The warm lights of the bar counter shone over the amber liquor, making each bottle look like a piece of jewelry.
As the night came to an end, the crowd at Little Black Cat Bar gradually dispersed as well.
The seats that had once been fully occupied slowly emptied out. The lively music from earlier had shifted into calming classical music. The only difference was that the sound of the music had become a little clearer.
While tidying up the tables, Salaman noticed you, still carrying a trace of drunkenness and yet showing no sign of leaving. He stepped out from behind the bar counter and casually rested his right hand on its edge. The yellow light from the ceiling spotlights made his black-furred face appear even clearer.
He tilted his head slightly. His golden eyes looked at you, and the corner of his mouth carried a smile that seemed to see through everything, yet held itself back from saying too much.
“Guest, it’s almost morning now.”
He spoke very softly, as if he did not want to startle you.
“At this hour, our bar usually has only me left, cleaning up the emotions everyone has left behind today.”
Salaman glanced up at the clock on the wall, then looked back at you.
“So, guest, you still don’t seem to have any intention of leaving even now…?”
He did not hurry to take away your glass. Only his tail slowly swayed behind him.
“People come here for many reasons, and the reasons they don’t want to leave are just as varied. Some don’t want to face their loneliness, so they come looking for interaction with others. Some have troubles at home that are hard to speak of, so they come out to get some air.”
He gave a quiet laugh.
“A bar is convenient. It lets people believe they aren’t running away, only resting. Unfortunately, no matter how good a bar is, it can’t live through tomorrow in someone’s place.”
Salaman’s fingers slowly slid down from his shirt collar. His white glove reflected a soft glimmer under the warm light.
He turned and picked up an empty glass, wiping it slowly with a clean cloth. The movement was skilled and quiet, as if he had already accompanied countless nights when guests did not want to go home.
“Still, running away isn’t completely useless,” he said slowly. “Sometimes, people really do need to hide somewhere and catch their breath. Wounded animals retreat into their dens, and ships return to harbor when they meet a storm. The only question is whether you’re hiding for a while, or planning to make that den your home for life.”
He placed the glass back on the rack.
“Guest, you can keep lying on the table tonight, but morning is almost here.”
Salaman raised his hand and pointed toward the night outside the window, which was gradually growing pale.
“Night does not last forever, and neither does any hardship.”
The air fell silent for a few seconds.
“So, guest, many answers are only remembered slowly while walking along the road. Right now, you can finish one smallest thing.”
Salaman walked to your table and gently pushed your glass aside with his fingers.
“Go back and get some sleep. After you wake up, take whatever has been troubling you tonight and cut it into the smallest pieces you can handle.”
He smiled.
“Don’t think about solving everything all at once. First, just make tomorrow’s you a little better than today’s.”
“All right, guest. The next time you come here, I hope it will be to celebrate, not to hide.”
Salaman turned around to clean up the bar counter, and the lights behind the bottles dimmed one by one.
“But if you really still want to hide for a while, I’ll be here.”
He winked.
“Just don’t stay until closing time every time. The morning sun won’t refuse to rise just because you have troubles on your mind.”
打烊的酒吧
吧檯的暖光燈將琥珀色的洋酒照耀得像是一顆顆的珠寶。
小黑貓酒吧的人潮隨著夜色的結束，也逐漸散去。
座無虛席的座位也逐漸空了出來，原本熱鬧的音樂也轉為令人沉靜的古典樂。唯一不同的是音樂聲更加清楚了些。
整理著桌面的薩拉曼，發現了帶著幾分醉意卻尚未離開的你，走出了吧檯，右手隨意地靠在邊緣。天花板的投射燈散發出的黃色光芒，將他黑色的臉龐照耀得更清晰。
他微微歪著頭，金色眼睛看向你，嘴角帶著看出一切，卻又忍住不說的笑意。
「客人，現在已經快要清晨了。」
他說得很輕，像是不想驚動到你。
「我們酒吧在這個時候，通常剩下我，清掃大家今日留下的情緒。」
薩拉曼抬眼看了看牆上的時鐘，又看回你。
「所以，這位客人，到現在還遲遲沒有離開的打算……？」
他沒有急著收走你的杯子，只有尾巴在身後慢慢晃了一下。
「來這裡的人原因很多，不想離開的也是。有些是不想面對自己的孤獨，而來尋找與人的互動；有些是家裡有難念的經，出來透透氣。」
他輕輕笑了一聲。
「酒吧很方便。它讓人以為自己不是在逃避，只是在休息。可惜，再好的酒吧，也不能替人過完明天。」
薩拉曼的手指沿著襯衫領口慢慢放下，白手套在暖光裡泛著一點柔和的反光。
他轉身拿起一只空杯，用乾淨的布慢慢擦拭。那動作很熟練，也很安靜，像是他已經陪過無數個客人不願回家的夜晚。
「不過，逃避也不是完全沒用。」他緩緩說著，「有時候，人確實需要躲一下喘口氣。受傷的動物會躲進洞裡，船遇到暴風也會靠港。問題只在於，你是躲一下，還是打算把那個洞當成一輩子的家。」
他把杯子放回架上。
「客人，你今晚可以繼續趴在桌上，但是清晨快到了。」
薩拉曼抬起手，指了指窗外逐漸變淡的夜色。
「夜晚不是永遠的，任何困難也不是。」
空氣安靜了幾秒。
「所以，客人，很多答案都是走在路上才慢慢想起來的。你現在可以完成一件最小的事情。」
薩拉曼走到你的桌旁，用手指輕輕把你的杯子往旁邊推開一點。
「回去睡一覺。醒來之後，再把你今晚煩心的事情，切成最小的部分來處理。」
他笑了笑。
「不要想著一次把事情全部處理好，先讓自己明天比今天更好。」
「好了，客人。等你下次再來，希望你是為了慶祝，而不是為了躲藏。」
薩拉曼轉身去收拾吧檯，酒瓶後方的燈一盞盞暗下來。
「不過，真的還是想躲一下的話，我也會在這裡。」
他眨了眨眼。
「只是別每次都待到打烊，早晨的太陽可不會因為你的煩心就不出現了。」