Lemons, Limes and Bitter Memories - Dyad (α)

Walking… walking, and even more walking. The mind of Dennis was clouded with thoughts he couldn’t comprehend. The screeching of tyres, the sound of someone screaming from behind the driver’s seat. The grating sound of metal hitting into an object at full speed. He didn’t understand what all of that meant, or at least he didn’t want to. All he wanted was a drink, to drown his sorrows in.

He walked through the quiet dark alleyway, not a soul in sight. No birds, no people, and certainly no cars. Considering how this was a late Wednesday night on the outskirts of Perth's city it made sense. Why would anyone go drinking on a work day? Dennis trudged along his heavy feet, walking on the concrete pavement he always passed. The road beside him dented with potholes, and random bumps created by heavy trucks passing where they shouldn’t. Only those who have nothing to do would care about such details, which Dennis was definitely in.

“Oh how I would love to have a drink right now”, Dennis sighed, as he looked around the small shops nearby him. Even if he had a clock on him, it wouldn’t have mattered. Dennis could tell that a lot of the places have already closed down or stopped serving at this hour. All but for one tiny place with a small lamp lit. Outside there was a chalkboard signboard, with something written on it. He approached the sign to see what was written. But all his eyes could focus on is the one word he was looking for. BAR. Satisfied to see what he’s looking for, Dennisl let out a sigh. Turning away from the sign, he noticed a set of stairs going down into the basement. A plain looking wooden door and sign currently set to OPEN, alongside with some small writing.

“Ah yes, a sign of a good bar. Cozy, snug, and hidden away from all the jazz.
As Dennis said those words, some past memories began to surface. A similar bar underground, also with a wooden door, a dance hall nearby, laughing and cheering. But this one was definitely more relaxed and quiet. Especially considering the hour he was visiting it. Without wasting any more time, he opened the door, and was greeted with the sound of a wind chime and smooth jazz.

Noticing how Dennis came in, the bartender and waitress greeted him. Dennis turned to where the sound came from. It was from the bar counter on the right. Like a typical bar, the shelves behind were stacked with different mixers of many kinds. Whiskey, vodka, gin, the usual staples at the bottom. Popular, high use drinks are placed at the bottom because they need to be served out fast.

While Dennis was quietly observing the wall of alcohol behind the counter, the bartender was chipping away at an ice block with an ice pick. The waitress was standing next to him, observing his movements. ‘An odd combination, nonetheless, but a bar is still a bar’ he thinks to himself, before sitting on one of the counter chairs. It was one of those swivel chairs with a feet rest. The black chair contrasted nicely with the red velvet carpet that covered the main bar area.

After taking in the atmosphere of the bar, he sat down on one of the counter chairs, and ordered his usual drink. A whiskey highball. A staple among staples, if you’d ask him. Just take some whiskey, soda water, and some large ice cubes. Swivel the spoon around a few times to get that fizziness going, and voila. Just like how restaurants can be judged with their specialty, so can a bar too. A whiskey highball was one such way to do it. But for now, Dennis didn’t care about the fine details. As long as he could drink something, that’s all he cared about.

Instead of the bartender making the drink, the waitress stepped up instead. His usual experience at a bar involved male bartenders, so it was interesting to see someone else demonstrate their craft. The male bartender instead approached him, as if he had something to say.

“You seem to be a bit rough around the edges there. Drooping shoulders, hunched back, tense expression. Something bad happened?” The bartender listed off some of his observations about Dennis. He didn’t understand what’s going on, but one thing was for certain. This bartender was much sharper than what meets the eye. It was like being psychoanalysed by a detective on a TV show. Not intending to hide anything, Dennis looked the bartender in the eye.

The young man seemed to be in his late 20s. A bit tired, but still well enough to strike a conversation. His bartending suit complemented his jet black hair, which was neatly kept and combed. As expected from a bartender. They know how to present themselves to others.

Dennis has a feeling that he couldn’t keep secrets from this man. He was able to understand what was going on from just his body language and expression. ‘Maybe it’s just better to just get out and be done with it.’ Dennis decided to answer the man’s question.

“Yeah, you’re right. Quite the observant one huh.” Dennis gave a short reply.

“I’ve been told that by quite a few people. It’s just part of the bartending profession. You learn to observe things other people don’t.” the bartender replied calmly.

