Silent Night In A Diner

What a place for a story.

A lonely diner on a stormy Christmas Eve.

I was driving cross country. I hate to fly especially since our 'homeland security' measures have kicked in.

Besides, I've always seen a great deal more when wheeling it.

I like meeting people and sharing stories.

Little did I know that, this night, I was receiving a 'motherlode'.

A snowstorm was whipping through, replete with poor visibility and winds that were knocking what remaining traffic their was, around like tin cans. Even my 4 wheeler was losing the battle.

I'm usually pretty good about watching the weather and travelling conditions.

But this was Christmas Eve and I had 'miles to go' etc.

Dumbass me pressed on, knowing better but ignoring my own common sense.

Thus, I left the highway when it was obvious I would get no further.

There was a diner outside a small town. I barely made it as the snow whirled and piled nightmarishly high.

The lights were on and there were just a few cars parked, a couple as haphazardly as mine became.

The whole scene reminded me of the 'blizzard of '78', a nasty storm that closed down the state of Indiana late January of said year. I remember hearing the announcer say the 'state of Indiana is closed'. 'No sh*t Sherlock', I thought.

Same thing as I trudged to the diner door.

I entered and pounded my feet as I looked around.

There was a small scattering of folks, a waitress behind the counter and it looked like a cook in the kitchen.

'Welcome to the wasteland, hon. Can I get you some coffee?', the woman asked, surprisingly cheerfully. Maybe it was be cheerful or morose, so she chose the former.

'I'd appreciate that. Black's fine.', I chimed in. I undid my coat, took off the gloves and sat down, wearily and gratefully.

She brought the coffee and smiled, asking if I wanted anything to eat.

'If it's not trouble. I'm kinda surprised you guys are open', gesturing with my thumb and nodding.

'Well we kinda had no choice. We were gonna shut down, but the storm hit so fast and hard, we figured we'd actually be safer here. So we decided to stay open, just in case folks like you all', gesturing round, 'could light down.'

"Well thanks ma'am. I barely made it. And this is very inviting. How long you been here?'

'Since lunch shift. We heard there was gonna be some snow', she laughed. 'How right they were.'

'Wow. You must be beat. Do you need some help?'

She smiled tiredly and said, 'Naw. I'll sit til your food's ready then after, I'll just sit again. Same for Buzz back there.' She gestured at the guy in the kitchen and he waved and smiled.

I smiled back then finally looked around.

There was an elderly couple in one booth. He held her as she dozed, himself droopy eyed.

A younger couple with two kids, maybe 5 and 10, sat at another booth, talking the kids drawing, surprisingly quiet, but 'twitchy'.

There was a guy at the counter, middle aged, curly haired with a salt and pepper beard. He appeared to be a trucker.

Then there was this kid, a girl, maybe 15-16. All alone at a back booth, staring aimlessly out at the wall of white. She got up slowly and headed toward the bathrooms. It was obvious she was pregnant, big as a beach ball pregnant.

She moved slowly and I was worried for her as she seemed to weave.

The waitress saw at the same time and we both rushed to her.