For those who need a light for the night

A clean, well lighted place, by Ernest Hemingway

"It is not only a question of youth and confidence although those things are very beautiful. Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the cafe."

"Hombre, there are bodegas open all night long."

"You do not understand. This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good and also, now, there are shadows of the leaves."

"Good night," said the younger waiter.

"Good night," the other said.

Turning off the electric light he continued the conversation with himself...

It was the light of course, but it is necessary that the place be clean and pleasant.

You do not want music. Certainly you do not want music.

Nor can you stand before a bar with dignity although that is all that isprovided for these hours.

What did he fear?

It was not a fear or dread, it was a nothing that he knew too well.

It was all anothing and a man was a nothing too.

It was only that, and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order.

Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it all was nada y pues nada y naday pues nada.

Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada.

Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee.

He smiled and stood before a bar with a shining steam pressure coffee machine.

(...)

Now, without thinking further, he would go home to his room. He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it's probably only insomnia.

Many must have it.