You Had Best Eat Up

Come in and sit a spell the waitress said. The diner’s lights were blinking red. I’ll bring you the special. No charge today. She went to the back, way far away. We heard her yell “Two side bars for my new friends.” She brought back a board that had weight; it bends. There were biscuits, gravy, sausage, pie- and black-eyed peas. Just coffee today, I said, “If you please.” That old waitress gave me the evil devil’s eye. “You had best eat up, and I’ll tell you why…. We were just closing up and I made the grouchy cook stay”. I gobbled it all down and was sick the very next day.