"what will you have sir?" ... "I'll have the soup and salad .. my nephew would like fish & chips"

so... I was headed to a family gathering in the northeast and I had my young nephew with me. He's about 9 and very curious about everything ...

We got hungry and pulled off to get some food. The exit we stopped at had every kind of shop for fishing and boating but there was only one place to eat. After driving up and down this small 2 lane stretch of road, trying to find another place I pull in to this lone diner, (can't remember the name) ... but I figured we better eat here cause I didn't plan on stopping again until we reached our destination, to be with the fam.

We get inside and order. I ordered tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwich and salad. My nephew ordered fish and chips. When my soup came it was ok, a little warm (not hot) .. and not disgusting but on the watery side. I dipped my grilled cheese sandwich in the soup and bit the sandwich. There was something rubbery in the middle that didn't feel or taste like cheese. I put my sandwich down. I was hungry so I wanted to try the salad while I still had an appetite, but I noticed under the dressing, there was little brown hair.



My nephew could see the anger and disgust on my face. He was killing his fish and chips between gulps of Sprite so he hadn't noticed what was really going on with me and my meal, but when he saw my face he asked with a mouth full of food, "Uncle Napoleon, why you look salty?"

In a monotone mad AF, not to quiet voice, I said, "these people know they are the only choice for food miles around, so they serve anything".

Just then the server came and gave me the check. It was $22.75, since nephew decided to order pie and ice cream for dessert. He was digging his spoon into the pie with ice cream on top as I glared at the check. I was 150% sure the server heard my comment and had just walked back behind the counter several feet away, now glancing over from the register as if to say 'I'm here waiting, when you are ready to pay'.

Mouth full of pie and ice cream, my nephew points at my pile of uneaten food with his spoon and says, "Well ...."

I said, "well what?"

"What you gonna do?"

"Hurry up and finish eating so we can pay and get outta here, thats what YOU gonna do!" I said with displaced rancor in my tone.

"But uncle you gonna pay for it like it was food from Aunt Mae's house? You not gonna tell them you refuse to pay since you couldn't eat? ... As much as you talk about greedy corrupt politicians you ain't gonna vote neither huh?"