Time for Some Bartender Wisdom

I was woken up by a cat licking my face. As the world came back into focus I noticed I was on laying on the side of the road. The moon and stars stared down at us. I must have passed out from the hunger. Luckily this little fella woke me up before I was robbed. Sitting up I started to scratch my cat behind the ear and said "Hey there little guy, did you protect me while I was asleep?" The cat purred in agreement. "Well thank you. It's a shame because I do love cats but I have nothing to give you." giving the final pat on the head I got up and started to walk away.

As I walked the streets I noticed 2 shops down was a tavern. Willing to try my luck out one more time, I walked into the bar.

The tavern was packed with people of all shapes and sizes. In the corner, there was a group laughing as they ate mutton and bread. Some of them were even falling out of their chairs. A table nearby was a group of housewives sipping on what I assumed was honey wine with a plate of cheese. There were even scattered tables with people playing poker.

Surely a place this busy needed some waiters, so I made my way to the bar. Sitting down, drunks were slipping on the counter with half a pint of mead and there were a couple of people making out. It wasn't long until the bartender approached me. "Hey bud, what can I get you," he said, cleaning a barrel-shaped mug.

"Hello sir, I am looking to work for food. I am a humble hermit, and I have no money, but I will complete any task for the smallest amount of food." I said.

"Listen man, I don't run this place, but I know the boss won't accept your offer." Putting the mug down.

I put my elbows on the table and placed my chin in my hand. "Hey man, can you give it to me straight? Why is no one willing to hire me?" I said

The bartender sighed. "Well kid, it's because being a hermit is dishonorable and seen as just a freeloader not willing to help the village long term. If any shop owner were to allow you to work at their shop and people found out that he was a hermit, it would give their business a bad image and drive down sales'. The man said, putting away the mug and starting to wipe down the counter.

Putting my hands to my face, I sighed into it, "You know, if someone told me 5 years ago when I started my journey, I wouldn't be able to work for food or have a place to sleep. If they told me that the only way I could curb my hunger would be to eat berries and drink from some rivers. I would have just stayed at my family's farm." I said.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you start your journey. I worked at this bar a long time, and I don't see too many hermits come by, so I'm always curious as to what causes them to start." He said, walking over, sitting on the counter behind him.

"Honestly man, I don't really know. I come from a small, poor town. My father died while hunting when I was 7. So, it was just my older siblings and me on the farm. They left, and eventually, it was just mom and me on the farm. That lasted until I was 16 because she died from a cold. So, I sold the farm and lived off the money for two years as I went on a journey to learn about the world and discover my purpose."

"Shit man, that sounds like a hard life." The bartender said. He reached over the bar and put a hand on my shoulder. "Word of advice, get out of this village; there is nothing for you here. The people can be extremely kind, but their image is everything to them, and if you do damage it, you will see the nicest people sour. Like when you kissed the butcher's wife's hand."

Shocked, I sat up straight. "How did you know that?"

"It's a small town, kid everyone is watching to find out some new gossip. A rumor is spreading that she is sleeping around on her husband. By the by, you should get out of town as soon as possible because the butcher will actually kill you." the bartender said, walking away. "Best of luck to you, traveler." Waving goodbye, he walked into the kitchen. Great, I didn't get any food, and now I have to leave in the middle of the night.