Dead Stars.

Samuel Urbanetto

        It was by chance that my life would change. At the time I was traveling around the country on some business, mostly just acting as a strange mix of mailman and salesman for my boss, though it paid decently enough for me to not mind it and keep my mouth shut. I was beside my little brother, he’d come out to meet me in my path, a quaint town south of the country, just near the border, and to commemorate a long needed reunion, he’d brought me to a pub.

        T’was a cheap place, both of us had always been cheapskates up to that point. My brother was fine, maybe even great, hard to recall since we didn’t spend much time catching up properly. We merely got together and began cracking wise, throwing each other shade with great laughs and smiles. We’d been there for about one or two hours, it was getting dark and I’d barely drank anything when my brother decided to get up and do something outside. I took the chance to get up too and go over to the bar, ask for some harder stuff.

        Bartender took his time, the pub was empty so he figured there was no rush. To this day I’m not one to complain and fight so I just sat there and looked around. There were seven, maybe eight people there without counting me and my brother, some young, most old and probably retired. There was this sweet looking old lady, who had the warmest of smiles, her husband looked like the kind of guy you’d have beers with while fixing up the stairs in your house. There was a young lad with his girlfriend, he was so nervous, almost more quiet than she was, difference between the two was that he wasn’t the quiet type like her, though she was giggling so I think they were both happy.

        A middle-aged guy drank alone by the window, looking out the whole time. Couldn’t quite see his face, hard to tell from where I was, but he didn’t look quite “sad.” Maybe a little, but there was more there, one way or the other he enjoyed being there, slowly pecking at his chips while drinking his pint. And then, there were those two, those two elderly guys having the heartiest and most lively of banters. I’d seen them before, I knew it, I knew one of them very well, his face and voice were extremely familiar but I couldn’t quite place it.

        Before I could try and act upon it, my brother came back and our drinks had been beside me for only god knows how long, so we made our way back to our table and got back to talking while that feeling of familiarity ate away at me. My brother had come back even happier than he was before, apparently his girlfriend had found a car he wanted for sale and set it up for him to go look at it the next day. In light of that, he ordered us a couple shots and some more chips.

        It was a good night, happy, joyful, whatever other thing you want to call it, and he wanted to end it on a high note and before he got wasted, so we agreed to go back home, but the short walk to the door felt longer than it could ever have been. I knew those men, and I knew that if I didn’t even bother asking them who they were I’d regret it forever. I walked in as straight a line I could towards them, filled with purpose, and by their table I stood nearly paralyzed.

        “Everything alright lad?” the long haired one asked me, and nervously I nodded. I hadn’t figured out why at that point, but the two almost intimidated me, but not like a bouncer would, different. I apologized profusely for bothering the two, and asked them if I knew them. The long haired one looked worried, but the one with an odd eye smiled and then laughed, shaking his head. He said it’s alright, in an once again shockingly familiar tone and voice. “If you do know us, what will you do?” asked the odd eyed man, I merely shrugged, “probably say hello and leave.” he nodded, then pointed at my brother who had been watching us by the door, and said that as long as I didn’t tell him it’d be fine, I was confused, still nervous, but said “alright.” Now, this was many years ago, if he’s somehow still around today I’ll be damned for telling you this story, but it was actually him, the Glam God and his pop-y friend.

        I couldn’t believe it back then, and still struggle to nowadays. I just stood there silently while the Glam God had a good laugh and his pop-y friend nervously laughed, he might’ve been even more nervous than I was before finding out. After I found out I just felt… clear? No, not “clear”, but the disbelief took over me, not necessarily that it was him, everything pointed it to be true, but to the situation. “It’s okay if you can’t say ‘Hi’ kid.” he laughed, and I chuckled back, told him I just didn’t know what to say.

        He pointed towards the door, thought he was telling me to leave, but it was my brother coming over, curious. I quickly rushed over to him and told him to just go ahead without me, said it was a friend’s uncle, he might’ve been just drunk enough to believe it since he left without a word more about it. The pop-y friend got up and left too, and just like that the Glam God ushered me over to take the place of his friend. I nervously accepted and ordered us some more beer, he asked me what’d I do for a living and who I was, and when I explained he was intrigued, asked me if I’d come across anything interesting while traveling.

        My stories sounded like slop to me but they entertained him a shocking amount, naturally though I had to ask about him, what he had been doing lately and what not. He told me about it, told me about the trips he’d take around the country and the sights he’d see, but it was all very brief, he wasn’t interested in himself, though it pained me a little to not know more, I could understand. We talked about my brother and my time in that town, talked about the new music that was coming out and about the people who’d come and went from the bar that night.

        The time passed fast, way too fast, and it all felt surreal to me. Even to the end, it was hard to believe I’d met him and got to talk with him so much, but it got late for both of us, we had to leave, so we paid our bills and told each other “farewells”. When I got back to my brother’s home I didn’t know what to tell him, had to lie that I’d gotten lost walking around, I’m sure he didn’t believe that but he knew not to ask. Just like that it had all finished. The next morning I had to get on a train to the next town, and I knew that I’d never get to see him again, never get to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming.

I actually told my brother a little while ago about the whole thing and he didn't believe me, maybe rightfully so, told me I was just drunk and that the old man was shitting me for some company. There’s a chance he might be right, but it was so long ago neither of us can prove anything. Not that I need anything proven to me, I know in my heart it was actually him.