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One Night at a Diner Among the Rockies
| Open Poetry #24 |
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One Night at a Diner Among the Rockies |
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bsquirrel
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855
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That night, two men walked in and sat down at a booth as the rain ran heavy, neon to the windows. On clear, empty nights, those lights read Molly's Diner. Funny choice of name -- my dad owned the place. The older man's dark eyes noticed we were sweeping. The register was closed. He turned his stare to me. "Waitress." A weighed tone. with the same low distance as the shards of rain hitting the brown mountains. We would tell the tourists -- as these Yankees were -- those mountains were the start and finish of the Rockies. It did no harm to lie. A poetry, perhaps, for the start and end of all earthly cycles. "We're closed, boys," I mentioned with a pilsner glass, worrying it dry with a white, clean rag. "Of course." He said this slowly. "I understand that, really. But we are quite hungry." He smiled to himself. "Yes," his friend then answered, and fell stony silent. My eyes met his chin. He drummed against the table. "The cooks have all gone home." It did no harm to lie. Noises in the kitchen, followed by bright laughter. The dark-eyed man heard too. He smiled, plainly. Cruelly. "We understand the problem. Would 50 dollars change your mind?" "Yes, all right," I said. I did not care how much they paid. I stayed behind the counter. "Would you like a menu?" "No," he said. "You?" he asked. His friend shook his head no. His drumming fingers hit the fork, which rattled silver scraping notes. The man turned back to me. "Bring, oh say, four burgers. We have been out very late and we are quite hungry." I walked into the back. A burner was on low. Red sauce was boiling evenly. "Julio," I said. The cook said "Molly. It's not ready." Every night at closing time we'd help ourselves to a hot meal, a warming end to busy nights. "Not that, Julio. I have an order for four burgers." Then I walked back out before I could see his face respond. "It will be about eight minutes." I pulled the leaning broom to me, started lifting gray-brown dust from the floor in low-spun clouds. The men were talking softly with uneasy laughter. At one point the silent friend laid a knife upon the table. The broom almost fell from my hand. I regained it, clutched it hard. I closed my eyes and counted ten. Then went back to sweep the kitchen. "Julio," I whispered, ran the broom across the lane. Really, it would take a mop. My thoughts were not on cleaning floors. "Hurry up," I said. He turned to me and smiled. "Coming right up, Molly." He gave a mock-salute. I went back out, broom still in hand. The dark-eyed man gave a long stare. "Waitress," he said, gravely. "We really are quite hungry." "It's almost ready, boys." I kept the quaver from my voice. "Would you like something to drink?" The silent friend coughed hastily. "No," the man said to the air. The rain was hitting heavy. His face was turned to streams and drops of shadows on a stone. "Okay." I went back quickly. Four burgers waiting on two plates. Julio was placing lettuce on the open sandwiches. "Just give it here," I hissed at him. He said, "Not yet. There's no tomatoes." I knew him well enough to know not to argue preparation. His motions worked the knife precisely, laying ripe fruit open. Perfect red -- wet slices placed. He gave me the two plates. As I walked back out, I jerked. Both plates crashed hard against the bar. The men were gone -- and they had paid. Dyed cash in piles on the table. [This message has been edited by bsquirrel (01-24-2003 04:01 PM).] |
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| © Copyright 2003 MPC - All Rights Reserved | |||
Cpat Hair
since 2001-06-05
Posts 11793 |
(chuckling)...love it when you start telling stories Mikey... you do it well.. very well.. and surely this one does not end here.... next? |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
Great storyline here Mike! I especially like this stanza below.. Great imagery... ""We're closed, boys," I mentioned with a pilsner glass, worrying it dry with a white, clean rag." ~Hugs~ ~Time has cast a spell on you, |
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bsquirrel
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855 |
Thank you, both. Heh, Ron, you should know stories that keep goin' and goin' and goin'.  I was inspired by you to write this. It's an idea I wrote down a long time ago, but never used. So thank you! |
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amusemi Senior Member
since 2001-12-08
Posts 1262A State of Disarray |
Wow! This gave me chills. I was a teller and a waitress and this just rocked me to the core. Whew! |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
BSQ...if Cpat inspires you, and makes you dig out something that you haven't shared before? Good for us! |
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garysgirl
since 2002-09-29
Posts 19237Florida, USA |
Mikey, I'm glad you dug it out, too...Thanks for inspiring him Capt. Ron... It's not the end, is it????? |
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GOlDsparklESS Member
since 2001-12-13
Posts 428central nj |
Dyed cash in piles on the table. WHAT???!! what a cool story. so cool, that i am now obliterated to pieces. they paid!! i don't think i get it.. oh well, sweeeeet suspension~ great elements |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
We're closed, boys," I mentioned with a pilsner glass, worrying it dry with a white, clean rag. I'd done that. ('cept of course, I didn't need the rag...) Ron is right. You capture the conversational tone and had a proper distanced observation that did not lack of details...hmm...you ever tend bar? Warm hugs, Mikie...more like this? purdy please? |
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bsquirrel
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855 |
Thanks, everyone. Dyed cash means a dye packet exploded, a deterrent from being able to spend heisted cash. Glad you all enjoyed. |
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