What if I told you that there was this world beyond a wall that many did not know existed? What if I told you that the only way to advance past this wall and enter this world was to reserve your spot with a person on the other side? What if I told you that this world would transport you to a different place and time? What if I told you that the era you would be taken to was one that you had only imagined existing?
Would you pay a visit to this alternate world? Or would your fear of the unknown keep you from entering?
Despite my own anxieties about visiting a place that existed only to those that had been able to discover it, I decided to pay a visit. My decision, though, was not impulsive. Rather, it was a planned affair.
As I mentioned before, reservations were necessary for admittance into this world. So I made a reservation for two, for I was traveling to the unknown with a good friend of mine. We were given strict orders to arrive at a certain time, for this world could only hold so many patrons at one time.
When the time had come, we made our way to the destination and knew we had come to the right place because we saw a sign of reassurance in the distance. A small, lackluster sign that displayed the words “Eat Me” on a hot dog was fixed at the top of the establishment where we would find the entrance into this other world.
As we walked down the small set of stairs, two glass doors — covered with the handprints of customers who had feasted on gourmet hot dogs — greeted us. We made our way through the set of doors and at last it came into view, the means by which we would be whisked away into the world unknown to us — a telephone booth.
A couple stood before us with eyes full of wonder as they attempted to cross over to the other side. However, disappointment flooded their faces when they were turned away; it seemed as though they hadn’t reserved their spots for the evening.
It was then our turn to test our luck.
Once we had entered the booth, a sign prompted us to use the red phone-fixated on the wall and dial one. I did as I was told and was greeted by silence. Unsure of what to do exactly, I offered the name our reservation was under and at that, the line clicked and the other side of the telephone booth opened up.
As we were escorted us to our places for the evening we took in all that surrounded us. The walls were made of bricks and did not allow any light to pass through. For this reason, the room was dark, the little light that there was radiated from the small candles on the tabletops and the light fixtures that hung over the bar.
The other patrons we passed by were dressed in their evening wear and their facial expressions were reason enough to believe they were enjoying themselves. The low hushes of conversation accompanied by the soft sound of the music proved to be a pleasant pair, coexisting in harmony instead of trying to overshadow the other.
Once we had reached our seats, we settled in and made ourselves comfortable while we continued to tour the room with our eyes, in awe of where we had landed. It was refreshing to see friends engaging with one another without the interruptions of buzzes and blue light coming from those sacred handheld devices.
When the bartender called for last call, the remaining patrons and ourselves couldn’t help but wish we had more time to spend in this remote location, so far removed from our reality in theory yet not in actuality.
If you haven’t yet figured out what this world is, it is a bar that operates like a speakeasy an institution that served as a secret place for people to convene and drink alcohol during the prohibition era.
I’ve been asked nicely to please don’t tell the location of this hidden gem, but if you’re curious and interested in paying a visit yourself you can find the name of the bar hidden in a sentence.
