Cake, the Cadillac, and Delilah

"Delilah orders up" came a voice from the back of the diner kitchen. The waitress took the plates of fries and hamburgers and delivered them to the booth in the back. She smiled at the high school kids out on a Friday night. How long had it been since she squeezed into a booth and ate french fries and debated what movie to go see? A million years ago? Maybe three? She laid the bill on the table for them to divide up and pay for at the counter. She graduated High School in 1983 and it was 1988 now. Five years had gone by with a divorce, a kid and she already felt like a lifetime had passed.

One of the boys had put forth that he wanted to see Crocodile Dundee and the two girls lobbied vigorously they wanted to catch Who Framed Roger Rabbit before it left the theater. Maybe she could take her daughter to a matinee on Saturday. Roger Rabbit was a cartoon and what five-year-old didn’t like those? Well maybe her kid, Ray Lynn was currently hung up on Pee Wee’s playhouse, and to be honest Delilah was considering throwing away the TV rather than hear that manic laughter again. The bell over the door tickled and in came an older man dressed in a summer-weight suit and hat, something that now most people didn’t see these days. The man sat on the round stool at the counter and said, “May I have coffee Miss?” he had salt and pepper hair combed back in a style reminiscent of the 1950s. He had a cane, but he stood upright and with sharp eyes that took in the dinner and its occupants. He reminded Delilah of her dad's German Shepard dog out on the farm, always alert and ready.

She brushed a honey blond curl from her eyes and got him a mug with the diner’s logo on it. Pouring the coffee, she smiled and asked if he needed crème and sugar and the elderly man indicated black was simply fine. She laid the menu down and went to check on the kids in the back. Generally, they were well behaved but she knew that if they thought they were unmonitored then a ketchup fight might break out.

The jukebox whirred to life as another customer dropped in quarters to play Huey Lewis and News. The High schoolers groaned and the customer said, “ Keep it up and I will play Dexy’s Midnight Runners next.”

She returned to the older gentleman, "What can I get you?" Delilah said holding her order pad and the neon pink pen with a troll on it that her daughter felt she needed to have.

The man a slight Slavic accent and he said, "Authentic NYC Rueben sandwiches here?" pointing to the description on the menu. She saw the glint of gold on his pinky finger. It was a genuinely nice diamond ring.

She nodded, "Benny, the cook, and owner is from New York City, he relocated here. From what I am told he is spot on."

“I shall let him know.” the man said with a grin. She wrote the order refreshed his coffee and glanced at the teenagers in the corner booth.

The kids were leaving, and the designated leader held the bill and several crumpled dollars and a hand full of change. He pressed it onto another boy who did not quite match up to the others. The boy wore well-aged shoes and faded jeans, he was shy and awkward, and she knew why they sent him. When his friends didn’t have money for a tip they put the job of paying on him... He counted out the money and in almost a whisper he said, "Delilah they Ummm, I just have a dollar for …” She patted his arm, “Kevin you keep that dollar in case that wreck y’all is driving breaks down and you need to call home. I know you will catch me up next time.” The boy nodded sheepishly and left in a hurry embarrassed for his friend’s lack of caring about her tip.

The older man with the gold pinky ring said, “ You do not seem like you have so much to be that generous. “

“True enough but neither does he. If he didn’t have height and basketball talent, they wouldn't know his name. I will make it up later tonight when the truck drivers stop for late dinner." She liked the man he resonated that quiet assurity that older guys have when they have nothing to prove.

Benny personally brought out the sandwich stacked thick with corned beef and sauerkraut, “Here ya’ go tell me I got you a real Ruben right there.”

The man examined the sandwich and said, “Is that a Kosher Dill Pickle on the side?”

“Of course!”

“So far it’s so good.” He replied and unfolded his paper napkin. Benny returned to the kitchen and Delilah went to check on her couple eating upfront. They ordered apple pie for dessert and then Delilah heard a too-loud truck engine. The thump of radio with the bass cranked too high in the parking area announced new customers. Delilah’s face fell, and the couple suddenly canceled their dessert order to press some bills in her hand and leave. Benny stuck his head out from the kitchen and said, “Delilah those a-holes give you any trouble call for me. I’m in no mood for their foolishness.”

The older man placidly ate his Rueben and didn’t seem concerned about the tension that in the room. The bell chimed and in strode three men in expensive jeans and the one in the lead had a confederate flag t-shirt on. He boomed as he came through the door, “ Whoowiee! Somebody got a brand spanking new caddy in the parking lot.”