‘Quite the humble response. At least he doesn’t seem to be a bad person.’ Dennis thinks to himself. Seeing how awkward it would be to refer to the bartender as Master, he proceeded to ask for the man's name.

“My name? It’s Daniel. And no, it doesn’t come from the brand, in case you’re wondering.” After giving his name, the bartender Daniel gave a deadpan response about the whiskey brand.

‘Seems like a lot of people ask that question. Good thing I didn’t ask about it.’ Dennis thinks to himself. Seeing that a conversation has been struck, he decided to take the initiative.

“You see, there’s a lot going on with me right now. Do you mind listening to an old man’s tale?” Dennis sighed slightly.

“Of course I don’t mind. As a bartender, I have listened to many tales. Maybe I can help find what you’re looking for too.” Daniel said in a mysterious manner.

As Dennis tried to reply, the female waitress/bartender placed a glass in front of him. His whiskey highball he ordered from earlier. A gold coloured drink, with a slight fizz, large ice cubes. Just like how he’s always had it. He looked at the server. White long hair, red eyes, a slender physique. She looked quite young for her age, maybe late teens. Her emotionless expression felt cold like ice. For some reason her looks reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“Do you mind if Sophia listens in too? She’ll just be sitting in the corner if that’s alright.” Daniel said to Dennis.

‘I guess Sophia is shy, so Daniel’s taking charge instead.’ Dennis looked away from Sophia, and to Daniel instead.

“Yeah I don’t mind. The more the merrier right?” He takes a sip of the whiskey highball. The gentle fizziness filled his tongue and throat with a gentle taste. This place was definitely the one. It was the best whiskey highball he’s ever tasted.

With the drink in hand, Dennis looked at the bartender, and began his tale. A sad story about a father and his daughter…

There used to be a father and his daughter who lived in the city outskirts. The father loved to explore the different types of buildings that were scattered around the city. The antique, historical places he liked a lot. But he also loved drinking at the small bars as well. As a divorced husband, he couldn’t leave his daughter behind at home. Which is why he went to these adult places a lot with him.

Of course he knew that irresponsible father behaviour. Though at the same time, he wanted her to experience the greater world which people normally wouldn’t see. At least that’s how he justified it at the time. The bar he especially liked to visit was located on the city outskirts. The basement with the wooden door and sign leading into the large bar area. The bar counter lined up with chairs stretching from the front to the back of the store, with tables scattered about. The building next door featured a dance hall, playing rock songs from the 60s and 70s.

It was an enjoyable time there, watching the people flow in and out. Ordering the very same highball whiskey, and a lemon lime bitters for his daughter. Of all the drinks served at a bar, this one was the most alcohol-like one on the menu, hence the choice. It’s like his daughter was tiptoeing into the playground of adults, even if the drink itself was non-alcoholic.

As they sipped their drinks, they talked about all different sorts of things. School, friends, what they want to eat for dinner. Simple things like that. If a cafe is to a writer, then a bar is to a drinker. A place to socialise, dine, and observe the variety of colours making up the bar itself. Sometimes they danced on the dance floor. Other times they had a chicken schnitzel and chips. It was a merry time for the two. But not all things will last forever. They melt away, like the ice in the father’s highball glass...

The bar which held cherished memories eventually shut down. Land prices were at an all time high during that time, and owners thought it was a good time to close down. The bar and dance hall were left intact, as the owners pulled out, along with the people that drank there. But even if ‘old is gold’, that doesn’t mean someone could make another spark.

A group formed around the father and his daughter. The locals who have been a part of the bar couldn’t bear to see the place in such a state. One of such locals actually went through to the abandoned bar, and found that both the plumbing and electricity was still being supplied to the building. Meaning that they could use the place to hold one large party.

Hearing the news, every local member of the bar decided to host a secret party. A one night revival of the bar they all loved. People brought in drinks, food, desserts, sausages, the making of a great party. For the dance floor, someone brought in a DJ set along with a large speaker to lighten the mood. Slowly but surely the bar filled up with a bunch of old faces, bottles, and decorations.

