A toast to the day. by SliceandDice

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SliceandDice

A toast to the day.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Its 7 am im sleepish.... ive been writing..... i have a short story.

A TOAST TO THE DAY

“A toast to the day!”
The cry rang out through the crowded bar. The other patrons laugh and toast. I laugh and take a seat to the bar. ‘What day? I wonder, ‘Did a holiday sneak up on me? Did something happen this morning? Are these drunks crazy?’ I pay no heed to the call for toast.
The bartender smiles at me with knowing blue eyes and pours me a drink before I can order. ‘Weird place’ I think as I knock back the drink.
“Going to celebrate with us tonight Ma’am?”
I glance over to the voice. A woman a few years older than me smiles back at me with a drink warming in her hand. I glance around the bar at other patrons, quiet all the sudden.
“Sure, why not, what are we celebrating this evening”
A wave of laugher floods the room.
“The day, of course.”
“To the day!!” the call goes out again, followed by a cheer. I toast with the crowd this time.
“What day is? Last I checked my calendar said Wednesday, nothing special”
The room is quiet again. I can feel the eyes of celebrators burning on the back of my head. The woman next to me just laughs.
“The day, the day!! The one we all hope for of course!”
“The day?”
“The day when we don’t hide.”
“Here, here!” another round is had. I keep my gaze on my mysterious companion.
“When we don’t hide? What you mean by that?”
She laughs again and it is like the room falls away. Its just me and her.
“The day when we can stand up and shout and declare we wont hide in the shadows. When we learn to share and live in peace. The day when every one can cry at last, for the pain of others and the hope of the dawn. For the day when we no longer fear for our lives. Tonight we toast for that day, the beautiful glorious day we know we will one day see. We toast and we pray for its speedy arrival. So we no longer wonder when our next funeral is.”
“Here, here.” The soft murmur brings the room back into focus around me. The patrons around stare into the abyss of their drinks remembering, I guess, those whom they have lost. I stare too. And I see their faces and smiles and I choke back my tears. I look back at my companion.
“A toast to the day” I say with a smile and a raise of my glass.
She smiles back and raises her glass. “Here, here.” And we take a drink with the rest.

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Thursday, May 31, 2007 2:50 AM