Then the leader leaned on the counter and said, “ Dalilah, baby I missed you.”

The other two men laughed and chose the booth to the side of their leader. Delilah gave her best-bored expression to cover up her nervousness. “Sam what on the menu can I get you?”

Sam sighed, “ I came just to see you, and that’s all I get?”

“Sam, you came to a diner, if it ain’t a plate of food or some pie why are you here?”

Sam clucked, “I’d think a single gal like you might be lonely . After work let's go get a drink?"

"No thank you, Sam, after work I go home to my little girl. Then I do my homework for nursing school.”

“Well, Mike there has kids I bet he would watch her so we can have a drink."

“ Sam, order food or get out. I don’t have time for your crap.”

Sam turned and leaned his elbows on the counter to face his friends, “ Guys I am beginning to think the prom queen here don’t like me.”

The other men laughed and one said, “Maybe she could learn to like you?”

Benny appeared from the back, “ Enough, I don’t need you people in here hassling my waitress. Go down to McDonald's or something but don’t come here no more.”

Sam stood, he had muscular arms from working construction and he said, “You need to get back in your kitchen fat boy before something bad happens to you."

The silence was broken by a crunching sound from the older man, who had been forgotten in the drama. With vigor, he chewed loudly and said, “Benny this is most definitely a crisp kosher dill.”

Sam looked over a look of bewilderment on his face that someone was not invested in the scene he was making. “Old man, no one cares.”

“Oh, my mullet-wearing friend, one should care about if a thing if it is purported to be that item. I was told this was a Kosher Dill and yes, it is indeed so. I know this is a fact, see? “ He set the dill down on his plate, “The young lady states she is uninterested in you and indeed she is not, yet another fact, No? So perhaps you should go elsewhere and find someone who is.”

Sam leaned to look at the man, “Know a lot about things Kosher, do you?”

“ Yes, quite a bit. For instance, did you know that Kosher law says that before killing an animal to butcher, it must be stunned to feel no pain? Quite humane, don’t you think?”

“Honestly, Mister kosher expert, I could less. Maybe you should take your pickle and leave.” Sam took the other half of the pickle from the plate and threw it towards the door. Sam’s companions guffawed and took notice of Benny inching for the phone. They rose from their seats, and one stood by the phone the other cut off Delilah’s escape out the back. The older man said sadly, “ That was a waste, my friend. I value food, there was a time when I had none.”

“ Boo hoo, Grandad now beat it.” Sam grabbed the man’s left arm to wrench him from the stool. The man went with the motion and used his right to drive a punch in Sam’s face. Sam had not expected the punch and was further stunned when the cane with a sturdy brass cruck cracked him on the head. Sam’s cronies then oriented on the older customer with hands balled into fists, only to freeze as the man pulled a Beretta 21A from his suit coat and said, “Sit down gentlemen. Although, thinking on our conversation, since this one is stunned perhaps I should kill him when he feels nothing and keep it kosher? Eh?” Sam moaned and the older man savagely kicked him in the gut. “Stay still, and maybe you will see another day, okay Sam mullet head.”

Benny had a sheen of sweat, “Mister, we don’t want no trouble please. The foods on the house, just go.”

The man smiled, “Benny, you need not fear me, you’re an honest man working his trade.” He fished in his pocket never taking his eyes off the three and tossed a wad of money. There were hundred-dollar bills and twenties mixed in. There now, there’s enough for a good tip too.” The man then paused, considering “Benny I hate to be a bother would you get me a piece of chocolate cake to go? “

Benny rushed to package it and hand the cake over. The man's gaze never wavered on Sam and his friends. With cake in hand he said, “Now you two on the floor next to your friend. I want to get out the door, unimpeded. I’m sure you understand.” The men rushed to comply, and the older gentleman tucked the cake container under his arm, gun still held at the ready, cane in the other hand backed for the door. Outside the man shot the tires of Sam’s truck and turning over his Cadillac Coupe DeVille’s engine backed out and entered traffic smoothly in no hurry.

Sam still curled like a shrimp and his friends springing up to demand Benny call the police. Benny swept up the money, glancing at Delilah to let her know she would get her half, and waved at the phone, “Go, for it, but do you really want the police involved?”

Sam’s friends helped him up as they went to see the damage to the tires. Benny locked the door turned off the diner sign and said, “Delilah’ we are taking the night off. We are splitting this grand, cleaning up and going home.”

Delilah nodded lifted the dome to the cake stand and took the last slice of chocolate cake, she deserved it. It had been one hell of a night.