let downs
he comes up behind me
in the english restaurant
surprises me by shouting my last name
as my wife and i are putting back irish cider
and waiting on dinner
i didn’t even know that he knew my last name
he says he wants us to meet his wife
says it’ll be great because he
tells her about us all of the time
we know him from the bar
where we exchange conversation
while sucking down the liquid courage
we need to face the world
only his wife doesn’t let him
go into the bar much anymore
we don’t know why
we suspect it may have something to do
with their five year-old kid asking questions
about where his daddy is at on a wednesday night
my wife and i are not so sure that meeting us
will really make his wife’s day
despite what she’s heard about us
there’s a stigma when your associated
with a bar
besides, my wife tells him,
we’re a let down in the flesh
no, no he says
it’ll be good
besides she’s already drunk
he goes over to get her
we watch his table for movement
letting the ciders sit until this is over
shortly, they get up
our bar friend, his wife, their boy
he helps her with her coat
then begins pointing
and leading her over our way
when they are at our table
he makes the introductions
but forgets to name names
so we don’t know what to call her
my wife and i assume that she knows
our names by now
the five year-old gets between all of us
angling for attention
he trips the wife
she and the kid go flying into our table
knocking the irish cider pints
but not spilling them too much
we all sit and stand there for a few moments
making small talk
we are nothing special to each other
such let downs on this saturday night
his wife tells us again
that it was nice to meet us
we say likewise
having no cause not to believe her
then they leave the restaurant
and we go back to drinking our cider
wondering what it was
that we were talking about
before he came over and surprised me.
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