Incarnate

A young man walked into a restaurant, where a dozen or so people were sitting around tables eating and drinking merrily.

If only they knew.

His appearance was that of an early twenty something, and clean shaven. His hair was a deep black, with eyes of brown and yellow.

He wore a plain white t-shirt with a brown sport coat and black slacks.

Probably not the most aesthetically pleasing clothing.

He also wore a plain, blue baseball cap.

He found a seat near the middle of the room and opened a menu.

The waitress came out of the kitchen with arms laden with food for a table in the corner where a group of people were sitting and laughing.

She tottered over, carful not to let any of the many plates slip or slosh the contents.

She wasn’t a pretty waitress, she had a few extra pounds, probably due to stress and from having a kid too young. The stress lines on her brow foretold of a trying home life growing up, and an even harder life currently.

Her slightly more muscled left arm, indicative of carrying a little one around, and carrying food.

Definitely overworked, and little help at home.

A soft cry could be heard through the kitchen doors, her head shot up and a defeated look came across her face. She recovered quickly enough to smile and approach the table and place everyone’s food correctly. The patrons laughed and made crude jokes and she laughed obligingly, but the corners of her eyes betrayed her mask, and she was not mirthful.

She quickly disengaged and headed for the kitchen where the soft cries could be heard again.

She entered and soon, the crying stopped.

Moments later she reemerged with a sigh.

She composed herself and then surveyed the dining room.

The young man followed her gaze and knew that she was using a well practiced eye to determine where her help would be needed most.

Her eyes landed on him, and she quickly smiled and made her way over, “Evenin’ darlin!” she said with a thick southern drawl. “What can I get started for ya’?” She still smiled, but there was a tiredness behind her eyes.

“A pitcher of water, and a glass please,” the man replied smiling. “And a salad, with some vinaigrette please.” He handed her the menu. His smile was genuine and deep. Seeing it, the waitress’ smile widened ever so slightly.

Relief in a sea of pain.

“Not a problem darlin,” she replied. “I’ll have that right out.” She took the menu and headed back to the kitchen.

She hadn’t used a ticket book.

The young man wondered if she used a ticket book at all, or if necessity drove her to memorize orders for the sake of speed.

She trundled back to the kitchen and disappeared through the doors.

The young man glanced around the room, again, and noticed a couple old folks sitting at a table for two.

By the way the woman was looking at the man, they were married.

The old man was slowly working on his food, and the woman was using the absence of her husband’s attention to smile faintly and just look at him.

They were deeply in love. The kind of love that so few people find.

The old man coughed a small cough, almost like clearing his throat. The wife sprang immediately to action, like a trained soldier she quickly patted his hand and directed his gaze to her.

The young man could see her mouth the words, “You ok?”

The old man smiled quickly and nodded, “Just excited about the food,” he said back.

Their gaze lingered a moment longer than would be socially acceptable, however, their age and obvious love for one another dictated that it was, precisely, the right amount of time.

The waitress reemerged from the kitchen with a glass in one hand and a pitcher of water in the other.

She threaded expertly through the tables and customers. “Here you go darlin’!” she said as she placed the glass in front of him and set the pitcher down nearer the middle of the table. “If you need anything, just holler and I’ll come as soon as I can!”

The young man nodded “Thanks, I will,” and smiled.

Her smile widened yet again, and she headed over to a different table.

This table was on the other side of the room, across from the old couple. Here a young family was sitting and eating.

A family of four.

The father sat looking at his phone, mindlessly shoveling food into his mouth. The mother was busy wrangling the eldest of the two kids, whose only goal was to slip past her and run around the dining room. The kid was unsuccessful due to the mother’s diligence. However, her patience was wearing thin, as she was still trying to feed the younger of the two who was sitting in a highchair on her other side.

The waitress walked up and asked how things were going, the mother smiled and nodded then looked to the father who mumbled some, shallow, affirmation. The look of pain in the mother’s eyes, however brief, spoke volumes.

At that moment, a bell chimed, and a dirty scraggily looking man walked in. He had a large unkempt beard, and hair that was knotted and matted.

