Karl looked almost like Daniel. About five years younger looking and less hair and without hair on his face, and unlike Daniel, he was a little person, staying at 4’6.
Karl was more modern than his bother. Karl was more into fashion and looking nice as where Daniel care less. On Friday’s Karl wore a nice shirt and tie. He called it Tie Day Friday, which he had been doing since he was in middle school, and most of his adult life, and loving every Friday since. He had every tie in every color.
He had ever pattern, from checkers to pot a dots. He had been getting them every birthday and every Christmas. He had maybe 137 ties or maybe it was 147. He lost count after somewhere around 50.
That Friday he had a tie with musical notes on it. Daniel took notice and laughed. Karl handed him his usual eggs and bacon.
Karl joined him at the table with his coffee in hand. Daniel said his thanks and drank a sip of the black coffee.
He went on going through the papers, reading sad news and happy news. He read about local sports teams from different high schools.
He read about a wreck that killed a family. He read about a little girl with cancer. He read about the weather.
“I’m just so tired. I understand it’s going to snow today, but couldn’t they have at least tried to make it?” Karl started. “I’m tired of these good for nothing hipster indie bands. They are knocks offs of the good old hippies. They come here to try to sell me their art. They come to tell me about their band. When I do hire a band, they call in. It sucks Daniel.”
“I don’t think many people will show up tonight though. It’s supposed to snow hard tonight,” Daniel reply flipping through his paper.
“People don’t come anyways,” Karl said taking his bacon off his plate. Daniel glared at him. “So tired of hipsters,” he mumbled.
“You moved to Boulder, Colorado, opened a coffee shop, what do you think you were going to get? Nuns? Russian mob?”
“Italian mobs, Daniel, Italian,” Karl reply pointing his bacon at him.
“Why Italian? What do you got against Russians?”
Karl smiled and said with a horrible Italian accent, and waving his left hand around, “It just a feel like they would do a much better than those Russians, with their blowing up the world and scary drinkers that knock each other out for a fun!”
Daniel couldn’t help to laugh. “That’s so racists, Mario.”
“Alright, alright . . .ponyboy,” Karl said in his normal voice.
“HEY! Watch it now, you’re crossing the line,” he laughed. It was to make name Karl had always given him every time Daniel ground his hair.
“You’re right,” Karl said holding up his arms. They laughed. Daniel pretended to shoot him with his finger. Karl grabbed his heart. “You shot me! I have a wife and child!”
“Italian accent!” Daniel ordered.
“Oh yeah,” Karl laughed and then said with his horrible accent, “Please! Think of me tomatoes!” They busted out laughing and couldn’t stop. They looked around the empty café and sighed.
There was no reason to try to be quiet when there was no one around. There was no reason to go on laughing either. It was just the two of them, yet laughing felt so right, laughing felt so good to him, like a hug from a lost love one.
Daniel sighed. Karl looked around and shook his head, “Daniel I have no idea what I am going to do about this place.”
“I can help-“
“No! I need something that will bring people in, something . . . spunky!”
“And that tie isn’t spunky enough?” Daniel asked.
“More spunk!”
“What can be spunkier then that tie?”
“Something, in your face type of spunk! You know what I mean?” he asked.
Daniel gave a little laugh. “Karaoke-“
Karl yelled, “NOOOO!”
Daniel just ended up laughing. He didn’t know why he suggested Karaoke Night. Karl was 100% against it. Maybe he just liked Karl’s reaction to it. “Well, get a stupid indie, hipster band then.”
“I can’t get one to stay long enough. They’re all getting signed! Daniel! Listen to that sentence. An INDIE band is getting SIGNED!”
He got up. “Well, maybe they weren’t really indie then. Stupid sell outs,” he said laughing and handing back the newspaper. “I’m leaving. It is supposed to snow tonight. Close early and get home, okay? Say hello to Lilly for me.”
“Ok. Love you,” Karl getting up and clearing the table.
“Love you too,” Daniel said leaving the café. Walking out with key in hand, walking to his car door, he felt a tiny little snowflake fall on the tip of his nose.
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