Raleigh by Railway Read online

Liverpool.

  “Monique, want to check out that bar down there? They might show the Liverpool match.”

  “Yes! Absolutely.”

  We walked only about forty feet to arrive at The London Bridge Pub. I pulled the door open and immediately felt at home. There was a framed Gerrard jersey on the wall and a white guy (one of the owners) decked out in a red-and-black Liverpool FC jacket. He welcomed us in and told us that they would indeed be showing the Liverpool – Rubin Kazan match. It was 12:53 PM.

  We took a seat on a cushioned bench with a high backrest. It was comfortable. I ordered two seasonal micro-brews for us.

  Soon the Raleigh Reds – Liverpool FC fans from Wake County – were filling the English-themed tavern. At 1:00 PM sharp, the Europa League match kicked off.

  Liverpool seemed to get the better of play in the first half. However, the score was nil-nil at the break. In the 52nd minute of the second half, Jordan Ibe put it in the back of the net, giving LFC a 1-0 lead. The bar erupted with cheers and familiar chants. The lead would hold up. We all sang YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone) after the referee’s triple-whistle to end the match. Tra-la-la. Wonder how deep the Mersey is at the mouth.

  Then a Raleigh Reds lad in a white LFC away jersey came up to our table and noticed our backpacks in the chairs.

  “Are you guys on a cross-country journey?” he drolly asked.

  “We’re on a Liverpool bar tour of America,” I replied.

  “Really?” he asked, totally believing my fallacious statement.

  “No, just an intra-state excursion,” I replied.

  “We took the Amtrak from Charlotte,” Monique tacked on.

  “I see. Raleigh by railway.” Well, there’s strike three. We’re out. Time for us to start heading back to CLT.