One
Night At Denny's. Whenever we could, Spaz, Keith and I would
go out for breakfast after, let's say, 2:00-3:00 a.m.. We all loved being
awake while the rest of the world slept around us, I guess we each just
happened to be anti-social in exactly the same ways, which answers why
the three of us are so tight. This one Saturday, I had a bad case of pleurisy
(that's where the lining of the lung separates from the lung itself, sort
of like your lungs have no covering or support.) It hurt so excrutiatingly
bad that I couldn't breath without pain, walking was even painful. Quite
frequently I screamed or moaned loudly. I couldn't control it.
So this one Saturday was a typical one. After deciding for an hour where
to go, we decided on Denny's. Spaz' truck is a big 1974 Chevy, with high
step ups to the seat. It was all I could do to get in and out without
tears. We pull into Denny's parking lot in the closest space we could
find. For me two feet was too far, but we were quite far from the door.
I told the two guys to go in first. I had to psyche myself up for taking
that walk. I don't know why I didn't have Spaz drop me off by the door,
but we weren't in the heavy thinking state of mind. It seemed like it
took forever to get out of the car. I watched the waitress seat them by
the window. A few minutes later I looked up again and a waiter was talking
to them. Spaz and Keith were waving their arms around like describing
or explaining something.
I walked into the section they were in and the waiter was still at the
table. They all stopped talking for a moment and looked at me as I walked
in, then resumed their conversation. By then, I was in so much pain that
I couldn't move one more step. Very ginglerly I sat down. With no control
over myself, I loudly cried out, "Oh, my back hurts so bad!"
The waiter (on the "flamboyant" side) slapped my knee, moved
in closer to me until his face was maybe four inches away and lisped,
"Oh, honey, are you all right?" He looked right into my eyes,
and when he looked away from me to Spaz and Keith, his looked changed,
like to anger. I told him that I was all right, just in a lot of pain.
I didn't understand this intense attention on his part.
After the waiter left, Spaz and Keith just cracked up. They were laughing
so hard they couldn't tell me why. Something I did apparently thrilled
them, because they were going, "good job, man! How perfect."
It seems that after they were seated and talking to the waiter, they told
him that someone else was joining them. They didn't know exactly when
because somewhere down the road on the way to the restaurant, they'd thrown
me out of the truck on the side of the highway, with the car still moving.
They figured I'd walk to the Denny's and join them. The waiter was horrified
at this story, and didn't know whether they were telling the truth or
lying. Then I come in, obviously in intense pain, hurt, and BAM! the story
was true. I can't explain how great the exhilaration to be a part of a
grand plan and know nothing about it, yet play the part to the teeth.
It was like being on a giant rollercoaster it was so awesome.
I consider the above story to be one of the highlights of my life, one
of those shining moments that will never be forgotten and will always
bring with it the initial thrill of when it happened |