"Hi, what can I get you folks?" The waitress lady asked us.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxmJLLirRa
From where I was sitting, I could see Dad on a phone call standing by the restrooms. I assumed it was work.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXG22YOefZl
We sat in the second booth nearest to the entrance. An older white lady who came over to our table to take our food order. She looked like she was in her 60s.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PcyTt1vrO
"Yes, and do you want cheese on those Hamburgers?" she asked Mom.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUUVbOe9Fx
"Yeah, he'll take cheese. I'll take cheese on my burger as well," Mom responded to her (she was also ordering for Dad).
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPtYWpreJr
"Pickles?" she asked. She wasn't writing anything down and must have memorized the order.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63B1dQzg7Z
"No," Mom said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZ6vYCenGu
"Okay. For you my dear?" she asked me. I looked over at her name tag, it read "Susan".
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW28Wxnczpg
"I'll take a slice of your blueberry pie..." I said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIy4r6uGhY
"Order FOOD..., Ben," Mom interrupted.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sl2CezVej
"I'll just take your turkey sandwich. I was already thinking about ordering that anyways," I responded.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f1d9enNXo
"Fries or Fruit?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbovhL8c5Db
"Uhmm..., I'll take fries. Do you mind adding extra onions to the sandwich?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYQFszWOA9
"Yeah of course! If it's alright with your mom, maybe I can still bring that piece of the pie when you're done with your meal?" she looked over at Mom.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwW7E3w6eL
"Yeah, you can," Mom told her happily.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvrQaX0kQA
"Alright! I'll be right back!", she smiled big. She went off into the kitchen.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpAhJlWAP2
"Wow, she's nice," I said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtuKIP3Tcu
"Pie, really Ben? I thought you said you were hungry?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJwBzIoPXx
"I am hungry. I just felt like eating something sweet." Mom tilted her head.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXiQN0qMdC
"And it's BLUEBERRY pie," I said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwzvv51Jcr
"Well, I want to try some of yours when it comes. But no one has ever made their blueberry pie as good as your grandmother's."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FoAIpDXTm
Grandma Letita's blueberry pie was one of the best things I had ever tasted. We hadn't eaten it in a long time since she had passed away 4 years ago.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCc5MgtjObN
I nodded agreeing with Mom.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytG2tFSc9m
Dad eventually got off the phone and came back to the booth.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdSlyrDFkD
"What happened?" Dad asked us.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcS46UoCRs
"I ordered for you," she said, "And there's also blueberry pie coming."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoVbKVQf4F
"Okay nice, thanks hunny."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhK8Mi4bzqi
I scratched my head because I knew the three of us would all be sharing the slice when it came.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRVu8rpXvv
"Who called?" Mom asked him.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxnrLgwoxY
"Work," he said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKZe8V2Rt5
Susan came back to our booth with the drinks we had ordered. She placed the lemonade that I had ordered in front of me. I could tell she had mastered her job.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXGccxdtuj
"Dr. Pepper and Sweet Tea!" she said handing Mom and Dad their drinks.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVSHm8SpwY
"Wait a minute. Are you Audrey Jones's mother?" Dad asked.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDy18sKrqZ
"Yes. Oh I remember you! You, Audrey and all those other boys used to hang out around the neighborhood, right?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwn3YgVqLE
"Yeah! It's been what, 20 years?" Dad chuckled, "How is Audrey doing?" He had a concerned look.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmImDcjPlZy
"Audrey is um..., she is still not herself."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgFC8N9sK9
"I see, Kevin has informed me of what had happened to them. Has he been found yet?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwss7vBKhg
"No," she said sadly.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzea95L1vX4
"I'm so sorry."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy2H48agth
"Don't be," she reassured him. "I haven't lost hope that we will find him some day. Is this your lovely son?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3t2KtsOff
"Yeah. This is Benjamin and this here is my wife Evelyn," Dad said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4IP0uT39t
"Well, nice to meet you guys and nice to see you again. I will be right back with your food," she smiled.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U5K5KctgV
I looked around the place. The diner was straight out of the 1950s. I saw the old-fashioned radio but I think that it may have been broken because there was no music playing from it.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32UZqjTfgS
The only background noise that I could hear was the news on the two TVs playing simultaneously.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQN18jNzdzr
The place was half full of customers. The two people that were serving were Susan and a pretty girl who looked about my age. She had caught my attention when we first walked in. I kept my head down so Mom would not ask what I was looking at so intently. After looking at her for a little bit too long, my attention was then caught by what was being said on the News.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JDSYegOtx
"It has been 5 years since the disappearance of Joseph Williams. A former T.S.I. employee. With his disappearance his wife and two children were left behind. The search still continues..."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWcMGARv0C