His eyes were dark and hollow.

He wore a coat that was too large and was very dirty. His undershirt was no better, a faded yellow with words that could no longer be made out.

He was wearing too many pants.

The waitress looked up and sighed defeatedly, she smiled at the young family, and made her way to the front.

She guided the man deftly back to the front door whispering in hushed tones, she glanced back across the dining room, then quickly reached behind the hostess both, and grabbed a large paper to-go bag and a bottled water, and handed it to him smiling sheepishly. He thanked her as he left, his eyes now filled with joy.

She sighed again and turned with a new smile on her face.

She genuinely enjoys helping people.

The young man smiled at this and looked back around the room. He spotted a lone businessman sitting in the other corner of the room, laptop and phone on the table.

Food, half eaten and forgotten.

He busily typed away on the laptop and scanned his phone.

The waitress made her way over to him, and patiently waited for him to find a good stopping point before checking if he was going to finish his food. He lazily wafted a hand through the air, and she began bussing the table.

He returned to his work, forgetting that she was even there.

Her smile faded, and she continued to clean the table around his electronics, then She made her way back to the kitchen.

The young man glanced around again, noticing how, through the noise, the restaurant was quiet.

Through the noise a deep emptiness.

Children whining.

Mothers sighing.

People laughing.

Dishes clinking.

Noise, yet silence.

The waitress came back out with a salad plate and dressing.

She walked over to the young man and set the plate down. “Here you go!” she said smiling, “Enjoy!”

He smiled back at her and then closed his eyes.

In a that moment, time froze.

The smiling waitress.

The broken young family.

The happy old couple.

The inconsiderate party.

The preoccupied businessman.

The homeless man out front.

They all froze.

When the young man opened his eyes, he could see a soft glow emanating from a point just next to him, and yet, it seemed that it was very far away.

The pulsing light spoke in a deep yet soft, thundering voice, “What do you see?”

The young man smiled and replied, “I see pain.”

“Why does that make you smile?”

“Because pain, even though it hurts, has beauty.”

The light pulsed a few times.

The man continued, “The pain of working hard, not knowing what tomorrow will bring, yet there is hope.”

The waitress’ shape began to glow.

“The pain of age, and a lifetime of trouble, defining you and someone so close to you, yet there is hope.”

The old couple began to glow.

“The pain of a torn marriage, not knowing whether to stay or leave, yet there is hope.”

The young family began to glow.

“I see the pain of tortured souls crying out for acceptance, yet there is hope.”

The party group began to glow.

“I see the pain of a man who only wants the time to love a family, yet there is hope.”

The businessman began to glow.

“I see the pain of hunger, and not knowing where your next meal will come from, yet there is hope.”

The homeless man outside began to glow.

“Now that you have observed all these things, what shall we do with it?” the deep voice asked.

The man smiled and closed his eyes again.

Slowly the sounds came bustling back.

The whining children.

The laughing peoples.

The clinking dishes.

The young man began eating his salad, and once finished, sat back smiling.

The waitress smiled and made her way back to him with the check. “Here you go darlin, whenever you’re ready, there’s no rush.”

He looked up at her and smiled again, “Thank you,”

She smiled wider and laughed a soft laugh, “Its nothin’ darlin!”

He smiled and chuckled himself, “It is definitely something, and I for one, feel that something should be done about it.” With these words he pulled out a check and wrote it out for the amount needed to pay for the meal, and without pausing, took another check and filled it out, leaving the amount line empty. “Whatever you need or want, just put down the number, no matter how big, and its yours!”

The waitresses smiled faded, and she was at a loss for words, “I don’t think I can accept this,” she said sheepishly.

He raised his hand with the check in it, “Don’t worry, you are more than worth it.”

She smiled faintly and in awe slowly took the check from his hand, “I don’t know how to thank you?” she said as tears filled her eyes “I don’t know what to say?”

He smiled wider, “You don’t need to say anything,” he said standing up, “I just need to ask one thing?”

“Anything sir!”

“What is your name?”

“Hope.”