A Day at the Diner

[Din]

The man crushed the plastic cup in his grip before bringing it up to his lips and letting the soft, steamy liquid guzzle down his throat. He looked out the window. The town was iced with a layer of fresh snow. Most of the shops he could see were closed. Taking the day into consideration, though, it was easy to see why. “More coffee?” The man looked away from the window to see a young girl, about twenty or so, in a white uniform. In her hand was a half-empty pitcher of black liquid. “Please,” said the man politely. The waitress took the man’s cup and poured for three seconds. Perhaps more, perhaps less, it didn’t really matter. Once she finished, she slid the cup back to the man. “Thank you.” The waitress paused. “So, why are you here?” “Where else is there to go?” “Your family? Your friends? Your children? This is the day.” The man looked into his cup, seasoning it with cream and sugar. “Seven days in a week, hon. Every day just like the one before it.” The man stared back up at the waitress. “I should ask you the same thing. All the eateries are closed, and yet here you are.” The waitress frowned. “I worked late last night. I hadn’t expected the blizzard to hit as hard as it would, and by the time I looked outside, it was too late to leave.” “Rot,” said the man. “If I walked this blizzard two hours ago, you should have been able to leave easily.” “Guess I just like to spend my time here. I feel a calling for this place more than those bozos I call family. While I work my ass off, they wave their wads of money around like wands, charming those who cross their paths. Blech! Makes me sick.” The man looked at the surface of his cup, his soulless eyes dull and grey. “Least you’ve got a family.” “Well, what’s your story?” “I loved my life,” said the man, “I went and punched into the office from 3:00 in the afternoon to 12:00 at night, so that I would be able to spend time with my wife, children and, on occasion, parents. It was a good life.” “What happened to it?” The man looked down, his eyes hidden behind his black locks of hair. “The war, that’s what happened. While I was shipped off to fight the good fight, my wife stayed behind to care for the children. We were winning, and all looked well. At the rate we were fighting, we were to be home the following week. And then…” The man’s voice began to choke up, and tears welled in his eyes. “…then they flew a nuclear bomb straight to my home, where…” the man sobbed. He couldn’t continue. The waitress put a hand on the man’s shoulder. After several seconds, the man regained his composure and continued. “I would never see my house or my family again.” There were several seconds of silence from both parties. “I didn’t know what to do. A few of my friends took me to their place on the outskirts of the city to stay and recover. For a few weeks, I thought of committing suicide, but never carried it out. Sometimes, I wonder why I didn’t.” The man took a clean napkin from the table and dabbed his eyes with it. As he did so, his elbow collided with the full coffee cup, causing it to fall off the table and onto the floor below. Without a word, the waitress grabbed a washcloth from a nearby stand and began to wipe up the spilled coffee. “Do you want me to get you some more?” “No, thank you.” With some difficulty, the man stood himself up. “I believe it’s time for me to leave.” “Where are you headed?” “Out,” said the man solemnly. The man gathered his belongings and took out his wallet. “What are you doing?” “Paying for my meal.” “Nah, you don’t have to pay. Nobody pays today, anyway,” she smiled. “It’s Christmas.” All was spoken. The man opened the door and waded through the cold winter air. I don't think I'm particularly good at writing, but I posted this anyway. Whether that's for the better or worse, I have no idea. d: EDIT: Gyah! Forum code, why you destroy my indents? ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

[Marvo]

Read your story a few nights ago, I liked it. I'm not sure I understood exactly what had happened to this man, but it an interesting approach to a story. It's just a short exchange between two people, nothing more. You could make a collection of these!

[Din]

Thanks! My writing definitely needs some improvement in some areas, but I'm glad you liked it. (As you probably noticed, I also tend to unintentionally make things (in this case, the man's backstory) a bit confusing. I tend to do this a lot, and I try to avoid it, so thank you for pointing that out.)