A Night at the Bar

A Story by Patrick Masters

“Ugghhhh,” I groaned loudly at the sight of another missed shot. My billiards night, which had started swell when I sank three straight balls, had collapsed like the walls of Jericho. After winning my initial victory I forfeited five straight games to my opponent. The touch on my shots which had been soft and sure as can be had turned into a sledgehammer that smashed balls in every direction, except that of the holes I so frustratingly targeted. Hot with rage I wiped the sweat from my brow and admitted defeat. “I give, I’m gonna take what dignity I have left and go.”

After storing the stick I had failed to hit home with, I marched angrily towards the door to find my way clogged by a not so gentle man whose blood boiled hotter than mine. If my anger was a fire his was the sun itself.

The large beast shouted angrily, “You lookin at my girlfriend's tits!” A harsh accusation indeed; and how does the defendant plead? Although I don’t think he can say with the cue stuck to his throat. “Take it outside.” said an all too familiar voice.

I imagine Big Charlie would not enjoy cleaning this poor boy’s blood off his counter. At Big Charlie’s command, the oaf removed the cue from the young man’s jugular and started shoving him outside. I thought to myself “Perhaps a bit of schadenfreude may ease the pain of five straight defeats.” So I tucked myself into a small two-man table with a large window.

Some may say I had a front row seat to the big event, but I had a feeling this would be over quickly. However who knows, maybe David will once again triumph over Gol...and he slipped on the ice. “Oh dear, the oaf seems to be going in for the finish.” The red storm I saw signaled that the fight was over. Though I did feel like I should do something, his beating as sad as it was, did soothe the stinging of my own losses. “Hey Big Charlie, get some napkins I’ll go help the poor sucker clean himself up.” “You do what you want." he said as he handed me a large stack of cloth.

As I came upon the defeated David I could see he was stuffing the snow up his nose. I told him a bit of advice as I tossed the napkins in his lap. “Two bits of advice for the future. Mind where your eyes wander and stay in your weight class.”

© 2017 Patrick Masters

Author's Note

This is a rewrite of a poem that I did for a school assignment. The POV character is an original creation. The original poem is titled "Take it Outside"