Copyright 1991 Aya Katz
David was my first customer, too. He came in that evening with the doe eyed lady, and he sat at my station, on purpose, I think. I wasn't too clear where my station was actually, all the tables have numbers, only they're not written down anywhere, and I was somewhat confused. David was pretty familiar with the set up, though. He even waved at me to let me know I was supposed to serve him. Taking the order down was easy. Serving it wasn't so easy. I was very nervous, and managed to drop a plate, which had doe-eyes frowning fiercely, but she didn't say anything, because David told her it was my first day. "I used to work at the Brown 'N Serve too," he said to me, as I was picking up the shards. "Isn't that right, Mickey?" he said to his dinner companion. She was dressed in red again.
She crinkled her nose. "Don't remind me."
Eb came over with a broom, to supervise the cleanup. "Played the guit' ar, for us, he did. Been playing it since he was knee high to a grasshopper, ain't you boy?"
David tried to make light of it, but Eb kept after him. "Pipa, fetch me that guit' ar, will you?"
The petite darkhaired waitress went to get the instrument, which apparently had hung on the wall all this time. Somehow, I never noticed it for all the pictures of cows.
"Play us something for old time's sake boy." People from adjoining tables echoed the plea.
Mickey was making faces at him, which David obviously saw, but he finally gave in. As he took the guitar and began tuning it, people form adjoining tables pulled their chairs out so they could see, or simply gathered round, which made it doubly hard for me to clean up the dropped dish. I was still down on my hands and knees when he began singing. He had beautiful baritone, clear and flowing, that contrasted with his material:
Down by the crick, where the mud lies most thick,
And the watersnakes slither along,
I met me a chick, and we hit it off quick,
She was thin as a stick, but real strong.
She had big cherry lips and nice firm wide hips,
The prettiest girl that I saw,
She let it all rip and I like to have flipped,
When along down the path came her pa.
I was really quite stunned, when he said to me, "Son,
"You done bought yourself a new squaw,"
As I stared at his gun, it was too late to run,
So I gained me a father-in-law.
By the end, they were all clapping with the rhythm and urging him to sing another song. He took one look at Mickey's sour face, and begged off.
She really let him have it, too. I caught the tail end of it when I brought them the replacement dish. "I don't see how you expect to be taken seriously carrying on like that and making a spectacle of yourself. What do you suppose Daddy would think if he saw you in here acting like some kind of ... of ..."
He took the opportunity to reply. "He used to like it well enough when I worked here."
"Well, you don't work here anymore, and it's all thanks to him and don't you forget it."
He smiled at her. "You're right Mickey. I don't know what got over me. Sometimes I just get carried away."
For a glimpse into one of the inspirations for Vacuum County, watch this video: