They're all heads there, they ordered hemp hats

Judy was crying again. She cried every time she drank too much which was every time she drank. Jim had tried, in the early years of their relationship, to console her. To ask her what was wrong, but he had learned years ago that such efforts were futile, useless. If you just waited an hour or so, the sobbing would subside, and you could go back to business as usual.  Jim was sitting at the bar of the Hot-l drinking his 5^th coor’s light.

 Judy was on the porch sobbing, talking to one of her girlfriends.  They had been at the Hot-l since 9 and it was close to quarter to 1 by now, fuck it’s getting late, and we have to get home.   Jim had given up getting his license back long ago, he had too many strikes against him and it was basically impossible. The situation often left them in positions like this, Judy would be the only one with the valid license, but too drunk to drive, and George, buzzed in his own right but with faculty enough to get them home, but without the license.  If I stop at this one, just hang out for a big have a smoke, I can get us back home.  

Most of the bars closed at 1 but the Hot-L was slightly more generous.  They would stay open still serving drinks for a few minutes after if the place was full enough.  Jim could remember getting beer there at 2AM before, the only patron besides him and his friends an old man who used to watch MASH on the TV, nursing a miller high life. The high life, Jim smiled, wish I had that.  Judy was usually pleasant when she first started drinking. Mellow, enthusiastic about everything, then after a few  more she would start crying, About this or that, sometimes legitimate things, sometimes random tirades, sometimes nothing at all. It was all hard for Jim to fathom.  He had always been even tempered, what some would call ‘stoic,’ quiet, balanced.  It was hard for him to understand.  Sometimes he would get annoyed on the line and curse, and get annoyed but he always maintained a calm.

Jim finished his beer.  He slid a few dollars to the bartender and got up.  Got to be getting back, he thought, it was hard to know what it would be like tomorrow but it wouldn’t likely be good. We don’t have far to go, Jim thought as he walked outside.  Judy was there, she had regained her composure and was smoking a cigarette on the porch. ‘Ready?’ Jim asked as he walked outside. ‘Yeah.’ Judy replied and they walked toward the truck. Jim never asked if he should drive, the choice was obvious.

6AM Overnight

Thank God that’s over.  Ed thought as he looked across the diner. It was like the scene from some kind of massive ancient battle. With the remnants  being dirty dishes and bad tips. There were a few tables still there but they had all already eaten, the worst of it over. Ed looked over at the dishes, there were 3 bus pan’s on the dishwashers stations and the other four in the dining hall were all full. I could do all of those, and not stock up the line, or stock up the line and not do those dishes. It was an interesting position.  He needed to do a certain amount of dishes so that he had enough plates to use.

Ed had wanted to walk out. It was clearly walk out situation. He had come in Sam had left, it was obvious no one was coming to stay, and Gary would clearly be no help.  Still he had persevered and eventually cooked all the orders, albeit on his own time.  No one is coming to help, It had been a terrifying concept at first, and then somehow inspiring. If no one was coming to help then he could cook on his own terms, no manager, no oversight, then they would just have to deal with it.

Ed walked out into the dining hall, everyone had cleared.  ‘We got through it.’ Ed said to Lynn was was  clearing a few tables. ‘Yup’, she replied, ‘Almost there.’