The dusty bar tops were cleaned off, the beer taps now refilled with beer barrels. The once empty bottle display, now filled with many classics, along with some new faces. Meanwhile the kitchen was cooking up a storm, with everyone’s favourite pub feeds. It felt alive, buzzing with activity. It wasn’t just a bar anymore. It was family. Who cared if blood ties were involved or not. We were united under one banner.

The night was young, the people younger still. Not in age or appearance, but in spirit. It was like they were living the good old days when the bar was still operating. Watching the people come in and out. The bartenders are doing their magic with the drinks. People dancing and singing on the dance floor. All was well and good. For a short while, the magic just kept on going. Just like Ciderella with her dress and carriage.

But just like the fairytale, the magic had to end at some point. No, it wasn’t the clock striking midnight. It was simply that people needed to get out before the police came in and stopped the party. And so, with a heavy heart, the party closed. But not without a spectacular finish featuring a drinking contest for a yard of ale and the classic bingo contest. Can’t forget about that one.

The crowd within the bar petered out. Some stayed behind to clean up the mess, others outside of the bar looking to see if any police were approaching. The locals left the bar in small groups to avoid any suspicious onlookers. The father and his now asleep daughter both left the bar and into his car he parked earlier this evening.

The father thought to himself that he was sober enough to drive back home. Oh what a fool he was. Alcohol takes much longer to leave the bloodstream than one may think. The first rule of any driving based textbook. But he was too drunk to think about that. All he wanted to do was go back home and prepare for the long work day ahead of him tomorrow. He strapped his sleeping daughter in the back seat with a seatbelt, before beginning to drive…

The first 10 minutes of the drive felt honestly fine. There weren’t any cars driving about on the way back. All the other locals came by foot or left earlier from the party. He just decided to stay back because he wanted to soak in all of the atmosphere. It was his last chance at having the same experience at the local bar of his memories. As for why his daughter tagged along, it was because he wanted her to experience the good times along with him. Once again, an irresponsible dad. But not without his reasons.

The car moved along the tarmac road, and through the pitch dark night. The high beam light pierced through the dark curtain. The stars twinkled much brighter than usual. Or was that because he was tipsy? Whichever the case is, the skies felt a lot more fuller tonight.

He reached the roundabout which led to his house. Just one cycle around, turn off at the right side, and head straight. It was such a simple task for a driver, yet for the drunk father, it was much harder. When turning into a roundabout you need to wait and see for other cars. before going onto it. But sometimes people get lazy and ignore the cars on the roundabout. Or they just cut through the centre of the roundabout and turn off instead. Since there were no cars at this hour, the father thought it was a good idea to do both things. He didn’t look out for cars and also took a shortcut through the centre of the roundabout.

From the corner of the father’s eye, a giant signboard appeared. A giant pole stood tall, just like a thick tree trunk. It was a stopgate to prevent drivers from taking a “shortcut”, which a certain someone was about to do…

Back in reality, Dennis clutched his head. He felt his mental block melt away, revealing memories from much earlier.

Daniel looked over to Dennis with a concerned look. “Hey, are you feeling alright? Take a glass of water, and drink up for a moment. I can tell the next part of your story is very involved.”

Daniel grabbed a nearby glass, filled it with some water and gave it to Dennis. He then promptly drained its content, before putting the glass down on the table.

“It’s fine… I need to get this off my chest…” Dennis said a bit weakly, as he dug through his now clearer memories.

Still with a concerned expression, Daniel looked at Sophia. She stared back at him, wondering what he wanted him to do.

“How about you sit next to Dennis. Give him some company?” Daniel said to Sophia.

Seeing the situation, Sophia knew she had to comfort the man in some way. She nodded, before sitting down next to Dennis.

“If anything happens, Sophia and I are here to help, okay?” Daniel said to Dennis.

“Alright. But once this is over, I’ll be much better.” Dennis sat upright in his chair, and adjusted the seating. He then began to continue the next part of his tale.

So the large pole with the signboard. Right. The car accelerated with the father and daughter in tow. He should have known it was there. But in his drunken stupor, he forgot about its existence. By the time his feet reached the brakes, it was too late. The car collided with the pole…

The sound of crunching metal. The ear-splinting crack of glass. The inflating of the airbags. All within the span of a second. The next time the father opened his eyes, the car was on its side, lying on the grass. The car impact must've hit the side of the pole, and tumbled on its side. Argh, an accident now? He thought as tried to remove his seatbelt.

