A Quiet Spot
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I sit at a table
a quiet patio section
in an empty cafe
one with no view
of the tv’s
each turned to different sport
football baseball basketball
all silent
cafe music non-intrusive
<>
then
she was seated
at the table behind me
the back of her chair
bumped mine as she sat
<>
what was wrong
with all the other empty tables
why this one
why jostle me
<>
she sniffed
as if to say
it was my fault
she had to squeeze in
I pulled my chair
a little closer to the table
my salad served
<>
her cell burbles
she answers
a loud personal conversation
that I don’t need to hear
I take my salad
move to another table
as far from hers as possible
<>
I can still hear her
‘some fucking asshole just
shoved my chair’
<>
I ask the server
to turn up the volume
on all the tvs
All this is a true incident except for the last verse. It happened on a Washington DC restaurant’s patio. It was a standard 40 with humidex day & the patio shade was most welcome. I’d eaten at this cafe the summer previously. On my visits to Washington I rarely ate as the same place twice during the same trip but would got back to places from previous trips if I’d enjoy them enough.
This place was decent & close to my hotel. The menu hadn’t changed much either. Greek with a sprinkling of Italian. Nothing challenging to my palate 🙂 This was around 4 pm before the supper crowd would show up. All I wanted was that salad& to sit in the shade while I ate it. I usually avoid eating in places with too many TVs but for this short a time I was willing to read my kindle.
If I sound unsympathetic to this patron I am. Actually it was her actions & this sense that I was invading her privacy by being there. Could be she always came in at this time, sat at that table. If it had been a man would I have been as impatient? Probably, but male species behaviour is more territorial, so I figure a guy would have staked out his own domaine.
Sure I realize the server may have directed her to this section so we’d be in the same area – not scattered over the patio; I realize I sound like one of those cranky old assholes who expects everything his own way but you know, even it’s true, I can live with that just don’t shout it out on your cellphone within my hearing 🙂
TOpoet 