My parents were watching the other TV that was behind me with the same broadcast being shown. A Caucasian female anchor was speaking. She was talking about some case that I had never heard of before but seemed interesting.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77hV6CcXCi
They showed a picture of the victim. It was of a black man wearing a mining hat. He was wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. A small smile showed on his face.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsihb74BUmL
The news continued...,"A few months after Joseph's disappearance, his wife was admitted into a Psychiatric hospital..." Then out of nowhere, both TVs were shut off. They were just about to show a picture of his wife. I noticed it was the pretty girl with the remote who turned the TV off.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa10p11jcwK
Wow, she's beautiful - I thought.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE1u0BsUvG
Whatever was on the TV it seemed like it had made her upset. I could tell that she wanted to cry. Her face turned red and her eyes began to water as she stood there by the kitchen doors staring into nothingness. She blinked hard and then ran into the kitchen with the two doors quickly closing behind her.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtwtFcNscl
I could see Dad's reaction. He too looked saddened by what had been shown on the News.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBWewrUenW
The News report stuck out to me considering my parents also worked for the T.S.I., just like the guy who had disappeared.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskuZtkhjFN
The older lady eventually came back to our booth with our plates.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIwy45g9oK
"Here you are," Susan sat our plates in front of us.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyYH9mzc0d
The food smelt good and hunger was brought back to my remembrance. Also, the thought of how sad that girl looked rang in my head.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP4z3hHw19
We ate up and were full. It was delicious. The fries were well-seasoned and the sandwich was tasty. Susan must have remembered the pie because right when we were done, she brought out my slice of pie plus two other plates with slices on them.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡod9egPnlK5
"And everyone's pie! It's on the house so don't worry about it," Susan said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pGdxuQVB0
"Aww, you didn't have to," Mom said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Jk6sgQO6Y
"It's your folk's first time! Except Ivan," she said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHERANSvL5
The unusual thing was that Susan didn't leave the table. She watched the three of us take the first bite.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOUqW6B2aY
I put my hand over my mouth, "Woah," I said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRskhVCFRvR
The blueberries were sweet, not sour. The crust was the best part. It was crunchy but soft and there was some type of glaze on the crust that just made the flavor...burst.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMrVFQyPtN
"Wow!" Dad said, "It's better than the last time I had this."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PzQTDSs2S
"What do you guys think?" Susan said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTQktMaJ4f
I took another bite. "It's really good. Thank you."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINk0dgHd4E
"Who makes this? Can I talk to them?" Mom asked.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDV8FAJ9d3Y
"I do," Susan said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltw8mzEe93
"You're Grandma?" Mom asked.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv42YXuWX6Q
"Yeah, I'm Grandma. My grandmother owned this place, then my mother, and now I do."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihfcjxSily
Although Ms. Susan was an older lady, it was clear that she was beautiful in her prime and now seemed like a very energetic older woman.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfiDtDlv6M
"This is your Diner?" I asked.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeKEH8NsiV
"Yup," she said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjT98zh9sJ
I didn't know 'Grandma's Diner' had a grandma. I just assumed it was a brand name.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbyVFClEs5
I looked at Mom and tears began welling up in her eyes. I was confused until Mom told Susan that the pie reminded her of my grandma Letita. I would say, I had never seen my mom that emotional before.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Y4hQDJWum
"Aww," Susan reached out and hugged Mom.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdSlG0VdTv
"Here you go, hun," Dad gave Mom a napkin and rubbed her back. Mom wiped her tears.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpDgiIAVVs
"You guys are welcome to come back anytime and have pie."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡon2eP4pUrf
By this time I was already done with my pie.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHcTLU7sJ1
"Do you need any help around here?" Mom asked after she was finished wiping her tears. "I've been thinking about quitting my job for a long time."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKukMbGRIaF
"Yeah. Well, I got my two granddaughters and Gloria. But I'm always hiring. You can come by Monday If you'd like. Where do you work?"
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bgTBrpOYJ
"For the government."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9afaIBUkKG
"Really? My son-in-law worked for the government, but he disappeared 5 years ago. I say they have something to do with it."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaIwk9PKkA
"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past them," Dad said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FdyNJaLKf
"Like I said, you can come by Monday. We are open Monday through Friday most of the time."
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLteJo1gMgQ
"Thank you," Mom said.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zRbloXWxU
I looked over to see the beautiful girl staring at our table. We made eye contact then she looked away quickly. I wondered if she was just checking me out.
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpZsrBzg1a
47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ooeVVP7rK
