Instinctually, I reached for my earplugs as the door to the dorm room opened well past midnight, but then I hesitated. I had been waiting for my next story and this event seem to hold some promise.

 

I knew he was a drunk the moment I opened the door the previous afternoon. He had that glazed look upon his face as if he was trying to process where he was. He sat on the edge of the lower bunk and was drinking from a bottle of water. My senses had been so sure he was trouble that I did a double take to confirm it was indeed water in that bottle. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt since I had no proof to validate my intuition, though I expected we’d be smelling vomit before this day was through. I then wondered whether my second set of earplugs would work in my nose.

 

The key clicked in the door, and I knew the ogre was home. Almost immediately the room smelled of booze. I suspected he would just pass out fully clothed on his bed, as I had been through this movie before, but I decided not to put my earplugs in just yet. After a bit of shuffling through his pocket, he went to open his locker and pulled out what sounded like a map. I had to make guesses because the lights were off, and I didn’t want him to know I was awake lest I change the outcome of my observation. I heard him fold up the piece of paper, and he headed back out the door.

 

My mind raced through the many possibilities of why one would need a map in the middle of the night. Was he looking for another bar? Was there a part of town one could find prostitutes? Would he be back? Before I could cover all the scenarios in my head, he returned.

 

I heard him take off his shoes and felt the earth move as he collapsed into bed. What a disappointing show, but I knew the last act. I’ve shared a dorm room with many a drunk, and I knew we were up for a night of vigorous American throat singing. It was time to put in those earplugs.