Glorious drunks, part 1, By Tiki King, 2013

A woman came into my shop carrying a small case. She said hello, and said she had a surprise for me. She set the case down on the counter, and opened it up.
It was, of course an ukulele.
But not just any ukulele, It was one I had seen before.
But, let's start over, a little over a year before.
A man wandered into my shop one day, drunk as could be, but managing to avoid knocking into anything. He went over to the Uke wall and stood, weaving slightly.
"Hello!" I said, and waited. These things can go several ways. usually they look at the Ukuleles, for a minute, ask If I have guitars, strum a few clumsy chords, and then leave.
"MInd if I sit?" he asked.
"Go ahead" I told him. I kept an eye on him, but busied myself at the desk.
He looked absent mindedly at the wall of ukes.
"You know he no longer travels but he's still pretty spry, He's not much on talking and he's just too mean to die"
I looked up, "Excuse me?' I asked politely
"Uncle Slayton" he said.
I shook my head.
"James McMurtry?"
I shrugged.
"You never heard of James McMurtry?" he asked
"Yeah, sure," I told him, "I heard of him. I know his dad wrote a bunch of books, "Lonesome Dove" was one..."
He nodded. "Yep. James is a poet, an' a good singer. Saw him up at Don Quixotes." Don Quixotes is a night club just up the street from the shop.
"Hmmm..." I said, nodding.
"Sings songs an reads poetry. James McMurtry. He's real good, you should check him out"
I nodded again.
He looked thoughtful for a second, and then cleared his throat.
"You know he no longer travels but he's still pretty spry, He's not much on talking and he's just too mean to die"
"I've heard that one" I said.
He nodded. "can I play the Guitar?" he asked.
"Sure, just be careful"
"you got a pick?"
I handed him one. He made a few rough attempts at playing, and then put the guitar back in it's stand. "Never could play the gee-tar" he said. "Ok to play one of these ukuleles?" I went over and pulled one of the less expensive models off the wall and tuned it up. "Here you go," I said, handing it to him "please be careful with it."

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