The Devil and the Drunkard
I sat on the sunny steps smoking, breathing in the warm sea air. A drunkard named Frances sat down beside me, her eyes watering, distraught and pleading. We sat in silence for a moment, then I said, ‘It hurts right? You need a drink don’t ya ?’ She nodded quietly and shamefully bowed her head. I took some loose change from my pocket and gave it to her.
‘There ya go honey, should be enough to take the pain away.’ She grabbed the money sharply from my hand and scuffled off into the summer’s fading light.
Later she returned and enlivened from the fire water asked me bluntly,
‘Are you the Devil ?’ I laughed humbly and shook my head,
‘Of course not, why do you say that? Just cause I gave you some change for ya liquor ? ‘
‘ No’, she said her eyes no longer stinging from withdrawal, ‘I saw him in a dream, he was beautiful and looked just like you’.
She took another gulp from the large brown bottle she’d purchased, taking a moment to savor the liquid medicine now diluting into her blood stream.
‘ He said he was coming for me, that I was his and it would soon be time to go with him’.
As she spoke those last words her voice slowed and her swollen eyes moved nervously about as if something was out there hunting her down.
Again I laughed to lighten the mood ‘And he looked just like me, that’s hilarious, of course I’m not the devil!’
‘ What’s going to happen to me ‘ she said her eyes now saddened but steady,
‘ I can’t stop drinking, I know it’s no good for me but I just can’t st....’
Before the last word could pass through her lips, she swayed back and forth as if delirious, her eyes starting to roll into the back of her drunken head. A strange cluck then a gargling sound came from the back of her throat and then, as if in slow motion, she slumped forward dead in front of me.
What was left of her beer poured out onto the concrete, like alcoholic blood bleeding out across the pavement.
I sat there silent, the now cooling sea breeze blowing her strong unwashed scent away from me.
Picking up my hat I fixed it firmly upon my head and looking down at her now dead and silent carcass, I whispered, ‘ You could of prayed to god young lady, but instead you summoned me and you know I don’t work for free. I’ll be seeing you soon but first there are others need attending to and debts that need keeping !’
The moon slowly peeked above the horizon flickering silver sparks across the ocean as the wind gently blew in the last of the summers breeze.
Wordz; Yanu Zsigo
‘There ya go honey, should be enough to take the pain away.’ She grabbed the money sharply from my hand and scuffled off into the summer’s fading light.
Later she returned and enlivened from the fire water asked me bluntly,
‘Are you the Devil ?’ I laughed humbly and shook my head,
‘Of course not, why do you say that? Just cause I gave you some change for ya liquor ? ‘
‘ No’, she said her eyes no longer stinging from withdrawal, ‘I saw him in a dream, he was beautiful and looked just like you’.
She took another gulp from the large brown bottle she’d purchased, taking a moment to savor the liquid medicine now diluting into her blood stream.
‘ He said he was coming for me, that I was his and it would soon be time to go with him’.
As she spoke those last words her voice slowed and her swollen eyes moved nervously about as if something was out there hunting her down.
Again I laughed to lighten the mood ‘And he looked just like me, that’s hilarious, of course I’m not the devil!’
‘ What’s going to happen to me ‘ she said her eyes now saddened but steady,
‘ I can’t stop drinking, I know it’s no good for me but I just can’t st....’
Before the last word could pass through her lips, she swayed back and forth as if delirious, her eyes starting to roll into the back of her drunken head. A strange cluck then a gargling sound came from the back of her throat and then, as if in slow motion, she slumped forward dead in front of me.
What was left of her beer poured out onto the concrete, like alcoholic blood bleeding out across the pavement.
I sat there silent, the now cooling sea breeze blowing her strong unwashed scent away from me.
Picking up my hat I fixed it firmly upon my head and looking down at her now dead and silent carcass, I whispered, ‘ You could of prayed to god young lady, but instead you summoned me and you know I don’t work for free. I’ll be seeing you soon but first there are others need attending to and debts that need keeping !’
The moon slowly peeked above the horizon flickering silver sparks across the ocean as the wind gently blew in the last of the summers breeze.
Wordz; Yanu Zsigo
