A Memorable Evening
In place of a peaceful last meal, Ruth was forced to act after a nightmare turned into a nightmare. Her revenge wasn't taken lightly by the 79-year-old widow. It had been too much for her to handle from this man.
As a result of a mistake she made months ago, the new manager refused to let her be served. As a result, he would feel her wrath.
Their Place
Her husband, Tony, and Ruth had lived in Arkansas since they could remember. In addition to growing up there and attending school there, they met Walter there as well.
There was no way they would leave the place, as it was their life. Their favorite place became Walter's diner when he opened down the road.
Memories
Throughout the years, the diner became the place they went to for every event, and memories accumulated there.
Walter put up a picture board that included photos of every occasion they celebrated there because they were so well known there. A whole wall was devoted to it.
Booking The Restaurant
The wall displayed a picture of the diner's opening day. Their congratulatory hugs for the man of the hour were front and center.
From that moment on, they came every week. Whenever there was a special occasion, it was done twice. The entire dinner was booked many times for celebrations.
Celebrating Everything
They were there for birthdays, Christmas, and New Year's Eve throughout the year. Their anniversary was adorned on the wall every single year, though.
The beautiful vase was a reminder of the long life they shared together, and it was on display for all to see. In the years between their first and last wedding anniversary...
The Final Time
Walter and Ruth's 30th wedding anniversary changed both of their lives. Ruth and Tony celebrated it on February 25, 2019. Tragically, tragedy struck a few days later.
Despite Tony's best efforts, it was already too late when he arrived at the hospital. Despite the doctors' best efforts, he went into cardiac arrest.
Missing
The diner no longer served Ruth's food after that. The last time Walter saw her, she had lost her husband, and he could tell she had been devastated.
His impression was that Ruth was so depressed that she wouldn't speak to anyone. It looked like she was only getting worse, as she barely ate anymore.
Time Flew By
Since Ruth's tragic passing, weeks had passed without any sign of her. Walter believed that coming to the diner would help her cope with her pain because she came every week.
There seemed to be a difference of opinion between her and me. Did she find the memories too difficult to deal with?
Feeling Concerned
Walter felt a growing sense of concern. He knew it wouldn't do Ruth any good to be locked up in her house.
It would be a tragedy if she gave up now, as she still had a long life ahead of her. His and his staff missed her friendly smile.
A Call
In an effort to find out how his friend was doing, he called her one evening. When she told him how she felt, she opened up to him.
In the same vein, he asked Ruth if she would mind coming by since he had known Tony his entire life. His chances were slim, but he was hopeful.
She Had Agreed
Ruth agreed and went to the diner. To Walter’s surprise, she didn’t seem to be upset when looking at the photo wall. Instead, it seemed like it offered her a sense of relief.
This confused Walter since he thought she’d stayed away because of it. He asked her what was going on, and what Ruth said shocked him to the core.
Startling Revelation
Ruth revealed that she had visited the doctor a little while after Tony died, and he told her that she had leukemia. It had already progressed so far that they couldn’t treat it if they wanted to.
She was so shocked by what she had heard that she needed some time to find her feet again. That was why she didn’t go to the diner for so long.
Time Was Of The Essence
Walter was devastated by the news, but he would do anything to make his friend feel better, so he asked her how much time she had left. Sadly, the answer wasn’t what he was hoping for.
“6 months to a year,” Ruth whispered as she pushed her cup around between her hands. The information left Walter in a state of shock. He never expected it to be that soon.
Promises
Walter took Ruth’s hand and swore that he would stand by her side throughout this process. He promised to be there whenever she needed him and to arrange whatever she might need.
Ruth thanked him for his kind words and left. So Walter didn’t really know if she took them to heart or not. Would she return?
Returning To Normal
A couple of days later, Ruth was back. She was sitting in her usual seat and sipping on her tea as she watched the commotion that was going on outside.
Seeing her there was a relief, especially when she came back the next week. It looked like everything was going back to normal. But was it really, or was it just a temporary thing?
Fateful Day
It seemed like things had gone to their usual flow. But when Ruth came in one morning, she seemed distracted and easily startled.
