Three women mocked an elderly couple’s attire at a restaurant, and I decided to avenge them
Last Sunday, I had lunch with my friend Joe at a small, bustling eatery. It was packed, every table was taken, and there was a long queue at the door. It was the kind of place where you could barely hear yourself think over the clatter of dishes, the murmur of conversation and the occasional laughter.
Joe leaned back in his chair. ‘Man, this place is always packed. I guess that’s how you know it’s good.’
‘Yeah,’ I said, taking a sip of my drink. ‘I’m glad we came early.’
At that moment, the door swung open and three women entered. They were stylishly dressed, carrying large bags, and their faces were sour. They looked around, immediately irritated by the crowd.
‘Ugh, this is ridiculous,’ said the tallest blonde, crossing her arms.
‘No kidding,’ replied another woman, shorter in stature, with dark hair. ‘How long will this take?’
I couldn’t help but notice them as they stood at the entrance, sighing dramatically and rolling their eyes. An elderly couple stood quietly nearby, also waiting for a table. This couple seemed patient and calm, the complete opposite of the three women.
The hostess, a young woman named Sarah, approached the women. ‘Hello, welcome! You’ll have to wait about 20 minutes for a table,’ she said with a polite smile.
‘Twenty minutes?’ snapped the blonde. ‘Are you kidding? We don’t have all day!’
Sarah looked flustered but kept her composure. ‘I’m very sorry, ma’am. We’re just very busy right now.’
The women were murmuring among themselves, clearly annoyed. Then I heard them laughing and realised they were talking about an elderly couple.
‘Seriously, did they get lost on their way to bingo night?’ whispered one of them.
The others laughed good-naturedly. ‘Maybe they thought it was a senior centre,’ added the blonde, smirking.
I felt anger boiling up inside me. Who talks like that? I thought. It could have been my grandparents they were mocking.
I leaned forward in my seat. ‘Joe, can you hear that?’ I asked quietly.
He nodded. ‘Yes, it’s awful.’
I decided I couldn’t just sit there and listen. I got up and walked over to the couple. The women sat up straight and suddenly smiled sweetly, probably thinking I was going to give them my table.
But I walked past them and leaned over to the elderly couple instead. ‘Hello,’ I said softly. ‘My table is free, if you’d like it.’
The elderly woman’s eyes lit up. ‘Really? That’s so kind of you, dear.’
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘No problem.’
As the couple walked past the women with their heads held high, I caught the blonde’s eye. ‘What the hell was that?’ she snapped.
I shrugged. ‘Just helping out,’ I said calmly, returning to my seat.
Joe chuckled as I sat down. ‘You like that, don’t you?’
‘A little,’ I admitted.
The women were still furious, but I wasn’t done yet.
The three women were furious. The blonde kept glancing at the elderly couple who were now settling down at the table I had cleared for them. The elderly lady smiled as she unfolded her napkin, clearly enjoying the moment. Meanwhile, the women stood near the hostess stand, their irritation growing by the second.
‘Look at them,’ Joe whispered. ‘They’re about to explode.’
I couldn’t help but grin. ‘Let’s see how far we can take this.’
When Sarah, the hostess, walked away to seat another group, I saw my chance. I casually walked over to the counter and glanced at the reservation book. The women’s names were at the top of the waiting list. With a quick flick of my wrist, I moved them down a few spots.
When I returned to my seat, Joe raised an eyebrow. ‘What did you just do?’
‘Nothing special,’ I said, grinning.
The women’s frustration boiled over as they watched group after group be seated. Finally, the blonde approached Sarah.
‘This is ridiculous!’ she snapped. ‘We’ve been waiting forever, and we were here before all these people!’
Sarah, flustered but polite, glanced at the list. ‘I’m so sorry, ma’am. There seems to have been a mix-up. May I offer you complimentary drinks while you wait?’
‘We don’t want drinks!’ barked the dark-haired woman. ‘We want a table!’
Joe leaned over, barely suppressing a laugh. ‘They’re going crazy. You’ve created a masterpiece.’
I chuckled. ‘Just doing my part.’
The women returned to their seats by the door, muttering angrily among themselves. I could see their faces reddening by the minute. The elderly couple, on the other hand, were clearly enjoying themselves. The elderly gentleman poured his wife a glass of water, and she giggled like a schoolgirl.
When Joe and I got up to leave, the elderly gentleman waved us over. ‘Young man,’ he said warmly, ‘please let us treat you to dessert. It’s the least we can do.’
‘That’s very kind of you,’ I replied. ‘But it’s nothing.’