Talk 6 – Whiskey
Short Story
Here is your tea. Let’s get out of this place.
How are they.
In hell.
That low?
Yes and blinded. You can’t see well from hell.
Yes it’s too low. God sees best.
Because he is up in the skies.
Yes, the higher you are the best you see. You see more. You see the grand scheme of things.
What things?
All things.
I see.
Where are we going?
To the boulevard to get a taxi.
And then?
I will drop you off at the saloon and I am going to see my friends.
Are we going to watch a film later.
Yes, after dinner.
What are you guys going to do.
Drink, what else.
Don’t drink too much.
I never do.
Here’s the taxi.
I’ll see you later. I will take the next one.
Have fun.
Yes. I always ‘have fun.’
Don’t use my sentence.
Hello, drive me to my friend’s house.
Very funny. What is the address?
Just drive I will direct you.
Are we going to a secret location?
Yes, very secret.
With crocodiles?
Yes, several types of crocodiles.
So where to?
Go straight for four blocks, get off the boulevard and make a right. Then the first left, straight for six blocks and make a right.
Wow, slow down devil, I am not computer.
Don’t get me started, what do I pay you for? I pay you to drive so I don’t have to worry. And you want me to guide you step by step.
You don’t know the address.
I just gave you detailed instructions.
Make a right now and then the first left?
Yes.
And then?
Straight for six and then right.
Got it.
Here he is in the taxi. I told you he is never late.
Who else is coming?
The bear.
Hey fellas, I brought a bottle of whiskey.
That taxi driver seemed angry.
Because he is an idiot.
What kind of whiskey?
Twelve years old.
Guaranteed?
Yes, it says it on the bottle. Well, don’t just stand there smoking those delicious cigarettes. Give me one.
Here!
Thank you, better than air.
Let’s walk and smoke. My ass is freezing from sitting on the steps.
Me too. But let’s have a gulp of the twelve-year-old.
Yes, crack it open.
Mmm, nice and smoky.
Not smoky – peaty!
What is peat?
Semi-carbonized vegetation.
Like baby coal?
Yes. Is the bear coming?
Yes. Anytime now. He is having lunch with his parents.
His parents are a dream.
They are nice. He is so advantaged by having the right parents.
What do you mean the right?
They are intelligent and they understand how life works.
So they raised him well.
Beyond well, with the right mind set and freedom.
That is brilliant.
Yes, if you do that right you don’t have to worry about your child after.
That is why my parents worry about me all the time, because they know they fucked up.
All parents fucked up. I don’t know any parents except the bear’s that did it right.
What exactly is right?
Simply put, pay attention to your kid the first ten years when the kid’s beliefs and understandings are formed. Give it structure but let the kid fill in the rest.
Like whiskey?
What do you mean like whiskey?
In order to make good whiskey you have to be very diligent in every step of the process – malting, mashing, fermentation, destination, maturation.
In that case, yes, it is exactly like making whiskey.
My parents or grandparents never paid attention. Give me the bottle!
Mine neither, but we turned out alright. We can afford twelve-year-old whiskey.
Do you know that whiskey causes cancer?
Like cigarettes?
Yes.
How come? You probably have to drink bucketfuls.
Yes, but overtime people do drink bucketfuls.
How come, what in it causes the trouble?
It had something to do with the aging. Burned particles from the charred barrels bond with the spirit, that gives it color and flavor.
So the more flavor the more cancer?
Yes.
So let’s get a bottle of vodka then.
No, we want flavor. Let’s get cigarettes.
Your parents raised you well, ha, ha!
next chapter: TALK 7 – SPECIAL
previous chapter: TALK 5 – SCREAM
all chapters: TALK
more by PETER ODEON
photograph by Eric Stein