Can I sit here? Oh, don’t be like that, this is a sociable place. After all, you and I are alone; look here, I have a favourable reputation, and this is a reputable place, so we are a good fit to converse as strangers and break through to the realm of solidarity. Come now, don’t be afraid of a conversation. What are you drinking? Ah, it doesn’t matter; nothing matters if you think about it. Oh, come now, don’t turn away – I’m jesting. You know, I come here a lot after work around 4 pm on the weekdays, and the weekends are more leisurely, so I get to come here sooner. No, no, I don’t drink, well… alcohol… I don’t drink alcohol anymore, not since then. But thank you for asking; that was a rare moment of human kindness in this place.
You’ve just moved here, right? Well, I’ve seen you here a few times, never staying long, you know, and this place is far away from the town and has a reputation as a local for those who need to escape, as the kids say. So, I inferred that you must be new. No, not I; despite my frequent appearances here, nobody really knows me here, you see. That’s no fault of mine, though. I only engage people when I need to.
Do you like this décor? I advised the proprietor, and they took my suggestion on board quite well. See there? That’s my design idea. Now, what brings you here? Really? You don’t say. But why would they not meet you? Never mind, I am here now, my friend, and you are my friend. I like this time of day, you know, not too busy or quiet… really? There are more than us in here, young man. Maybe they haven’t revealed themselves to your perceptive apparatus just yet. Pay no attention to me; I am just jaded and need recharging. I am here a lot, ah, I already mentioned that.
Say, do you like board games? I was fond of board games in my youth; something about competition – putting things on the line – was a riveting occasion to combat your opponent. Like that movie from the Swedish guy… The Seventh Seal, it was called. Yes! I knew you were a person of culture, ha-ha. Please don’t go; I haven’t been around anyone long. I live a life of solitude, you see, and the life of a respectable man in high office tends to be lonely. That’s why I came over; I could sense you were a fellow like me. Not desperate, how debasing! Just in need of a connection, and given that you had a revered look of contemplation, you appeared to me like a flame to a moth... let us pray that I don’t burn in your luminosity!
I am glad you stayed. Tell me, have you been in love? They say it is the most potent force in the universe. I am not so sure; I have never loved in the way that the Greeks called Eros or Philia. I thought I did once. But that was during a holiday and… well, let’s just say my lifestyle and hers were incompatible. Dead? How can you be so sure? Don’t you find it remarkable that we believe that the dead will greet us when we die? I am no religious person, but I assume that is a beneficial doctrine by those religious folks… why wouldn’t that promote suicide amongst the living, given the bonds of love? You’re right; this is not the time for such reflections. Let me help you there. So, my friend, how long have you been here? Ha! Yes, that is another one of my suggestions: we remove all the clocks, we don’t need time here. Look here; everyone is so busy nowadays trying to be active. Allow me to explain.
Have you ever noticed that people desire the need for activity? Let’s call them active-subjects, always on the move, always wanting to be distracted. Pascal! That’s right. Anyway, if everyone outside of here needs a distraction, I thought let’s remove the device that dictates people’s lives on the outside so that people can enjoy a moment of passivity and engage each other in timeless conversation. Las Vegas is exactly right. Yes, my friend, I cannot help you there; time devices are not allowed anymore, so your watch is missing. It is funny that you cannot remember that, wouldn’t you say? Memory is a funny old thing. For example, is there a past if you have no memory of it? What of yourself? Is your identity a series of fragmented memories? What of you and your case? You believe that you are to be met here, but nobody shows. Is your past memory alive by projecting it into the future from the present, or are you attempting to live in the past by fixating on memory at the expense of the present and the hope that the future will match the past? But let us move on from this topic as I can see you are uncomfortable and looking for distraction.
My story? Well, that is the first time I have been asked that question in all my time coming here. People are a little apprehensive of me at first, probably because I lay my cards out, as people say. Well, I am old, you see. Blessed with good genes, I can get away with looking slightly younger than I am. The next stage in human evolution, you might say. Ageless, I prefer to tell myself. I have worked on the outside for a long time and often behind the scenes. I wouldn’t say my job is a high-pressure job or anything; I deal with people when the time is right. I felt that the time was right for our conversation, and because you haven’t left yet, I think you need to have this conversation with me regardless of your manifest trepidation; otherwise, why would it be happening? You see, I am glad you are so magnanimous!
A taxi driver! Is my profession of such importance? Your social psychologists explain that outside people like to gauge social status as a marker for social interaction, but look here. That is the town’s local drug dealer sitting beside the police chief! They can’t perceive each other just yet, but they cannot escape the fact that they are connected in this place, as you are connected to them, too. My friend, I do not know why they cannot perceive each other. Perhaps it is that social status you demanded from me that prevents them, or maybe it is because they are trapped in a senseless perception? What does that mean? If only I knew. But notice how you could not perceive them only a moment ago? It seems you are beginning to adjust.
