Shoe Grease

I'd just walked into this odd little excuse for a restaurant that I wouldn't of noticed had I not been on the road for ten hours straight.

I'd run outta snacks, which as you can imagine wasn't a great thing. Needless to say, I was starving and couldn't of waited longer.

"You gotta take off your shoes sweetheart," a voice calls. "I can't keep mopin' in here."

"Excuse me?"

"Do it or get outta here."

I look around, inspecting the floor, deciding whether I ought to stay or not.

I slip off my shoes, glad that I wore socks. The floor doesn't seem like it was just mopped, but some part of me convinced my whole being that it was fine. I'm guessing that my stomach was responsible for that decision.

"You can just put those ova here, darling," an old woman says, appearing out of nowhere.

I do as she says, then go up to the counter, waiting for some service.

"That's not how it works round here," she says, clickin' her tongue. "We serve one meal, an one meal only."

"Ok..." I respond, still not knowing what exactly I had got myself into.

"You betta have a seat at one of those tables," another voice joins in. "It'll be just a little while."

I'm sorta glad to be rid of them for a while. They're odd folks, and I make a point of sitting down with my back towards them.

I take in my surroundings, marveling at how a joint like this could stay open. The health inspectors probably forgot all about it. The floors are wet, and a tad sticky. The socks I'm wearing are slowly getting totally and absolutely disgusting.

The ceiling is cracked, but at least it ain't that hideous popcorn ceiling. I can't bear to see that God-awful stuff.

The walls are classed up with wood paneling. It sorta makes the room seem smaller than I know it is. I believe that I'm getting a little claustrophobic right about now.

"Alrighty, ma'am. I believe that this is one fine meal," the other voice, a man in a greasy apron, says.

He puts the plate in fronta me, and I can't figure out what the heck it is for a little while.

An suddenly, I figure it out.

"Um, excuse me sir, but I believe that you've gone and burned my shoes."