An Unlikely Condiment 

Jason Cytacki 

18 

Ne 

It Happe1 
(an 

2007 Lester M. W1 

"I ain'l drunk. I'm just drinking!" 
the shouting next door. [ stood, looking: 
wru1Led Lo blare, "!L's Cheaper lo Keep I-I 
neighbor's wall, bul I didn't feel like dig: 
seallered across my apartment My liLLle 
up. The tobacco seemed dryer Lhan non: 
forgotten by someone eager to open up 
Lang. My cigarelle was gelling Liny and ' 
han est burn through the fingers, lips, Lo 
from my nostrils and my insides fell blis 

l heard a loud growl from my neigh 
bumping into his wall. Probably her hea 
e\ er wenl out drinking wilh him; howev 
I slammed down my beer and opened Ll 
I started to gel a good buzz going after Ll 
Lhe neighborly inb·usions would bring n 
be a bang against the wall or someone"' 
" ould be silence for a few minutes. 

1 walked back towards the kitchen a 
lrj. l put the beer down on ilie kitchen t 
one of the chairs from the Lab le and flu1 
l11j chest. I leaned my chin on my arms 
back.Willie Nelson 's "Angel Flying Too 
speakers. I iliought aboul my neighbor; 
of why some people shouldn't be able t< 
pulled out a roach. IL was just about an • 
fingers, along with my thumb, were blac 
Lray. Beads of moisture musl have dripp 
stance covering its base. [ was more like 

Listening to \Villie Kelson 's voice tl 
wiili stickers lo give them a wood appea 
was in an old auditorium thal had five I: 
Lals. The chandeliers also adorned garla 
were two makeshift bars in the lobby Lh 
"Premium" beer. The lines were long, di 
for two thousand people who needed d 
patrons weren't allowed lo take ilieir dr 
the auditorium. :My friend and I were fo 
whiskey shots before ~Willie's set. 

\Vl1ile I was thinking about the cor 
outside. I looked out the window and C< 
of eight and eleven, I'd guessed. They w 
in Lhe pond across from woods thal b01 
on the other side of Lhe parking lol. My 
growing up and we would fire bottle m