The Notice

The bartender grabbed the envelope pinned to the wall as he unlocked the door, went inside, and tossed it onto the counter as he went about his business. Every now and then he would glance at the envelope, then look away.

He knew what was in it; he had known it was coming for a long time. He had been waiting for it ever since he first heard the news, long before the rumours started flying, long before similar envelopes had been delivered elsewhere.

Finally, he sat down to open the envelope and read its contents. He was surprised to read that the bar did not have a spot reserved in the new mall, but that didn't bother him much; he hadn't planned on going there anyways.

He was pleasantly surprised to see that the bar, and the Main Street on which it stood, would not be razed, but rather preserved as an historical site. Nevertheless, he continued to pack the boxes to be shipped off to the museum, just in case.

When he was as done with that as he was going to be, he crumpled the notice, tossed it into the trash, and got on with the rest of his life.

Last Call (When Words Go Free...)