Please to see the King

He still comes into the café everyday without fail, usually more than once a day, spending about $60-70 in total. He is the reason we are always sold out of peanut butter pies.

Yesterday, he came in and wanted to try some of the new foods and drinks we sell, along with an iced tea.

He asked me, “Do you recommend I get the iced tea with ice or without ice?”

I smiled. “Probably with.”

“Okay. I’ll try that.” His big, boyish blue eyes shifted as he thought. “Actually... on second thought, I think I’ll get it without the ice. If you’re right about the ice, I’ll come back and order it again.”

“All right, sounds good.”

He sat down at a big table by himself with his $30-worth of merchandise. He took one of his fancy $6 bottled waters and took a single big gulp from it, then set it down and took one gulp out of the other. Then he sat them both down and stared outside the big window, looking out at the storm that shook the thin and fragile trees growing amidst the concrete.

I wonder how he thinks. After making his absurd purchases, he often seems deep and lost in his thoughts.

I was busy with customers, and later I saw him get up and walk towards the trash with his uniced iced tea. It looked like he only had a little sip from it, if he took a sip at all.

But in the late afternoon today, he came in and told me he liked the passion tea.

My manager talked with him about the new food we are selling. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. Thank you.”

It made me laugh, the way he said “thank you,” as if all of this merchandise is put out just for him.

I guess, on some level, it is.