A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (Hemingway)
One night, at a café, an old deaf man sat alone in the shadows of a tree, enjoying the quiet atmosphere. Two waiters observed him, knowing he was slightly drunk and might leave without paying if he got too drunk.
They discussed the old man's recent suicide attempt, which they believed was due to despair over nothing, as he had plenty of money.
The old man requested more brandy, and the younger waiter reluctantly served him, telling him he should have killed himself last week.
The old man paid for his drinks and left the café, walking unsteadily but with dignity. The younger waiter wished the old man would go home earlier, as he wanted to go to bed himself. The older waiter, however, understood the old man's need for a clean, well-lighted place to spend his evenings.
The two waiters continued their conversation, with the younger waiter expressing his desire to go home to his wife and the older waiter revealing his own loneliness and lack of confidence. The older waiter explained that he liked to stay late at the café, providing a comforting space for those who needed it.
"Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the café."
The younger waiter dismissed this, saying there were other places open all night.
After closing the café, the older waiter went to a bar, where he found the atmosphere lacking compared to the clean, well-lighted café. He returned to his room, contemplating the emptiness of life and the need for a refuge from it, before finally falling asleep as daylight broke.