Softly sleeps the calm…

Give me another shot of that, he said.

I gave him a shot.

Oh, that’s right, he said. That’s the stuff.

The pretty girl next to him said something I didn’t hear.

No, said the man. You’ve had enough.

Come on, said the girl.

You’re done, said the man.

I watched the girl for a while. The old fella down the end started up again, but I took no notice of him. The girl was slumped in her chair. Her hair was scruffed up now and she was sweating pretty hard. Every so often her eyes would close and then she would jump, just a little start, like someone had scared her. I was drinking shots with the man and watching the girl. Her skirt was scrunched up underneath her.

The old fella came over then. He stood there. I’m a fighter, he said. He was holding his pint glass. I’m a fighter, he said, but I don’t like fighting.

I looked at the other man and he smiled. Lucky for us then, I said.

A group of people came in. They were types, you know, and they talked to each other as if they were really talking to each other. It took them a while to settle and while they were settling I had a good look at them.

I thought they looked like insects.

Come on, said the girl waking up. I want some.

Here, said the man.

I gave the man a shot and we ignored the girl. She went back to sleep. She sat there sleeping and eventually a little dribble of something ran down her chin. She was a very pretty girl.