Ch 9 - Old man’s Dream.

After a relaxing trip to the lake, John returned home for dinner. Vladislav prepared a training stuff for his grandson, collected firearms and his favorite knives, sorting them according to their intended purpose. Grandma cooked dinner for the whole family as usual, but today John's portion was larger than usual.

- Hi John, I got a beer for us, a bottle of good whiskey and took out a cigar from the box your father gave me.

- Well, Grandfather, thank you.

- You're welcome, because today, my grandson is trying alcohol and tobacco for the first time. As your grandfather, I am glad to share these moments with you, this is an important event in a man's life. Eat tightly, otherwise alcohol will quickly become bad for your stomach.

After talking a little about daily things with his grandfather, John headed to the table. The dinner consisting of a good steak with potatoes and vegetables was very tasty, Isolde cooked like any decent grandmother - very tasty and to the slaughter. She constantly put food on her grandson's plate.

- How was your day at school dear?

- It's fine, I met a couple of people, talked a little with a classmate and went home.

- Did anything special happen?

- I don't think so, except that I decided to choose drawing as a hobby.

- It's wonderful, you'll draw something beautiful for us later, and we'll hang it on the wall at home.

- There's still a long way to go before that.

- It's okay, I'll wait. Today at the literary club, Miss Lavender Smith asked what you do in your free time. She seems to be a good teacher, since she worries about the lives of her students even outside of school.

John's heart skipped a beat, it looks like the puma started hunting before him.

-I didn't know she was in your book club.

- She signed up about a week ago. Although it's strange that the literature teacher didn't sign up earlier.

- Maybe, but it doesn't matter, Grandma, the main thing is that your favorite club is in order.

Dinner was coming to its logical conclusion. John and Isolde were talking calmly, but Vladislav was sitting on pins and needles. Grandpa was already impatient to get his grandson drunk, talk to him about life and pour his drunken wisdom into his ears. Isolde noticed her husband's behavior and hurried Jonathan to finish his meal, pick up snacks from the refrigerator and go with his grandfather to the yard.

Having done as his grandmother said, Jonathan grabbed sandwiches from the refrigerator, consisting of a slice of black bread with bacon, a jar of pickled cucumbers with garlic and followed his grandfather into the yard. The silence of the evening in the countryside was deafening, only the sound of the radio receiver came from the house, old songs from the 60s-70s caressed the guy's ear with their melodiousness. A pair of good wooden chairs placed around a steel fire bowl and a small table between them, this is exactly what the place looked like, the place where Jonathan would have a chance to try beer, whiskey and cigars. The atmosphere of the mystery of the sunset in the mountains, the pipes of crickets and bright flames that disperse the approaching darkness. All these factors testified that Vladislav had been preparing for this evening since the morning, choosing the ideal place.

- Grandfather, I see you took my wish seriously and created an atmosphere like in some book about growing up and relationships between generations.

- You are so sharp-tongued until we started your training, but there is some truth in your words. I dreamed of sharing a drink and a cigar with my son, as you might have noticed, your mother didn't turn out to be a good one , and your father was already too old for that. Sometimes fate does not give us what we want, then we want it, but look at us, you are my grandson and here we will sit and drink here and now, even if the fulfillment of my little dream has been delayed for a couple of decades.

- It looks like this is really a landmark event, okay, Grandpa, let's get started.

Sitting in the next chairs, the grandfather and grandson relaxed, John was preparing to drink the first beer in the new world, and Vlad was thinking about what life wisdom to tell the teenager. Throwing more wood on the fire, the elderly gentleman began to show all the wisdom of drinking alcohol.

- And so, dear grandson, first get two glasses under the table, if possible, it is best to drink beer from a specially designed glass. You can also drink from a jar or bottle, but the taste is not the same. Open carefully, pour into a glass holding it at an angle, otherwise there will be more foam in the glass than the drink itself. Try it Johnny.

After doing everything as grandfather advised, the guy poured the whole jar into a glass, the layer of foam only a finger thick formed.

- Well done John, remember that this is the way to pour beer, because if you ever have to pour beer for a group of friends or work in a bar and you pour a refreshing drink the wrong way, you may well get a punch in the face, especially if an Irishman in the building. At the same time, they will be right, consider that this is a rule of good manners.

- I'll remember.

- Great, now about how to drink beer properly. It all depends on the situation. If you feel thirsty on a hot day and went to the bar to refresh yourself, then first it would be right to take 4-8 small sips in a row, then take a break for a snacks , which are usually served with beer. After that, take 3-4 sips with breaks for a snacks. You can't drink the whole glass at once, because your goal is to enjoy, not get drunk. In fact, beer etiquette is not so strict, if you drink at home or somewhere with friends, then you can forget about everything except drinking in one gulp. There are a lot of different varieties of beer and glasses for them, mostly such drinks are served at the bar already in the correct container. The most common beer in stores can be drunk from the throat of a bottle or directly from a jar, but it is still better from a glass.

- Okay, Grandpa, but how to drink now and why is the beer not ice cold?

- This, my dear boy, is a common misconception, beer mustn't be very cold, the optimal temperature is + 10-20 degrees Celsius. There are only five rules, I have already named the first one. Secondly, you don't need to shake the foam in a glass, you're not tasting wine. Third- do not drink old beer, a maximum of two weeks, and preferably straight from the tank. Fourth, you do not need to constantly hold a glass, jar or bottle in your hands, it will heat up and the taste will become different. And finally- some drinks are served in chilled glasses, this does not apply to beer, the taste will become worse as in the case of a supercooled drink or shaking.

