Lonely

I walked up to the small restaurant at 8:30am. The sign on the door said they open at 9am. All the lights were on and I saw someone behind the counter moving about.

I tried the door and it opened. I said, “Are you open?”

A blond middle age lady rose up behind the counter and said, “I will be soon, come in and have a seat.” I came in and found a seat.

“Care for a cup of coffee while you wait?”

“I would love to have a cup of coffee, but don't go to any trouble.”

“It an’t no trouble, I have to make it anyhow” I wondered if the coffee was on the house or was I expect to pay for it.
We talked about everything it seems for the next ten or fifteen minutes. Each time I said something positive about something that has recently happened she strained both arms straight outward and gave me two thumbs up.
It reminded me, sort of, of my friend Arnold. He greets people with two digits too, but not his thumbs.

She told me she can’t figure out the traffic of the restaurant. Sometimes she can go a whole morning and not sell anything but one sausage and biscuit and other mornings people are lined out the door with just her running everything. She said there is no rhyme or reason to the flow of customers. They either come in clusters or don’t come at all.

I asked several questions seeing if I could recognize a pattern about the days. Nothing.

At 8:45 she said she was ready and what would I have? I told her and I wanted it to go and she had it ready in just a minute or two.

I wished her a steady day flow customers but not too busy that people have to stand in line very long and I put money in the tip jar by the cash register She gave me a two thumbs up.

Off I went, leaving her with her arms folded looking at me. She looked sad and lonley she didn’t have anybody to talk to.