I’d say the lunch experience at the restaurant was 50/50. I’m not sure what is happening. Really. I go down for lunch, order a salad (need green food!), get in line and wait. “The baker lady” (I saw that she was eating lunch when I came down) evidently has finished her lunch because I can see that she’s putting out supplies. I reach where she’s putting out supplies and I give her the copy of the recipes from last weekend (she’d expressed interest in having a copy). She moves over the counter edge and whispers to me conspiratorially that the traditional chili that I made was delicious, she loved it! We talked a few minutes about it and then she asks conspiratorially if she understood correctly that there were three containers in the bag I gave them. I said yes. And she continued, so there was one for “the guy” with his name on it and two other containers? I said yes. The one for “the guy” had no onions. She took that information in. I could tell she was thinking about it. And then she said, so who is the third container for – I said, it can be for anyone who would like it – it could be for you. She said, It’s going to be mine. She said “the guy” raved over the chili (the hot chili vegetarian I made). She said I’m going to take that one. I said I hope you like that one too – it’s hot though. She said that’s OK. So I moved back into the line and waited some more. Just as it looks like I’m going to get his register, “the baker lady” goes back behind the counter (she’d finished putting out supplies) and takes over his register. He dashes somewhere behind the counter, I can’t tell. But as it happened, I would be the next person for that register, so I got “the baker lady.” Which is fine. The restaurant is busy – there’s one table open and it’s between two other tables with two people at each one. I didn’t feel like putting in my ear phones or read, so I just readied my lunch to eat. The ladies to my left kept me entertained the entire time they sat there – talking about relationship woes. I’d been eating a few minutes when “the guy” comes out and does the pop count. He finishes, stands still for a minute and then turns around and looks my way and walks over. He leans over with his hands on the back of the chair, doesn’t say anything, I’m not saying anything, but looking expectantly. I raised my eyebrows (the universal sign for “yes, what?” – at least to me it is) in question. He looked like he was perplexed and then he looked like he did not know what to say. I’m like, what? I wanted to say “spit it out.” But I didn’t. I didn’t know what he was going to say and I didn’t want to rush him. So after what seemed like an eternity – he just kept looking in my eyes and an ocean of different emotions that I couldn’t identify (and I’m a keen observer of body language and facial expressions) – maybe I’m too close to the subject. Maybe I’m not used to him being so silent. Whatever it was, left almost as soon as it was there, because then he started talking about the “MOST delicious chili he has ever eaten!” I said I’m glad you liked it. He just kept going and said I ate it for breakfast this morning (which I thought odd, but not really, I’ve eaten “lunch and supper” foods for breakfast before) along with my scrambled eggs. Now that I’ve not done before. Chili and scrambled eggs and I said as such. He said he really liked all the vegetables that is in this chili recipe. I asked if it was hot enough and he said it had a definite bite, but delicious. And then reiterated again how much he loved the chili and how it was his favorite chili now. So I guess I can add to rhubarb, pineapple – butternut squash and sweet potatoes. He looked like he wanted to sit down, but then he turned to leave and smiled and said thank you again. He zipped back behind the counter and it appeared that he was going to come out for lunch (why I didn’t ask, I don’t know). “The shy guy” came out and looked like he was going to sit with me, then looked like he thought better of it (did he think “the guy” was coming out to sit with me?). He sat two tables over (it had opened up). I smiled over at him and he smiled back. Shortly following “the shy guy,” “the guy” came zooming out and passed by my table, smiled and sat down with “the shy guy.” I was a little taken aback because it did look like he was going to sit down with me. But then didn’t. Oy, whatever. He got back up to get utensils and while he was doing that “the shy guy” looked questioningly at me and I shrugged my shoulders like I don’t know. This isn’t the first time “the shy guy” has been a part of some awkward interactions between me and “the guy.” But I put on my neutral happy face and continued to enjoy my salad. “The guy” didn’t even talk to “the shy guy.” That was awkward. He just hurried through his lunch of soup and fruit. “The shy guy” got up several times, getting this and that. He kept looking my way like what’s going on? I lift my eyebrows to say – I don’t know. But it’s OK, I’m OK. Talk about on the odd side and awkward. I don’t know if “the guy” was aware of the silent communication going on between me and “the shy guy” or not. All he did was eat his lunch and play his video game. That’s it. I guess a couple of the times “the shy guy” got up was to get something or another that was forgotten to be put into his salad because when “the guy” got up to leave (and it was less than 15 minutes because I’d looked at my watch because I was curious out how he would be out for this lunch), he said to “the shy guy” that he hoped he had good luck with his salad. How odd is that? He never said one word to “the shy guy” during the entire lunch. It was like a curtain came off of him because the moment he stood up he seemed to be back to him regular self. He walked by, looked apologetic, smiled and said have a good evening Sue. I said you do the same! A few minutes later “the shy guy” left too. So I’m sitting there, bemused. Curious. Pondering. I saw “the baker lady” hovering up at the registers, she’d seen the seating arrangement and had had the same questioning look that “the shy guy” had for me. Little do they know, I’m not nervous or anxious person. I’m quite a patient person. Then “the other sister’s daughter” came out and sat with me. We had a lovely chat about this and that – mostly make up and classic TV shows. Then she spilled why everyone was acting weird today. Everyone was on double time to get everything ready to close up as soon as the restaurant closed. “The owner guy” and “the baker lady’s daughter” had to leave (like right now) to go to a doctor’s appointment for his leg. And then “the baker lady,” “the guy,” “the shy guy,” and “the other guy” had to leave right at 3PM because “the baker lady” was taking “the shy guy” to his class today and it started at 4PM, so they needed to leave right on time to make sure they dropped him off on time for his class. And “the roommate” had to leave by 3:15 because she was going to her part time job this afternoon. “The other sister’s daughter” said that would leave her and the others to clean up what was left. So it was only weird that “the guy” didn’t sit with me, not that he was rushed or anything. I believe he had tasks he needed to finish, maybe he didn’t want to put energy into conversation. I don’t know, I don’t want to put words into anyone’s mouth about something I don’t know – it would only be speculation because it was evident that at least two people thought he would sit with me. One thing I can say, it’s never boring. It’s never the same any given day. Variety. OK, there you have it. Any speculation is appreciated. This ends today’s lunch report of “the tale of two Sues” saga.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:04:05 +0000
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