That is all I will say about me at this point. No, no, you haven’t upset me. I have come to accept that some people here are still attuned to the outside and are trying to ‘pigeonhole’. Did I use that correctly? People. It is not your fault. It is part of your facticity, as those socialites would call it. Yes, I knew both of them. I have good genes, I tell you! Yes! That makes me old, I did tell you. Over there? That’s the other side of the bar, do you want to go there? We can go together if you wish. There is a bit more time before it opens; however, why not stay a while longer? Are you sure you need to go? I don’t think the person you want is coming and I am here, we are having a good time, no? Allow me to get you a drink. Surely, you can’t refuse a polite offer like this. Excellent! Allow me to get you another.
Here you are. I learned from the barman there that you have been hiding something from me. But do not worry; I can usually figure people out from these interactions. This is why there are no clocks. You said you were a man of reputation, and your wife was supposed to meet you here but hasn’t shown up. You are absolutely right, and forgive me, my baser instincts; I was too eager to get the conversation going. You can call me X. Yes, all mystery and no substance, but let’s say that being such a respectable man, I must put certain protections in place. Yes, I am glad you understand; let us call each other “Mulder and Scully” after that famous mystery show from the 90s. Yes, I allow glimpses of humour to escape now and then. So, Mulder, tell me about your wife.
Ah, I see. She sounds like a remarkable woman. Full of drive and activity. And yet, here you are, alone. It’s curious, don’t you think? You’re here, she’s not, and we’re having this conversation. Almost as if it was meant to be. Fate, destiny, or perhaps something else? I wonder…When I broach the deeper reflective issues, you gaze across the room. Say, is that your wife? No? Unfortunately, I do hope I get to see her before I leave. I don’t get to stay here long as I am always on call. Good job, we have time to wait; well, not in the outside sense of the word, but you get my meaning…splendid. How’s the drink?
There is no fooling you, I see. Yes, I know how long I can stay here. I’ve been doing my job for so long that I have a spooky sense of when I am needed. However, with no time devices, I should be at the mercy of the ‘timeless present’. Alas, I am too accustomed to it. Friends? I would say I have plenty of friends…in a loose sense of the word…more friendly gatherings. But they are a lively bunch. Some of them are here. Why over there…still cannot see them? Perhaps you need another drink, but what are you holding onto? This is a place for friends, and as I said a moment ago, you are my friend.
It’s interesting to see this concept of friendship in such a transient setting. Do you think friendships here hold the same weight as those on the outside? Or do they exist in a different realm of significance? Here, where time is put into the background of thought, perhaps connections are forged in a different kind of fire that burns more intensely but briefly. Yet, these moments, these conversations, they shape us and redefine us, nonetheless.
Moreover, when you leave here, it will all be a memory, a conversation fixed in the past. Why do we not grieve for the death of these significant moments? What exactly are we clinging to with the others in our lives? Is it the illusion of permanence that conditions us to create specificity in our interconnections? What if the impermanence of this interaction is the true manifestation of the absurd world outside, and the ideology of permanence is the rebellion we strive for, if you know my meaning?
Yes, yes, another drink for you is available. I am in good company and don’t mind the expense. Cheers to our burgeoning camaraderie. There’s something liberating about this place, isn’t there? A sanctuary from the relentless march of time and the pressures of the outside world. It’s almost as if we’ve stepped into a liminal space, a threshold where we can shed our burdens and simply be. Only here can we exist as the free-floating noumenal self – experienced in a moment of pure experience, without the nausea, of course! Your intellectuals call this the view from nowhere, or we might call it the ‘abstract man’, or perhaps, in here, you are put into temporary suspension, which allows you to reflect on existence…it is these moments that give sweetness to life.
Ah, I see that you’re starting to relax. That’s good. This place has a way of doing that, of dissolving the barriers we erect around ourselves. So, tell me, Mulder, what do you seek here? What do you hope to find in this timeless refuge? Is it solace, understanding, perhaps just a brief respite from the chaos of life? Why did you choose to meet your wife in this place?
Forgive me. I ramble and ask too many questions—a minor fault of mine. Let’s look at the choice of venue for your illustrious meeting that is yet to materialise. Why did you decide to come here? I see. Well, is it like you remember? No? Well, the timelessness and the décor are clearly new, but tell me, what makes you think your wife will come? Maybe it is not how she remembers this place, and she has gone elsewhere. Sorry, I am rambling; I mean, no offence. Have you noticed that the noise is getting louder in here?
I have noticed that you are more relaxed. These people? They have always been here, and I am glad you finally began to notice them. Your previous limitations for companionship have shattered, and here we are engaged in a wonderful conversation. Allow me a moment of sincerity. You, my friend, have been duped. I have not been supplying you with beer, but the alcohol-free stuff. Now, now don’t act petulant. It is a necessary placebo so that you can find yourself in this place at your leisure. Have you noticed that I have the same jacket? My good man, it is not a detraction from the point at hand; merely, I ask if you are paying full attention to the person before you, and I can see that you haven’t. There is also something charming about your reluctance to engage me in conversation fully. Have you considered why you are here? I must leave for a while, but please stay, at my expense, to apologise for duping you with Placebo. Look at that. I must go, but I’ll be back, and we can continue our interaction.