I hope you are having a wonderful Friday <333
I have been working at this historical bar in the Adirondacks for about two months now. It was built in 1939 and is a traditional log cabin Adirondack style vibe. It has seen so many events, owners, and special moments. The original bar is covered now but there are hundreds of names carved into it. My favorite part is the people that come in, a lot of them are local and very different than me. When I met Mike and Terri, I loved our interaction so much that I decided to do a series of short stories about the conversations I have from behind the bar. The stories are real but I have added more details for the sake of story telling.
Here is the first installment!!
1962. A snowy Bronx evening. Barely 19, Terri was born in Manhattan, she had lived in the boroughs all her life. Mesmerized by the beauty of the city, her only interests were helping her family, going out with her friends Gina and Debbie, and keeping her seamstress job with Mrs. Geller. Who knows what else was going on that week but Terri remembers looking forward to Friday. She couldn’t care less about the weather forecast. Rain or shine, the three of them would be at McLaren’s that night.
Mike was down from Westchester staying with his grade-school friend Bobby for a few weeks. His heart set on finding a job and his own apartment, Mike was eager to go out on the town. Bobby suggested McLaren’s. They had a circular bar, very chic. Bobby said he had luck picking up girls there.
From behind the bar, I felt tears come to my eyes as Mike and Terri reminisced about their long life and love together. The two were dressed in their Adirondack Sunday best, Mike in Carhartt, a flannel and denim, Terri in a red turtleneck and a black beret bedazzled with a script T on the left side. The feeling they brought was so warm, so genuine, one of those moments where you want to hug a stranger.
Terri sat at the bar that night in the Bronx, hearing the same story from Gina about some guy that had taken her out. She didn’t see Mike when he walked in.
As they entered, Mike decided it would be best for them to scope out the scene, one of them heading clockwise and the other counter clockwise, meeting at 12. No good selection from 6-12, Bobby said he spotted some birds at 3.
Mike and Bobby introduced themselves, sat down. Neither of Mike or Terri, remembers what was said or how they got started, but they danced till close. Mike said he wanted to call her and Terri gave him her number.
A snapshot of a moment in their lives that I had the privilege of experiencing. They have lived in the Adirondacks now for 55 years and were married soon before that.
Mike wanted to do something special for their honeymoon, Terri had never been past Philadelphia but she insisted Mike save his money for them to buy a house. Both of their families had come from Ireland to America generations before. Mike decided he would take her to stay in the most beautiful castles all across Ireland. He wrote 22 castles requesting to stay, all of them sent back beautiful, personal, hand-written notes from which he chose the 5 he felt best.
I found myself oddly in a trance listening to them. Leaning intently over the bar as Mike told me everything he could remember about each castle, the most expensive one being $55 a night. They had the most extravagant accommodations and the kindest hosts.
The two had happened to tell another bartender down-state the same story a few months ago. That bartender, engaged, looked up all the castles in hopes of staying there with his fiance. The cheapest per night now being $842.
Having complained about the price of a glass of wine from their visit a few weeks prior, as Mike and Terri sat down I'm sad to say I wasn’t looking forward to our interaction. They seemed like they would be difficult, closed off, two individuals I wouldn’t see myself captivated by. I was incredibly wrong. In a different setting I probably would have barely exchanged glances with them, admired Terri’s beret from a far but that would have been it.
The moment from their honeymoon that stuck with them the most, they were at a bar in Dublin having a romantic evening when a stranger sat down with three beers, one for each of them and himself. Slightly annoyed, it was a new concept to them, that level of friendliness and comradery. In their eyes this was a private moment but neither of them contested. The three of them got to talking, he asked where they were from, and Mike said America but that they are Irish. Without a moment of hesitation and the warmest gaze this man looked them both in the eyes, took Mike’s hand and said “Welcome Home”. This stranger paid for everything and proceeded to tell them all about Ireland, proud to give them a proper introduction. I could see the emotion in Mike’s eyes, Terri smiling at him, knowing he loves telling this story.
That made me want to cry. The feeling that this stranger brought them was the same one that Mike and Terri were bringing to me. Comfort and love somehow with someone you wouldn’t think twice about. They asked a lot about my life as well, excited about my endeavors and seemingly proud of my life. We talked about thrifting too and these crazy checker patchwork pants Mike used to have. I just valued the connection I formed with this elderly couple so much.
I am one to want to cry at random wholesome moments like that. I also think it had to do with Mike’s delivery. He was one of those old men that talked very slow, kind of shaking his head as he went through the details.
It was just them at the bar for two hours. I am glad I had so much time to get to know them. to witness their lives for however short. I love seeing what information people want to give up, where their lives have taken them. I am thankful to be able to talk. The question I wanted to ask them was if they had any regrets in their lives but that felt too loaded for the moment. I was sad for some reason when they left. I insisted they come back in to see me, but part of me wanted to know them more than that. I wanted to hug them. It felt right but obviously I would not do that.
I hope you also enjoyed Mike and Terri, it was very sweet.
Again, thank you for reading my silly little writing assignment.