So today is writing prompt day, or what will from now on be dubbed Story Friday and I picked the one you see above. It inspired me to write from the perspective of an airport bartender. I hope you enjoy, and without further ado here we go.
I've been working at the Portland Jetport's bar for a little over a year, and you see all sorts of people come and go in here. Some you'll only see every day and some you'll only see as rare as once a year. Some are nervous about flights, and some are trying to make a buck off the incoming and outgoing passengers. I don't mind the entertainers too much because they help keep things mellow in the bar.
Like for instance we have this one saxophone player who comes by around dinner time every night. He plays such mellow music, it makes everyone just hum along once they pick up the tune. They also tend to order more expensive stuff then beer when he is playing, which is good for business as well. He's so good too, I never understood why he isn't playing more professionally. That is to say in some more high class gig than an airport bar.
Then you have Chuck as I refer to him, since that is what he says to call him. Always pays in cash and only drinks Scotch. Comes in everyday at around nine am, always on the way out of town on business. Brags about how much he likes to travel on business too. All the places he has seen, and people he has met. I real blow hard if you know what I mean. But I humor him with listening to his stories over and over again. It keeps him drinking and refilling his glass.
One of the ones I really like that is a talker is Charlie. At least that is what it said on his card. He offered to write down my memoirs a few times. He comes through roughly once a month. Has a few rum and cokes. Talks about books, usually what he is reading or has read in the past. Always asks what I'm reading or would like to read. The nice thing is on his way back through he will usually stop back in quickly and drops me off a book I was talking about being interested in. Only thing he asks for in return is that I tell him what I think of it when I see him next time. Interesting guy he is.
Then you have Charlie's friend Tom who is usually with him. He's another interesting guy. Very quiet, doesn't say much of anything normally. But he's polite and a good tipper. Always giving the bar photographs to display on their walls as well. Constantly has his camera at the ready for a good shot too. He's caught some crazy moments in the bar that you wouldn't believe if you didn't see the photo of it for yourself, but those are stories for another time.
Usually around Christmas time you'll see Peter coming through the area to stop in and have a drink to relax himself. He is not big on flying but he does it for his family, so they can go see family on the other side of the country for the holidays. He's a High School Principal, but thinks much deeper than most of them you will ever meet. He is constantly making the student body think about everything and not just go through the motions like a robot. He gets to know his students one on one. Especially the troubled ones, so that he can better help them do better. He asks questions of them and makes them think on what they are doing. Peter likes talking about success stories more than the ones who fall through the cracks. And even when they fall through the cracks he always has a hand out to them to help them in any ways he can. It's an interesting spectacle when Charlie and Peter get talking about Philosophy. You wouldn't think it possible, but it draws a crowd into the bar.
And yes we have fights in the bar every now and then, but that is what Mr. Bagle is for. He comes on around seven pm, and deals with trouble in the bar if there is any. Most nights it's quiet, but when it starts Tony will try to get people to laugh first before they start fighting. If that doesn't work well he'll get them out of the bar and let the security guards handle it from there. But those times are few and far between. After all we are an airport bar. Oh well look at the time, looks like you better get going or you'll miss your flight. I'll see you when you come back through here. I'll still be here after all. And I've got plenty of more things to tell you about this bar if you want to know. Have a good flight.
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