The Three Day Blow

-Ernest Hemingway

The rain stops just before Nick starts walking along the road that goes up through the orchard. He picks up an apple from the ground, and puts it into the pocket of his coat.

It is autumn and the wind is blowing. There is a small cottage at the top of the hill that the road leads up to. It is Bill's cottage. When Nick reaches the door of the cottage, Bill welcomes him.

Both Bill and Nick go into the cottage and sit beside the fire. They start drinking whiskey. Nick puts off his shoes and socks to allow them to dry at the fire. Bill provides him a new pair of socks. Then they start talking about baseball clubs and players. They keep on drinking while talking. Then they talk about the books they have read. They keep on drinking. Bill informs that his father has allowed him to drink only from the open bottles. Then they talk about their fathers. Nick thinks that his father, who is a doctor, and has never drunk, has missed a lot in his life.

Nick goes out to bring a log into the room. He also wants to show that liquor has no effect in him. But as he comes in with a log, he knocks a pan off the kitchen table. It is full of dried apricots, soaking in water. Nick puts all the apricots back and some water into the pan.

Nick and Bill are already drunk and they have started talking in loud voice. Bill finds another open bottle of scotch in the locker. Nick goes to the kitchen to bring water. On his way back to the living room, he passes a mirror and looks in it. His face looks strange. He smiles and winks at the face in the mirror.

While drinking scotch, Bill suddenly mentions the name of Marjorie (Marge), Nick’s former flame. He says that it was Nick's wise idea to leave her. He says marriage ruins the life of a man. He also says that one should love somebody but should not let oneself be ruined. If Nick had married Marge, according to Bill, he would have married the whole family of hers.  By leaving her in time, he had done very well because one can’t mix oil and water. Nick doesn’t speak. He thinks that he has lost his beloved. He had wanted to take her to Italy and have a lot of fun, but his wish has remained unfulfilled. The relationship ended suddenly because of Marjorie’s mother.

After a while, Nick comes to reconciliation. He feels happy as he thinks that there is always a way out. He doesn’t miss Marjorie anymore.

Then, Bill and Nick go out toward the orchard with shotguns in their hands. They hear the sound of Bill’s father’s shotgun. They head toward the direction.
(Watch movie The Three Day Blow.)