Saturday, February 8, 2014

Et two sandwiches?

At another cafe near my house, the general air is that it's a hang-out for the retired and impaired.  There is nothing cool or stylish about it, but it's clean, new, and well-maintained with an atmosphere best described as "home-made v clinical".  But that's not why I go there.

I go there because I can get a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich and a coffee for $6.90.  I've been there 2 or 3 times per week in the last few months, just to sit down and read the paper and forget my woes.  The guy who runs it is a bit bumbling but nice, and eventually learned what my "regular" order was just in time for me to stop going there because I got a new job.

When it was time to leave I would sit there reading, covertly watching him out of the corner of my eye, until he was busy with another customer.  Then I would briskly get up and with a wave and shout of "See you later!", I would bolt for the door while avoiding eye contact.  Strange behaviour, I know, but if I didn't do this I would be trapped in a deadly escalation of farewells.

This is what would happen - every time I would say goodbye he would come back at me with another goodbye.  He would ALWAYS have the last word.  Which is fine - I can deal with that - but then he'd throw in another zinger to which I would have to respond.  He had an enormous arsenal of valedictory phrases to assault me with.  Example:

PTR
Thanks very much, bye!

Guy
You're welcome!
Have a great day!

PTR
Thanks, you too.

Guy
I will.
Thanks for coming.

PTR
Ha ha, no worries.

Guy
Yep, no worries.
Take it easy!

PTR
You too.

Guy
Too easy!
See you next time!

PTR
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made

Guy
Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
The end of this day's business ere it come!
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
And then the end is known. Come, ho! away!

Exeunt.

I just have this nagging feeling that it's not going to end well...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just so you know, They have a special at the coffee cart here at the health centre where I ma now working (far far north from you, where its wet and rainy right now); a coffee and a ham and cheese toasty is $9.90. Bum bum, you have a good coffee shop