The Yellow Zipper
This pub was nothing special. It was a small block of alcohol church in a street that had an uncanny resemblance to my college mess.
And to this very small pub, on this random day, I saw him, perched on one of those elevated chairs, that don't allow you to slump.
Alone, sitting with a cigarette in his hand and playing with the lemon on his drink. Just like the last time I saw him.
'HEY!!!'
It was intended to be loud. He turned around.
Slightly baffled, he said, 'Um, Do I know you?'
'Well, no not really, remember last year on this very same day, I saw you..Remember?' His eyes moved upward; he was thinking. 'Nope, no clue..' I sat up straight, took the last sip of my whiskey & spoke. I have a photographic memory, I couldn't have been wrong.
'Remember, last year, I was sitting here with my wife, I saw you, I asked you for a lighter & you gave me a yellow zipper...?'
He took out a yellow zipper from his pocket. 'You mean this?'
'Yeah! Exactly, that one! And then we spoke about how this zipper was given to you by someone you loved..' He chuckled slowly. 'Yea..I say that to everyone, but seriously, I don't remember you..'
'Oh, C'mon! You told me about how after that, you never bought any other lighter! Don't mess with my memory man!'
He chuckled a little more. 'Dude, this is really amusing, trust me it is, but I seriously, don't remember you.., where's your wife though?'
I looked back at my empty glass. Betrayal is not easy to forget.
'She, umm..she ran away with someone else...' He turned around, 'Jeez, man...I'm really sorry..why did she leave..?' 'I don't know, maybe he was ...better than me..?'
He nodded.
'Anyways, you really don't remember me? We spoke for about six hours straight!' 'No, dude, I talk a lot when I'm drunk but I would've remembered you...somehow I just can't..not right now for sure..'
Maybe, I'm just too drunk, too lonely. It's been a while since I held a conversation with someone for over 5 minutes. I want to talk again, see some familiar faces.
I take out a couple of bills and place them under my glass.
'Well, I'm off...see you when I see you..' 'Bye!'
He turned back to his drink, the bartender laughed softly.
'You seriously, didn't expect me to say 'Oh Yaa I Remember?!'
The bartender stood behind the counter, a spectator to a fine short play. He laughed in his head. 'But I gotta say that guy has a quite a memory..', he said, still laughing.
'Just get me my bill okay?', he grunted.
'Okay, dude,'. He took a piece of paper scribbled the numbers & handed it to the man, who struggled with his back pocket.
'You be thankful he doesn't know, that she ran away with you..'
The man stubbed his cigarette, 'I know right?'