Between the Lanterns(5)
“Would that you could, August dear,” Granny said sadly. “Would that you could. Now gimme a kiss, tell me you love me, and go live your life. You can’t waste it all here with an old woman.”
“Granny, I do love you,” August said, planting a kiss on her wrinkled forehead. “Thanks for lunch. It was amazin’ as usual. And, by the way, I’d be happy to stay here with you forever, rather than head back out there with all those rude, heartless, sheep.”
August leaned down and kissed his granny again, then walked out the door. The next time he saw her it was at her funeral two days later. He still felt heartbroken when he thought about it. Why hadn’t she just told him?
Looking down at his cellphone displaying the description of the diner, and seeing Cheryl’s Famous Chocolate Pie on the menu, August’s eyes welled with tears. He closed the app and headed down the road to Cheryl’s Diner.
As he entered the little restaurant, he noticed there was seating for only around twenty people or so, and all the tables were full. Except for one. At one table sat an elderly man sipping on a cup of coffee and eating chocolate pie. It was a sign from his granny:; he was sure of it.
“Excuse me, sir, would you mind very much if I sat with you and ate?” August asked the kindly-looking older man. “All the other tables are full up, and I’m gettin’ pretty hungry.”
The old gentleman looked up, still smiling from the kindness of the lovely young lady who had given him the pie, and said, “Well, one kind turn deserves another, as they used to say. Yes, sir, young man. Have a seat right there. And you have to try this pie, it is divine.”
August grinned from ear to ear, stuck out his hand, and said, “Sir, I fully intend on it, I can promise you that. My name is August,. H how do you do?”
“Nice to meet you, August. My name is John, and I’m on cloud nine right now with this excellent coffee and delicious pie,” the old fellow replied.
August thought that this old guy was just about the nicest person he had met in quite a while. To be honest, most people nowadays would have told August to get lost. The South used to be famous for good manners and warm welcomes, and people still acted a little bit kindly, but not as much as when August was a boy. And according to the stories Granny had told him, the people in today’s world were right down cold and mean compared to the old days in Alabama.
As he looked at the menu, August’s day got even better. The smile that spread across his face was infectious, and John couldn’t help but make his smile bigger just to match.
“What’s got you grinnin’ like that, August?” John said warmly. “Find something other than pie on that there menu that sounds good?”
“Oh, John, I hope you don’t think less of me if I cry while I eat. I’m about to order some meat loaf, green beans, home-made biscuits, and follow it all up with some chocolate pie. Just like my granny used to make me,” August explained.
John put his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. No longer smiling, but instead looking at August with affection in his wise, old eyes, he said, “August, that’s probably the most incredible thing I’ve heard in years. If you cry when you eat, boy, I’m joinin’ you. I came in here today because my ex-wife used to own this place. We divorced long before she started it, but when we were together, her cookin’ was the best in town. When we separated, I moved down to Columbus, Georgia to work at Montek.Drive to build those AutoCars. I only just found out two days ago that she passed away from The Countdown a few years back. I never even knew, August. So, even though I got no Credit, I wanted to come down and see this place. I always meant to come down here and make good with her, you know? Well, the good Lord had other plans, I guess.”
“John, I’m so sorry,” August said with kindness. “My granny also passed from The Countdown. It’s a damn shame. Pardon my language.”
“Hell no, August. You’re right. It is a damn shame. Anyway, I didn’t have any Credit to eat here until I got that message from Montek about this National Nutri-whatever Day. I only wanted some coffee and some of Cheryl’s chocolate pie. It was always my favorite. Only, once I checked in with my SmartChip, I found out that I only got enough for a cup of coffee. The pretty lady who works here gave me the pie for free out of the kindness in her heart like I ain’t seen in years.”
“Well, John, that was real sweet of her,” August told his new friend. “I’ll tell you what; let me check in and see how much they gave me and if it’s enough, we can eat our fill of whatever we want. How’s that sound to you?”
John smiled even bigger than before, if that was possible. This was turning out to be the best day he had seen since before Cheryl left him.
“You know, August, I’d be ever so grateful for that,” John said. “What say we take a look at your Montek Gift Credit?”
August grinned right back at John and opened his cellphone to check in. Almost immediately after checking in, he got a message from Montek.Credit and opened it. It was only enough for one cup of coffee.
“We’re in luck, John,” August lied, closing his phone quickly. “I hit the mother-load. Order whatever you want, sir. It’s on Montek today.”
August could not really afford this, but there was no way he was going to let this kind old man down. He had enough saved up to buy himself a new workbench, but August would rather continue using his old, rickety workbench that he had fixed up on his own than deny John a big, wonderful meal.