Down the Heart: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Story by McKinley James

Author:McKinley James [James, McKinley]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2024-04-23T18:30:00+00:00

The day was bright, clear, and hot. As part of their pre-game ritual, Farrow, Ryder, and Bree sat at the bar of their favorite hole-in-the-wall in Wrigleyville, each with a Chicago handshake—a can of Old Style and a shot of Malört.

The neighborhood had changed quite a bit since the Cubbies’ 2016 World Series win; whether or not “new Wrigleyville” was better was up for debate, but some things, thankfully, remained untouched.

One such institution was the Nisei.

A narrow, dimly lit space, the Nisei Lounge boasted of cracked and chipped floor tiles, dark crimson walls and a black ceiling, and rickety stools and tables. Of the things one would expect to find in a bar, there was a patio out back, a questionable photo booth complete with photo wall, a clunky old jukebox, and a single pool table.

Of the things one would not expect, there were too many to name, but Farrow’s eyes were often drawn to the singing bass propped up against some board games on a shelf, and the clear glass jar on the far left side of the bar filled with baseballs and a brownish liquid, labeled “Baseball-Infused Malört.” It had been there for a good few years; though it could not legally or safely be consumed, it was a nod to the Nisei’s tendency to infuse Malört with other things to see how it tasted—such as candy canes for peppermint Malört in December.

And speaking of December (and the unexpected), wrapped around the bright red air duct was a set of garland string lights, and hung from the ceiling with care were Christmas stockings, sparkly snowflakes, paper reindeer, shimmering bits of tinsel, and other Christmas-themed ephemera—including an entire felt advent calendar. More string lights and fluffy red stockings lined the wall opposite the bar.

One of the bartenders had once complained it took her forever to put up the Christmas decorations a few years before, but Farrow suspected that wasn’t why they had never been taken down.

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