Free Beer Tomorrow

"What did you have to eat?"

A teen, wearing a school jacket with a "Tennis Team" patch on the sleeve, interrupted out discussion. She was fair, with impossibly smooth skin, and had no reservations about talking to two gray-haired strangers. Old men sporting Saturday stubble, wearing Saturday clothes. When a Grace asks you a direct question, how can you do anything but smile and answer truly and sweetly, all the while basking in her radiance?

The "Moment" ended. She left- I don't know if she took our advice or not, perhaps she was polling all the other patrons as well! The food we had eaten (fajitas and wild rice soup) was standard suburban restaurant fare, forgettable, but palatable enough. Neater than the chicken wings.

Our conversation resumed.

"Have you talked to your cousin lately?"

"I saw him a little while ago, he was involved with some kind of conflict mediation therapy. He wanted me to attend a meeting."

"Conflict mediation?"

"Sure, don't you have conflicts?"

"Well... sometimes, I guess. Most of the conflicts I have usually depend on what I've had to eat. All-Bran usually mediates them."

After paying our bill, we headed out to the street.

"We should come back here tomorrow."

"Why is that? The meat raffle?"

"No, the free beer."