By: First Last & First Last
November 26, 2025Last night, after I hung up the phone with Michael, I called Gloria and got another
shift. Gloria owns the country bar where I work up in the backwoods. It’s a hole-in-
the-wall, slapped together with cinder blocks and plywood, painted green. The first
time I saw it, I was riding with Michael upcountry to a river; we’d park under an
overpass on the road that crossed the river and then walk until we reached a good
swimming spot. What’s that? I asked, and pointed. I figured it wasn’t a house, even
though it sat low under the trees.
There was too many cars parked in the sandy grass. That’s the Cold Drink, Michael said, and he smelled like hard pears and his eyes were green as the outside. Like Barq’s and Coke? I said. Yep. He said his mama went to school with the owner. I called his mama years later after Michael went to jail, thanked God when it was her that picked up the phone and not Big Joseph.
There was too many cars parked in the sandy grass. That’s the Cold Drink, Michael said, and he smelled like hard pears and his eyes were green as the outside. Like Barq’s and Coke? I said. Yep. He said his mama went to school with the owner. I called his mama years later after Michael went to jail, thanked God when it was her that picked up the phone and not Big Joseph.
There was too many cars parked in the sandy grass. That’s the Cold Drink, Michael said, and he smelled like hard pears and his eyes were green as the outside. Like Barq’s and Coke? I said. Yep. He said his mama went to school with the owner. I called his mama years later after Michael went to jail, thanked God when it was her that picked up the phone and not Big Joseph.
Last night, after I hung up the phone with Michael, I called Gloria and got another
shift. Gloria owns the country bar where I work up in the backwoods. It’s a hole-in-
the-wall, slapped together with cinder blocks and plywood, painted green. The first
time I saw it, I was riding with Michael upcountry to a river; we’d park under an
overpass on the road that crossed the river and then walk until we reached a good
swimming spot. What’s that? I asked, and pointed. I figured it wasn’t a house, even
though it sat low under the trees.
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