Table for Two

Have you ever gone to a restaurant alone? 

Have you ever entered a restaurant thinking you are going to have a wonderful time enjoying your food, soaking in the ambience and maybe even coming up with creative ideas only to be irked by the first question from the steward "Are you looking for a table for two?"

"No. A table just for me." I say wondering if the waiter is drunk and seeing two people instead of one. 

"Well, what does it matter. Let me order my favourite sushi dish, pull out my book and relax." I think to myself.

No sooner did I cosy up with a book, than I heard someone giggle. I looked up to see a couple. They looked dreamy-eyed, staring at each other, whispering and laughing aloud sometimes. The guy was tall and lanky, curly haired with a prominent nose. The girl had long dark hair, sharp features and her delicate hands kept playing with her hair. The guy couldn't stop looking at her and reached out for her hand shyly. The world didn't seem to exist for them as the steward tried very hard to get them to order food. They hardly seemed to be paying any attention to him as he repeatedly ask them for their order. 

They definitely didn't need food, love was satiating enough, I chuckled under my breath as I went back to reading. 

"I don't want cheese in my pasta. I already told you that. Is this gluten free pasta? 

Oh my God! I am gluten intolerant. I had made this quite clear to you. This is crazy! I could have fallen seriously ill if I had eaten this. Can you please take this away now?"

There were three young women on the table diagonal to me. The one who was speaking was pale, with deep eyes. She was red in the face, almost teary-eyed. She started eating the salad assuming it's going to take another 40 mins for her dish to arrive. I saw the other two women hold off too and decide to wait for her food to arrive. I saw their faces drop as she sent her dish back right when they were taking a bite out of their food. They couldn't share their food since it must have gluten I guessed. Well, doesn't this happen all the time, I say to myself and go back to reading. 

No sooner did I manage to read a page, than I heard someone sing "Happy Birthday to you". I sighed! A little boy surrounded by a large family was being persuaded to cut a delicious-looking chocolate cake. Some of the other kids started crying as it was obviously not their birthday and they were suddenly reminded that they had to give gifts and not receive gifts. At this point, I admit I was getting a bit restless. I just couldn't have a quiet night with my book and food. 

I saw another steward walking towards me. "Is anyone joining you Madam?" he asked 

"No. I am by myself." I said  

"Sure. Can I borrow this chair then for the large group at the corner? They are falling short of chairs."

"Of course!" I said. Lifting my bag off the empty chair and trying to hang it precariously by the ear of my chair. 

As he carried away the chair, I looked around to see the whole restaurant, now brimming with people. 

As I continued to read, I felt the lights dim. When I called the steward to check about it, he said, "This is the time people prefer to have candle-light dinners, so we normally dim the lights. I am sorry"

I ask him for a few candles and continue to read, when all of a sudden, I feel something cold hit my face. Soft and sticky, it slid from my cheek and dropped on my table. 

"I don't like strawberry ice-cream!" I heard the kid on the next table scream. I looked at the kid and the kid's mom looked at me, embarrassed and apologetic. I wiped my face with a tissue and decided enough was enough. It was time to leave now.  

I cleared the bill and started walking towards the door, when I saw a man in a smart grey suit suddenly go down on his knee with a ring in his hand. I stopped short. The man was looking at me and so were a lot of other people in the restaurant. I was nervous and for some reason my feet seemed frozen. I couldn't move. The guy looked at me incredulously. I somehow gathered all the energy to move and before I knew it, I realized that I had knocked this guy down and the ring went flying. I scrambled back to my legs, flabbergasted at what I have done. But the time to stop was not now so I rushed out leaving people gasping behind me. 

"Do you want a table for two Madam?" 

"No. It's just me." I heard a girl say.

"You ain't finding no peace here darling. Go home." I said to the girl. 

She looked up at me surprised. I smiled at her and left.