FA adventures with Eric

I began writing the draft for this post in English, and I think it’s for the best if a continue doing so. Sorry if bad English.

Tonight’s plan was set for a visit to a small café in central Linköping called Babettes Kafferi. On this very night the café had invited the authors of the book Kärlekens väg to come and speak about christian beliefs and animal rights. As I’m keen on the vegan lifestyle and don’t have that good of an understanding of christianity I thought it could be a very interesting evening.

I got the address and jumped on my bike and swooshed down to central Linköping. I had trouble finding the café and was running a bit late. What’s worse, I felt a sudden need to use a restroom as I’d been drinking lots of water which had now been processed and needed to get out.

Being unable to find the café, now being 15 minutes late, I aborted the search. I felt lost and didn’t know what to do now. I was just roaming the streets, which was pretty nice, feeling anonymous, walking without a purpose. This feeling was not to last though and eventually I thought that while I’m downtown I might as well go get an after work beer at some nice place, just like a real grownup.

However, I didn’t feel too hyped about the idea to start my after work session by asking the waiter for the restroom first thing after entering the restaurant, and by now I really needed to go. I remembered a tourist sign pointing to a public restroom. I tracked it (the restroom) down and standing in front of it I could read the directions: ”Press for entrance” – Okay, I thought as I pressed the button that made a big silver door slide open. I entered, and the door slide shut. The door only had an emergency open handle but I was looking for someway to lock myself in. I found another button that said it would lock the door, I pressed it and nothing seemed to happen. Apparently, you’re supposed to trust electronics for locking the door of a public restroom. Unimpressed, I wished for a hasp or a clasp or some other mechanical, trustworthy device.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I pressed another button for instructions, which were presented by a friendly female voice. This calmed me and I did my business, I was, however, not allowed to flush as that was to be done automatically after I had left the restroom, that did not make me feel less uneasy. After putting my hands under the tap in various ways I managed to get the water running to wash my hands off. Finally, I was done. At last, I could flee this futuristic and scary place as a happier and enlightened being, everything went all right after all.

Back to tonight’s new bonus objective, a beer at Överste Mörner. I took a longcut to build up the courage I needed to enter the pub, arrived outside, checked the menu and then continued to walk down the street. I stopped. I walked back to the pub and this time I managed to get inside.

Greeted by the waiter I was asked if I wanted to eat. ”No, just a beer.” I replied and was directed to the bar. The bartender gives me a generic greeting and awaits my order. ”A Staropramen, thank you” because Staropramen is one not too common beverage that also has a bearable taste, or maybe it’s beerable.

I have bad hearing, but after a second try I catch the bartenders question and I show him my ID. ”Do I really look like 17?” I ask myself. The bartender tells me the cost, twice, and I pay in cash, even tip the guy 1 SEK. I’ve been served, and I start to wonder if I’m allowed to take place at a table or am I stuck sitting in the bar? Well, I really needed a table to jot down all my thoughts from this evening so I discretely search for a place to sit and hope for the best. The beer cost me 70 SEK and the place is far from crowded, I feel no shame for sitting wherever I want. I find a good spot, I am safe once again.

Sitting there, I can’t help to wonder what makes people go out to a place like this on a Tuesday night. It is quite cosy, but the music is drowned by all the murmurs from everyone. Prices are somewhat expensive, but maybe the food is really good, or maybe people have to much money. All these thoughts about food made me hungry, and I began feeling the need to leak again, it was time to go home.

I have school tomorrow.

And now I’m drunk, great.

And why didn’t that girl turn up that I had imagined to just magically crash down by my table, being super interested in me and what I was writing down. She was supposed to fix my ”Have no company for the hunger games movie”-problem. Oh well, that will be sorted in some other way.