He raised his empty mug for Finn to see.
“A fresh beer for you, Kellen?” Finn asked, picking up the empty glass.
“T’at would be grand, Finn.” His voice still held a slight Irish accent.
Finn drew a mug of ACME lager from a cask and set it in front of Kellen.
“Thank God for ACME. What would we have done if they hadn’t gotten up and running so fast after the shaker?” Kellen raised his mug. “Sláinte.”
“Cheers.” Finn nodded. “We were making our own beer, remember. I suppose we could have gotten a permit to sell it legally, but that would have required a bigger investment than we could make at the time,” said Finn.
“The pub seems to be doing well since you reopened,” Kellen said.
“Aye. But the earthquake and then the fire.” Finn shook his head. “Jesus, it almost did us in.” He picked up a towel and wiped down the new redwood bar. His brother John, a lumber surveyor, had found the perfect tree in northern California, supervised its felling, and brought it to San Francisco by horse and wagon. A cousin milled the boards, and another cousin built and installed it. It had been a real family effort, start to finish.
“None of us needed that, that’s for sure.” Kellen agreed, picking up the pint and taking a long swallow. He then picked up his cigarette and took a drag, sparking a round of coughing from deep in his chest. He turned and spat a wad of phlegm into a nearby spittoon and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“Have you seen the doc about that cough Kellen? It’s getting worse.” Finn picked up a glass and wiped at the water spots.
“Na, no need lad. I know my days are numbered,” Kellen said.
“Don’t be so doom and gloom Kellen, you’ll outlive us all.”
“No, not likely.” Kellen took another drag on the cigarette, then placed it back in the tin ashtray. Finn turned and walked into the storage room at the end of the bar. He could still hear Kellen coughing, then the sound of breaking glass. He stuck his head out of the storage room to check on Kellen, but he wasn’t on his stool, the ashtray was turned over, and Kellen’s cigarette burned on the bar. Finn rounded the bar to find the old man collapsed on the wood plank floor, the mug of beer shattered.
How lovely to read this atmospheric story again! Congratulations Alicia.