Suddenly panic settled in. What happened to his daughter? He looked behind to see a large shard of glass painted in blood….His daughter… killed on the spot. He fell silent. All of this could have been prevented. It was all his fault. He shouldn’t have gone to the party. He shouldn’t have taken his daughter. As crushing guilt pushed him down, he called for an ambulance… before blacking out.

When he woke up, he wasn’t in a hospital. A random town that almost looked exactly like his. But it featured the one thing he wanted at the time. Alcohol. He wanted to drown his sorrows in it. He wanted to run. He wanted to hide. And so he did. He walked into a bar, just like the one he went in today. A basement bar, with not many people, who served a whiskey highball.

“So you see, that’s what happened. It’s dumb isn’t it? I could’ve prevented Carol’s death, yet I was too stupid enough to notice my mistakes. I don’t deserve to live after that incident.” Dennis said defeatingly, as he looked down at the floor.

“That was an unfortunate experience, Dennis. I know you’re been through a lot. It’s easy to blame yourself for these issues, but you’re not alone in this.” Daniel tried to reassure Dennis in a calm manner.

“How about we talk about lighter things? For example, what was Carol like? What are some memories you had with her?”

To that, Dennis responded with the following. “Well… she is kind of like Sophia right here. Quiet, soft spoken, but beautiful in her own way. She liked lemon lime bitters, like I said earlier. She was kind in her own way, doing the chores, not complaining about my bar hopping activities. She was patient, loving, and caring.”

Hearing that, Sophia decided to suggest something. “How about for a brief while, I act as your daughter? It might help relieve some stress for you.”

Hearing the weird request, Dennis hesitated. A random girl working at a bar offering to act as his daughter? In the real world, it would be morally questionable, but he felt that the rules didn’t apply here. He’s already broken so many rules throughout his life. Breaking a morally questionable one wouldn’t matter anymore, at least in this moment.

“Okay… But feel free to stop if it gets problematic.” Dennis said to Sophia, as he faced her once more.

In response, Sophia put on a cutesy expression and began to speak. “Dad? Is that you, dad?”

At that moment, Dennis’s mind flashed to a day at the local bar. The way she spoke, the expression, it matched exactly like Carol. Whether he was deluding himself into thinking that’s the case, he didn’t know. But it felt as though she was back in reality, at least for a brief time.

“Dad, let’s get one of those lemon lime bitters! You know, the ones with a lot of bitters in it!” Sophia said in an excited tone.

He began to tear up. “I’ll take one lemon lime bitters,” he said to Daniel. As if the bartender expected it, he quickly whipped up the drink, topped it off with extra bitters, before handing it to Dennis.

He then offered the drink to Sophia. “Here you go, lemon lime with extra bitters.”

She took the drink and gave it a sip. She then said “It’s pretty bitter. But the aftertaste is refreshing. That’s what I like about this drink. Sometimes you experience bitter memories, but they eventually wash away with a refreshing aftertaste.”

While not word for word, what Sophia said felt similar to what Carol would’ve said. Hearing that, Dennis began to tear up. He was tasting a bittersweet dream. Something he couldn’t get back, but wanted.

He cried and cried. Confessed about his regrets. The time he stole from Carol. The things they have done together. The school visits, the museum, the food they cooked on the barbeque, and of course the bar. Words kept spilling out of his mouth. He couldn’t stop. He didn’t want to stop. Yet his words come to a standstill. Dennis had already expelled his thoughts to where he had none anymore. Sophia looked blankly at Dennis, but didn't interfere. Instead, Daniel decided to step into the situation.

“You see, those memories of Carol did help you. You’re kind, caring and understanding of your daughter. You’ve taught her different life skills that you weren’t aware of. You acted as a role model for her, regardless of what form it took. You have knowledge of the places, and its locals. I think you’ll do great Dennis. I know it would be hard to stand at first, but you’ll get there. After all, the only place from the bottom is up.” Daniel pointed out the strengths which Dennis possessed. He knew that taking this approach would help guide Dennis to a more positive mindset.

“Even if I leave here, will things change for the better?” Dennis asked.

“My father said this to me before. Change comes from below your arm and to your hand. It’s to say, to see change, you need to rely on yourself, and act on it. So take those hands, and use them for something you want to achieve.” Daniel said to Dennis sternly. Daniel knew this lesson very well. If you can’t help yourself, you can’t help others.

