Chapter 17

Early morning, by 0730 hours, I stepped into Michelle's Diner and occupied a high stool by the long wooden counter.

I lurked around. There were only a few people, most of them single and self-absorbed, eating breakfast, drinking coffee, while a couple of them dressed in business suits were engrossed in serious chitchat.

"Hi! Good Morning, what can I getcha?" a rotund lady clad in pale yellow and white uniform approached me with a smile from behind the counter.

"Hi, Goodmorning." I smiled back, "Uhh! Any breakfast specials?"

"Yea! It's on the wall," she pointed towards a couple of slate boards hung at the top with specials scribed in colorful chalks, barely legible. "Take your time to go through the menu and I'll be back to take your order," she added and handed me the menu before leaving towards the middle-aged gentleman seated upon one of the tables by the glass windows to pour him some fresh black coffee.