1/9/13 5:06pm – 1/9/13 6:54pm
she asked me, “more coffee?”, at precisely 6:54pm
i came here to eat today like i’ve done almost every
week since i was nine to ten years old.
but today i may actually tip more than a dollar.
i’d never met lucy before but i’d like very much
to make thisa regular thing.
she gave me plenty of time to make my executive
menu decision.
even though my stalling was merely a plot to consume
as many chips & salsa as possible in one sitting.
i got my space to “deliberate”, ordered my grease burrito
with a soda & requested a refill on my chips and salsa.
she must have known what i was up to, because my order
got to me quicker than one man could possibly finish a
second basket of chips.
no refill for me, but a touché for her.
i downed the meal with my left hand pruning from the
grease run off & my right hand pruning from the
condensation of my glass.
“what a girl!”, i thought.
“i’ll be sure to tip her how i feel” (two dollars was all
that i could spare).
“was everything alright?”, Lucy asked.
“yeah everything was great. could i just get the check
and a basket of chips?”
she obliged and i continued with my regiment of
dissapointment in a basket.
i got to reading & chomping and very soon an
hour slipped past me.
“would you like anything else sir?”, said a voice.
only this time it wasn’t lucy.
it was a waitress i had grown less & less fond of
over the years.
“no i’ll be fine, but thank you”, my body cried out
in submission at my loss to chips.
i was just about ready to work what i once called
a body out of the chair.
“okay, well let me know if you need anything”,
she squawked while scribbling on my receipt.
she walked away and i snatched the receipt.
she had scratched out my lucy’s name and beside
it written in her own, yvonne!
finally a name to the service i so wished to avoid
everytime i stopped in.
but more importantly how could she think she
could pull one over on lucy and just take her tips?
i was obviously winding down and wouldn’t be in
need of her assistance!
i couldn’t imagine lucy having done anything to
deserve it so i assumed yvonne must be the kind
of lady who’d sell her own wedding band to keep
the lights on.
“i just wont tip!”, i said to myself.
but could i be certain that the tips would not go to lucy?
the worst thing that could happen would be to not tip
and lucy never want to wait on me again.
i’d only just met her.
i cant let this already be the end.
i did some critical thinking and concluded that i
couldn’t risk not tipping.
if yvonne had the nerve to say she did more than just
wait to take my tips then god damn it i’ll make sure her
name is written in bold letters on that receipt.
for lucy of course..
i finally waved yvonne down after a few failed attempts
naturally.
“i’ll have a coffee, some chips & salsa, and a new receipt please”
i tipped A dollar anyway.