Hey, can you solve a riddle?
What’s that one place you come to every time you have a reason to celebrate?
That’s Me! A restaurant.
I am so excited to see you again! And I have so much to tell you.
A lot has happened in the past six months, and it all happened so suddenly.
I vividly remember the day it all started..
Everything was usual; there was jazz music playing in the background, the clanking of cutlery which naturally isn’t music to most ears, created a great symphony. I smelled like lavender with a hint of charcoal. Blame it on the two kids who ordered hot brownie ice cream that contributed to the smoky bit. My My, do you even know how breathtaking I looked in the victorian lighting?
All that attention directed towards me. 🙂 Oh, I bathed in glitz and glamour.
And I had many admirers. 😉
They kept walking in and out. There was romance in the air. The kisses exchanged at my front door are proof! OHHHH, I felt ALIVE. Until it was closing time; the burner in the kitchen was shut, the tables & chairs were rearranged, the counter was slammed tight and finally, it was lights out. We called it a day. And I silently slumped into a lazy night, dreaming about the next day.
The first half of the next morning was confusing when no one showed up. Even the familiar faces, who usually dust me off as soon as the sun rises, were nowhere to be seen. I mean, I don’t expect a heart-eyed couple to show up at the door on a Monday, but something seemed off.
The next day wasn’t any different. The chairs and tables gathered dust. The dining area wore an empty look, and the kitchen echoed with an eerie silence. Soon I heard some terrible news from our friends’ next door. Some virus was spreading that kept our humans locked at home. As days passed by, the stream of distressing news continued.any of my restaurant peers were shutting down forever, without even getting to say goodbye.
The fear loomed over my heart, and I wondered if I will ever serve my destiny again. I felt like I was DYING.
And all this while the longing to see bright faces kept me going through the loneliness. After what felt like forever, but technically 76 days, the front door flung open. I saw familiar faces walking in, and my heart was pounding with joy. But I played it cool.
The curtains were drawn and gave way to the fresh summer air. I was bathed in and scrubbed well. Oh, how I missed the feeling. 🙂 I smelled like lemongrass again. The kitchen sprung into action, the cutleries lined up like neat school kids, and the bright lights flooded the dining room. I felt like a bride ready for Swayamvaarr, only I wasn’t ready to be given away 😀
But something had changed, everyone was wearing masks & sanitising their hands, there were fewer tables laid out, and the usher was checking everyone’s temperature. Our friends in the neighbourhood said the same thing. Soon I realised it was in my best interest and made sure eating out was safe for everyone.
It has been weeks now, and things have started to look up. I am echoing with muffled noises of love confessions and work rants again. I keep my ears pressed to hear people sigh with delight when their favourite dishes are served to them. You will never hear me complaining.
There is someone special who is behind bringing me back to life. It’s technology. And it’s marvellous. Oh, I could talk about it all day long, but we are keeping a low profile. We chat quite often, and things might be getting a bit serious between us. You could say we are a match made in heaven.
It tells me new things about people every day, and I wonder why we didn’t meet before.
But we met now, and we are celebrating the spirit of dining out everyday, Are you?
