The Disco Ball (983 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.23 on 14 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <rwhitcroft.at.gmail.com> (View user info) at 2004-09-01 10:00:47 EDT
The building was painted an almost obnoxious shade of red, perfectly accentuating the not-so-stylishly disco ball mounted high above the main doors. Young men and women formed a line under the ball, talking excitedly amongst themselves as the bouncer, dressed in all black, scrutinized their identification with a look of absolute indifference. One after another they were waved in, and were almost immediately replaced with the next batch of would-be clubbers.
One man, however, stuck out like a woman at a urinal. Even though we didn't know his name, we knew who he was; he came here almost more than we did.
"How old do you think he is?" asked Paul, a slightly audible tone of annoyance in his voice.
I thought a minute, casually ashing my cigarette. "I don't know, he looks like he's at least seventy," I offered. "He's got some balls though, I'll give him that much."
The Phoenix was a night club we frequented, probably more than would be considered healthy, but it had everything we wanted: cheap drinks, great music, a beautiful patio, and the hottest girls in town. Even the bouncers were friendly and would occasionally swallow their pride and light another man's cigarette when fire was lacking.
I can remember the first time I noticed the old man. It was about two years ago, on a night not unlike this. The first thing I thought was that this must be some kind of joke—what's an elderly man doing in a night club in the early hours of Saturday with people a quarter his age?
Seeing him week after week, month after month, I attempted to discern exactly what it was that drove him to commit such a flagrant social faux-pas, that is, being a seventy-plus 'regular' at a club full of young people.
I had to give him credit, though, as he talked to more beautiful girls than me and my friends combined. To save myself some face, I told myself everyone knew the girls felt sorry for him and, instead of brushing him off as they would us, they felt compelled to make small talk and accept his tacky gifts. He was completely harmless, though something still didn't sit right.
One weekend in early June, we saddled up and headed to our favorite club once again. I had a chip on my shoulder that night, for reasons I can't recall, but I decided to go anyway. We waited briefly in line, paid the cover, walked in, and lo and behold, there he is, at his usual spot, with his usual tacky gifts for the girls. And by tacky, I mean really irritating shit, complete with tiny magnetic blue flashing lights he would conveniently place very near the girls' breasts if they let him, and they almost always did. Usually he would only have some simple buttons or pins, but on this night he went all out with the flashing magnet buttons, as if he knew something I didn't.
That night, about ten minutes before closing time, the man came up to me on the dance floor, and asked if he could give me a flashing light he held in his hand. Mouth agape, speechless, I slowly nodded at him and glanced at my friends who seemed to be as confused as I was. His hands trembled as he fastened the two opposite poles of the magnet, one on either side of my shirt collar. I held his resolute gaze for a time before turning away to grab my drink on the table, not entirely sure what I was supposed to do or say. As I turned back, still confused, I watched the man walking up the red carpet stairs and down the corridor to the exit, setting the remaining flashing lights down on a nearby table. He slowed his walk, gently pushed open the doors, and stood at the front of the line motionless, as if waiting for something. The bouncers gave him a dismissive glance, and resumed tending to the dwindling line. Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound from outside, though not loud enough to cause hysteria over the loud music. With my drink, I walked the path the man had taken, up the stairs and down the corridor.
The large disco ball was cracked beyond repair as it lay in a crater on the sidewalk in front of the door. The women were screaming, the men trying to figure out what happened, and the bouncers yelling orders at the crowd, brushing them away with their hands. The bouncers tried to roll the broken ball but were unable. More people rushed out the exit, some stopping to help the men move the enormous ball.
I had a terrible feeling. The light on my collar was barely flashing now, the drink in my hand trembling and spilling on the wet sidewalk. Ice cubes fell from my glass, landing on a pool of pitch red liquid that oozed out from under the fallen disco ball.
I stood transfixed and unable to move, much like everyone else, as a tidal wave of understanding flooded through the onlookers. Some screamed, some turned and covered their eyes, while others just stared. Absently, I reached up and felt the flashing light on my collar, as I noticed others, mostly young women, doing the same. My tacky blue magnetic light had ceased flashing.
User Reviews
Submitted by Bucketmeal (user info) at 2004-09-07 16:22:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by Garet_Jax (user info) at 2004-09-02 19:18:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn good
Submitted by digsy (user info) at 2004-09-02 19:04:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by I_Have_a_Kristen_Fetish (user info) at 2004-09-02 18:59:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Check this out...
Submitted by thaumaturge (user info) at 2004-09-01 11:20:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nicely done.
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:39:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
what they said.
Submitted by Awko (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:38:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ardubs (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:37:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Thanks fellas, much obliged.
Submitted by Stin (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:36:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I completely didn't get it, but then I'm a bit vague today so I'll come back and digest at another time.
Well written though.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:27:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This leaves a lot of questions, but I'll round my 1.5 up to a 2.
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:24:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by espo (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:18:18 (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked this a lot. I would have changed some of phrases, but the diction was generally very good and I liked the symbolism with the blinking lights. Well done.
+2
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I totally agree with Espo.
You did a great job, but you could have made it even better.
Submitted by Dervel (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:22:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Long live the Phoenix. The jewel in the crown of clubland.
Submitted by JMG114 (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:18:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No comment.
Submitted by espo (user info) at 2004-09-01 10:18:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked this a lot. I would have changed some of phrases, but the diction was generally very good and I liked the symbolism with the blinking lights. Well done.
+2