June 2020 blog entry: "Strolling on the Promenade"

​Strolling on the Promenade
 
Monika busied herself wiping down tables and taking food and drink orders in between. Some people may think that being a waitress is just a job, but for Monika it was her life. She loved people and loved making them happy.
At home, her husband Rick was seated at the kitchen table pondering on life. He had turned 40 years old a couple of days ago and was going through a bit of a mid life crisis. He was ‘in between jobs’ as the saying goes, not that he had had a proper job for a long time. He was a bit of a bad boy who kept bad company doing bad things. His physique earned him a reputation of being a strong arm man and was often involved in scraps or worse. Despite all of these misgivings, Monika loved him.
Rick had become bored so decided to go to Monika’s place of work and have a coffee and perhaps a bit of cake to wile away an hour or so. As Rick entered the restaurant, he saw Monika in deep conversation with her boss Peter. Rick didn’t like the way he stood so close to her. When Monika spotted Rick she suddenly stepped back and approached the table where Rick had seated himself . She took his order of a large Cypriot coffee and a slice of Apple pie.
As Rick sipped his coffee he noticed Peter approach Monika numerous times and each time he would get close and whisper in her ear. He was getting quite jealous. Monika came to check up on him and Rick took the opportunity to ask her.
“What does he want every five minutes whispering in your ear?” he snapped.
“Don’t be silly Rick, it’s just work.”
This made Rick angrier, angry to the point that he walked out and went home. He sat at the kitchen table again sulking. Was she having an affair with her boss? His thoughts were running away with him.  ‘I know I’m not the perfect husband, and I do neglect her sometimes’.  He sat there winding himself up. Eventually Monika came home. She looked upset. She had a frown on and her normally smiling lips were pointing downwards.
“What’s up?” Rick asked.
“I’ve been fired, that’s what’s up!” said Monika also sitting at the table.
“Fired, what on earth for?” asked Rick angrily.
“I want you to go and sort him out!” said Monika through gritted teeth.
“Just because he fired you?”
“No because of the reason he fired me! He cornered me in the stock room and he fired me because I wouldn’t submit to his advances, the bloody letch!”
“I knew it!!” shouted Rick banging his fist down onto the table making the cruet set jump up in the air. “I’m going to teach him a lesson right now!”
“I’m coming with you,” said Monika standing up.
It wasn’t long before they were strolling along the Promenade towards Monika’s work place. It had started to rain and the wind was picking up which didn’t help Rick’s foul mood. The stroll had turned into a brisk walk as they passed McDonalds, a few doors away from the restaurant. They had arrived.
“I’ll teach the pervert” said Rick as the anger welled up again.
They walked in and all was in darkness. Luckily Peter hadn’t locked the doors yet. Rick could see Peter’s silhouette fiddling about behind the bar.
“Oi you scumbag! You think it’s ok to harass my wife do you?”
“I...I...I didn’t harass your wife,” said Peter stuttering with fear.
“I’ll teach you!” said Rick as he lunged toward the bar.
Peters hand suddenly disappeared below the bar as he said, “Hold it right there!”
Rick thought that Peter had some sort of weapon concealed below the bar and stopped in his tracks. Suddenly the lights came on and from under the bar Peter produced a balloon, it had a big ‘H’ printed on it. Then one by one, heads popped up from behind the bar and each person was holding a balloon with a letter printed on it. Rick read the words:
H-A-P-P-Y  B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y
They started to sing to him. Then Monika who he had not even noticed she had gone appeared from the kitchen holding a big cake with a big candle that was formed into a ‘40’.
“Happy Birthday darling!” Monika beamed.
There was laughter all round and it took Rick a few seconds to see the funny side but he did and joined his friends in the merriment.
 
END
Chris Christodoulou
30/8/2017