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Open Late, the sign said.
Food All Night! it announced.
I walked past it, sometimes at 10pm, sometimes at ten-fifteen, when I had to do the wash at the laundromat down the way. That said Open all Night! too, and I always wondered what it was like. Who did their wash at two in the morning? Who said to themselves I've got to clean this up, or it'll set after some late night debauch, on their way home, stopping by the bushes now and then, and hoping it would go away by morning.
But every time I went by the place, it was full, of people laughing, and drinking, and having fun. Making light of the weather, and fun of each other. Spending the time the only way they knew how, the only way they could imagine. And in the morning, all of them gone home, some driving and some staggering, some bringing the drama, and some taking it home with them. Sometimes, I'd see them arguing on the street, sure they knew, but yelling anyway. Some nights they wore blue jeans, some nights they wore black, but I always walked past. I had to be up in the morning, had to get out there, had to make it work, had to keep it together. I'd imagine what it was like, sometimes, girls dressed up, and boys dressed down, some out on the town, some stopping in, just for a bit, on their way home. Before they started the real drinking for the night, before they really settled in and made a space for themselves. Some in the corner, and some out where everyone could see, but all ready for the long haul, and looking to take them away from all of this. None of them thinking about the cat food and the wash to do in the morning, or the checkbook that said the wolf was at the door.
Open Late, it said, and Good Eats!. I wondered what it was like.
Food All Night! it announced.
I walked past it, sometimes at 10pm, sometimes at ten-fifteen, when I had to do the wash at the laundromat down the way. That said Open all Night! too, and I always wondered what it was like. Who did their wash at two in the morning? Who said to themselves I've got to clean this up, or it'll set after some late night debauch, on their way home, stopping by the bushes now and then, and hoping it would go away by morning.
But every time I went by the place, it was full, of people laughing, and drinking, and having fun. Making light of the weather, and fun of each other. Spending the time the only way they knew how, the only way they could imagine. And in the morning, all of them gone home, some driving and some staggering, some bringing the drama, and some taking it home with them. Sometimes, I'd see them arguing on the street, sure they knew, but yelling anyway. Some nights they wore blue jeans, some nights they wore black, but I always walked past. I had to be up in the morning, had to get out there, had to make it work, had to keep it together. I'd imagine what it was like, sometimes, girls dressed up, and boys dressed down, some out on the town, some stopping in, just for a bit, on their way home. Before they started the real drinking for the night, before they really settled in and made a space for themselves. Some in the corner, and some out where everyone could see, but all ready for the long haul, and looking to take them away from all of this. None of them thinking about the cat food and the wash to do in the morning, or the checkbook that said the wolf was at the door.
Open Late, it said, and Good Eats!. I wondered what it was like.