Dennis looked at Daniel, and weakly smiled. He knew the bartender was right. Moping around wasn’t going to solve anything. He could wander about on the streets outside for the rest of eternity, or he could do something instead.

He stood up, grabbed his wallet and put 25 dollars on the bar counter. “I think I know where I need to go now.”

To that Daniel replied. “A new beginning?”

“Or an end to a bittersweet dream perhaps.” he replied jokingly.

“Well then, I hope you have a good journey, Dennis.”

“And a good night to you mister and miss. Actually before that, one more thing”. Dennies turned around to Sophia.

“Goodbye Carol. I’ll do my best out there, so watch over me, okay?”

Sophia nodded before giving a simple reply. “You’ll do great dad.”

Hearing that, Dennis turned away, not wanting to show his teary self. He exited the basement, and closed the door behind him. He took one glance at the door. Now much lighter, the sunlight pierced down into the basement. It was much easier to see what was written on the door. Bar Eternity. For those lost in limbo. He chuckled after reading the sign before turning around, and walked forwards. Through the light, and back to the life he wanted to live…

When he woke up, the sound of a cardiogram was going off. The doctors surrounding him were shocked to see him suddenly wake. Dennis expected this to happen. The last thing he remembered before passing out was the ambulance sirens blaring in the distance. The doctors explained that after the crash, the paramedics managed to remove him outside the crash site, and bring him to hospital. However, no matter what they tried, it seemed like he was not waking up at all. They also informed him that they weren’t able to save Carol as her injuries were too great.

From the experience in Bar Eternity, he knew what was coming. Carol died due to his irresponsible driving. But he chose to move on from that past. He’ll live for both his and Carol’s sake. And to do that, he needed to first get discharged from the hospital.

A few days later, he was discharged from hospital, got a warning letter from the police, along with demerit points for his license. The usual administrative stuff. But that didn’t stop him from trying to live life. After all, life’s short. You might as well make the best of it right. Especially now that he wanted to give back to Carol somehow.

Today he was attending a bar. But it wasn’t for a drink of alcohol. No whiskey highball, none of that. It was the bar where he and Carol used to go. The doors torn off, the building vacated, the shelves dusty. He snuck back into the bar, with some bartending equipment, glasses and ice. Can’t have a drink without that.

As he entered the bar, he approached the seat he and Carol used to sit at. The one on the far left corner, the bar’s edge. From there they could see the people flow in and out of the building, and enter the dance hall. It was also spacious since it was an edge seat.

He set down his bar equipment on the seat, took them out, and then placed them onto the counter. Lemons, check. Limes check. Lime cordial, Angostura bitters, lemonade, and ice. All the things required for a lemon lime bitters.

He took out the ice, and poured it into the two highball glasses. He then poured in a few drops of the bitters, then the lemonade, and the lime cordial. He gave it a few swirls with the bar spoon. He then wedged the lemon and lime on the glasses. The two drinks stood side by side, now ready to be served.

“Here you are, your lemon lime with extra bitters.” Dennis took two paper coasters from behind the bar counter and placed them in front of the table. He then took the two glasses and put them on the coaster. Satisfied he stood away from the bar counter and went back to the seats side.

“In memory of Carol. Cheers.” Dennis reminisced about the time he spent with Carol in this exact bar. He drank the lemon lime bitters. It was bitter as always, but had a refreshing aftertaste. He knew what he had to do now.

To honour Carol’s memory, he decided it was best to revive this bar. It shouldn’t be that hard. He’s made friends with the locals, and has some money left over. The pieces are there. All he had to do was act on it.

He gave the cups a rinse, and took the bartending equipment home. His last drink, the whiskey highball, and his first drink as a bartender. The lemon lime bitters. Ever since the incident, he has now completely given up on alcohol, but that won’t stop him from taking the one drink his daughter loved.

As he left the bar, he scribbled onto the sign. Bar Carol. Bitter but sweet memories await. He looked at his handiwork and smiled. He’ll become the best bartender in town, and make more memories for everyone involved.

Just like a lemon lime bitters, the bittersweet dream has come to an end. But a new journey awaits beyond the doors of Bar Carol.