My Name is Anthony

At the end of a long and tiring day, I went to one of those third-class bars where I could get drunk and pay little. Shortly after I’d arrived, a charming woman came in. She turned the regulars’ heads. It was unusual that a woman with such a luxury dress and jewelry visits this bar. She sat next to me at the counter. Her presence was so strong and made me feel shy with my shabby clothes. I thought of leaving my place and sitting far that I watched her beauty with no embarrassment, but she surprised me by introducing herself.

“My name is Emma. It’s the first time I have come to this place.”

“I’m Anthony.” I could hardly say my name.

“Nice name, my late husband’s name was Anthony. He was such a nice man. He looked handsome like you and even smelled nice like you smell.”

What on earth was she meaning? I was sure I was not looking handsome nor smelling nice. My job doesn’t allow me such luxury. I’m a Sanitation Worker. My responsibility is to drive the garbage to a dump where another staff has to empty the trucks, and most of the time, I need to help them.

Without any sign of ringing or vibrating from Emma’s cellphone, she picked it up and started talking. “Yes Anthony, you can now rest in peace. I’m a little busy talking with a friend.” She ended the call and looked at me, “He was my husband. He keeps checking about me every other hour.”

“But! I thought. I mean, I thought your husband is dead.”

“Yes, he’s. That was his ghost.” She sounded serious, then she laughed, “I’m kidding you. There’s no ghost, but I’ve got the habit to key the late Anthony’s number and update him what’s up.”

“And he listens to you?”

“Sure, he’s here now—his smell all over the place. I told you that you have the scent of my late husband—the scent of great Anthony.

“I don’t know what to say, but, but I don’t know if I may ask what the job of the late Anthony was?”

“Ah, he was a Sanitation Worker.”

“A Sanitation Worker! But you look rich. Extremely rich.”

“You know, after The great Anthony died I missed him a lot, So I got married of another Anthony. A rich, good-looking man, but he had the same smell as Anthony. I mean the great Anthony. Our marriage didn’t last long, he died, and I inherited him. I hope his soul rest in peace.” She said so and looked up at the ceiling with a big smile on her lips, then like she was talking with herself, she whispered, “Yes, Anthony, you can now rest in peace. It seems I have a turning point in my life, and things will be ok.”

“Which ghost was that? Sorry, I mean, with which Anthony did you talk now?”

“Of course, with the great Anthony. My love forever. I wanted him to know I have someone new in my life.” She had a long sip from my glass of cheap Lager, “A man who drinks the cheapest available Lager and knows how to turn it to energy in his blood. A man like you.”

“Me!”

“Yes, you,” She turned to the bartender and ordered two vodkas. “come on, let us get drunk.” She said and hugged me, “I have told you that you smell nice.”

I started to get worried. Emma’s behavior was not usual in such a place. Other regulars might feel jealous, and one of them or more would like to pick up a fight.

I tried to keep her a little away, but no way she was desperate. She turned to a woman smoking hot.

“I need you; I need you to the rest of my life. But not now. First, I need to get divorced.”

“Get divorced. I thought your two earlier ‘Anthony’ have died!”

“you know, after the 2nd Anthony died, I couldn’t stay alone. I found another Anthony. A poor man, I picked him up from a cheap bar like this one. I liked his smell, and we got married. We had a wonderful honeymoon. We Cruised the Caribbean, we cruised to distant places like Alaska, but happiness doesn’t last.”

“Did he also die?”

“No, I told you I want to divorce him. He changed to a different man after he had a good life. He lost his old scent and started to smell like any ordinary man.”

The bartender served us the vodka. She took a long sip and looked into my eyes, “I’ll be back here next week at the same time. I want to meet you again, is it ok.”

“It’s fine,” I said, wondering what life could be hiding for me.

She finished her vodka fast, called someone his name is

Anthony told him she would be home soon and left the bar.