It’s easy to imagine what New York City was on Third Avenue.
Walking south in Murray Hill from Midtown, John and David leave the fakeness of
Advertising and glass towers behind to
something more real…or in John’s case imagined.
David
‘So where do you want to go?’
John
‘I’ve never been in an Irish Pub in New York City. Do you
think there will be any Irish immigrants there?’
David
‘Drinking or as Bartenders?’
John
‘Either.’
David
‘I’ll get ya both.’
David points across the street at the Joshua Tree Bar.’
John
‘Isn’t that a tree in the California desert?’
They cross Third Ave.
David
‘U2’
John
‘I’m like a tree in the desert? That’s deep.’
David thinks about saying ‘are you thick?’ But since John is hypersensitive….he says:’
David
‘Like the group from Ireland…U2. It was the name of one of
their albums.’
David opens the door to the bar. The walls are dark green
and there’s lot’s of black/brown wooden beams. Actually, the bar looks English
Tudor to John.
They sit down and a bartender with black hair and blue eyes
comes over.
David
‘We’ll both have that dark beer.’
John
‘Really? ‘
David
‘Well, you are into this Irish vibe.’
Bartender
‘O.K. but lads….’
The bartender points to the sign on the wall that says: No
singing the song ‘Danny Boy’ at any time.
John
‘My town’s Irish bar has that sign too,’
Bartender pours the beers.
Bartender
‘An Irish bar? Most be a small town.’
David
It’s Seaside Heights. That jersey shore town where the
roller coaster landed in the ocean with Hurricane Sandy..’
Bartender
‘Oh yeah, I saw that. You from there?’
John squints from the strong taste of his beer.
‘Yeah. Hey are you from Ireland?’
Bartender
‘No. I acquired the accent over here.’
John
‘Hey, have you ever met any O’Shea’s in Ireland? That’s my
family’s name’
Batender
‘Hey, hey, hey… back attacha. O’Shea? No. Never met anyone
named Sean in Ireland either lad.’
He smiles and goes to wait on a lady at the end of the bar.
David
‘There. It took a New York Jew to introduce you to Irish
beer and an Irish person. That’s New York. That’s America.’
John
‘Hey, I could soo sing God Bless America.’
Bartender sprints back over to them
‘I’ll cut your ass off.’
John
‘Irish people are tough. What other UK ish songs do I know? How
about God Save the Queen?’
David
‘That might work in Greenwich Village.’
