The Beauty In Our Earth

Chapter 2

Eric finished wiping down the counters and threw the rag into the utility sink with practiced ease. Greg is still sitting in the far side of the small dining area, but that Greg, nothing new. Greg usually walks out well past closing time. His team will lose, he will order another round for the place, realize he is the last one here, ask Eric if he minds, and then continue to tell him about his grandson for the next twenty minutes as I cash out. It is, after all, Tuesday.

"What team are we rooting for this week Greg?" 

"The Royals Eric- always the Royals."

"Wasn't it the Tigers last week?" Eric asks with a small smile as he starts on the floor.

"Overrated. I have a soft spot for the underdog."

"Like the Astros?"

"No, that is just plain bad playing. There is a difference you know." Eric chuckled, of course there is he thought. 

Eric flipped over chairs as he thought about his team, the Yankees. More than a little disliked, but only because everyone wished they had the bragging rights. They had had a good year, much to people's chagrin. That's okay- they can handle the heat, he decided proudly. 

"Awww man, come on!! Pull through boys!!" The end is near..  Greg sat back abruptly as the game came to a close.

"Well, there goes that. Maybe if the Royals knew the difference between the ball and the bat they would get somewhere!"

"You know, I kinda have a soft spot for the underdog though Greg, don't you?" Eric asked as he finished sweeping the floor.

"Eh they are just sissy's. Now, if you wanna see a real underdog, you gotta watch those eagles...."

"How's that grandson of yours doing Greg?" Maybe we can skip right to step five tonight... Eric thought looking at the clock, he was ahead of schedule and would really like to stay that way.

"Oh Eric, I am telling you little Matt ain't so little anymore! Hes growing like a weed! I don't remember growing like that when I was his age. Maybe its the water... They do talk about people putting all sorts of stuff in that water nowadays."

"He is in high school Greg, they do grow then"

"Eh, I don't know. Either way, its been helping him with the ladies! Lila thought I needed to have a talk with him... Well, being he had four different girls show up to the dance. Each thinkin' she was the only one he had asked.. But I said 'now Lila that is just what the boy has gotta do to spread his wings', ya know? Plus I think he learnt his lesson when not a one would dance with his sorry butt that night."

Greg continued to talk about Matt, and Lila his wife. He isn't the only one who comes here to depress, relax, and boast. It's what men do, no matter what the age. That's what Eric had wanted this pub to be, a place where you could come and share a beer with a stranger but pretend that you have been buddies since high school. He didn't want it on a busy road, but in one of the neighborhoods that you can still feel the real New York. The one people came to to further their dream and found a family somewhere on the way. Just like his father had...

"What about you Eric? You always let me do all the talkin' but never sat a word as to your family."

"Come on Greg, what kind of owner would I be if I didn't let me customers do all the talking? What is that saying? 'The customer is always right'?"

"There you go again, dodging that questions just like every week. And you and I both know that saying is a load of you-know-what. Why if that were true I wouldn't be sitting here with these wimpy teams...'  Greg grumbled but

Eric's smile soon dissapeared... The truth was he didn't know much about his family and in NYC a family name or reputation is often all you have.

"Well, I do believe it is time for me to go. Walk out with me Greg?"

Outside Eric turned from locking up and something caught his eye. There had been a homeless man sitting across the pub for the past couple of weeks, but he didn't get much traffic so Eric didn't really know why he was staying. But tonight he wasn't alone, there was a girl with him. She deffinetly wasn't homeless as well, but she was sitting across from him, appearing to be having a conversation with the man. Eric waited to make sure she wasn't in any danger, she looked quite content sitting on the dirty cement side walk with this man. Oh well, Eric thought as he turned away, it feels like rain and I don't want to be caught in it.