Just Outside A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

Walking home, the unhurried waiter came upon his young coworker huddled over a dark shadow just outside the arc of light from a street lamp. He had been walking only a few minutes, and if he looked back he could still see the light from the café. Drawing closer, he saw that the shadow was in fact the old man. He was huddled on the ground, motionless. The younger waiter was crying.

“What happened?”

“He died. On his way home from the café.”

“How did it happen?”

“I don’t know. I found him here, under the streetlight.”

“He’s not just drunk?”

“He’s not breathing. He’s dead.”

“His eyes—he looks like he was scared to death!”

“Hombre, please don’t say that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I am the reason he was out here. I made him leave the light of the café and go out into the nothing.”

“Nada.”

“Si, nada! He would have stayed another hour at the café had I not rushed him.”

“It’s not your fault. You had a wife waiting in bed for you.”

The younger man wiped his eyes with his fists, and took a deep breath.

“Yes, a wife. She is probably starting to worry….”

“And your youth.”

“I suppose it is the order of things, after all.”

“And you have the café. You should get some rest before your shift tomorrow night.”

“You’re right. I should be going. But who will tell his niece to come get him?

“I will tell her. I am in no rush, and I am not working tomorrow night.”

“Ah, you are a good man.”

“Careful getting home; the alleys are still in darkness.”

“Adios.”

“Adios.”

The unhurried waiter sat down on the stone beside the old man. He pulled out his watch—five o’clock. The sun would be up soon.  He would sit there until someone passed on the way to work, and then he would go and find the niece. While he waited, he spoke to the dead man, though he had been deaf even in life. And as he spoke, the light came, and he forgot himself as another night passed into nothing.

__________

I've always loved Hemmingway's short story, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, and this is my pathetic attempt at a sequel. I thought the conversational format of the original might be a good springboard for this assignment.