- Well, why didn't you take the sandwiches? Aren't they for beer?

- No, it's just a snack, we're here for a long time. There is a different snack for each type of beer, we will drink a simple can beer and you can not show off with all these rules and regulations. If you want you can have a snack, or not . You'll learn more with age, try your beer before it gets hot.

During a casual conversation, a couple of men drank 2 cans of beer each. Vladislav cheered up, and John got the passive ability "Resistance to poisons". It looks like having a gamer's body is not always good, Johnny thought, but after figuring out how to add alcohol to the list of exceptions to this skill, he was proud of himself .

A few dozen minutes, another batch of wood into the fire and a few bearded jokes later, Vlad said that it was time to move on to a stronger drink. Putting the most ordinary bottle of Jameson whiskey on the table, the elderly gentleman smiled slyly at his grandson.

- In general, I like vodka more, but Bourbon, Whiskey and Scotch are more popular in America, so today you and I will drink this liter bottle whole, consider it a trial of fire for a man, like circumcision ... well, almost, phahaha.

- Really? A joke about Jews? And I have to go to school tomorrow, maybe I don't need the whole bottle?

- Let's see how it goes, didn't you tell me not so long ago that you were old enough for alcohol? And what's wrong with jokes about Jews? You're not a Jew yourself, it's just the two of us here. Remember Johnny, good jokes are almost always offensive and about stereotypes. If there was a Jew sitting with us, I would make a joke about Asians or Blacks. There is a time and a place for every joke, always think about what you are saying and to whom, do not be considered rude or a fool.

- I'll try to remember that. And I'm old enough for beer, not whiskey!

- And what? Will you hide behind Grandma's skirt? Grandmother's crybaby .

- Isn't it too childish provocation for an old man?

- Will you run to complain?

- No.

- Are you going to drink?

- I will.

- Well, don't whine then, you're almost a man already. Or are you a crybaby?

- Pour the drink old one, a few years will pass and we will arrange a competition, after which I will not carry your unconscious body home.

- Big words for a brat, ahahahah.

The laughing grandfather opened a bottle of good old Jamison and began to tell how to drink it.

- Remember, John, especially good whiskey with cola is drunk by women, pampered goldfinches or just fools. Mixing good alcohol with cheap lemonade is like ordering the most expensive prostitute to hold hands with her. Whiskey is drunk pure or as part of specially invented cocktails. Today we will drink a clean drink, in a bucket standing in the center of the table, take ice with tongs, put three cubes in glasses standing next to each other. The glasses are called "Rocks" or "Old Fashion", I just call them a whiskey glass. Pour about 50 milliliters of the drink. In principle, it is possible without ice, but let's start with it.

- Am I doing everything right?

- Yes, now drink the first one in one gulp and let's continue.

- Cheers.

- And yours.

After drinking his glass, Johnny felt the forty-degree Irish whiskey burn his throat, a stream of liquid fire slowly goes to the center of his stomach and settles there, and a spicy aftertaste remains on the tongue.

- Well done Johnny, you didn't even wince, pour the second one while I light our cigars, then we drink in small sips. The combination of smoke from good tobacco and the burning of whiskey on the tongue is something almost sacred, you may not like it from the beginning, but you will get used to it. A slight fog in the head and openness of mind, that's the effect we need to achieve. If you drink too fast, your mind will become completely clouded and may become ill, after which you will most likely vomit. We need to find a balance. Here's your cigar, grab a glass, lean back in your chair and enjoy the moment.

Taking a cigar and whiskey, the guy felt like an adult again. It's good that the gamer's body neutralizes all the negative consequences for his body. Nothing bad will happen to an ordinary person from one evening, but it is better to refrain from repeating such actions. There is nothing useful in this, smoking destroys the lungs, and alcohol destroys the liver, both substances require careful control in the amount of consumption. Everything should be in moderation, less is also good, but more is extremely harmful.

Pulling cigar smoke into his mouth, after another sip of a forty-degree drink, chasing the smoke in his mouth, John released a fragrant essence of deadly pleasure.

- Thanks for the evening, Grandpa, I think I'll remember it for the rest of my life.

- You're welcome, brat, I'm glad that I was present at this moment of your life, the main thing is to remember that you can't smoke and drink a lot until you're eighteen. It is best to abstain from tobacco and alcohol for life or at least until adulthood, but I will not forbid it, of course I can, but there is no point in it. I remember when I was young, I also didn't care about prohibitions, so it's better to ask me, I'll grumble but I'll buy everything you need. It's better than drinking all sorts of stuff or getting fake documents for stores, and I'll always know what's wrong with you and how you are.

After a few more glasses, Vladislav was drawn to frank conversations, old jokes and anecdotes.

The conversation lasted until late at night, until the bottle was empty, and the old man was pretty drunk. Helping his grandfather to get home, John noticed that Vladislav's smile did not leave his face.

"It looks like it was really very important for the old man, I hope I fulfilled his dream. "

On this positive note, a purely male evening with my grandfather came to an end. It was time for sleep, and the embrace of Morpheus beckoned Jonathan to himself as never before. That night he decided to sleep in his room in the house because of her comfortable bed and general comfort, not exactly because the guy would not have reached the barn.

- A good day, a good evening and then only a good life. How glad I am that I was here and that I have such understanding grandparents, such a nice girl and you Mara. Good night.

- <Good dreams master.>