- He comes through the door in his usual manner
- Loud raucous complaining smiling
- taking his usual seat and attempting to light his usual cigarette.
- No smoking
- not in here says the waitress.
- He holds her in contempt with the look in his eye.
- Damn it I’m a war veteran I can smoke if I damn well please.
- “not in here Richard”
- Hell if I won’t, as he puts his unlit stick back in the box.
- You should be lighting my cigarettes.
- she hands him coffee.
- and my drinks should be free too.
- Then he turns to me as the waitress brings me my food.
- Two pancakes, hash browns, fried ham, coffee.
- You gonna eat all that boy?
- Yes sir I said.
- He leans back on his bar stool, grinning like a child.
- If I ate that, I’d be fat as Hell.
- I give him a smile.
- doesn’t matter what I get, he always says that.
-
- The waitress comes back around wiping out a dirty glass.
- “where ya been Rick? Haven’t seen you around in a week.”
- The old man concentrates on his napkin. sheepishly looking
- for some way to change the subject.
- He can’t think of a lie.
- Hospital.
-
- The guy next to me overhears.
- probably for a brain exam
- ya crazy old man.
- Richard laughs.
- but the Waitress doesn’t think its funny.
- Richard... why.... why were you in the Hospital?
-
- He gets real quiet. and when he looks up
- I swear to God I’ve never seen an old man look that scared.
- His eyes glisten as he pulls the waitress in closer to a whisper.
- “Susan.... I’m dying.”
- It was barely audible. certainly not meant for me to hear.
- I glanced around at the other patrons sitting at the counter.
- They didn’t seem to have heard what he said. or maybe they couldn’t understand it.
- or maybe it didn’t dawn on them what that meant.
- or maybe, unfortunately they didn’t give a rat’s ass.
- But the waitress knew.
- she knew Him too well to think he’d lie about that.
-
- and for a brief moment their eyes met from over the counter.
- she ceasing to be a waitress, he ceasing to be a customer.
- they began to be something beautiful
- a tear swelling up in her eye falling fast onto his cold
- clutching wrinkled little hand.
- and then the moment was over.
- the sound was turned back on and you could hear the clinking of silverware.
- people were talking as if nothing happened
- and he turned to the man next to him and discussed the Baseball game
- from the night before how the home team managed to squeeze by in the 15th inning.
- and I look in amazement at the secret beauty.
- of the relationship between
- the old man and the diner waitress.