Quiet family supper

Today, we went out to eat. This is not a rare occurrence, but this one is one worth noting.

We went to a little seafood restaurant called Comeau's. They have the best seafood. It is small, intimate, yet very casual. The food is amazing. Due to the distance we have to travel to get there, we only go very rarely, but it is well worth the trip. There always people coming as it is quite popular and we are not the only people who travel to get there. The prices are reasonable as well.

I ordered the fish and chips, Breanna ordered her favourite Poutine (French Fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy, definitely an artery clogger, but it does taste great) and Marshall ordered the clams. We were having some laughs and then our supper arrived. We still chat but not as much as when you are waiting for the food...Kinda hard to talk when you are trying to eat... that is while maintaining some proper meal etiquette.

I noticed in the table kitty corner to ours, a small family, a man, woman and two children one appeared to be Breanna's age but was a boy and then an adorable little girl (toddler) in a high chair. They had placed their order. Usually I don't overhear other peoples conversations, but in a small restaurant like this one, it can't be avoided. The entire family ordered the fish and chips and the mother ordered macaroni and cheese for the little one. I overheard the mother order a side of gravy...I am assuming for her french fries...Everyone eats fries and gravy it seems. Anyway, as time went on their order came to the table. I overheard the woman say to her husband that is her gravy on his plate. (It was placed in a small cup on the side of his plate). He yelled back at her that it was not hers, and told her that she did not order the gravy. I was upset as I know she had....I overheard it and I wanted to say something...but it is not my place and well why make a scene and embarrass my family defending her.....Though I really wanted to as I knew she was being accused of not ordering something she did.

Enough of what I thought, here is what transpired. She vehemently exclaimed that she did order gravy as she requested it to be placed on her fries and the waitress advised it is served in a small cup. Her husband/boyfriend/ignoramus told her she did not order gravy that it was the last time they were there that she did and she is mistaken...with that the son piped up and told his mother that she is crazy and she did not order gravy. The woman sat with a look on her face part embarrassment and part shame/sadness. Two people were telling her she was wrong....I was getting ready to step over there (a big two steps away) and defend this poor woman. All of a sudden in a stern yet not very loud voice she told them the following " I am not crazy, do not try and tell me what I know to be true, don't try and make me out to be insane." WOW....Not really what I was expecting, but I felt very proud for standing her ground. With that statement her husband pushed his food away and told her to stop her behaviour or he was leaving. She told him to leave... she was not going to have someone accuse her of not saying something she knew she had said. Her son kept up telling her she was wrong, repeatedly. The husband gave her the gravy cup and told her that "she can have it anyway". This woman ate her meal in tears in this restaurant. I so badly wanted to tell her I heard her...but then I thought, maybe I shouldn't get involved.

You see her husband was a large man, and he appeared quite angry (male PMS or something), her son appeared to have a little chip on his shoulder. If I spoke up, perhaps this woman would be made to feel worse....and I could clearly see she was already in a great deal of emotional pain. I said a silent prayer for her at the table. Just then the waitress came up and asked if everything were ok with the meal, the lady looked up and asked the lady if she could remember who ordered the gravy, as she has issues with her memory slipping...(I personally suffer from short term memory loss...so I know all about memory slippage, I could relate, LOL). The waitress looked at her order pad and stated "Yes, you ordered the gravy because you asked if you could have the gravy on the fries and I told you it came in a cup." She said "Dear, did you not want the gravy, I won't charge you for it if you didn't want it." The lady said "I thought so." Smiled and then added the gravy to her french fries.

For the rest of our dinner until the check was paid, no one uttered a word at that table...Not even one word of apology...All I could think of was that poor woman...made to feel bad...and then when she was vindicated no one spoke up to apologize.

I felt two things at that point. I felt both very sorry for that woman, but pleased that she spoke up. I know my prayer was answered to have a waitress with such a great memory vindicate this poor woman. I felt her pain as a similar occurrence happened to me many years ago. I know the shame, and embarrassment. I know that sting of pain when people make you feel small and insignificant as to attempt to humiliate you publicly.

I hope for her sake this was an isolated incident. If not, I hope she keeps that strength and determination that caused her to find out the truth. She was not crazy, far from it, although, I have my doubts about her husband and son....I hope the little one has more respect for her mother as she gets older.

Never a dull moment.