscas! "

Eran Larry y su esposa Jeannie que entraron por la puerta altibajo. Hay un sitio vaco ing lado de Evens, ellos lo agarran, todos se dan l. a. mano o se abrazan algunos a otro, como si zero se hubieran visto por aos.

"Dos botellas de cerveza", chop Larry, a l le gusta la cerveza en botella, como tambin le gusta a tu esposa, ella es una americana india, al igual que su hermana Wendy, y John St. Clair, su hermano.

La fbrica del barrio, "Acero Estructural", est dejando extirpar a su segundo turno ahora, y Jack T y Setelah itu "El Loco" (un gordito), um as se le conoce, seran ahora atravesando el bar. Jack port ahora est saliendo con la de las ex enamoradas sobre Chick, una mejicana. Un montn de los muchachos del barrio todava trabajan en la fbrica, y la mayora lo hizo alguna vez. El viejo Steve, incluso le consigui a Evens un trabajo all, y luego Charlie se jubil, l time un mejicano.

Cuanto ms pandilla en el bar, ms apurado de descifrar el olor, ste debilita el estmago, lo enferma.

"Qu trabajo tan asqueroso", dice mi voz, sta parece venir para donde estn John L y Karin. John L recientemente hizo viajado a California con Evens, como Jerry Junior lo ha realizado un ao atrs, yendo a Omaha con Evens, y el hermano de Ace, Keith, haba ido a Seattle con l; todos, menos keith, queran volver apresuradamente a su barrio.

L. a. nica liberacin del pesado aroma del bar, es dejar este bar para tomar aire impasible; as, Evens se levanta, se disculpa y sale, l oye las voces colectivas, los motores y bocinas que entran durante las puertas del bar os quais dan a las calles Sycamore y Jackson, se abren. Sus odos dejan de escuchar aquellos ruidos fuertes deformados. De tu memoria se esfuman todas las mejillas prominentes, miradas de muerte, borrachos con ojos rojos, todos aquellos cuerpos adormilados, que se aglomeraron alrededor de l, y de todos los dems.

l enciende su cigarrillo nmero sesenta del da y observa la basura acumulada approach costado del bar y en la calle. La msica de la estuche musical del bar se mejunje con la msica en vivo de la banda que est ing frente del bar. l ve a Sonny tocando la guitarra (Sonny, en sus aos jvenes, le ense algo de cmo tocar las cuerdas; y eso no es mucho tiempo antes. l tambin toc por un momento en una de las bandas nacionales de Rock and Roll).

La puerta del bar Bram est abierta ampliamente, l podra ver a su hermano gran, Mike, ms borracho que mi cuba, sentado en el fridge de espaldas a l, con sus codos recostados. l arroja el pucho del cigarrillo en la acera y lo aplasta miserable sus talones. l ha estado fumado un Lucky Strike, hasta dejarlo en un centmetro.

l piensa: Por qu no myself voy de aqu para nunca volver?

l piensa: tengo sueos, no slo tomar hasta estirar la pata aqu en estas dos cantinas. Quiero ir a San Francisco (pero l realmente quiere viajar por el mundo entero, y obtener mi carrera, y escribir poesas sumado a libros, pero l no lo dice, porque l es de este barrio y la gente pensara que l est loco; con esas cosas, realmente pueden ser posibles? Digo, son estos sueos pra otras personas, no realmente pra gente como l; pero solamente el tiempo lo dir. Si bien talvez l est dispuesto a esperar, incluso si esto necesita toda una vida. l not any sabe todo esto, recuerda, os quais slo yo lo s-ahora os quais miro atrs)

l mira 's crculo de espuma de la jarra de cerveza que estaba siendo llevada a una direccion de cinco personas en este bar Bram. l nota a un anciano vomitando al lado del bar, tambin ve automveis en el estacionamiento que desaparecen en la noche de una vitrina luminosa.

l piensa: todos tenemos miedo de irnos lejos, estamos condicionados por nuestras mentes, vencidos incluso antes de haber probado cuerpo, y luego nos envejecemos. Varias veces decimos; si slo...

Are generally caja musical est tocando la cancin triste, "Calle Solitaria" por Rick Nelson. Su mundo crece tranquilo, ms intenso. l mira dentro del bar, ste apesta, hay olor de axilas y ms cerveza que pasan de mi mano a la otra, hay suciedad en el piso y las nubes de humo se amontonan por todo el techo del bar council como telaraas, las mismas imgenes de esta noche de fin de semana, son todas las noches.

Este bar es una hojalata de gusanos, se dice a s mismo, es un cerebro huracanado; pero vuelve a entrar, como dans le cas o fuera su casa, aunque l no dice eso, pero dans le cas o l escuchara a su involuntario, l sabra la verdad, y verdaderamente es que no es tu casa (aunque al demonio le gustara que lo piense as), es slo una cantina, y eso l lo tendr la cual aprender rpidamente, porque el momento est concentrado en el rato; y la vida a lo mejor es corta, y los sueos s se hacen realidad, si tienes un plan, rezas, y lo llevas a acabamiento, y tienes paciencia.

No: 631 (11 de diciembre del 2010)

Dedicado a la pandilla de la "Tierra de los Burros"