deceivingly obvious

An old man approached the bar and stood patiently. His beard had greyed years ago, his sober marooned much the same. Next to him stood a young man. The younger man looked as though he would have like to be at a different pub in a different city, instead he found himself here. The young man stood as still as possible, not making any sudden movements.

I looked at the old man and sighed. i spoke first to young and sober. The old man could wait, and what he would hear from me wasn't going to be new; he had heard it from every pub on the street tonight.

Usually situations like this, this one included, end on a good note. The soberless person will muster whatever senses are left to muster, find their feet and subsequently the door.

i think you've had enough for tonight, come back again tommorrow.

If a barman tells you it's time to go home, it is time to go home.

no if, and's or but's.
no please's, thank you's or throwing chairs.
no telling me ... "go back on the banana boat you came on",
... "you're a langer" or
... "we've never had enough" while you show me your man-u chest tatoo.

If I've told you it is time to go home you should have left for home an hour ago.

The old man returned two hours later.

"Weren't you in here before."

He swayed a bit and his eyes moved from the floor to the stool, the bartop to my tie and rested on my face trying to figure out which of them had spoke, to whom they were speaking to and what it was they had said. He began to shake his head 'no' but stopped short because he couldn't decide for sure what his answer was, or should be.

"I think you've had enough tonight"

He replied by raising his eyebrows, which appeared to be an internally misscommunicated smile.