She ordered her tea and looked out the window, but something was different about her. It was like she was lost in her own thoughts. It was so bad that when Ruth got up and left, she forgot something that would cost her dearly.
Unpaid Bill
That day, Ruth was so distracted that she completely forgot to pay her bill. The waiter had gone to Walter and asked him what to do about it since Ruth was long gone by the time he got to her table.
Walter asked about the situation, and the waiter explained what he saw. Walter was concerned by what he had heard and asked for the bill.
Forgiving The Mistake
When he looked down, Walter saw that Ruth had only ordered her tea. Since a pot of tea didn’t cost as much, and he knew what Ruth was going through, he just voided the bill.
In his eyes, it was a small, forgivable mistake that he knew wouldn’t happen again. The waiter was happy with the decision and decided to pin the receipt onto the photo wall along with the rest of the memories.
No Sign Of Her Return
After that, things took a turn for the worst. Ruth disappeared once more, and Walter wondered if all this might have something to do with her condition.
At first, he decided to wait things out and see if she would return. But two weeks later, he knew the time had come for him to act. But what could he do?
An Offer
He took a couple of days to think about it, and then Walter came up with the perfect idea. He sent Ruth a letter stating that the restaurant wanted to give her a free meal to thank her for her patronage.
Walter was sure it would work. But he was completely unaware of what he would see when Ruth stepped through the door.
Frail And Weak
Ruth came in the following day, and what Walter saw crushed him. She was no longer the vibrant, energetic woman he used to know.
She was frail and weak. And even though she was trying to hide it, Walter could tell that she was slowly falling apart. But Ruth was a strong woman, and she didn’t let her suffering affect her kindness.
It Was Catching Up
After a lengthy conversation, Ruth finally admitted that she was at the point of no return. Over the last few months, things have gotten a lot worse.
She spent most of her time being stuck in bed or visiting doctors, and that was starting to take a toll on her. She honestly didn’t think she had much time left.
Less Frequent
At that point, Walter understood why Ruth’s visits became less frequent, and he wasn’t planning on pushing her to change. She needed to rest and find the strength she needed to keep fighting.
So even though her visits went from once a week to once every three or four weeks, he knew everything was okay. That allowed him to focus his attention on another pressing matter.
A Choice To Make
Walter wasn’t that young anymore, and with everything that Ruth had been going through recently got him thinking. Was he getting too old to keep running the restaurant on his own?
The truth was that he was exhausted, and he would’ve loved to have some time for himself. But was employing a manager really the right thing to do?
Long Process
It was a tough decision, but after a few days of thinking it through, Walter had made up his mind. He posted an advertisement and started interviewing potential employees.
The process was long and grueling. It was so bad that Walter wondered if he would ever find the right person for the job. But then someone showed up, and he fit the bill perfectly.
He Seemed Perfect
James had over five years of experience as a restaurant manager. He was young, bubbly, and very enthusiastic. It looked like he was just the man Walter needed, so he hired him on the spot.
But James would show his true colors soon enough. And once he did, the damage would be irreparable. What James did was completely unforgivable.
Drastic Changes
On his first day at work, James decided to lay down the law. He wanted to turn the place into a high-class establishment, which meant that friendliness went right out the window.
There would be no conversations with customers. No laughing at jokes. And nobody was allowed to spend more than a couple of minutes at any given table.
The Reaction
Needless to say, the staff was furious. The place was doing well long before James, and his rules showed up. And the waiters were sure it would do the same long after he was gone.
None of them agreed with the new policy, and they voiced their concerns. But Walter wanted to see if James’ way would work.
Unhappy Staff, Unhappy Customers
Even though Walter tried to reassure the staff members that everything was okay, their attitude toward the rules didn’t change. But they did follow them, and with that, they managed to prove their point.
Because they weren’t friendly anymore, the customers stopped tipping, and many of them stopped coming altogether. It was a disaster, and the consequences would prove to be even worse.
Losing His Regulars
Walter’s Diner was losing one regular after another, and the reason for that was abundantly clear. They had gotten used to the service and the atmosphere. And now that it was gone, so were they.
That was when the severity of the matter really started setting in. Walter would have to make a choice about this behavior, and he was already leaning in a certain direction.