Little Helpers

FYI:

More colds begin on Monday than on any other weekday.
Michael Jackson had had 6 nose jobs by 1990.

Today’s Exploit:

The other evening I got a call from Rick, the directional driller. He asked if I wanted to go to dinner with him and the roughnecks. They were going to the one restaurant near the rig.

I decided to be adventurous and join them even though I knew I’d be out past my bedtime.

I rode with Rick; we arrived at the diner only to discover that the roughnecks had not made it. We picked up a couple little shadows as we walked through the two dining rooms where Rick pointed out a table to claim. Then he went to check the bar while the shadows followed me to the table.

My new shadows were two little girls bearing menus and silverware. One was 3, and the other was probably 5.

I told them we’d have 8 people, and they scampered off to get more menus and napkins.

When they returned they argued about who got to place the menus and who got to place the silverware and where. I directed them a bit so that the disagreements couldn’t escalate. Then the older one headed purposefully back toward the kitchen with the younger one trailing behind.

I saw the little one a few more times when she helped her mama by carrying a container of tortillas. She was very deliberate placing it on the table in front of me, even though they weren’t mine. She was much more bashful when her mother was present.

I spent dinner being bombarded with questions about myself and Wyoming and my time working as a firefighter. Also every so often I’d look around and see a little girl watching me (there were also a couple sitting at the tables). I’d smile at them and they’d hide behind their chair or the wall.

At the end of the night I went to the counter to ask for the little girls. They were brought out and I tipped them each for all their help, and told them that I was very impressed.

They stood there open-mouthed for a while staring at the dollars until prompted by one of the other waitresses to reply.

They both followed when I went back to my seat, and when I left with my group a few minutes later.

I think I made some new friends.