Thursday Night with Kountertop (Pt. 3)

I returned to my table.

I enjoyed the company of the people at my table for a few moments. Up on stage at this time was two guys singing in AC/DC's TNT. The were pretty dreadful, but they were entertaining. One guy sported a Danzig shirt. The other guy cracked out his air guitar at nearly every conceivable opportunity.

I was deeply locked into the performance when Shannon got my attention.

"Check out your friend."

She pointed over toward the woman that had asked for a light. Jeff was making the moves on her. At least I think that is what he was doing. It looked like he was just trying to rub up against her.

"Now do you admit that he is scarier than Larry?"

Shannon actually conceded my point, "Yes, he is scarier than Larry."

I was actually surprised that she had admitted that I was right but I did not get a moment to gloat. A male friend of the woman that Jeff was romancing got up and grabbed Jeff and pulled him off of her.

Jeff tried to make his case, but the guy just gave him a little nudge and told him to go away. Jeff retreated back to his table. Then he looked back to me.

"I don't know what that guy's problem is. It is none of his business."

So I told him, "It was worth a try. Maybe when you get your music going again?"

"I can't get my music going because I don't have a car."

"But you have a job now. You'll be able to get a car pretty soon."

"I have tomorrow off."

I'm not really sure why I said what I said next. I think it is because I had considered taking the following day off to watch the Way of the Cross in Des Moines, but I had decided it wasn't worth it because I was less than impressed by the fact that they put wheels on the bottom of the cross.

"You have Good Friday off. That's cool."

"I'm celebrating Good Friday tonight." He raised his drink to me in case I had missed what he meant by celebrating Good Friday.

"I suppose that is one way to do it."

Then he got really serious.

"Is Jesus important to your life?"

"Yes. Jesus is very important to my life?"

"That's good. Jesus is important."

"He's very important."

"When I broke my back it took me 6 years to recover. If it wasn't for Jesus I wouldn't have made it. Even now I get so depressed. Sometimes I get so depressed I don't want to go on. He is the reason I keep going on."

"I'm glad for that."

Then I returned to my table.

The extremely unfunny David Lynch wannabe guy in the corner said something that I didn't really think would ever happen.

"The next competitor has been bugging me all night about when it would be his turn. Jeff, it is your turn. Get up on stage."

TO BE CONTINUED...