Quote 4
"The light is very bright and pleasant but the bar is unpolished," the waiter said.
The barman looked at him but did not answer. It was too late at night for conversation. "You want another copita?" the barman asked.
"No, thank you," said the waiter and went out. He disliked bars and bodegas. A clean, well-lighted cafe was a very different thing. 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 is probably only insomnia. Many must have it. (16-19)
In an attempt to make some sense of his profound discontentment, the waiter tries to reason with himself, saying that it's just insomnia. However, we get the feeling that it's definitely more than that – and that there are plenty of people out there with the same sense of dissatisfaction. While he could possibly have tried to sort things out more in the right place, the bar he stops at is unsatisfactory, and the older waiter has no choice but to go home to his own thoughts.