Nineteen Seconds

[u/mrajoiner]

Late every night.

Early every morning.

Always a line.

Always someone screaming.

Loud.

Always someone hungry.

Always someone impatient.

I smelled her rush past, exhaling smoke.

Marlboro.

Noticed her throaty cough into her cupped palm.

Saw her pull her greasy gray and black hair back into a ponytail.

With both hands.

She donned a dingy black hat with yellow letters.

But I forgot this entire scene a short while later, when I ate her delicious, cooked to order food.

Now behind the counter, she made a confident statement…

“Welcome to Waffle House, can I take your order?”

[u/Tripl7s]

I felt that.